AUTHORITY
The authority for the development of these rules is found in CRS 12-43-203(3)(a) and CRS 24-4-103.
SCOPE AND PURPOSE
These rules affect individuals who apply for professional counseling licensure and who are licensed as professional counselors and practice professional counseling/psychotherapy in Colorado, as defined in CRS 12-43-201(5), CRS 12-43-201(9), and CRS 12-43-601(5)(a).

RULE 10	
REPORTING CHANGE OF ADDRESS, SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, TELEPHONE NUMBER, OR NAME (CRS 12-43-203, 12-43-205)
Change of address, social security number, telephone number, or name.  Licensees shall inform the Division of any name or address change within 30 days of such change. Staff shall not change licensees’ information without written notification from the licensee. Notification MUST BE IN WRITING PURSUANT TO DIRECTIONS ON THE BOARD’S WEBSITE. Verbal notification is not acceptable.
Any of the following documentation is required to change a licensee’s name or correct a social security number: marriage license, divorce decree, or court order. A driver’s license or social security card with a second form of identification may be acceptable at the discretion of the Director of Support Services.

RULE 17	
LICENSURE BY EXAMINATION (CRS 12-43-603) 
(a)	Criteria for application.
(1)	The applicant must submit to the Board a completed application for licensure, all fees, official transcript(s), and all supporting documentation required by the Board in order for the Board to review the application for licensure. 
(2)	An applicant for licensure must pass the required examination, meet the experience requirements, and become licensed within five years of the date of initial application for licensure.  If the applicant fails to become licensed within this time period, s/he must submit a new application and fee and must meet the educational, experience and examination requirements in effect at the time of the new application.  Licensure applicants have a continuing obligation to update their application with information of changes from the original application at any time prior to licensure.
(b)	Education and Training Requirements.
Many graduate programs in professional counseling go under other names.  Some programs labeled as counseling programs are not primarily focused on professional counseling.  The Board has therefore established the following factors to determine whether or not a particular program from which an applicant for licensure received the master's or doctoral degree qualifies as a master's or doctoral program with a major in professional counseling or its equivalent in compliance with CRS 12-43-603(1)(c) and 12-43-601(6).  To meet the statutory requirements, the master's or doctoral program must meet either (1) or (2), below:
(1)	Accredited program.  The applicant obtained a master's or doctoral degree from a program that was approved by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP); or
(2)	Equivalent program.  The applicant received a master's or doctoral degree from a graduate training program that, at the time s/he was enrolled and received her/his degree, fulfilled the equivalency degree requirements used to define a professional counseling graduate training program.  An applicant asserting a program is equivalent to an accredited program in professional counseling must furnish to the Board evidence in support of the asserted equivalency and has the burden of establishing equivalency.  Evidence may include institutional documents published contemporaneously with the applicant's enrollment, appropriate certifications or affidavits from university officials, dissertation abstracts, and any other evidence the applicant deems useful.  The Board may request additional information from the applicant.
All of the following requirements shall be considered in order to establish equivalency:
(A)	The required master's or doctoral level study and master's or doctoral degree were obtained from a regionally-accredited institution of higher learning;
(B)	The program stood as a coherent and recognizable entity within the institution, offering an integrated and organized sequence of study planned to provide appropriate training for the practice of professional counseling;
(C)	There was an identifiable full-time faculty, with an individual responsible for the program who was a full-time faculty member and who met the requirements for approval as a supervisor or a person who presents proof satisfactory to the Board, that at the time of serving as the faculty member, s/he possessed essentially the same education, experience, and training as that necessary to qualify for licensure under the Act.
(D)	The program had an identifiable body of students who were matriculated in that program for a degree;
(E)	The master's or doctoral program included examination and grading procedures designed to evaluate the degree of mastery of the subject matter by the students;
(F)	For a master's or doctoral degree, the curriculum encompassed a minimum of 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours of graduate study (for the master's degree) or a minimum of 96 semester hours or 144 quarter hours of graduate study (for the doctoral degree) AND SUPERVISED FIELD EXPERIENCE OF NOT FEWER THAN 700 HOURS THAT WAS COUNSELING IN NATURE. 
AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE DEGREE UPON WHICH LICENSURE IS TO BE BASED INCLUDED LESS THAN 48 SEMESTER HOURS OR 72 QUARTER HOURS FOR A MASTERS DEGREE OR 96 SEMESTER HOURS OR 144 QUARTER HOURS FOR A DOCTORAL DEGREE, WHO DID NOT COMPLETE 700 HOURS OF SUPERVISED PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AS A PART OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM, OR WHO DID NOT COMPLETE COURSE WORK IN ALL OF THE CONTENT AREAS REQUIRED BY RULE 17(b)(2)(G) MAY COMPLETE THESE REQUIREMENTS POST-DEGREE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN LICENSURE, IF:
(1)	ALL COURSE WORK AND FIELD EXPERIENCES ARE COMPLETED THROUGH AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT IS ACCREDITED BY A REGIONAL ACCREDITING ORGANIZATION ACCEPTED BY THE BOARD THROUGH RULE 17(b)(3) OR THROUGH A COUNSELING PROGRAM RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF COUNSELING AND RELATED EDUCATION PROGRAMS (CACREP);
(2)	ALL COURSE WORK AND FIELD EXPERIENCES ARE TAKEN AND PASSED FOR CREDIT; AND
(3)	NO MORE THAN 6 SEMESTER CREDITS OR 9 QUARTER CREDITS ARE COMPLETED POST-DEGREE FOR PURPOSES OF LICENSURE.
(G)	THE CORE PROGRAM REQUIRED EACH STUDENT TO DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL COMPETENCE IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SUBSTANTIVE CONTENT AREAS.  COMPETENCE WAS DEMONSTRATED BY PASSING SUITABLE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS IN EACH OF THE EIGHT AREAS, SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TWO OR MORE GRADUATE SEMESTER HOURS (THREE OR MORE GRADUATE QUARTER HOURS) IN EACH OF THE EIGHT AREAS, OR BY OTHER SUITABLE MEANS:
(1)	Human growth and development - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at any developmental level, normal and abnormal human behavior, personality theory, and learning theory within cultural contexts.
(2)	Social and cultural foundations - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends, human roles, societal subgroups, social mores and interaction patterns, and differing lifestyles.
(3)	Helping relationships - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes, counseling theories and their applications, basic and advanced helping skills, consultation theories and their applications, client and helper self-understanding and self-development, and facilitation of client or consultee change.
(4)	Groups - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group development, dynamics, and counseling theories; group leadership styles; basic and advanced group counseling methods and skills; and other group approaches.
(5)	Lifestyles and career development - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of career development theories; occupational and educational information sources and systems; career and leisure counseling, guidance, and education; lifestyle and career decision-making; career development program planning and resources; and effectiveness evaluation.
(6)	Appraisal - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal, data and information-gathering methods, validity and reliability, psychometric statistics, factors influencing appraisals, and use of appraisal results in helping processes.
(7)	Research and evaluation - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of types of research, basic statistics, research-report development, research implementation, program evaluation, needs assessment, and ethical and legal considerations.
(8)	Professional orientation - includes studies that provide a broad understanding of professional roles and functions, professional goals and objectives, professional organizations and associations, professional history and trends, ethical and legal standards, professional preparation standards, and professional credentialing.
If the course titles as stated on the transcript do not clearly reflect the subject matters listed above, the applicant must document the course or combination of courses in which the material was covered.(H)	If the master's or doctoral degree was awarded prior to September 1, 1992, the Board will accept the degree irrespective of the number of semester hours or quarter hours of graduate study required to obtain the degree, provided the core program required each student to demonstrate knowledge and skill competence in seven of the eight substantive content areas listed above.  
(I)	Only graduate level courses are acceptable as establishing equivalency.  The Board will not accept coursework counted or credited toward an undergraduate degree.
(3)	Regional accreditation.  For the purposes of determining regional accreditation of an institution of higher learning, the following accrediting bodies will be accepted:  the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, the Higher Learning Commission (formally known as the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  In addition, upon proof satisfactory to the Board, the Board will approve other accrediting bodies on a case-by-case basis.
(4)	Foreign-trained applicants.  Foreign-trained applicants must submit educational credentials to a credentialing agency utilized by the Board for evaluation of equivalency.  After course equivalency is established, the Board will evaluate the educational credentials to determine whether or not the program is equivalent to a program of professional counseling. 
(c)	Post-Graduate Experience Requirements.
The Board will approve post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice as meeting the requirements for licensure set out in CRS 12-43-603(1)(d) when that practice satisfies the requirements of this subsection.
(1)	Definitions.  As used in CRS 12-43-603(1)(d) and this rule ,unless the context indicates otherwise:
(A)	"Individual supervision" means supervision rendered to one individual at a time.
(B)	"Group supervision" means supervision rendered to not more than four individuals at one time.
(C)	"Post-master's experience" or "post-doctoral experience" means experience under approved supervision acquired subsequent to the date certified by the degree-granting institution as that on which all requirements for the master's or doctoral degree (whichever is applicable) have been completed.
(D)	"Practice in professional counseling” means all services included within the definition of psychotherapy in CRS 12-43-201(9) and particularly those services and practices included within the definition of professional counseling in CRS 12-43-601(5).
(E)	"Supervision" means personal direction and responsible direction provided by a supervisor approved by the Board.  
(1) 	"Personal direction" means direction actually rendered by the approved supervisor.
(2) 	"Responsible direction" or "direction" means the approved supervisor has sufficient knowledge of all clients for whom supervision is provided, including face-to-face contact with the client when necessary, to develop and to monitor effective service delivery procedures and the supervisee's treatment plan.  Further, all decisions requiring the special skill, knowledge, and/or training of a licensed professional counselor are made in collaboration with, and with the approval of, the approved supervisor.  Such decisions include, but are not limited to:  type, duration, effectiveness, and method of psychotherapy services provided; fees and billing procedures; approval of cases; and personal observation, evaluation, oversight, review, and correction of services provided by the supervisee.
(F) 	"Consultation" describes a voluntary relationship between professionals of relative equal expertise or status wherein the consultant offers her/his best advise or information on an individual case or problem for use by the consultee as s/he deems appropriate in her/his professional judgment.  Consultation is not supervision.  Experience under contract for consultation will not be credited toward fulfillment of supervision requirements. 
(2)	Certification of Completion.  Each applicant shall file with the Board, upon forms supplied by the Board, a verified statement signed under penalty of law by their approved supervisor(s) attesting to the applicant's satisfactory completion of the required post-master's or post-doctoral practice of psychotherapy under supervision and attesting to the applicant's having met the generally accepted standards of practice during the supervised practice.
(3)	Supervision.
		(A)	The Board will accept any of the following as a supervisor:
(1)	A licensed professional counselor who, at the time of the supervision, was licensed by the Board in the jurisdiction in which the applicant's services were performed.
(2)	A licensed clinical social worker who, at the time of the supervision, was licensed by the Board in the jurisdiction in which the applicant's services were performed.
(3)	A marriage and family therapist who, at the time of the supervision, was licensed by the Board in the jurisdiction in which the applicant's services were performed.
(4)	A psychologist who, at the time of the supervision, was licensed by the Board in the jurisdiction in which the applicant's services were performed.
(5)	A medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathy who, at the time of the supervision, was licensed by the board in the jurisdiction in which the applicant's services were performed and who had completed a residency in psychiatry at the time of the supervision.
(6)	A person who presents proof satisfactory to the Board that, at the time of the supervision, s/he possessed essentially the same education, experience, and training as that necessary to adequately supervise a professional counselor under the Act.  
(B)	The approved supervisor shall keep records that will enable her/him effectively to train, to evaluate, and to credit the applicant for licensure with the exact number of hours of acceptable post-master's or post-doctoral practice of psychotherapy and the exact number of hours of supervision completed in compliance with this Rule.
(C)	The Board will not approve a conflictual dual relationship, as defined below:
(1)	Conflictual Dual Relationship.
(i)	Conflictual dual relationship includes but is not limited to:
(1)	blood relatives;	
(2)	spousal relationships or significant others, either current or former;
(3)	current or former therapist and/or client;
(4)	any other relationship which might compromise therapist/client, supervisor/supervisee or supervisor/client relationship.
(2)	The Board may grant an exception to the above upon a showing that:
(i)	The client was fully informed of the dual relationship and the possibilities for conflicts of interest;
(ii)	The client's access to quality care has not been compromised;
(iii)	The supervisor and licensed professional counselor have not benefited from the relationship over and above a reasonable fee for service (i.e., that the power in the relationship has not been used to influence the relationship for personal gain);
(iv)	The client and supervisory relationships have not been compromised and the best interests of the client are served by the relationship.
(D)	A Board member cannot participate in deliberations or vote on any applicant who was previously supervised or directed by that Board member.
(4)	Number of hours of post-master's practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision.
(A)	The post-master's practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision cannot be completed in fewer than 24 months and may involve supervision by more than one supervisor as defined in these rules.
(B)	The two years of post-master's practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision required by CRS 12-43-603(1)(d) must include at least 2,000 hours of applied psychotherapy obtained in such a manner that they are reasonably uniformly distributed over a minimum of 24 months.
(C)	The teaching of the practice of applied psychotherapy may count up to 600 hours of post-master's practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision and up to 30 hours of supervision, provided this teaching experience was supervised by a supervisor as defined in these rules.
(5)	Number of hours of post-doctoral practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision.
(A)	The post-doctoral practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision cannot be completed in fewer than 12 months and may involve supervision by more than one supervisor as defined in these rules.
(B)	The one year of post-doctoral practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision required by CRS 12-43-603(1)(d) must include at least 1,000 hours of applied psychotherapy obtained in such a manner that they are reasonably uniformly distributed over a minimum of 12 months and must be documented as being completed not fewer than 60 days prior to the administration of the examination.
(C)	The teaching of the practice of applied psychotherapy may count up to 300 hours of post-doctoral practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision and up to 15 hours of supervision, provided this teaching experience was supervised by a supervisor as defined in these rules.
	(6)	Number of hours of post-master's or post-doctoral supervision.
(A)	For each 1,000 hours of supervised practice in applied psychotherapy, applicants must receive a minimum of 50 hours of supervision.  A minimum of the 35 of the 50 hours must be face-to-face supervision.  The remaining hours up to the 50 hours may only be by group supervision. No other modes of supervision will be accepted.
(B)	The post-master's or post-doctoral supervision hours must be reasonably distributed over each 1,000 hours of supervised practice in applied psychotherapy in a manner consistent with the accrual of the hours of supervised post-master's or post-doctoral practice.
(C)	With respect to supervision of the teaching of applied psychotherapy, the supervision hours must be reasonably distributed over the teaching experience in a manner consistent with the accrual of the hours of teaching experience.
(7)	Applicants who completed their post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy in 1980 or before.  The Board recognizes that it may prove difficult for applicants who completed their post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy in 1980 or before to prove that they meet the requirements of this rule and/or to submit the certification of completion required by this rule.  Therefore, this subsection provides an alternative method for establishing completion of the post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy.  An applicant may use this alternative method to establish completion of all or part of the required post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy.  An applicant who seeks to demonstrate completion of the required post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy under the provisions of this subsection must furnish to the Board evidence in support her/his assertion.  The Board may request additional information from the applicant.  The decision as to whether or not an applicant has met the requirements of this subsection rests in the sound discretion of the Board.
The applicant must meet all of the following requirements to document completion of the required post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy in accordance with the alternative method established in this subsection:
(A)	The applicant must attest that s/he completed her/his post-master's or post-doctoral supervised practice in applied psychotherapy in 1980 or before.
(B)	The applicant must attest that s/he has made a reasonable and diligent effort to locate and to contact her/his supervisor(s) and has been unable to do so and must state the reason(s) s/he has been unable to locate and to contact her/his supervisor(s).  Where the applicant can locate and contact some, but not all, of her/his supervisors, the applicant can use the alternative method only for those portions of the supervised practice in applied psychotherapy supervised by supervisors who cannot be located and contacted.
(C)	The applicant must supply documentation (e.g., job descriptions, personnel records, old resumes that detail job experience, letters of reference, copies of old letters submitted by supervisor(s) to prospective employers or others) satisfactory to the Board that establishes completion of two years of post-master's or one year of post-doctoral practice in applied psychotherapy under supervision.
(d)	Examination.  In accordance with CRS 12-43-203(3)(b), 12-43-603(1)(e), and 12-43-603(4), the Board establishes these requirements for the licensing examination to demonstrate professional competence in professional counseling, including special knowledge and skill in applied psychotherapy. The Board shall admit applicants to the examination once the educational requirements have been met. 
(1)	Jurisprudence Examination.  Applicants shall also be required to pass a Board developed jurisprudence examination.
(2) 	National Examination.   The examination in professional counseling shall be the counselor certification examination administered under contract with the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC). 
(A)	Reexamination.  In the event an applicant fails to receive a passing grade on the examination, s/he may apply to the NBCC for reexamination and is subject to the requirements of NBCC.  
(3)	Application.  An applicant for licensure shall apply directly to the NBCC, or any other testing service the Colorado State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners may contract with at the time, to sit for the appropriate examination. 
(A)	A student in their last semester or quarter of either a CACREP approved or non-CACREP approved graduate degree program may apply directly to the NBCC to sit for the professional counselor examination.
(4) 	Exam Scores.  Passing scores on the NBCC examination will be valid for up to five (5) years after the date of the examination.