I strongly oppose legislation that would only allow individuals from CACREP-accredited programs to be LPC eligible. 

I graduated from Radford University this spring with a MS in Clinical-Counseling Psychology. My plan was to continue my education and work towards a doctorate degree, but due to unforeseen circumstances I was not able to do so. Without a doctorate degree it is very hard for me to find a job because I am not LPC eligible. Most jobs for mental health professionals are looking for a candidate that either has a license or is license eligible. This has really limited the types of jobs I can apply to or be considered for. In the future I might have to make the decision to go back to school for a different Masters degree from a program that is CACREP-accredited in order to be considered for the jobs that I would like to apply to. This decision will cost me money and time, and will be very repetitive. The Clinical-Counseling Psychology program at Radford University has given me the knowledge and skills I need in order to be a competent and effective mental health professional, but unfortunately the LPC eligibility changes have made it very hard for me to obtain a job where I can put my knowledge and skills to use. For these reasons I strongly oppose legislation that would only allow individuals from CACREP-accredited programs to be LPC eligible.