Renewal Information for Kentucky Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs)

Oct. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Kentucky Licensed Professional Counselors renew their licenses annually on October 31st. 10 hours of continuing education are required to renew and must relate to the field of professional counseling. There is no limit on online courses offered by NBCC or APA approved providers.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) to offer home study continuing education for NCCs (Provider #5590). We adhere to NBCC guidelines. Professional Development Resources is also approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content. Over 100 online and home study courses are available @ http://www.pdresources.org/index.aspx

The purpose of the Kentucky Board of Licensure of Professional Counselors (http://lpc.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx) is to administer and enforce the statutory authority and to monitor the needs of the consuming public. The board examines and licenses all eligible candidates for entry into the profession as a professional counselor. It recommends appropriate changes in the law to assure fairness and equality. The board conducts formal hearings when necessary and prosecutes by due process any violators of KRS 335.500.

The board is a self-supporting agency and receives no general fund tax appropriation. It is funded entirely through fees assessed for licensing its professionals.

The annual renewal date for licensure shall be October 31.

Continuing Education Requirements

A minimum of ten (10) continuing education hours shall be accrued by each person holding a license during the annual period for renewal. All continuing education hours shall be in or related to the field of professional counseling.

Continuing education hours applicable to the renewal of the license shall be directly related to the professional growth and development of the licensee’s practice of professional counseling. They may be earned by completing any of the following educational activities:

Programs not requiring board review and approval. An educational program from any of the following providers shall be deemed to be relevant to the practice of professional counseling and shall be approved without further review by the board if it is sponsored or approved by:

- The American Counseling Association, or any of its affiliated branches or divisions
- The Kentucky Counseling Association, or any of its affiliated chapters or divisions
- The National Association of Social Workers or any of its affiliated state chapters
- The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy or any of its affiliated state chapters
- The American School Counselor Association or any of its affiliated state chapters
- The American Psychological Association, or any of its affiliated state chapters or divisions
- The divisions of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services
- The National Board for Certified Counselors
- An academic course offered by an accredited post-secondary institution directly related to professional counseling or counseling psychology

Programs requiring board review and approval. A program from any of the following sources shall be reviewed and determined if it is relevant and therefore subsequently approved by the board:

- A program, including a home study course and in-service training provided by another organization, educational institution, or service provider approved by the board.
- A program or academic course presented by the licensee. A presenter of relevant programs or academic courses may earn full continuing education credit for each contact hour of instruction, except the earned credit shall not exceed one-half (1/2) of the continuing education renewal requirements. Credit shall not be issued for repeated instruction of the same course.
- Authoring an article in a relevant, professionally recognized or juried publication. Credit shall not be granted for an article unless it was published within the one (1) year period immediately preceding the renewal date and a licensee shall not earn more than one-half (1/2) of the continuing education hours required for renewal. More than one (1) publication shall not be counted during a renewal period.
- A general education course, either elective or designated to meet degree requirements, shall not be acceptable. Academic credit equivalency for continuing education hours shall be based on one (1) credit hour equals fifteen (15) continuing education hours.

During the licensure renewal period, up to fifteen (15) percent of all licensees shall be selected at random by the board and required to furnish documentation of the completion of the appropriate number of continuing education hours.

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Professional Development Resources, Inc. is a nonprofit educational corporation organized in 1992. Our mission is to provide healthcare professionals with accredited continuing education courses on topics that are vital to contemporary clinical practice.