News!

Our 'Links' page has been updated to include information on where to find the new laws and rules, and a PDF chart called "What Credential Do I Qualify For?".  Check them out by clicking HERE.

Our February General Meeting will be Thursday, February 11, 2010, at North Seattle Community College. 

Additional details can be found by Clicking Here.

We hope to see you there!

The Exam Information page has been updated by the Washington State Dept. of Health.  CLICK HERE to read more.

The Dept. of Health has added a helpful link for applications that are now being processed.  Read more about it by CLICKING HERE.

Online registration is now available for the Certified Counselor Exam Preparation Course. 

February 20 - 21, 2010  Seattle, WA
March 6 - 7, 2010  Seattle, WA
March 20 - 21, 2010   Seattle, WA

    You may register now by CLICKING HERE

(Check back frequently for additional dates and locations)

We are planning to offer this course in Olympia, Spokane, and Bellingham, if we receive enough interest in those areas.  If you are interested in attending this training in one of those areas, please send me a message (tim@waproca.org) and let me know that you are interested.  Based on your responses, I will schedule in order of most interest.  Those courses may be available as early as April. 

If travel is an option for you, we recommend considering one of the Seattle courses listed, as dates and locations have not yet been set for other cities.

The Dept. of Health has posted sample questions for the Certified Counselor examination.  CLICK HERE to see the sample questions.

Soon, you will be able to sign-up for our next Certified Counselor Exam Prep Course.  Watch the Recent News updates on our homepage for more information.

 

In our recent communication, with the Washington State Dept. of Health, here is what we have learned about the process for becoming certified:

• The rules (WACs) have been signed by Secretary Selecky, though have not yet been posted online.
• The DOH has posted information about the test for certified counselors and certified advisers, including how long the test will be and the resources necessary to study for the test.  (We are surprised and pleased to see that the DOH is this far along in the process!)   -click the link above to learn more.
• Listing the DSM-IV as a reference for the test is specifically for learning the GAF - you will only be responsible for the information in the DSM-IV that specifically relates to the GAF itself, and how to use it. It may be wise to access this information online, or through a library before you make a huge investment in a book that is 90% outside our scope of practice. All the rest of the resources listed for the test are free and available online.
• The plan is to administer the test through a company that has 8 testing sites throughout Washington. This will give greater flexibility and keep travel distances short. Applicants will be able to take the test as many times as necessary, however, there may be a restriction on how quickly you can retake the test - if you did not pass it the first time.
• The application form for CC and CA is already available, and you can go ahead and apply now. If you think you are ready, you can also go ahead and take the test at the earliest opportunity in your area.
• The department expects private and non-profit sectors to respond to the need for courses, to help counselors prepare to take the test. DOH will be willing to provide a list of these courses and course providers once they have been identified and that information has been given to the department. WaProCA is currently reviewing course materials and coordinated efforts for providing training in the required areas. If you have expertise in this area, please let us know!  Email to: info@waproca.org
• If your registration expires before you become certified, you can renew your registration until June 30, 2010. All registrations will expire on June 30, 2010. The renewal fee will not be pro-rated, so you will be charged the full year's renewal fee even if you renew only a month before the end of June. Obviously this makes it very practical to become certified before your current credential expires, if at all possible.

 

Please check our News section frequently for updates!

 

Washington Professional Counselors Association is very happy to announce that the 2008 Washington State Legislature passed a good workable bill on counselor regulation.

The bill was signed into law by the Governor on Tuesday, March 25.  You can read the final version of 2SHB 2674 on the legislative website at <http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=2674>.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page and under "Bill Documents" click on "Bill as passed legislature" to download a pdf version of the bill.  We will post more detailed information soon, and in the meantime here is a list of the most important features for currently registered private practice counselors.

• Counselors who have been registered for 5 or more years without any unresolved actionable complaints will be able to take classes in ethics, risk assessment and referral and WA State law regarding counselors and then pass a test on these subjects in order to become Certified Counselors.  Once certified, they will be required to have a written consultation agreement with a licensed mental health professional and fulfill requirements for continuing education.
• Counselors who do not fall in the first category and who want to become Certified Counselors will need to have a bachelor's degree in a counseling related field, take the same courses and pass the same test as the above category, and have a supervision agreement with a DOH qualified supervisor.  They will also need to fulfill continuing education requirements.
• Certified Counselors will have a clearly defined scope of practice:
  1. They do not diagnose and treat the mentally ill and are therefore not reimbursable through insurance.
  2. They may counsel and guide a client in adjusting to life situations, developing new skills, and making desired changes as long as the client scores 61 and above on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale.
  3. They must refer clients to licensed medical or mental health professionals for treatment of problems that fall at 60 or below on the GAF Scale, but can continue working with the client as part of their treatment plan, or
  4. They can continue to work with a client who states in writing that they do not want licensed medical or mental health treatment as long as the client does not have a GAF score lower than 50.

(left to right) WaProCA members, Kate Abbott, Richard Miles, and Miriam Dyak with Governor Gregoire at the signing of House Bill 2674 on Counselor Regulation.

Now is the time for you to contact your legislators regarding the new bill on counselor regulation:

What's happening in the House:

The House Health Care Wellness Committee on February 4 passed out of committee an amended version of HB 2674 with a do pass recommendation. This amended version of the bill undoes all the work of the Department of Health (DOH) Registered Counselor Work Group by completely eliminating the future credential of Certified Counselor. It makes some provision for currently registered counselors to continue in practice, but leaves a very narrow scope and a requirement for supervision instead of consultation. There are assurances from Rep. Green and Rep. Hinkle that they will work to improve the problems of scope and supervision, but the conclusion of the committee is that they want the future of mental health care to be only licensed care. (See below - the story in the Senate is better.)

1. First step is to call your own representatives. If you don't know who your representatives are, you can find them at <http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx>. 
   • Tell them that HB 2674 as amended in the Health Care & Wellness Committee does not preserve existing counseling services, and
   • with the elimination of the registered counselor credential in 2010 severely limits future access to care.
   • Ask them to oppose substitute HB 2674 and only support an amended version if it provides a viable scope of practice for the new Certified Counselor credential now and in the future.
   • It must continue the Certified Counselor credential into the future.
   • As in the original version of the bill, there should be a consultation requirement for experienced counselors and a supervision requirement for new counselors coming into this profession.
2. Next step is e-mail your representatives with the same message. It really helps to do both.  Once you know your representative's first and last name, the e-mail address is easy.  It goes like this with you substituting their actual name for where we've written "lastname" and "firstname" - <lastname.firstname@leg.wa.gov>.
3. We need to reach every representative - can you call and/or e-mail more? You want to avoid the hotline and call the number that will reach them directly.  Here's the link gives you a list of ALL the representatives in the House <http://apps.leg.wa.gov/memberemail/Default.aspx?Chamber=H>.  Once you are on this page, click the district link to the right of their name.  That will take you to a page that lists both representatives and the senator from that district.  Click on the name of the representative(s), and that will take you to a page that gives you their direct line.
4. Thank you! Let us know who you called.  E-mail us at <info@waproca.org>, and let us know who you've called/written and what response you've gotten.
   

What's happening in the Senate:
Just like last year, our biggest supporters are in the Senate.  Senators on both sides of the aisle seem to understand the value of the services provided by Registered Counselors and that would be provided in the future by the new credential of Certified Counselors.  Amendments are being proposed in the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee that would strengthen SB 6456 in our favor.  These amendments will not be proposed and the bill passed out of committee until February 6 or 7 at the latest.  We will try to post an update, but in the meantime please use the information below to track the bill on your own.  You can also join our "newsgroup" - just click in the upper right of the WaProCA home page <http://www.waproca.org>.

Background:
In 2007 Registered Counselors in private practice joined together, formed an organization, Washington Professional Counselors Association (WaProCA).  WaProCA put a stop to a bill that would have done away with the Registered Counselor credential and not allowed a way forward for those of us who have been RC's in private practice.  It was unacceptable to us and to many legislators to put thousands of counselors out of work - counselors who had been practicing ethically and legally for years.  It was even more unacceptable to eliminate services for Washington citizens at a time when our need for counseling is increasing.

Over the interim WaProCA members served on the Department of Health (DOH) Registered Counselor Work Group.  The Work Group's became the basis for drafting legislation that is currently being considered in both the House (HB 2674) and Senate (SB 6456).  This legislation is "executive request" legislation, meaning it is requested by the Governor, and it is a key part of her health care reform package.  In a Democratically controlled legislature passage of this bill is assured because the number one priority this year is supporting the Governor for reelection.  In this environment we can expect it will be even more difficult to  have our needs and concerns heard and considered.

How to track the bills in progress in the House and Senate:
In a very short legislative session (it will be done March 10), everything moves extremely fast.  We have not written new updates before this point because immediately after we write something, it becomes outdated.  We recommend tracking the progress of both the bills on the legislative website <http://leg.wa.gov/legislature>.  Click on bill search and enter the number of the bill under search by number.  If you locate one of the bills, its companion bill will be cited as well.

To track what is happening in the committees, click on the link for "Legislative Committees" over on the left hand side and then go to either the Health Care & Wellness Committee in the House or switch over to the Health and Long-Term Care Committee in the Senate.

Supporting Contributions - All Supporting Contributions are greatly appreciated, as we continue to build and grow the professional organization that is working to support your right to practice as a professional in the State of Washington. Click on the DONATIONS link to the left to contribute.