An act relating to professional counselors.

In 1998, the 21st Legislature created statutes establishing a board and license for professional counselors in Alaska. The intent of the statutes was essentially twofold: 1. To create a Board which would oversee activities relating to professional counselors; and 2. To create a requirement of appropriate, quality education and experience for professional counselors seeking licensure. However, key language defining both the authority of the Board and "appropriate, quality education and experience" for professional counselors was inadvertently left out of the original statues.

In addition to addressing the above omissions, HB 208 also allows for three other housekeeping provisions. Specifically it:

• adds to the list of health professionals allowed to supervise professional counselors;
• adds professional counselors to the Centralized Licensing Statutes section regarding the use of the letters "LPC" after a licensed professional's name; and
• extends the deadline by six months for current, eligible professional counselors to be "grandfathered" in without having to undergo the supervisory and testing requirements currently required for new entrants into the profession.

This bill strengthens the original statutes for both the public and the profession, and consequently enjoys the support of the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and the American Counseling Association of Alaska.