Question: Researching Counseling Credentials
Locate your state laws and regulations relating to the five areas of practice listed below. Use Capella's Licensure Resources, linked in the Resources for this discussion. The laws regulating the practice of counseling in your state can be found on your state counseling board website, or through your state counseling association. School counselors should check with the state board of education.
1. Review the state laws and regulations relating to the practice of counseling for your specialization. Within these regulations, locate the specific areas relating to:
• Internship requirements (may include the fieldwork internship you complete during your degree program as well as any post-degree internship hours that you may need to collect).
• Supervision (who can function as a supervisor in your state and what are the requirements for being a supervisor).
• Licensing and certification (requirements and application process).
• Continuing education requirements for licensed/credentialed counselors (how many hours will you need and how often).
• Information about grounds for suspension or revocation of a license (list three specific things that can get you into trouble in your state).
2. Address how these laws impact counseling professionals in general.
Please be sure to cite the specific legal codes. For example: the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) #4757-13 discusses the licensing of counselors.
Your discussion should be written in your own words only using quotations (set off with quotation marks) when absolutely necessary to capture specific details. See "Direct Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing," linked in the Resources, to help you distinguish how these three methods of integrating the literature are different.
Response Guidelines: Respond to the initial discussion posts of two other learners. What reactions do you have to the ideas the learner has presented? Include examples from your own experience to support your perspective, and raise questions to continue the dialogue.
Learning Components: This activity will help you achieve the following learning components:
• Implement research strategies to locate laws that inform counseling practices.
• Learn how laws apply to credentialing, certification, and licensing of counseling professionals.
• Determine the proper application of APA formatting requirements.
• Develop communication appropriate for professional counseling settings.
Resources: • Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.
• APA Style and Format.
• Licensure Resources.
• Direct Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing.