Section 49.15. Exemption from licensure examination

A license will be issued without examination to an applicant who meets the following requirements. The applicant shall have:

(1) Satisfied the general requirements for licensure of § 49.12 (relating to general qualifications for licensure).

(2) Submitted an application provided by the Board and accompanied by the required fee.

(3) Submitted an application by February 19, 2002. (Editor’s Note: The act of February 13, 2002 (P. L. 83, No. 4) extended the deadline for the filing of an application by 1 year.)

(4) Demonstrated proof of practice of professional counseling for at least 5 of the 7 years immediately prior to the date of application for license.

(5) Have successfully met one of the following educational requirements:

(i) Holds a doctoral degree in professional counseling from an accredited educational institution.

(ii) Holds a doctoral degree in a field closely related to the practice of professional counseling from an accredited educational institution.

(iii) Holds a master’s degree of at least 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours in professional counseling or afield closely related to the practice of professional counseling from an accredited educational institution.

(iv) Holds a master’s degree of less than 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours but not less than 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours in professional counseling or a field closely related to the practice of professional counseling and has within the past 10 years completed sufficient continuing education satisfactory to the Board to equal the number of hours needed to achieve a total of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours at a ratio of 15 continuing education hours equaling 1 semester hour. Continuing education satisfactory to the Board shall meet the following requirements:

(A) Master’s level difficulty.

(B) Excludes courses in office management or practice building.

(C) Any course approved by NBCC, CRC, CBMT, AATA, ADTA, the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) or NADT, or which is approved for continuing education credit for licensed psychologists or licensed social workers, and which does not include a course in office management or practice building.

(6) Demonstrated holding one of the following:

(i) The National Certified Counselor (CC) certification from NBCC and having passed the National Counselor Examination given by the NBCC.

(ii) CRC certification from the CRCC and having passed the CRC Examination given by the CRCC.

(iii) The Registered Art Therapist (ATR) certification from the ATCB and having passed the Board Certification Examination given by the ATCB.

(iv) The Academy of Dance Therapists Registered (ADTR) certification from the ADTA and having passed the National Counselor Examination given by the NBCC.

(v) The Music Therapist-Board Certified certification from CBMT and having passed the Board Certification Examination given by the CBMT.

(vi) The Registered Drama Therapist (RDT) certification from NADT and having passed the National Counselor Examination given by NBCC.

(vii) The Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) certification from the Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors (ACCMHC) and having passed the credentialing examination given by ACCMHC.

(viii) The Nationally Certified Psychologist (NCP) certification from the NAMP, and having passed the Practice Exam of Psychological Knowledge given by NAMP.

(ix) The Certified Addictions Counselor Credential (CAC) from PCB, and having passed the Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselor Examination given by the IC & RC/AODA.

(x) The Master’s Addictions Counselor Credential from NBCC, and having passed the Examination for Master’s Addictions Counselors given by NBCC.

(xi) The Master Addiction Counselor credential from the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) and having passed the examination for Master Addiction Counselors given by NAADAC.

The provisions of this § 49.15 amended March 14, 2003, effective March 15, 2003, 33 Pa.B. 1346. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (287471) to (287473).

Notation

Notes of Decisions

Delegation; Vagueness

The General Assembly properly delegated authority, with sufficient standards, to the Board to promulgate § 49.15. The section is therefore valid. It also provides adequate notice of the requirements under the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act (63 P. S. § § 1901—1922), and is therefore not unconstitutionally vague. National Association of Forensic Counselors v. State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors, 814 A.2d 815 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2003).