Arizona Clinical Mental Health Counselor License Requirements
Mental health providers can only serve one person for every 340 people in America. About 23% of American adults will face mental illness in 2024, and qualified counselors are just needed more than ever. The average time to become a licensed professional counselor in Arizona spans 3-4 years.
Your experience toward becoming a mental health counselor needs specific education and dedication. Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) certification might take up to eight years, depending on your academic background. The process has several steps: you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree, complete a qualifying graduate program in counseling, and gain 700 clock hours in a professional counseling setting (including 240 hours of direct client contact). The state also requires additional qualifications. The work pays off with competitive compensation – Arizona’s substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earn $54,190 on average annually.
This guide covers all essential aspects of Arizona’s counseling licensure. You’ll find details about educational requirements, job opportunities, and ways to keep your credentials current.
Types of Licensure in Arizona
The Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (AzBBHE) manages several license types if you have plans to provide mental health services. Everything in planning your professional counseling career depends on understanding these different licenses.
Mental health counselors in Arizona typically get licensed as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs). This credential lets you practice independently across the state. You’ll need to get a preliminary license and complete supervised experience before achieving full licensure.
The Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) is your starting point as a counselor after completing your education but before getting supervised work experience. You’ll work under supervision and build up the hours needed for independent licensure during this time. Getting an LAC requires a master’s or higher degree in counseling or a related field that meets specific curriculum requirements. The license costs $250.00 to apply, plus a $100.00 license issuance fee.
The LPC license becomes available after you complete your supervised experience. You’ll need:
- 24 months of post-master’s degree work experience in professional counseling under supervision
- At least 1,600 hours of direct client contact
- A minimum of 100 hours of clinical supervision
On top of that, the AzBBHE offers temporary licenses that cost $50.00. This option works great especially when you have less than a year left to graduate from your program.
Arizona makes it easier for counselors licensed in other states through a licensure by endorsement pathway. This lets you get an Arizona license without repeating all requirements, as long as you don’t have any disqualifying legal or disciplinary issues.
The AzBBHE also oversees other mental health credentials. These include Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) who focus on family systems work. Substance abuse counseling has its own three-tier system with Licensed Substance Abuse Technicians (LSATs), Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselors (LASACs), and Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselors (LISACs).
School counselors take a different path and get certified through the Arizona Department of Education instead of the AzBBHE.
Keeping good records of your education, supervision hours, and continuing education will help you move smoothly between license levels.
Earn Your Degree
Your journey to become a mental health counselor in Arizona starts with the right educational credentials. Licensure requirements include a master’s or higher degree with major emphasis in counseling from a regionally accredited college or university.
The degree program requires at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours. You can choose from three paths to meet this educational requirement:
- Complete a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)
- Graduate from a program with curriculum approved by the Arizona Board pursuant to section 32-3253
- Finish a program that meets requirements prescribed by the Board rules
Programs without CACREP or CORE accreditation need 700 hours of supervised clinical experience and 24 semester hours (or 32 quarter hours) in eight key content areas:
- Professional orientation and ethical practice
- Social and cultural diversity
- Human growth and development
- Career development
- Helping relationships
- Group work
- Assessment
- Research and program evaluation
Arizona offers several qualifying programs. Arizona State University’s Master of Counseling program has Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners approval and prepares students to become licensed professional counselors. The University of Arizona’s Clinical Mental Health specialization comes with CACREP accreditation through October 2032.
Students at Northern Arizona University can earn an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with practical experience through fieldwork and internships. Grand Canyon University’s Master of Science in Professional Counseling and Prescott College’s Master of Science in Counseling are also approved options.
Graduating makes you eligible to apply for the Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) credential, your first step toward full licensure. Many programs help you prepare for the National Counselor Exam (NCE), which you need for licensure.
Picking the right program plays a vital role in your career path. Make sure your chosen program meets all Arizona licensure requirements. This becomes especially important if you’re looking at online options, as some out-of-state programs might not qualify for Arizona licensure.
Get Licensed
The journey to become a licensed professional counselor in Arizona starts right after you complete your education. You’ll need to follow specific application procedures and meet experience requirements set by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.
A Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) credential requires an application through the Boardal Applications Portal with a $250.00 fee. You can pay by cashier’s check, money order, or credit/debit card. The next step needs verification of an active Department of Public Safety clearance card or fingerprints on a blue-lined FD-258 card with a $40.00 processing fee.
After your original LAC application approval, you must pass one of these qualifying examinations:
- National Counselor Examination (NCE)
- National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
- Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam (CRCE)
The Board reviews your credentials and provides the necessary forms for examination registration. You need to sign these forms in ink and submit them to the appropriate organization, usually with an additional examination fee.
Advancing to full LPC status requires 3,200 hours of supervised work experience over at least two years. This breaks down into:
- 1,600 hours of direct client contact
- 100 hours of clinical supervision (at least 50 hours with an LPC)
Your hours must focus on psychotherapy practice. Case management and psycho-educational services don’t count toward this requirement. Clinical supervision must have at least 10 hours of direct observation or session recording reviews.
Your supervisor and employer need to complete verification forms about your supervised experience. They should return these forms to you in sealed envelopes to include with your LPC application.
When you finish your supervised hours, submit another application for LPC licensure. This requires a $250.00 fee and an updated self-query report from the National Practitioner Data Bank.
Students with foreign degrees should check the foreign equivalency rules on the Board’s website. Full licensure typically takes 3-4 years after completing your graduate degree.
Arizona welcomes professionals from other states through licensure by endorsement. However, the state doesn’t have reciprocity agreements with other states.
Find Employment
Your professional life takes an exciting turn after you get your Arizona counseling license. The state provides average opportunities for mental health counselors based on current job outlook data.
Mental health counselors earn competitive salaries in Arizona. The median annual salary of $63,830 as of May 2024 is higher than the national median of $59,190. New counselors can expect to earn around $50,650 (25th percentile). Those with extensive experience and specialized credentials can reach $79,990 to $95,860 (75th to 90th percentile).
Your potential earnings depend on several key factors:
- Years of experience and clinical expertise
- Practice setting (private practice typically yields higher income)
- Specialized certifications and training
- Geographic location within Arizona (urban areas generally offer better compensation)
- Client population and specialty area
Arizona’s diverse population and growing mental health services create rewarding careers in many settings. Licensed Associate Counselors typically work in:
- Community mental health centers
- Hospital behavioral health units
- Residential treatment facilities
- School-based counseling programs
- Government agencies (VA, Indian Health Service)
- Group practices under licensed supervision
- Substance abuse treatment centers
Arizona has more than 2,000 open positions for Licensed Professional Counselors statewide. Job titles include Mental Health Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Substance Abuse Counselor, Clinical Therapist, and Behavioral Health Counselor.
LinkedIn and Indeed regularly post counseling positions with hourly rates between $42-$90 for therapist roles. The employment outlook remains strong with projected growth of 17% for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2024-2034.
The state expects about 1,170 annual job openings for licensed counselors through new positions, retirements, and natural turnover. Current listings show attractive benefits packages that include health insurance, 401(k) plans, paid time off, and sometimes tuition reimbursement or loan forgiveness programs.
Professional networks and connections you build during your supervised experience period become valuable assets when looking for full licensure employment opportunities.
Remain Compliant
You need steadfast dedication to professional development and regulatory compliance to keep your Arizona mental health counselor license active. License renewal occurs every two years, and you must meet several mandatory requirements to stay compliant.
You must complete 30 clock hours of continuing education (CE) between each renewal period. These hours can’t carry over from one license period to the next. Your CE requirements include specific mandatory subjects:
- 3 hours in behavioral health ethics or mental health law
- 3 hours in cultural competency and diversity
- 3 hours completing the Board-approved tutorial on Arizona statutes and rules
Substance abuse counselors must focus at least 20 of their 30 CE hours on addiction-related topics. These topics include pharmacology, addiction processes, treatment models, relapse prevention, and co-occurring disorders.
The BOARDAL Licensee Portal handles the renewal process with a $325.00 fee. You must complete all CE requirements before submitting your renewal application. The Arizona Statutes/Regulations Tutorial needs manual entry into your CEU Tracker after completion.
The Board can audit your CE compliance at any time. You should keep detailed documentation of all your continuing education activities. Licensed professionals must follow their discipline’s code of conduct.
A temporary break from practice is possible by requesting inactive status. Submit a form and pay a $100.00 fee to maintain your credential during this time.
The Board of Behavioral Health Examiners enforces laws about licensure, renewal requirements, and professional practice. Whatever your license type, staying current with regulations helps ensure you know how to practice legally in Arizona.
Next Steps
Ready to pursue your Arizona mental health counselor license? You can start the application process through the Boardal Applications Portal on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners website. Getting these important documents ready beforehand will help speed up your application:
You’ll need fingerprints on a blue-lined FD-258 card with a $40.00 processing fee unless you have an active DPS clearance card. The Board can send you fingerprint cards when you call 602-542-1882.
Your educational documentation comes next. CACREP-accredited program graduates should verify their status through the Board’s verification system. The Board’s website lists special equivalency rules for foreign degree holders. Candidates using these credentials should carefully review specific requirements.
The path to becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Arizona usually takes 6-8 years. This timeline has sections for:
- 2-3 years to complete a qualifying master’s degree
- 2-3 years to finish 3,200 supervised experience hours
- Extra time for examination and application processing
The Board must authorize you to test before you can take one of three national examinations: the National Counselor Examination (NCE), National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), or Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination.
Keep detailed records of your clinical hours during supervision. You must complete 1,600 direct client contact hours and 100 hours of clinical supervision. The Outside Contracted Supervisor Agreement form becomes necessary if your supervisor works at a different agency.
Arizona doesn’t have formal reciprocity agreements, but counselors licensed in other states can apply through the endorsement pathway. This option needs verification of your out-of-state license, transcripts, fingerprint background check, and completion of the Arizona Statutes/Regulations tutorial.
Next Steps
Starting a career as a licensed professional counselor leads to achieving meaningful work serving Arizona’s mental health needs. Mental health professionals across the state provide essential support to individuals, families, and communities that face psychological challenges.
A clear understanding of the licensure pathway enables aspiring counselors to create effective plans. Many people find counseling attractive because it offers an all-encompassing approach and flexible career options after comparing different mental health professions. Arizona’s licensing framework supports various clinical interests if you have plans to specialize in trauma recovery, addiction treatment, or family therapy.
The Arizona Counselors Association provides excellent networking opportunities and resources to advance your career during professional development. These connections become incredibly valuable as you transition from student to licensed practitioner.
Note that the field keeps evolving with new treatment approaches and research findings. Continuing education helps you maintain your license and enhance your clinical expertise.
The path might seem overwhelming at first – from choosing the right graduate program to finishing supervised hours. Each step builds the competence your future clients need. Your methodical completion of Arizona’s licensure requirements positions you to contribute meaningfully to your community’s mental health care.