§ 5-63.2-9. Qualifications of licensed clinical mental health counselor associates and licensed
clinical mental health counselors.
(a) The department shall issue the appropriate license to applicants who meet the qualifications
in this section.
(1) Prerequisites for licensure of a clinical mental health counselor associate. A license as a "clinical mental health counselor associate� shall be issued to an
applicant who meets the following qualifications:
(i) Is of good character;
(ii) Has received a graduate degree specializing in counseling/therapy from a college or
university accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, or an
equivalent regional accrediting agency, and that has the approval by a cognizable
national or regional certifying authority;
(iii) Has completed sixty (60) semester hours or ninety (90) quarter hours within his or
her graduate counseling/therapy program; and
(iv) Has completed a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours or eighteen (18) quarter hours
of supervised practicum and a minimum of one calendar year of supervised internship
consisting of twenty (20) hours per week, or its equivalent, with emphasis in mental
health counseling supervised by the department within the college or university granting
the requisite degree or by an accredited postgraduate clinical training program recognized
by the United States Department of Education, or education and/or experience that
is deemed equivalent by the board.
(2) Prerequisites for licensure of a clinical mental health counselor. A license as a "clinical mental health counselor� shall be issued to an applicant
who meets the following qualifications:
(i) Has completed a minimum of two (2) years of relevant postgraduate experience, including
at least two thousand (2,000) hours of direct client contact offering clinical or
counseling or therapy services with emphasis in mental health counseling subsequent
to being awarded a master's degree, certificate of advanced graduate study, or doctorate;
(ii) Has a minimum of one hundred (100) hours of post-degree supervised case work spread
over a two-year (2) period; provided, that the supervision was provided by a person
who, at the time of rendering the supervision, was recognized by the board as an approved
supervisor; and
(iii) Has passed, to the satisfaction of the board, an examination conducted by it to determine
the applicant's qualification for licensure as a clinical mental health counselor
or is applying for licensure under the provisions of § 5-63.2-15.
(b) A candidate shall be held to have qualified for licensure as a clinical mental health
counselor associate, or a clinical mental health counselor upon the affirmative vote
of at least four (4) members of the board, two (2) of whom must be mental health counselors
on the board.