PCN-505 Topic 6: Benchmark – State Credentialing Board Research Project Instructions

Directions: The purpose of this project is to help you become familiar with the credentialing and regulatory processes that will govern your practice as a counselor. 

In order to complete this project, you will need to select a state to use as the basis for your research. You should select either the state in which you currently reside or the state in which you plan to practice.

Information regarding credentialing in the state you have selected can be gathered in one or more of the following ways. (These are options. You are not required to do both of these.)

1. (Preferred) Reviewing the content of the state credentialing board website.
2. Attending a public meeting of the state credentialing board and/or review public meeting notes online

Note: Please do not contact the board to get this information as most likely they will not get back to you in time to complete this assignment. In addition, as you will be gathering information about credentialing, it is important you use paraphrasing as well as in-text citations to avoid plagiarism issues. 

State Credentialing Board Research Project

Using the information you gathered, write a 1,250-1,500-word scholarly paper on your state credentialing board. Include the following in your paper:

1. Identifying information about the state board (name, location, etc.)
2. The mission of the state board.
3. The regulatory authority and scope (cite the statutes and rules that govern the board’s activities, describe the discipline(s) regulated by the board, and describe the scope of the board’s authority to regulate professional practice).
4. The state board/committee structures through which the board performs its functions (committee names and responsibilities, frequency of meetings, topics included on board/committee agendas, and composition of board and committees).
5. A summary of the licensure and certification requirements for the state in which you plan to practice.
6. A description of the different tiered levels of licensure (such as LAC to LPC, LPC to LCPC, or counseling intern to LMHC) to establish eligibility for licensure.
7. A description of the state’s legal complaint handling process and/or outcomes, descriptions of types of complaints, and observed patterns.
8. At least three scholarly sources, one of which should be your state’s licensing board.