Plan would allow counselors who are licensed and in good standing in one state to become seamlessly licensed in other states, should they move.
Counselor licensure titles and requirements currently vary from state to state. Counselors often have to obtain additional supervision hours or meet new requirements before they can get a license to practice counseling after moving to a new state. In the worst-case scenario, a counselor may be denied licensure after a move. For many counselors, this means having to leave the profession entirely.
In an effort to address this growing problem, the ACA Governing Council developed an official portability model.
The goal of the model is to make it as easy as possible for counselors to transfer their licenses to new jurisdictions. The model emphasizes collaboration among state licensure boards—leading to full licensure in one state being recognized by other states—and respects all licensed professional counselors despite year and date of licensure.
Text of the ACA Licensure Portability Model (as adopted by the ACA Governing Council)
“Whereas the mission statement of the American Counseling Association is to enhance the quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the counseling profession, and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity; and
“Whereas advocating for licensure portability that allows professional counselors licensed at the independent practice level in one state to have the mobility to utilize their education and training and to serve the public by becoming licensed at the independent practice level in another state supports the mission of the American Counseling Association;
“Therefore, the American Counseling Association promulgates the following licensure portability model:
“A counselor who is licensed at the independent practice level in their home state and who has no disciplinary record shall be eligible for licensure at the independent practice level in any state or U.S. jurisdiction in which they are seeking residence. The state to which the licensed counselor is moving may require a jurisprudence examination based on the rules and procedures of that state.”
Read more about the model and how it was developed in this Counseling Today article.
Read FAQs about the model here.
ACA remains committed to a portability process that provides the greatest amount of flexibility for licensed counselors.