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Rhode Island Professional Counselor — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

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Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Independent clinical mental health counselor license.

Licensing authority: Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Clinical Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists · Application information

Licensure by endorsement
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed Department application and fee; the pinned March 17, 2025 application is valid for one year after receipt. Submit at least 30 days before the Board meeting under § 11.3.7.
Application exam statement
The March 17, 2025 application page 2 states: "The exam required for licensure is the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE)." Its general instruction remains visible to the applicant; the endorsement exception is expressly stated in the implementing regulation and § 5-63.2-15.
Board discretion
The Board decides whether to issue the endorsement license without examination under § 5-63.2-15; § 11.3.3(A)(4) expressly excepts applicants applying under that section.
Degree equivalence
Under § 11.3.9, an applicant licensed as a clinical mental health counselor elsewhere with a CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling degree of at least 60 semester hours has equivalent qualifying education.
Disclosures
Answer the application criminal-conviction, pending-charge, and professional-discipline questions; provide full details for affirmative answers and sign the affidavit.
Education documentation
Submit official transcripts with registrar signature and school seal, and the core-curriculum coursework form.
License elsewhere
Applicant must be licensed or certified as a clinical mental health counselor elsewhere, with requirements equivalent to or exceeding this chapter.
Military expedition
Applicants claiming expedited military status supply the application-listed military documentation; this expedites processing and does not create a distinct license or change examination requirements.
Previous exam documentation
The application requests NBCC NCMHCE score/certification only for applicants who previously sat the national exam; provide verification of original licensure and examination history.
Prior licenses
If ever licensed elsewhere, submit verification directly from each jurisdiction in which a license is or was held.
Supervision documentation
The pinned application requests supervised-practice documentation. If the original supervisor is unavailable, the original licensing jurisdiction may send its original supervision form or verify supervision in a sealed envelope.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by examination
National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
Application
Submit the completed Department application and fee; the pinned March 17, 2025 application is valid for one year after receipt. Submit at least 30 days before the Board meeting under § 11.3.7.
Application nce inquiry
Page 1 asks: "Have you already taken the NCMHCE or NCE Exams through the NBCC?" This is a prior-examination question. The examination requirement in § 11.3.3(A)(4) and page 2 names NCMHCE; the inquiry does not state NCE is an accepted substitute.
Board vote
Qualification requires at least four affirmative Board votes, including two mental health counselors.
Character
Applicant must be of good character and must not have engaged in conduct that is a ground for refusing licensure under § 5-63.2-21.
Core curriculum
For the equivalent-coursework pathway, complete the 30-credit core curriculum in § 11.5.1: helping relationships and counseling theory (9); human growth and development (3); social and cultural foundations (3); groups (3); lifestyle and career development (3); appraisal (3); research and program evaluation (3); professional orientation (3).
Credits
Complete 60 semester credits or 90 quarter hours before beginning postgraduate experience and supervised casework.
Degree
Graduate counseling/therapy degree from an approved accredited institution; under § 11.3.2, a CACREP or Board-approved equivalent program, or a recognized mental health counseling or allied-field graduate program with equivalent coursework.
Disclosures
Answer the application criminal-conviction, pending-charge, and professional-discipline questions; provide full details for affirmative answers and sign the affidavit.
Education documentation
Submit official transcripts with registrar signature and school seal, and the core-curriculum coursework form.
Military expedition
Applicants claiming expedited military status supply the application-listed military documentation; this expedites processing and does not create a distinct license or change examination requirements.
Other approved examination
Section 11.3.3(A)(4) allows another examination approved by the Board; the open remainder names no additional identifiable examination.
Postgraduate experience
After the qualifying graduate degree, complete at least two years of relevant postgraduate experience including at least 2,000 hours of direct client contact emphasizing mental health counseling.
Practicum internship
Complete CACREP practicum/internship expectations, or Board-equivalent supervised practicum of 12 semester/18 quarter hours and one calendar year of internship at 20 hours per week, not less than 600 hours; statutory Board-equivalent education/experience remains available.
Previous national score
Applicants who previously sat the national examination arrange for the NCMHCE score/certification to be sent directly from NBCC.
Prior licenses
If ever licensed elsewhere, submit verification directly from each jurisdiction in which a license is or was held.
Supervised casework
Complete at least 100 post-degree supervised casework hours spread over two years, under a Board-recognized supervisor.
Supervision documentation
Submit Statements of Supervised Practice and supervisor resumes; hours accrue after completion of the required 60 credits.
Supervisor
Supervisor must be a counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, or independent clinical social worker licensed in good standing for five years with five years of clinical experience, and meet one of the supervision-course, NBCC-supervisor-approval, or two-years-staff-supervision alternatives in § 11.3.3(B).
Reactivation from the inactive list
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Complete 40 continuing education credits relevant to mental health counseling over the preceding two years, including at least 20 Category I credits.
Disciplinary exclusion
Section 11.3.11 excludes suspended or revoked licenses from this ordinary reactivation procedure.
Documentation
Attest to completion and retain participation documentation for four years for possible Department audit.
Hardship
The Board may extend time to complete continuing education for hardship or other extenuating circumstances.
Inactive status
Licensee has requested transfer to the inactive list; no renewal fee is required while inactive.
Reactivation request
Notify the administrator, submit the Department application and fees, and remit the renewal fee.
Recent education
Attest to completion of the continuing education requirements within the two years immediately preceding the reactivation request.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Discretionary reinstatement after lapse of four years or more
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Complete 40 continuing education credits relevant to mental health counseling over the preceding two years, including at least 20 Category I credits.
Documentation
Attest to completion and retain participation documentation for four years for possible Department audit.
Fees
Pay the current renewal fee and additional reinstatement fee and verify the prescribed continuing education.
Hardship
The Board may extend time to complete continuing education for hardship or other extenuating circumstances.
Lapse
License has lapsed for four years or more; reinstatement is at the Board's discretion.
Practice
Use of the licensed title during a lapse is subject to the chapter's penalties.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after lapse of less than four years
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Complete 40 continuing education credits relevant to mental health counseling over the preceding two years, including at least 20 Category I credits.
Documentation
Attest to completion and retain participation documentation for four years for possible Department audit.
Fees
Pay the current renewal fee and additional reinstatement fee and verify the prescribed continuing education.
Hardship
The Board may extend time to complete continuing education for hardship or other extenuating circumstances.
Lapse
License has lapsed for less than four years.
Practice
Use of the licensed title during a lapse is subject to the chapter's penalties.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Biennial license renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application fee
File the executed renewal application, continuing education verification, and renewal fee by June 1 of the even year; license renewal is effective July 1 and lasts 24 months.
Continuing education
Complete 40 continuing education credits relevant to mental health counseling over the preceding two years, including at least 20 Category I credits.
Documentation
Attest to completion and retain participation documentation for four years for possible Department audit.
Hardship
The Board may extend time to complete continuing education for hardship or other extenuating circumstances.
Initial cycle exemption
A licensee initially licensed by examination after the July 1 renewal date is exempt from continuing education until the next renewal cycle under § 11.3.12(G).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination

Provider
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC); administered through the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and delivered by Pearson VUE at test centers or online through OnVUE
Format
11 clinical case studies, each with one narrative in three sections (initial intake summary and two counseling sessions) followed by 9–15 four-option, single-answer multiple-choice questions; one case study is unscored
Exam questions
130–150 multiple-choice items, of which 100 are scored
Time limit
225 minutes to complete the examination within a 255-minute test session (one scheduled 15-minute break after the fifth case study)
Passing score
Cut score set through standard setting and applied to other forms through statistical equating; the total score is the number of correctly answered scored items
Examination outline
  • 1. Professional Practice and Ethics — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities related to maintaining proper administrative and clinical protocols. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Assess your (the counselor) competency to work with a specific client
    • B. Understand statistical concepts and methods in research
    • C. Practice legal and ethical counseling
    • D. Clarify counselor/client roles
    • E. Discuss client’s rights and responsibilities
    • F. Discuss limits of confidentiality
    • G. Explain counselor/agency policies
    • H. Review payment, fees, and insurance benefits
    • I. Explain counseling processes, procedures, risks, and benefits
    • J. Explain uses and limits of social media
    • K. Inform clients about the legal aspects of counseling
    • L. Obtain informed consent
    • M. Discuss confidentiality as it applies to electronic communication
    • N. Establish group rules, expectations, and termination criteria
    • O. Assess competency to provide informed consent
    • P. Monitor the therapeutic relationship and build trust as needed
    • Q. Review client records
    • R. Provide adequate accommodations for clients with disabilities
    • S. Provide information to third parties
    • T. Provide referral sources if counseling services are inadequate/inappropriate
    • U. Advocate for professional and client issues
    • V. Supervision
    • W. Create and maintain documentation appropriate for each aspect of the counseling process
    • X. Awareness and practice of self-care
  • 2. Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively conduct client intake, assessment, and diagnosis. (25% of scored items) (25%)
    • A. Conduct a biopsychosocial interview
    • B. Conduct a diagnostic interview
    • C. Conduct cultural formulation interview
    • D. Conduct an initial interview
    • E. Determine diagnosis
    • F. Perform a Mental Status Exam (MSE)
    • G. Consider co-occurring diagnoses
    • H. Determine level of care needed
    • I. Determine the appropriate modality of treatment
    • J. Assess the presenting problem and level of distress
    • K. Evaluate an individual’s level of mental health functioning
    • L. Screen clients for appropriate services
    • M. Select, use, and interpret appropriate assessment instruments
    • N. Use formal and informal observations
    • O. Assess for trauma
    • P. Assess substance use
    • Q. Obtain client self-reports
    • R. Evaluate interactional dynamics
    • S. Conduct ongoing assessment for at-risk behaviors (i.e., suicide, homicide, self/other-injury, and relationship violence)
    • T. Use pre-test and post-test measures to assess outcomes
    • U. Evaluate counseling effectiveness
  • 4. Treatment Planning — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop an effective course of treatment. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Collaborate with client to establish treatment goals and objectives
    • B. Establish short- and long-term counseling goals consistent with client’s diagnosis
    • C. Identify barriers affecting client goal attainment
    • D. Identify strengths that improve the likelihood of goal attainment
    • E. Refer to different levels of treatment (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential)
    • F. Refer to others for concurrent treatment
    • G. Guide treatment planning
    • H. Discuss termination process and issues
    • I. Discuss transitions in group membership
    • J. Follow up after discharge
    • K. Use assessment instrument results to facilitate client decision-making
    • L. Review and revise the treatment plan
    • M. Engage clients in review of progress toward treatment goals
    • N. Collaborate with other providers and client support systems (documentation and report writing)
    • O. Discuss with clients the integration and maintenance of therapeutic progress
    • P. Educate client to the value of treatment plan compliance
  • 5. Counseling Skills and Interventions — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct effective counseling. (30% of scored items) (30%)
    • A. Align intervention with client’s developmental level
    • B. Align intervention with counseling modality (individual, couple, family, or group)
    • C. Align intervention with client population (e.g., veterans, minorities, disenfranchised, disabled)
    • D. Implement individual counseling in relation to a plan of treatment
    • E. Establish therapeutic alliance
    • F. Apply theory-based counseling intervention(s)
    • G. Address addiction issues
    • H. Address cultural considerations
    • I. Address family composition and cultural considerations
    • J. Evaluate and explain systemic patterns of interaction
    • K. Explore family member interaction
    • L. Explore religious and spiritual values
    • M. Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems
    • N. Help clients develop support systems
    • O. Help facilitate clients’ motivation to make the changes they desire
    • P. Improve interactional patterns
    • Q. Provide crisis intervention
    • R. Educate client about transference and defense mechanisms
    • S. Facilitate trust and safety
    • T. Build communication skills
    • U. Develop conflict resolution strategies
    • V. Develop safety plans
    • W. Facilitate systemic change
    • X. Provide distance counseling or telemental health
    • Y. Provide education resources (e.g., stress management, assertiveness training, divorce adjustment)
    • Z. Provide psychoeducation for client
    • AA. Summarize
    • AB. Reframe/redirect
    • AC. Facilitate empathic responses
    • AD. Use self-disclosure
    • AE. Use constructive confrontation
    • AF. Facilitate awareness of here-and-now interactions
    • AG. Facilitate resolution of interpersonal conflict
    • AH. Use linking and blocking in a group context
    • AI. Management of leader–member dynamics
    • AJ. Model giving and receiving of feedback
    • AK. Address impact of extended families
    • AL. Contain and manage intense feelings
    • AM. Explore the influence of family of origin patterns and themes
    • AN. Address the impact of social support network
    • AO. Use “structured” activities
    • AP. Promote and encourage interactions among group members
    • AQ. Promote and encourage interactions with the group leader
    • AR. Use psychoeducation as a part of the group process
    • AS. Explain phases in the group process
    • AT. Identify and discuss group themes and patterns
    • AU. Create intervention based on the stage of group development
    • AV. Challenge harmful group member behaviors
    • AW. Address the potential interaction of members outside of the group
  • 6. Core Counseling Attributes — This section encompasses behaviors, traits, and dispositions of effective counselors. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Awareness of self and impact on clients
    • B. Genuineness
    • C. Congruence
    • D. Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to gender orientation and gender issues
    • E. Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to multicultural issues
    • F. Demonstrate conflict tolerance and resolution
    • G. Empathic attunement
    • H. Empathic responding
    • I. Foster the emergence of group therapeutic factors
    • J. Non-judgmental stance
    • K. Positive regard
    • L. Respect and acceptance for diversity
    • M. Use foundational listening, attending, and reflecting skills
Examination sources