I am writing in support of requiring a degree from a CACREP-accredited program or approved affiliate for licensure as an LPC. Endorsing standards of education for counselors should not be something to fear. It improves the rigor and identity of those choosing counseling as a profession. It also provides an understood baseline of education that every LPC will receive. In addition, it reflects the current licensure portability plan that has been proposed by the American Mental Health Counselor's Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, National Board of Certified Counselors, and Amerian Association of State Counseling Boards ("Holds a graduate-level degree from a program accredited by CACREP"). This plan can be found at the following link:  www.amhca.org/portability2017

These major professional counseling organizations recognize the importance of standards for counselor education. It does not go unnoticed that many individuals on this comment page are psychologists or represent programs without accreditation. The LPC is not specific to the identity of psychologists but it is specific to the identity of counselors. If we do not adhere to counselor education standards in regard to the professional identity of counselors, then this will not be addressed in degree programs or meet the VA state licensure requirements. Psychology graduate programs, at this time, do not attend to the master's level practitioner so it concerns me that they are using the LPC to be a safeguard for students who do not matriculate through the doctoral-level psychology programs. This is a separate issue from this amendment and should be treated accordingly.

Finally, I am the program coordinator of the counselor education program at VCU. I am a professor who also advises and supervises our students and meets individuals who wish to hire counselors. I am told by these individuals, repeatedly, that they turn to us for graduates more so than programs that are not CACREP-accredited. They tell me they can tell the difference in students who are interning or have been hired in their school districts and community agencies. Although I do not seek these comments, they validate our efforts and adherence to CACREP standards.