2020 LPC Annual License Renewal

Due to the recent events surrounding COVID-19, WVBEC asked that you please submit renewal applications to:  wvbec_renewals@outlook.com. Please include confirmation of electronic payment in your renewal information. For those that do not have the ability to pay online, please mail your renewal information to the address listed on the application. Once your licensure documents have been received, you will receive a confirmation email within 5 to 7 business days. All renewed licensure cards will be mailed no later than June 30, 2020.

• Please first print and thoroughly read the 'Instructions' and 'Checklist' before proceeding to the 2-page renewal application.
  

• In order to access the PDF documents, you will need the Adobe Reader program (free) found at the following link:  https://get/adobe.com/reader/
  

• After completion of the documents, sign and date page 2 of the renewal application.  Please make a copy of all your materials for your records and email your packet of materials to the Board: wvbec_renewals@outlook.com or the address provided on the form.

• All documents for the packet are included below

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CONTINUING EDUCATION: The LPC shall not submit continuing education at this time. The reporting of completed continuing education remains on a biennium basis and shall be submitted with the 06/30/2021 license renewal materials.

LPC LICENSE RENEWAL INSTRUCTIONS – 2020

 Please review the following instruction before completing the renewal application.

ANNUAL LPC LICENSE RENEWAL: Effective July 1, 2017, a licensee shall renew his or her license annually on or before June 30 and be subject to the annual license renewal fee of $145.00 (Per Series 3, LPC License Renewal and Continuing Education Rules & Series 2, LPC Fees Rule.) All LPCs shall complete the two (2) page license renewal application and pay the annual license renewal fee. Upon approval, your new expiration date will be 06/30/2021.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CONTINUING EDUCATION: The LPC shall not submit continuing education at this time. The reporting of completed continuing education remains on a biennium basis and shall be submitted with the 06/30/2021 license renewal materials.

The processing time for a renewal application is up to four (4) weeks. Therefore, if your license must be verified by an employer, insurance company, or other 3rd party on July 1, 2020, you must submit your renewal application to the Board office on or before May 30, 2020. If you submit a complete and correct renewal application on or before May 30, 2020 and it is approved, we will be able to verify your license on July 1, 2020.

If you need verification that your renewal packet reached our office, please send your mailing return/receipt certified. WVBEC staff will be unable to return phone calls and/or emails concerning this matter.

Licenses NOT renewed on time (See Series 3 for more details at www.wvbec.org)

All licenses not renewed by the renewal date each renewal cycle shall expire. Any individual who has not renewed his or her license and who continues to practice after his or her license has been expired will be deemed guilty of unlicensed practice.

• All expired licenses, within 60 days after the renewal date, may renew their license upon payment of a renewal fee and a late fee. (Renewal fee $145, Late fee $100, per Series 2, LPC Fee Rules)

•  After the 60 days, individuals with expired licenses may reinstate their license upon payment of a renewal fee and a reinstatement fee. (Reinstatement Fee $250, per Series 2, LPC Fee Rules)

The following serves as a courtesy reminder regarding the LPC continuing education requirements.

•  The reporting of completed continuing education shall be submitted with your 6/30/2021 license renewal materials.

•  Please review the information provided on our website at the “Approved CE” tab and Series 3, LPC License

Renewal and CE Rules found at the Board Rules tab.

• You may download the LPC CE Recording form and the LPC CE Focus Areas list from our website at the Popular Forms tab, LPC Forms.

• For the LPC with an “issue” date on/after 7/1/2019, please reference the letter that accompanied your wall certificate and license cards as the pro-rated number of required CE hours was provided. Additionally, please ensure completion of the following:

Per Series 3, LPC Renewal Rule, the WVBEC requires all West Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors to obtain during each renewal cycle, three (3) contact hours in ethics based on the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics. As the code of ethics adopted by the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling, for the LPC, the ACA code establishes principles that define the ethical behavior of licensed professional counselors. All LPCs in West Virginia are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Practice. The Code of Ethics will serve as the basis for processing ethical complaints initiated against West Virginia LPC. Ethical offerings approved through the WVBEC are posted on www.wvbec.org.

Two (2) hour Veterans CE

At least two (2) of the required continuing education hours shall be in mental health conditions specific to veterans and family members of veterans. Training specific to veterans and family members of veterans may include, but are not be limited to, inquiring about whether clients are veterans or family members of veterans; screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder; readjustment issues; risk of suicide and prevention of suicide; military sexual assault; and depression and grief. Approved formal trainings are included on the WVBEC’s website. The Board will also accept NBCC or ACA CE trainings that meet the criteria detailed above.

ALPS Requirement

A licensee with approved professional supervisor status shall complete three (3) of the required continuing education hours

in clinical counseling supervision. The three (3) hours can be completed as part of the 20 hours of allowable home study or in a formal program. The program selected must have the words “clinical supervision” in the title or the description of the offering and will need to be NBCC, ACA or WVBEC approved.

LPC LICENSE RENEWAL CHECKLIST

        Complete the 2-page Application for Renewal

• Please print legibly

• Sign and date the Page 2

   

          Enclose a check or money order payable to WVBEC for $145.00

• Annual License Renewal fee can be paid by credit card at www.wvbec.org. Follow the instructions provided at the credit card payment tab, PRINT & INCLUDE your receipt with your renewal materials.

  (Please do not email the receipt to the board.)

   

            Mail the following to WVBEC:

1. 2- page Application

2. $145.00 Renewal fee

    

           Mail to:

• Please mail return/receipt certified if you would like verification that your renewal application reached the board office.

2020 LPC License Renewal

West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling 815 Quarrier Street, Suite 212

Charleston, WV 25301

The LPC shall renew his or her license ANNUALLY, on or before June 30.  (Annual license renewal includes the submission of a 2 - page renewal application and payment of $145.00 license renewal fee.)

The reporting of Continuing Education is required to be submitted BIENNIALLY, every odd numbered year (e.g. 2019, 2021, etc.).   Instructions for reporting the completion of your continuing education will be included with the LPC license renewal notifications, on a biennium basis, every odd numbered year (2019, 2021, etc.). 

Please find below a brief outline of the current LPC continuing education requirements.

Please note, it is the responsibility of the licensee to know the rules for license renewal and the completion of the continuing education requirement.  This outline is being provided as a courtesy to our licensees.  To review the rule in its entirety, Series 3, LPC License Renewal and Continuing Education Rules, can be found at the “Board Rules” tab on the Board’s website.

All LPC's are required to complete thirty-five (35) contact hours of approved continuing education every biennium period.  Included in the thirty-five (35) hours of CE the following shall be completed: 

• Online/Home study CE:  All LPC's are permitted to complete twenty (20) of the required continuing education contact hours through NBCC or ACA preapproved online/home study coursework.  The certificate of completion must include that the training is approved by either NBCC or ACA.   This leaves a balance of fifteen (15) contact hours of CE that must be completed in a formal/live setting. 

   

• ACA Ethics Renewal Requirement:  All LPC's shall complete three (3) contact hours in Ethics that must include the 2014 American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics.  For the newly licensed LPC that is completing their first license renewal cycle, the ethics training must be completed in a formal/live setting.  Approved formal trainings are listed at the “Approved CE Offerings” tab on the Board’s website.  If the LPC has completed at least one renewal cycle, this LPC can complete the 3 hours of ACA Ethics as part of the 20 hours of online/home study training.  www.counseling.org is the ACA website that offers approved online/home study ethics trainings.  If, instead, the LPC finds an online or formal ethics training that is NBCC approved but the training does not include teachings from the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics, the training CANNOT be used to fulfill the LPC Ethics renewal requirement.  Please be sure to double check that this criterion is met when choosing an LPC Ethics training. 

   

• Two (2) hours of CE related to the mental health conditions specific to veterans and their families is required.   Approved trainings for this new requirement will include "VA APPROVED" after the title in the CE calendar found at the “Approved CE” tab.  The LPC may instead complete this requirement via online or home study CE training that is NBCC or ACA approved and meets the following criteria: Training specific to veterans and family members of veterans may include, but not be limited to, inquiring about whether clients are veterans or family members of veterans; screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder; readjustment issues; risk of suicide and prevention of suicide; military sexual assault; and depression and grief.

   

• ALPS Renewal Requirement: All ALPS (Approved Licensed Professional Supervisors) shall complete three (3) contact hours in clinical supervision training.  Approved formal trainings can be found at the “Approved CE Offerings” tab.   The three hours can also be completed as part of the 20 hours of home study.  The online/home study program must be NBCC or ACA approved and the title of the training, or training description, must include 'Clinical Supervision'.

NBCC & ACA Approved CE Trainings: Formal and Online CE trainings pre-approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the American Counseling Association (ACA) are automatically granted approval by WVBEC.  It is the responsibility of the licensee to ensure the certificate of completion includes the statement of NBCC or ACA approval. 

Formal CE trainings that have been approved by WVBEC are posted on the Board’s website at the ‘Approved CE Offerings’ tab.  Board approved trainings are posted as soon as they have been approved.  Please contact the sponsor of the training with any training related questions.

WVLPCA & WVCA Conferences:  Both WV Counseling Associations conduct Spring and Fall Conferences in which they typically include LPC Approved Ethics and ALPS trainings as well as the two (2) hour VA requirement.  You may find a link to their websites at the “Links/Resources” tab.  Once their conference information has been provided to WVBEC, the dates and registration information will be included at the “Approved CE Offerings” tab. 

Sponsors of CE:  For the sponsor or presenter of CE who would like to offer continuing education to the WV LPC, a “One Time CE Application” may be submitted to the Board for LPC CE review.  The application is available at WVBEC’s website at the “Sponsor of CE” tab. 

CE Review for the LPC:  For CE trainings that have not been pre-approved by NBCC, ACA or WVBEC, the licensee may request the board review the CE training by completing and submitting a Pre-Post CE Application.  Please be sure to include all items listed on the form.  Please allow up to 2-3 weeks to process your application.

Graduate level coursework in Counseling from an accredited institution are also approved for continuing education.  Please refer to LPC Licensing Rule, Series 1, educational requirements for a list of accepted accreditation bodies.  One (1) hour of graduate coursework equals 15 contact hours of CE.  A transcript or grade sheet will be accepted as a certificate of completion.  If presenting a graduate course please read section 5.2 of Series 3, Renewal Rules.

Excess contact hours of CE may not be carried over to the next biennium renewal cycle, as per Series 3, LPC Licensing Rule.  Therefore, CE shall be completed within the two (2) year CE reporting period, e.g. July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2021, and July 1, 2021 through June 20, 2023, etc.

LPC CE Recording Form:  To begin documenting the completion of your CE, please download a copy of the LPC CE Recording Form.  The form can be found on our website at the “Popular Forms” tab, “LPC Forms” tab.

Additional Continuing Education requirements can be found within Series 3, LPC License renewal and CE rules and is located on the Board’s website at the ‘Board Rules’ tab.