Certified Christian Clinical Counselor
CHRISTIAN CLINICAL COUNSELOR,
Upon verification of documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $150, as set by board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost to the agency for the administration of the exam:
1. Has made application there for and paid the appropriate fee.
2. Has a minimum of an earned doctorate’s degree from a Christian psychology or Christian counseling program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs that consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours of clinical and didactic instruction, including a course in human sexuality and a course in substance abuse.
If the master’s degree is earned from a program related to the practice of mental health counseling that is not accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, then the coursework and practicum, internship, or fieldwork must consist of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours and meet the following requirements:
a. Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in each of the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and practice; individual evaluation and assessment; career and lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social and cultural foundations; counseling in community settings; and substance abuse. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied toward this requirement.
b. A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in legal, ethical, and professional standards issues in the practice of mental health counseling, which includes goals, objectives, and practices of professional counseling organizations, codes of ethics, legal considerations, standards of preparation, certifications and licensing, and the role identity and professional obligations of mental health counselors. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied toward this requirement.
c. The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least 1,000 hours of university-sponsored supervised clinical practicum, internship, or field experience as required in the accrediting standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs for mental health counseling programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post-master’s clinical experience requirement.
d. If the course title which appears on the applicant’s transcript does not clearly identify the content of the coursework, the applicant shall be required to provide additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a syllabus or catalog description published for the course.
e. Education and training in mental health counseling must have been received in an institution of higher education which at the time the applicant graduated was: fully accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation; publicly recognized as a member in good standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; or an institution of higher education located outside the United States and Canada, which at the time the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant graduated maintained a standard of training substantially equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in the United States which are accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Such foreign education and training must have been received in an institution or program of higher education officially recognized by the government of the country in which it is located as an institution or program to train students to practice as mental health counselors. The burden of establishing that the requirements of this provision have been met shall be upon the applicant, and the board shall require documentation, such as, but not limited to, an evaluation by a foreign equivalency determination service, as evidence that the applicant’s graduate degree program and education were equivalent to an accredited program in this country.
f. Has had not less than 2 years of clinical experience in mental health counseling, which must be at the post-master’s level under the supervision of a licensed mental health counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must register pursuant to s. 491.0045 prior to commencing practice. If a graduate has a master’s degree with a major related to the practice of mental health counseling that did not include all the coursework required under sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-b., credit for the post-master’s level clinical experience shall not commence until the applicant has completed a minimum of seven of the courses required under sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-b., as determined by the board, one of which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal psychology. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the clinical experience requirement. The clinical experience requirement may be met by work performed on or off the premises of the supervising mental health counselor or the equivalent, provided the off-premises work is not the independent private practice rendering of services that does not have a licensed mental health professional, as determined by the board, on the premises at the same time the intern is providing services.
g. Has passed a theory and practice examination provided by the department for this purpose.
h. Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health counseling.
INTERNSHIP.–An individual who is registered as an intern and has satisfied all of the educational requirements for the profession for which the applicant seeks licensure shall be certified as having met the educational requirements for licensure under this section.
RULES.–The board may adopt rules necessary to implement any