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: Dawne Sherman.
Nature of Petitioner's Request: To allow all face-to-face client contact hours accrued during the supervised graduate internship in excess of the minimum required 240 direct client hours to be counted toward the 2,000 total required direct client contact hours required for residency.
Agency Decision: Request denied.
Statement of Reason for Decision: The Board of Counseling considered the petition at its meeting on August 20, 2021, and decided it would include amendments to the internship and residency requirements in the adoption of final regulations relating to its periodic review. The amendments will specify the proportional hours that could be counted as face-to-face. However, in practice, those hours are already being applied to a residency.
For example, a person who completed 659 hours in an internship with 296 face-to-face hours was credited with 59 hours (the number in excess of required 600 hours) toward the residency and 56 hours (the number in excess of required 240 hours) was credited toward the 2,000 hours of face-to-face client contact. While the regulation does not currently specify how those excess hours are applied, an applicant is currently receiving the credit.
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. PFR21-341; Filed August 23, 2021, 1:55 p.m.
Agency Decision
Title of Regulation: 18VAC115-60. Regulations Governing the Practice of Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioners.
Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Name of Petitioner: Jennifer Stolpe.
Nature of Petitioner's Request: To amend the education requirement for licensure by endorsement to require only 36 class hours if all class hours were focused on addiction counseling.
Agency Decision: Request denied.
Statement of Reason for Decision: At its meeting on August 20, 2021, the Board of Counseling discussed the petitioner's request and decided not to initiate rulemaking. Since the standard for all licensed professions regulated by the board is 60 graduate hours in counseling, a reduction to 36 hours would be problematic for this license. The petitioner was advised that the described educational background would likely qualify for certification as a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in Virginia and to consider pursuing that option.
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. PFR21-35; Filed August 23, 2021, 11:18 a.m.