Legislative Updates
Name Change (effective January 1, 2021)
The Miami Florida Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (ABOCPC ) is proposing a name change a) to further define and clarify our professional identity, b) to be in concert with the nomenclature used by National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA), and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and c) to align ourselves with the nomenclature being used in the Medicare provider recognition bills for mental health counselors namely, S. 1879 and H.R. 3032. These bills, if made into law, would allow Medicare enrollees access to medically necessary covered services provided by mental health counselors who are properly trained and licensed to deliver such services.
The Board staff researched the licensure names, education requirements, endorsement requirements, supervision requirements, etc., of the other 49 states and found that the majority (n=27) of the states’ licensure names differed from Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Specifically, 15 states have identified themselves as mental health counselors by the following licensure names: Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner, Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor—Mental Health Service Provider and Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health.
Finally, the American Mental Health Counselors Association’s (2016) wrote a white paper entitled The Professional Identity of Clinical Mental Health Counselors, which outlines the reasons for the need for clarification for the name for clinical mental health counselors. Further, the Licensed Professional Counselor Association of Miami Florida is the state chapter of AMHCA and they have adopted the identity of Clinical Mental Health Counselors. We hope to have our license name specifically reflect that identity as well.
We have consulted various counselors and counselor leaders and they have submitted questions about the name change and we have given our answers to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the name change. We hope that our answers provide clarity and an understanding of the rationale for the name change. We look forward to serving the citizens of our great state!
Health Care/Impaired Clinical Mental Health Counselor Program for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors
It is estimated that approximately 10-15% of all healthcare professionals, including Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, will misuse drugs or alcohol at some time during their career (Baldisseri, 2007), and approximately 18% of the general population of adults experience mental illness each year (NAMI, 2012). While these rates of mental illness and substance abuse/dependence reflect those of the general population, the prevalence is of particular concern because Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors are responsible for the mental health of the clients and the public they serve in Miami Florida. The opiate crisis is unquestionably a serious threat to the health and lives of Miami Florida (F.L Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). Healthcare professionals have higher rates of abuse of opiates and benzodiazepines than the general population. It is further understood that licensed clinical mental health counseling is a stressful occupation and that licensed counselors experience burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma as they seek to provide mental health services to those suffering from psychological, psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Miami Florida lacks the Health Care/Impaired Clinical Mental Health Counselor Program have established to assist Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors in initiating and maintaining recovery from substance abuse, mental health or other difficulties that if left untreated, could negatively affect the ability to safely fulfill the duties of their profession.
Therefore, we hope to enact legislation to authorize the Board to establish a Health Care/Impaired Clinical Mental Health Counselor Program, or to grant the Board the authority to enter into agreements with existing professional health care programs to provide evaluation and intervention, referral, case management, education, advocacy, and support for those counselors identified as being impaired, either through self-referral or referral by the Board, colleagues, supervisors, family members, and others. The Program will allow impairment prevention and resiliency education for all Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, provide access to services for impaired counselors before ethical concerns arise, and address the stigma associated with seeking mental health or substance abuse treatment among counselors.
Reciprocity
There is a national movement among licensing boards of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors to make licensure between states easier to secure. With our fluid society, the advancement of technology and the emergence of “distance counseling”, it is increasingly clear of the importance of counseling across state lines. For example, in Miami Florida, 41 of the 100 counties border other states. A Miami Florida Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor is prohibited (other than very short term contact) from counseling across state lines without a license in an adjoining state.
Therefore, we hope to enact legislation that will allow The Miami Florida Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states with similar licensure requirements. The first objective would be to attempt negotiations with our contiguous states.
Questions
If you have any questions about the legislative proposal, you can email info@ abocpc.com
Disclaimer: All information provided by the Florida American Board Of Certified Professional Counselors (hereafter “the Board”) on this web site is made available to provide immediate access for the convenience of interested persons. While the Board believes the information to be reliable, human or mechanical error remains a possibility, as does delay in the posting or updating of information. Therefore, the Board makes no guarantee as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, currency, or for any errors or omissions, or for the use or results obtained from the use of this information. All access to and use of this web site is governed by the Disclaimers as set forth by the Board.