As a counselor in Virginia with a strong interest in promoting the profession, I strongly urge the Board of Counseling to adopt the petition to require that all individuals applying for an initial license to practice counseling in Virginia graduate from a CACREP-accredited program.  The adoption of this rule serves the profession and the citizens of the commonwealth in several ways.  First, it will enhance the employment prospects of graduates of counseling programs in Virginia by ensuring that they meet training requirements recently adopted by the federal government for counselors who wish to work with military veterans.  Failure to require graduation from a CACREP-accredited program does a disservice to students who enter a counseling program without being fully informed of the need for accreditation in order to work with military populations.  Second, it will increase the availability of mental health professionals to serve active-duty and veteran members of the military living in the commonwealth by bringing the training standards in line with federal standards, making graduates of counseling programs in Virginia automatically eligible to work with veterans by virtue of the training they receive in institutions within the commonwealth.  Third, adopting the CACREP rule allows the Board to follow recommendations for training established by the Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors, a division of the American Counseling Association.  Fourth, as the counseling profession moves towards enhanced licensure portability and uniform training standards, adopting the CACREP rule will position Virginia well to meet the emerging standards that are under development for portability.

I would not support this petition if it did not also contain a solid grandfathering clause that will allow students and programs ample time to prepare for the transition.  It does.  It also ensures that counselors who are currently licensed or in residency who have not graduated from a CACREP-accredited program will NOT be disenfranchised by the adoption of this rule.  They will continue to be recognized as licensed professional counselors and their practice will not be affected by this rule.  These are important considerations which the petitioner appears to have considered and addressed.

In short, I fully support the adoption of this rule and I encourage the Board of Counseling to approve it.