Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Counseling
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling [18 VAC 115 ‑ 20]
Action Requirement for CACREP accreditation for educational programs
Stage Proposed
Comment Period Ended on 7/14/2017
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7/6/17  1:05 pm
Commenter: Julia C Phillips, Cleveland State University

Opposing CACREP Only Licensure
 

I am strongly opposed to CACREP only licensure laws.  As a faculty member involved in training master's and doctoral level clinicians, I am well aware of the benefits of accreditation. However, to enact licensure laws that require accreditation from one accrediting body ONLY (in this instance, CACREP) is to prematurely shut out other well qualified counselors who have trained in programs that do not have CACREP accreditation or who train in programs with other accrediting bodies.  A monopoly in accreditation does not serve the public well, particularly when we are in need of as many qualified clinicians to meet the rising mental health concerns in this country.  Competency can be demonstrated in many ways.  A person could easily document that their program had the elements that the Board has indicated as demonstrating competency.  Better to do that work than to restrict licensure to one group of people only.  In addition, research does not show that graduates from CACREP programs are any more competent than those from non-CACREP programs.  

CommentID: 60609