- Professional Counselors

- Clinical Professional Counselors

__________________________________________________________________________

Professional Counselors

Q. Before I make application, can the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) review my coursework to see if I qualify for a license?
A. The BSRB does not review or approve coursework before an application has been submitted. Please review the educational requirements in K.A.R. 102-3-3a and/or visit with your academic dean.

Q. How do I apply for a temporary license?
A. There is not a separate application for a temporary license. Once the licensure application has been submitted and reviewed by the board you will be notified of your eligibility for a temporary license.

Q. Am I required to complete continuing education while I am temporarily licensed?
A. No. Continuing education is not required during the time you are temporarily licensed.

Q. Does the Academic Background form always need to be completed?
A. Yes, even if the program is accredited by CACREP.

Q. Which exam does the BSRB require for Professional Counselor licensure? How often is the examination given?
A. The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) administers the National Counselor Examination (NCE), the exam which Kansas requires for licensure. The exam is offered the first full business week of each month.

Q. How do I get approved to sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE)?
A. You must submit a complete licensure application to the Board office at least five weeks prior to the date you wish to register for the examination. Once the BSRB approves your application, you will be instructed on how to register for the exam. The exam is administered by NBCC not the BSRB.

Q. How long may the results of the National Counselor Examination (NCE) be used for licensing purposes in Kansas?
A. Indefinitely.

Q. My master's degree was a 45 graduate semester hour program. Am I required to have 60 hours to receive a license?
A. Yes. Kansas state law requires 60 semester hours.

Q. What are the basic educational requirements to be eligible for a Professional Counselor license?
A. You must have a master’s degree in counseling. Kansas state law requires 60 graduate semester credit hours of counseling coursework. These hours may be part of or in addition to the coursework completed for the graduate degree in counseling. These graduate semester credit hours shall be distributed across several coursework areas. For specific requirements please see K.A.R. 102-3-3a.

Q. Does Kansas have reciprocity with any state?
A. No. Kansas does not have reciprocity with any one state. Kansas does have licensure through reciprocity, which can be met by one of the following:

1. The state in which you are currently licensed has substantially equivalent requirements to those for licensure in Kansas, or
2. You are currently licensed and in good standing and meet the following requirements:
a. Continuous licensure and practice as a professional counselor for the last 5 years with the minimum required work experience hours as listed in K.A.R. 102-3-4b(b)(3)(A), and
b. a master’s degree in counseling.

Q. Does Kansas require a Jurisprudence Examination for licensure?
A. No, at this time Kansas does not require applicants to pass a Jurisprudence examination.

Q. How do I know if specific ceu’s will be accepted for the renewal of my license?
A. At this time, continuing education programs, for professional counselors, are not pre-approved by the BSRB. K.A.R. 102-3-10a states continuing education shall be oriented to the enhancement of a professional counselor's practice, values, ethics, skills, or knowledge.

Q. May I get an extension for the renewal of my Professional Counselor license?
A. Extensions are not granted for the renewal of a license. If you are unable to renew your license by the expiration date, you will be required to reinstate.

Clinical Professional Counselors

Q. How do I begin the process for Clinical Professional Counselor licensure in Kansas?
A. Once you are licensed as a Professional Counselor you may submit a clinical supervision training plan. The training plan must be pre-approved by the BSRB. Link to training plan form

Q. Is it mandatory that a training plan be submitted prior to accruing hours toward clinical license?
A. Yes. If you are licensed and practicing in Kansas, a training plan must be submitted to, and approved by, the BSRB, before a person can count any accrued practice hours. The BSRB will not backdate any training plans. You will not be allowed to count any hours you accrue if you do not have an approved training plan on file with the BSRB. Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a (g).

Q. I have made some changes since I submitted my training plan. What do I need to do?
A. You must submit all changes in your training plan to the BSRB office within 45 days of the change. If you fail to do this you will loose the hours accrued after the change. Please see Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a (h).

ALL changes to the training plan need to be submitted in WRITING to the BSRB office for approval.

Q. Is there a form for amending my training plan?
A. Yes. Please see the PC forms section of our website.

Q. If I am working in another state and wish to also pursue licensure in Kansas, should I submit a training plan for approval?
A. No. The BSRB cannot approve a training plan for someone who is not licensed and practicing in Kansas.

Q. Will the supervision hours I have accrued in another state be accepted in Kansas?
A. The supervision and the experience hours accrued in another state will be reviewed and compared with the requirements for clinical licensure in Kansas. The hours and supervision will need to meet our requirements in order to be accepted. Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a.

Q. Who is considered an appropriate supervisor for post-graduate supervised experience that takes place in Kansas?
A. The clinical supervisor shall meet one of the following:

1. The clinical supervisor shall be a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) who is licensed in Kansas and who has practiced as a clinical professional counselor for 2 years beyond their licensure date.
2. If an LCPC is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a Licensed Psychologist (LP), Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW), Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist (LCP) or Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT). The qualifying individual shall have no less than two years of clinical practice beyond the qualifying licensure date. Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a(c).

Q. Who is considered an appropriate supervisor for post-graduate supervised experience that takes place outside of Kansas?
A. The clinical supervisor shall meet one of the following:

1. The clinical supervisor shall be a clinical professional counselor who is registered or licensed in another jurisdiction and who has practiced as a clinical professional counselor for 2 years beyond their licensure date.
2. If a licensed clinical professional counselor is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a person who is qualified by educational coursework and degree for licensure as a clinical professional counselor in Kansas and who has at least five years of postgraduate professional experience in clinical professional counseling.
3. If a licensed clinical professional counselor is not available, the clinical supervisor may be a person who is licensed at the graduate level to practice in one of the behavioral sciences, and whose authorized scope of practice permits the independent practice of counseling, therapy, or psychotherapy. The qualifying individual shall not have had less than two years of clinical practice beyond the qualifying licensure date at the time the individual provided the clinical supervision. Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a(c).

Q. How many hours of post-graduate experience and supervision are required? When may accrual of the hours begin?
A. 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience over a minimum of 24 months, including 1500 hours of direct client contact providing psychotherapy and assessment and 150 hours of supervision, are required. The supervision shall be provided throughout the entirety of the postgraduate supervised experience at a ratio of one hour of clinical supervision for each 15 hours of direct client contact. Of the 150 required supervision hours, at least 50 hours must be individual, face-to-face supervision. The remaining 100 hours may be in either group or individual supervision. There may be no more than 6 supervisees in a supervisory group. There shall be at least two separate supervision sessions per month, at least one of which shall be one-on-one individual supervision. You may begin accrual of supervised hours once your training plan has been approved in writing by the BSRB. Please see K.A.R. 102-3-7a.

Q. Is there a minimum number of work experience hours that must be completed each week or month?
A. No. There is no mandatory number of hours that must be met weekly or monthly during supervision, except the two supervision sessions per month.

Q. May post-graduate experience requirements be obtained in less than 24 months (two years)?
A. No. The 4000 hours of post-graduate experience must be obtained in no less than 24 months from the date supervision begins.

Q. May applicants take more than twenty-four months to complete post-graduate supervised experience?
A. Yes. There is no maximum time limit for accruing post-graduate experience.

Q. Do the post-graduate supervision hours have to be completed before an application for a clinical license may be submitted?
A. Yes. All requirements, except taking and passing the examination, must be completed prior to submitting an application.

Q. Which exam does the BSRB require for licensure? How often is the examination given?
A. The National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) administers the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE), the exam Kansas requires for clinical licensure. The exam is offered the first full business week of each month.

Q. How do I get approved to sit for the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)?
A. You must submit a complete licensure application to the Board office at least five weeks prior to the date you wish to register for the examination. Once the BSRB approves your application, you will be instructed on how to register for the exam. The exam is administered by NBCC not the BSRB.

Q. Does Kansas have reciprocity with any state?
A. No. Kansas does not have reciprocity with any one state. Kansas does have licensure through reciprocity, which can be met by one of the following:

1. The state in which you are currently licensed has substantially equivalent requirements to those for licensure in Kansas and at least three years clinical practice including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as listed in K.A.R. 102-3-4b(c)(2), or
2. You are currently licensed and in good standing and meet the following requirements:
c. Continuous licensure and practice as a clinical professional counselor for the last 5 years with the minimum required work experience hours as listed in K.A.R. 102-3-4b(b)(3)(A),
d. at least three years clinical practice including the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders as listed in K.A.R. 102-3-4b(c)(2)
e. and a master’s degree in counseling.

Q. Does Kansas require a Jurisprudence Examination for licensure?
A. No. At this time Kansas does not require applicants to pass a Jurisprudence examination.