Minnesota’s Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requires the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) licence. You can sit it any time after finishing your counseling master’s or doctorate, but the licence itself waits for 4,000 supervised post-master’s hours, every one of them verified before it is issued.
- Is the NCMHCE required in Minnesota?
- For the LPCC, yes. Under Minnesota Statutes section 148B.5301, LPCC applicants must pass the NCMHCE, and the board’s application notes that every LPCC applicant since August 1, 2014 has needed it. For the LPC, the NCMHCE is one of four accepted exams, alongside the NCE, the CRC and the EPPP.
- Should I take the NCMHCE for the Minnesota LPC?
- If you expect to move up to the LPCC later, the board suggests it: its LPC exam page marks the NCMHCE as recommended for anyone seeking LPCC licensure in the future, because the LPCC requires that exam. Whichever you choose, you can take it any time after graduating from your master’s or doctoral program.
- How many supervised hours does the LPCC require?
- 4,000 hours of supervised post-master’s clinical practice, including 1,800 hours of direct client contact and 200 hours of supervision, at least half of it individual. All of it must be verified before the LPCC is issued. A Minnesota LPC who already has 2,000 hours and independent status documents only another 2,000 hours, 100 of supervision and 900 with clients.
- Can I be licensed in Minnesota before finishing my hours?
- As an LPC, yes. The LPC needs 2,000 supervised hours with 100 hours of supervision, and those can be completed after licensure under a supervision plan the board accepts; the licence then converts from LPC-Supervised to LPC-Independent. The LPCC offers no such route — its 4,000 hours come first.
- What degree does Minnesota require?
- A master’s or doctorate in counseling or a related field of at least 48 semester or 72 quarter credits, from a CACREP-accredited program or a CHEA-accredited institution, with a 700-hour supervised field experience and coursework in ten subject areas. The LPCC adds 24 semester credits of clinical coursework, from diagnostic assessment to cultural diversity. If your degree was under 60 semester credits, you complete additional graduate credits within your first four years of licensure.
- What does it cost, and how do I apply?
- $435 in total for either licence: a $150 application fee, a $250 initial licence fee and a $35 criminal background check. You apply online through the board’s Online Services or by mail with a check, and the licence renews every year for $250. You register for the NCMHCE itself through NBCC.