LPC omission in Children's Development Service Agency policies

August 19, 2010

The North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance is currently accepting submissions for comments on the draft policy on services pertaining to the Children's Developmental Service Agency.  If you look at section 6, subsection k of this draft policy, you will notice that LPC's have not been included in the list of providers while social workers, marriage and family therapists, and several other professional groups have.  Please take the time to respond to the submission request and ask that LPC's be included as providers.  You can access the submission page by going to the following link and scrolling to the section on the Children's Developmental Service Agency.  http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/dma/mpproposed/

Here is a sample submission statement (to submit a comment, just click on the "have comments" button beside the "date posted" column):

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and would like to bring to your attention a major oversight in subsection k of section 6 of the proposed CDSA policy draft.  This policy draft fails to include Licensed Professional Counselors in the providers section for CDSA services.  There are around 5,000 Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC's) in North Carolina who are impacted by this language.  As you may or may not be aware, LPC's are highly skilled, masters level counselors with over 2,000 hours of experience (this number actually increases to 3,000 with the recent licensure change) and must have passed a national counseling exam in order to practice.  LPC's are licensed pursuant to the rules, regulations and oversight of the state Licensed Professional Counselors Board.  This draft policy includes social workers and family and marriage therapists who have similar educational and experience requirements.  In addition, LPC's are highly experienced in working with young children, individual and family therapy, assessments, psychoeducation, skills training, behavioral assessments, parent training, rehabilitative services, case management and coordination.  There is no logical reason that LPC's should be excluded from this language, and we ask that they be included. 

Not a member? Click here to learn how you can support and benefit from LPCANC.