TITLE 18. PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING

BOARD OF COUNSELING

Agency Decision

Title of Regulation: 18VAC115-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Name of Petitioner: Robin Usher.

Nature of Petitioner's Request: To accept 1,500 direct or indirect service hours, 50 hours of supervision, and one year from a master's level internship so long as the internship hours were acquired after 30 course hours from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs accredited counseling program and in not more than three years of study.

Agency Decision: Denied.

Statement of Reason for Decision: At the board's February 7, 2020, meeting, the board decided not to initiate rulemaking based on the request. In doing so, the board was particularly concerned about the reduction in supervisory hours and noted that regulations already allow up to 900 hours of an internship to be counted towards a residency. Therefore, it determined that the current requirement is necessary to ensure competency in counselors serving Virginia clients.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Counseling, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4406, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.

VA.R. Doc. No. R20-17 Filed February 7, 2020, 1:58 p.m.