Dear Governor McAuliffe and Board members,

There is a major shortage of qualified mental health counselors in Virginia to provide the quality care that is necessary for the many residents of this state. By limiting LPC licensing to CACREP certified counseling programs only, we would be doing a major disservice and irreperable damage to the most vulnerable populations that you were elected to serve. Not only would we not have enough qualified counselors, but we would be eliminating future counselors from one of the most comprehensive and rigorous counseling programs in the United States. Prior to applying to graduate programs in counseling, I reviewed dozens of programs, and George Mason University stood out for the quality of its teaching as well as its unique focus on multiculturalism and social justice. Graduates of GMU's program have gone on to successfully serve as school counselors, community agency counselors, and leaders in counseling. More counseling programs should be modeled after GMU's, and CACREP accreditation does not go far enough to fully address the needs that the state of VA has in terms of its diverse population. I firmly believe that the state of mental health services in VA will suffer beyond repair if CACREP accreditation is needed for counseling programs. The programs are currently rigorously reviewed for licensing eligibility by the state board, and it should stay that way. We need to find ways to increase the number of qualified counselors in the state, not take away from them. 

Respectfully,

Shirley C. Golub

Candidate for M.Ed, Community Agency Counseling, George Mason University