10A NCAC 71H .0101. SERVICE STAFF QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum qualifications have been established for personal and family counseling service staff to promote competence and accountability in the delivery of personal and family counseling services and to ensure that recipients will be protected from non‑professional untrained practitioners who represent themselves to the public as qualified marriage and family counselors:

(1)           Counselors operating independently as private practitioners must meet the requirements in at least one of the following categories:

(a)           Graduation with a master's degree from an accredited school of social work, eligible for or holding membership in the National Association of Social Workers, eligible for or holding membership in the Academy of Certified Social Workers, and five years of full‑time experience in agencies providing supervision by professionally trained social workers, of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision while giving direct service and using the method or methods to be used in private practice;

(b)           Graduation with a doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited educational institution, two years of subsequent professional experience as a psychologist at least one of which involved providing direct services and using the method or methods to be used in private practice; and licensed as a practicing psychologist under the laws of North Carolina;

(c)           Licensure and registration in North Carolina as a nurse, graduation from an accredited master's program in psych‑mental health or behavioral science and five years of full‑time clinical experience in agencies providing supervision by qualified psychiatric nurse practitioners, of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision, while giving direct service and using the method or methods to be used in private practice;

(d)           Graduation with a master's degree from an accredited educational institution in a related behavioral science field, mental health discipline or theology and eligible for or holding membership in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, or the American Group Psychotherapy Association, or the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and five years of full‑time experience in agencies providing supervision by professionally qualified individuals as defined in Subparagraph (3) of this Rule, of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision while giving direct services and using the method or methods to be used in private practice;

(e)           A privately practicing psychologist delivering this service must also be licensed at the practitioner level in compliance with G.S. 90‑270.11.

(2)           With supervision, counselors may practice within a public (including department of social services) or private service agency if they meet the requirements in at least one of the following categories:

(a)           master's degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of advanced full‑time social work experience in a professional counseling program under the supervision of a qualified professional as defined in Subparagraph (3) of this Rule;

(b)           master's degree from an accredited educational institution in an appropriate behavioral science field, mental health discipline or theology and three years of advanced full‑time social work  experience in a professional counseling program under the supervision of a qualified professional as defined in Subparagraph (3) of this Rule.

(3)           Personal and family counselor supervisors must meet the qualifications in one of the following categories:

(a)           graduation with a master's degree from an accredited school of social work, eligible for holding membership in the Academy of Certified Social Workers, and five years of full‑time experience in agencies providing supervision by professionally trained social workers, of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision while giving direct service and using the method or methods to be used in private practice;

(b)           graduation with a doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited educational institution, two years of subsequent professional experience as a psychologist at least one of which involved providing direct services and licensed as a practicing psychologist under the laws of North Carolina;

(c)           licensure and registration in North Carolina as a nurse, graduation from an accredited master's program in psych‑mental health or behavioral science and five years of full‑time clinical experience in agencies providing supervision by professionally qualified psychiatric nurse practitioners, of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision, while giving direct service and using the method or methods to be used in private practice;

(d)           graduation with a master's degree from an accredited educational institution in a related behavioral science field, mental health discipline or theology and eligible for or holding membership in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, or the American Group Psychotherapy Association or the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and five years of full‑time experience in agencies providing supervision professionally qualified of which two years were consecutively in one agency under such supervision while giving direct services and using the method or methods to be used in private practice.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 143B‑153;

Eff. February 16, 1977;

Readopted Eff. October 31, 1977;

Amended Eff. July 1, 1990; July 1, 1982.