November 18, 2024
Re: Opposition to Virginia Petition 423
To Whom It May Concern:
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) opposes Virginia Petition 423 which would establish a pathway for Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Providers (LSATPs) to become Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).
CACREP is the leading national accrediting body for Professional Counselor preparation programs. We accredit programs in the specialized practice areas of Addiction Counseling, Career Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, College Counseling and Student Affairs, Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and School Counseling. Additionally, CACREP accredits doctoral programs in Counselor Education and Supervision for the preparation of counselor educators and advanced practitioners.
CACREP opposes the proposed pathway allowing LSATPs to qualify as LPCs, as these roles represent distinctly different scopes of practice. The LSATP license is specialized and limited to substance abuse treatment, while LPCs are qualified to diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health issues beyond substance abuse, including career counseling, marriage and family counseling, and specific mental health diagnoses. Unlike LPCs, LSATPs do not receive the same level of educational training or skills development, as defined by the CACREP curriculum requirements that support the broader LPC scope. Graduates of CACREP-accredited Addictions Counseling programs meet degree requirements for LSATP licensure, and regulation 18VAC115-60-90(C) permits LPCs to bypass an examination when transitioning to LSATP licensure, as their competency has already been assessed through the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) required for LPCs.
For these reasons, CACREP opposes Virginia Petition 423.
For any further questions, please contact CACREP’s CEO Sylvia Fernandez at sfernandez@cacrep.org.