To Whom It May Concern,

As a mental health professional and academic instructor, I strongly oppose the movement toward CACREP as the only counseling accreditation agency to prepare students in the field of mental health counseling.  The economic hardships having an accrediting body dictate to graduate programs specific requirements that must be met in order to graduate is something many colleges simply cannot afford. Given the significant costs associated with requiring CACREP accreditation, the uneven and uncertain benefits of doing so, and the lack of empirical evidence that this proposal brings to the table to protect the health and safety of Virginians, the end cost of this proposed change may appear to outweigh the benefits.

Therefore, I implore you to reconsider endorsing CACREP as a standard of counselor training.

Sincerely,

Thomas Massarelli, Ph.D.

Seton Hall University