I am in full support of the petition to amend the regulations to allow residents in counseling to directly bill for services and receive payments from clients. This change is essential for aligning the profession with modern practices and the realities of today’s technology-driven world.

The current regulations were established in a time when payment methods were more manual and required greater oversight. However, in today’s world, we have access to digital payment systems that offer transparency, efficiency, and security. The requirement for payments to pass through supervisors is outdated and no longer necessary given these advancements.

Direct billing by residents does not undermine the supervision process; instead, it modernizes it. Supervisors will still provide essential oversight to ensure that residents are practicing ethically and within the bounds of their competence. What changes is the administrative burden on supervisors and the financial clarity for residents, who will now have the ability to manage their own income without unnecessary complications.

Furthermore, this amendment would benefit clients by simplifying the payment process. Clients often prefer to handle payments directly with the counselor they are working with, as this maintains the integrity of the therapeutic relationship. By allowing residents to bill directly, we respect the client-counselor relationship and make the process more straightforward for everyone involved.

Finally, the current regulation places Virginia out of step with many other states that allow direct billing by residents. As we move toward greater interstate cooperation in counseling licensure through initiatives like the Counseling Compact, it is important that Virginia aligns its regulations with those of other states to ensure consistency and mobility for professionals.

This amendment is not about reducing oversight or compromising ethical standards; it is about bringing our profession in line with current practices and technology. I urge the Board to approve this petition and take a necessary step forward in modernizing our regulations.