The process for earning the professional counselor license or the substance abuse counselor credential involves completion of the prescribed educational requirements, as well as completion of application materials, background checks, testing, and a designated number of hours of supervised practice. Students must review the requirements of the organizations issuing licenses or credentials early in their degree programs to ensure they are qualified.
The Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling degree is designed to meet the educational requirement for licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Wisconsin; however, it is the student’s responsibility to stay current with state requirements and counseling licensure standards.
In the state of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services is the governing body that oversees both the licensure and credential process.
- Information about the requirements and process in the State of Wisconsin is available at: http://dsps.wi.gov/Default.aspx?Page=327ccb79-1373-4ce9-8a68-bfdd52ea3566
- Minnesota information may be found at: https://mn.gov/boards/behavioral-health/lpc-and-lpcc/lpc-requirement.jsp
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Iowa information may be found at: http://idph.iowa.gov/Licensure/Iowa-Board-of-Behavioral-Science
Completing the addiction counseling specialty meets the educational requirements for the Substance Abuse Counselor Credential in the State of Wisconsin, in addition to providing experiences applicable to the required hours of the supervised practice requirements. Currently, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services equates a master’s degree in a behavioral science field with an addiction emphasis or concentration in clinical counseling from an accredited school as equal to 2,000 hours of the supervised practice hours required for the Substance Abuse Counselor Credential. However, it is the student's responsibility to stay current with state requirements to achieve licensure.