Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Board of Counseling intends to consider amending 18VAC115-20, Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling; 18VAC115-50, Regulations Governing the Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy; and 18VAC115-60, Regulations Governing the Practice of Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioners. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide a pathway for foreign-trained graduates in counseling to obtain licensure as a professional counselor, a marriage and family therapist, or a substance abuse treatment practitioner in Virginia. The board intends to adopt language similar to that adopted by the Board of Psychology, which provides that graduates of programs that are not within the United States or Canada can qualify for licensure if they can provide documentation from an acceptable credential evaluation service that allows the board to determine if the program meets the requirements set forth in the regulation.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

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

Public Comment Deadline: October 17, 2018.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Counseling, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4406, FAX (804) 527-4435, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.