While I currently live in Maine, I was raised in Virginia and am likely to return soon because all my family resides there. This issue will affect my ability to find employment.

I oppose this amendment because the American Counseling Association (ACA) Portability Plan (http://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements/licensure-portability-model-fact-sheet) increases portability much better than the NCLEP.  

NCLEP would only increase the portability of licenses held by CACREP graduates (as they would not need to meet additional state requirements).  It would do nothing for the *majority of licensed counselors* who graduated from or are currently enrolled in programs that are not affiliated with CACREP – and in fact, could further limit their employment options.  Virginia needs more, not fewer, qualified mental health professional to serve the needs of Virginians.  Why hurt the job prospects of qualified mental health professionals who graduate from high-quality programs unaffiliated with CACREP? And there are many wonderful, high-quality programs that are not CACREP accredited, because of its discriminatory and highly restrictive nature of who is qualified to train counselors.

Virginia should instead go with the ACA Portability plan, endorsed by ACA in 2016.  

The ACA Portability Plan would permit counselors licensed at the independent level in one state (who do not have any disciplinary actions against them) to qualify for independent licensure in any other state in which they are seeking residence.  Duly licensed counselors would be treated equally across the nation under this plan.  Compared with the NCLEP, the ACA plan respects all counselors, the licenses they hold, and doesn't require a waiting period.

Thank you for your consideration,

Leanne Parker, PhD