To amend the requirements for licensure by endorsement to include the National Counselor Licensure for Endorsement Process (NCLEP) as a route for counselor licensure.

The petition will be filed with the Register of Regulations and published on October 1, 2018 with comment requested until October 22, 2018.  It will also be placed on the Virginia Regulatory Townhall and available for comments to be posted electronically.

At its first meeting following the close of comment, scheduled for November 2, 2018, the Board will consider the request to amend regulations and all comment received in support or oppositionand decide whether to initiate rulemaking.

At its meeting on November 2, 2018, the Board discussed the request to amend regulations and all comment received.  The Board has voted to refer the issue of portability to the Regulatory Committee for further consideration and not to initiate rulemaking at this time.

 However, the Board took an additional action to recognize the Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) credential from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) as acceptable in lieu of transcripts verifying education and documentation verifying supervised experience in applying for licensure by endorsement. The Board has the authority in subsection B 3 of 18VAC115-20-45 to identify "any other board-recognized entity” and has acted on that authority to recognize the CCMHC from the NBCC.