Becoming a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Montana: Essential Requirements

Did you know it takes about eight years of education to become a fully-licensed counselor in Montana? The path to becoming a licensed professional counselor follows several clear steps. You start by earning a bachelor’s degree and then complete a qualifying master’s degree in counseling that has practicum experience.

Montana requires licensed professional clinical counselors to complete a program with at least 60 semester hours from an accredited college. The state has four schools offering eight CACREP-accredited graduate programs for aspiring clinical mental health counselors. After finishing your education, you must pass an examination sponsored by the National Board for Certified Counselors. The initial licensure application costs $200. Once approved, you’ll need to pay $149 for annual renewals. You also need to complete 20 hours of continuing education to meet state requirements.

This guide walks you through each step of the licensing process, from education requirements to maintaining your credentials as a practicing counselor in Montana.

Types of Licensure in Montana

Montana’s Board of Behavioral Health manages several professional counseling licensure paths. You need to know these options to plan your career as a mental health professional in the state.

The Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) is Montana’s main counseling credential. This license lets you work independently as a mental health counselor once you meet state requirements. But first, you’ll need to become an LCPC Candidate.

The LCPC Candidate credential is your starting point while you complete supervised experience hours. You’ll work under supervision until you meet all requirements for full LCPC licensure. Your supervisor should be an LCPC or allied mental health professional with a valid license in good standing.

Getting an LCPC Candidate license requires you to:

• Complete a qualifying graduate degree in counseling that has a practicum
• Submit official transcripts with your application
• Complete a fingerprint background check
• Find a qualified supervisor
• Submit your application with the $200.00 fee

Moving from LCPC Candidate to full Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) means you must:

• Complete 3,000 hours of supervised experience
• Pass either the National Counselor Examination (NCE) or National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
• Submit verification of your supervised hours

The 3,000 supervised hours requirement breaks down specifically. You need 1,500 hours after earning your degree. From these post-degree hours, 1,000 must be direct client contact under face-to-face supervision. You’ll need one hour of supervision for every 20 hours of professional counseling experience.

Montana’s Board of Behavioral Health regulates other mental health credentials too:

• Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) and LAC Candidates
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and LMFT Candidates
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and various social work credentials
• Certified Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialists (CBHPSS)

School counseling works differently. The Montana Board of Education handles this credential instead of the Board of Behavioral Health. School counselors get a Class 6 Specialist License through the Office of Public Instruction.

Military members and their spouses get special treatment to speed up the licensing process. They can receive a provisional license with a reservation of rights if they meet all requirements except license verification from another state. This works as a full license for 60 days while verification completes.

Montana doesn’t accept licenses from other states directly. Counselors licensed elsewhere must apply for Montana licensure. The process is simpler for those with active licenses in other states thanks to Montana’s out-of-state licensing rules.

Your LCPC license opens doors to specialized endorsements. Licensed clinical professional counselors can add credentials like sexual offender evaluations through additional endorsements to their existing license.

Earn Your Degree

A graduate degree marks the first big step toward becoming a licensed professional counselor in Montana. The state’s Board of Behavioral Health expects candidates to follow a specific educational path that gets them ready to handle clinical practice.

You need a graduate degree in counseling or a related field. Montana lets you choose between two paths to licensure:

1. 60-Semester Hour Pathway – A master’s or doctoral program with 60 semester hours of graduate-level counseling coursework, plus six semester hours of advanced counseling practicum. Most applicants take this standard path.
2. 45-Semester Hour Pathway – A master’s program with at least 45 credits that has a practicum and CACREP core courses. This path gives you five years after getting your original LCPC license to complete the remaining credits needed for the 60-credit requirement.

Your graduate program must cover everything the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) requires:

• Counseling Theory
• Counseling Techniques
• Human Growth & Development
• Social & Cultural Foundations
• The Helping Relationship
• Groups
• Life-style & Career Development
• Appraisal
• Professional Orientation

Several universities across Montana offer CACREP-accredited counseling programs. Montana State University’s Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling and Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling programs need 60 semester credits. Students usually finish in two years with summer, fall, and spring classes. MSU also runs a 48-credit Master of Education in School Counseling program.

Montana State University Billings has a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Students can take classes in hybrid, online, or hyflex formats, which makes getting your counseling degree more flexible. The University of Montana provides a 60-credit master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with 700 hours of supervised counseling experience in mental health agency settings.

Graduate programs typically ask for your current resume, recommendation letters, official academic transcripts from all colleges, and a personal statement. Some programs let you submit GRE scores to strengthen your application.

International students who speak English as a second language must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB scores.

Most students study full-time, though part-time options exist. In spite of that, course sequences matter. Missing a sequence as a part-time student means waiting longer for courses to come around again.

After graduation, your college must send certified education transcripts straight to the Department of Labor and Industry. Montana doesn’t require CACREP accreditation, but graduating from a CACREP-accredited program will give a solid foundation that meets national standards. This becomes helpful if you move to another state and need to transfer your license.

Get Licensed

Getting your licensed clinical professional counselor credential in Montana takes several key steps after completing your graduate degree. You’ll need to prepare documents and show your qualifications to the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.

The of your licensing trip is getting enough supervised experience. Montana requires 3,000 hours of supervised clinical professional counseling practice. You must complete at least 1,500 hours after earning your degree. Your post-degree supervised experience needs 1,000 hours of direct client contact. You also need one hour of supervision for every 15 hours of direct service.

Proper documentation of supervised experience plays a vital role. Submit proof of your completed hours with the Montana Evaluation of Supervisory Experience form. If you earned hours in another state, you can submit that state’s documentation. Your supervisor must verify these hours and confirm they meet state requirements.

The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) offers two exams you must pass:

1. The National Counselor Examination (NCE) – A 200-question multiple-choice exam that tests knowledge, skills, and abilities in effective counseling services.
2. The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) – This exam uses 10 mental health counseling cases to test clinical problem-solving, focusing on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.

NBCC must send your passing results directly to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Your application package needs these documents:

• Official transcripts sent directly from your school
• Fingerprint and background check results from Montana Department of Justice
• Noncriminal Justice Applicant’s Rights form
• Academic Summary form
• NBCC examination results
• Proof of completed supervised hours
• License verification from states where you held a professional license
• Details of any disciplinary actions (if needed)
• Application fee of $200.00

This path typically takes 6-8 years – 4 years for bachelor’s degree, 2-3 years for master’s degree, and 2-3 years of supervised practice.

Your LCPC credential needs yearly renewal between December 1st and February 1st. You’ll pay $149.00 and complete 20 hours of continuing education, including two hours of suicide prevention training.

Montana offers a different path for counselors licensed in other states. These applicants must show their valid license, graduate degree, exam results, supervision hours, proof of continuous practice for the previous two years, and clear a background check.

The Board suggests applying online for simplified processes, though paper applications work too. The Department of Labor and Industry uses email as their main way to communicate, so check your inbox regularly.

Find Employment

Your LCPC license opens up exciting career opportunities throughout Montana’s growing mental health sector. The state has hired about 1,900 mental health counselors, and this number will grow substantially through 2030.

Licensed counselors have great job prospects in Montana, especially in rural areas where mental health services are vital. Rural communities attract qualified professionals with incentives like loan repayment programs, signing bonuses, and flexible work arrangements.

Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows mental health counselors’ salaries in Montana vary based on experience and location:

• Entry-level positions (10th percentile): $32,930 annually
• Early-career counselors (25th percentile): $39,220 annually
• Mid-career professionals (median): $58,660 annually
• Experienced counselors (75th percentile): $68,360 annually
• Senior clinical positions (90th percentile): $80,870 annually

Your earning potential as a counselor in Montana depends on several key factors. Location matters a lot – professionals in Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman earn higher salaries due to larger populations and higher living costs. Montana State University’s counseling graduates earn an average of $41,114, and all find jobs in their field within nine months of graduation.

Licensed counselors can work in many settings across the state:

Community health centers, hospitals, private practices, schools, residential treatment facilities, correctional facilities, and telehealth platforms. Telehealth has created new opportunities, with companies like Headway offering remote positions at $95-131 per hour.

Montana’s job market for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors will grow by 21% through 2030, faster than other counseling specialties. This growth comes from people becoming more aware and accepting of mental health issues.

The best employment prospects lie in high-demand areas: addiction counseling, geriatric mental health services, military and veteran support, and school-based therapy. Advanced Counseling of Bozeman & MT actively seeks therapists for both in-person and telehealth positions, offering flexible schedules, competitive pay, and complete benefits.

Many employers sweeten the deal with health insurance, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, and professional development support. These perks, combined with Montana’s rising demand for mental health services, make the state a great choice for new licensed counselors.

Remain Compliant

Your LCPC status needs regular attention to meet state requirements after getting your license. You must complete continuing education (CE) to keep your clinical skills up to date and follow Montana regulations.

Licensed clinical professional counselors in Montana need 20 hours of continuing education each year before renewal. The requirements include at least 2 hours focused on suicide prevention. This will give a solid foundation in crisis intervention—a vital skill that mental health professionals must have.

You can carry extra CE hours into the next year if you complete more than the required 20 hours. But you can’t carry forward more than 20 hours. This rule helps you learn continuously while giving you flexibility with your professional growth schedule.

The Montana Board of Behavioral Health stopped pre-approving continuing education courses and sponsors in March 2019. Now you need to choose quality programs that:

• Connect directly to your practice area
• Help protect public health, safety, and welfare
• Build your professional knowledge and skills

The University of Montana’s Department of Counseling is an NBCC approved provider that offers convenient CE options. Other NBCC-approved providers like Elite Learning (provider #6341) create evidence-based content that meets Montana’s standards.

Professionals with multiple licenses (like LCPC and LAC) need to complete 20 CE hours for each credential. This helps you stay competent in all your professional areas.

Montana counselor licenses expire yearly, so watch those renewal dates carefully. The renewal process usually starts in late fall with strict deadlines. These ongoing education requirements help you stay current with new developments in mental health treatment, ethics, and cultural competency throughout your career.

Next Steps

Getting your mental health counselor license in Montana takes deep commitment and careful planning. You’ll spend about eight years completing your education and supervised practice before earning full licensure. All the same, this career gives you meaningful opportunities to serve in mental health.

A bachelor’s degree comes first. Then you’ll need either a 60-semester hour graduate degree or take the 45-hour path with extra credits later. The next step involves working as an LCPC Candidate while you complete 3,000 hours of supervised experience. During this time, you must pass either the National Counselor Examination or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination to prove your clinical expertise.

Licensed counselors must renew their credentials yearly and complete 20 hours of continuing education. This includes two hours of suicide prevention training to keep their practice standards high.

Montana’s job market looks bright for licensed counselors, especially when you have positions in rural areas where mental health professionals are in high demand. Entry-level salaries start around $33,000 and can exceed $80,000 with experience. You can work in community health centers, private practices, and telehealth platforms that offer varied career paths.

The licensing process takes time and dedication, but helping Montana residents with their mental health challenges makes it worthwhile. A projected 21% growth rate through 2030 shows the growing need for qualified counselors across the state. As you think over this career path, your work will help address critical mental health needs in Montana’s communities.