I strongly and adamantly opposed CACREP-only legislation currently being considered in Virginia. I am currently an adjunct professor at University of Baltimore's (UB) Applied Psychology Master's program, where many student's apply for licensure (LCPC) upon graduation from the program. Many students from the program live in Virginia, and their amazing academic and clinical work could be for naught should this legislation pass. I've only been at UB for a short time, but I have already been amazed by the program: the dedication of the faculty and staff to mount a solid training program and advocate for their studets; and the work ethic and solid baseline clinical skills the students bring to their education and training experience. UB adhere's the MPCAC accrediting guidelines, that are in line with, and at times even more rigorous, than CACREP standards. These students are well-trained in the classroom and as well as in their clinical settings, and will be positive assets to the counseling professional community.

I am currently teaching a professional identity and ethical/legal issues in counseling and psychology course at UB, and we spend the first few weeks discussing professional identity and the current CACREP "crisis" in the field. UB faculty understand the necessity and importance to educate students up front (the class is taken within the first year, usually in the students' first semester) about the unfair pressures CACREP is trying to place on states. This leads to a lot of passionate discussions about the state of the field, with many students expressing concern and frustrations about how this is ultimately affecting clients for the sake of money/power. For students so early in their training to already be focused on client welfare - a cornerstone to ethical and professional practice - is amazing and a sign they will be making great decisions in their future careers. 

I strongly urge you to reconsider CACREP-only licensure requirements in Virginia. By restricting the practice of well-qualified counselors, you are ultimately doing a disservice to those most in need in your state.