I am opposed to CACREP regulations due to my own experiences and due to general ethics of the counseling field.  My story begins with a desire to work with military personnel.  I attended an undergraduate college and majored in psychology which was the only major at the time not counseling.  I then worked as a summer hire at a government organization and realized that I could not obtain a government job in counseling without a masters.   I then attended a well known program in PA in clinical and counseling psychology at Chestnut Hill College.  This program is known for excellence and thought that being admitted was a blessing.  Keep in mind that I entered this program specifically to work with veterans and took courses in the advanced trauma track to obtain this goal.   I had never heard of CACREP.

I then graduated and knew that I would have to obtain my license for a position at the Veterans Administration.  I worked in a community clinic for experience and then received my license 2 years later.  I then looked at positions at the VA and realized the new CACREP restrictions.  I took the NCMHCE necessary for Tri Care acceptance and passed.  However, I still cannot obtain a career at the Veterans Adminstration which I worked so hard for.

The fact that CACREP has held me back from obtaining a life long dream that I worked hard for affects my perception of them.  I do not believe that CACREP accreditation should be required to obtain licensure because of the suffering this organization has caused.  It appears that CACREP only desires to lobby for themselves and is therefore not in the best interest of all counselors and does not represent all of us.  This is concerning.  They will further lobby for CACREP only restrictions and it will not end.  This could cause current counselors to undergo more suffering and remain locked out of the best positions that they worked so hard towards.  I do not trust this organization and do not feel that they align with ethics that advocate for no harm to others.  If the counseling field desires for one accreditating body it should be one that represents all counselors who attended accreditated schools (CACREP or CORE).  It is not fair that we paid $50,000 plus for our graduate degrees and cannot afford anymore schooling. 

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.