How to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Kansas

Kansas offers promising career opportunities for clinical mental health counselors with average salaries around $50,000. School and career counselors can expect job growth of 7.4% between 2022 and 2032—faster than the national average.

The path to becoming a licensed professional mental health counselor needs deep commitment. You’ll need at least six years of education and training to qualify for LPC licensure, and eight years to become a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCPC). Your experience starts with earning a 60-credit graduate degree from an accredited institution. After graduation, you must complete 4,000 hours of supervised professional experience. This piece provides the exact steps you need to start your counseling career in Kansas, from educational requirements to licensing procedures and job opportunities.

Types of Licensure in Kansas

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) manages two different counseling licenses. Each license shows different levels of practice and clinical abilities. Anyone planning a counseling career in Kansas should know these licensure types.

Kansas uses a tiered licensure system with two levels:

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) – This entry-level credential lets counseling professionals in Kansas practice under supervision. You can start collecting clinical hours needed for advanced licensure with an LPC. These are the requirements:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Hold a master’s degree in counseling with 60 credit hours distributed among nine core areas of professional development
• Complete a supervised practicum during your degree program
• Pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE)
• Submit your application to the BSRB with a $50 application fee

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) – This advanced credential allows independent practice without supervision. LCPCs can open private practices, supervise other LPCs, and make independent clinical decisions. You’ll need these qualifications:

• Already hold an LPC license (or meet equivalent qualifications)
• Complete 3,000-4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience under an approved clinical training plan
• Include at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact and 100-150 hours of clinical supervision within your experience hours
• Pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)
• Show competence in diagnosing and treating mental disorders
• Submit your application with appropriate fees ($50 application fee, $175 license fee)

The path to becoming a fully licensed clinical counselor moves step by step. You start with LPC credentials, build supervised experience while working, and then apply for LCPC licensure. This approach will give a solid foundation before independent practice.

Looking at the timeline, an LPC typically takes 2-3 years to complete your master’s degree. The supervised experience for LCPC licensure adds about 2 more years. The complete trip from bachelor’s degree to independent clinical practice usually takes 6-8 years.

Both licenses need regular renewal. LPC licenses must be renewed every two years with a $100 fee, while LCPC renewals cost $125. Your license expires on the last day of the month it was originally issued every two years.

Kansas doesn’t offer direct reciprocity with other states. However, counselors licensed elsewhere can apply through “licensure through reciprocity” if they meet Kansas-equivalent requirements.

Earn Your Degree

Your career as a clinical mental health counselor in Kansas starts with the right education. You must complete a master’s degree in counseling or a related field from a regionally accredited institution to qualify for licensure in Kansas.

Kansas law requires 60 graduate semester credit hours of counseling coursework. You can complete these hours during your degree program or add extra coursework later. Your studies must include at least two credit hours in each of these key areas:

• Counseling Theory & Practice
• The Helping Relationship
• Group Dynamics and Counseling Techniques
• Human Growth & Development
• Career Development
• Appraisal of Individuals
• Social and Cultural Foundations
• Research & Evaluation
• Professional Orientation
• Supervised Practical Experience

The required 60 hours must include 15 hours focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders. This includes two hours of ethics education and two hours of psychopathology and diagnostic assessment.

Kansas universities offer programs that meet these requirements. To name just one example, Fort Hays State University offers a CACREP-accredited Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling that lines up with state licensure requirements. Emporia State University stands out as the first mental health program in Kansas to receive CACREP accreditation.

Your degree program must include supervised practical experience through practicum or internship. You’ll work under close supervision from course instructors and on-site supervisors. Clinical counseling candidates at Emporia State participate in 700 clock hours of practical experience in counseling settings of all types.

Research program accreditation before you enroll. CACREP-accredited programs are a great way to get a direct path to licensure. You should know that state regulations about licensure opportunities might differ if you have a previous felony conviction.

Signing up for a counseling program doesn’t guarantee a degree or professional licensure qualification. Students must meet all academic and professional requirements. You must also understand the prerequisites for licensure set by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, as these requirements can change over time.

Get Licensed

The path to becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Kansas starts after you complete your educational requirements. You’ll need to follow several key steps and carefully document everything to meet the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) regulations.

Your journey begins with applying for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential through BSRB. The application costs $50. The next step requires passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE) from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). This exam costs $275.

The clinical licensure process starts once you get your LPC status. You must submit a clinical supervision training plan to the BSRB. The board must approve this plan before you can start collecting supervised hours. Your training plan should have:

1. A clear outline of your supervisory context
2. Documentation procedures for supervision sessions
3. Methods for notifying clients of your supervised status
4. Signed acknowledgment from both you and your supervisor

The supervised experience requires 3,000 hours of post-graduate work over at least 24 months. This breaks down into:

• 1,500 hours of direct client contact providing psychotherapy and assessment
• 100 hours of clinical supervision (50 individual hours minimum)
• One hour of supervision for every 15 hours of direct client contact
• At least two supervision sessions per month

Your clinical supervisor should be a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with at least two years of post-licensure experience. Notwithstanding that, the board may approve other qualified mental health professionals as supervisors under special circumstances.

The BSRB requires notification of any changes to your training plan within 45 days. You risk losing your accumulated hours if you fail to report these changes.

The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) comes after completing your supervised experience. This exam uses 10 clinical case scenarios to test your knowledge of assessments, treatment plans, and clinical decisions in complex situations.

The final step involves submitting your LCPC application to BSRB with proof of your supervised hours, supervisor attestations, and exam results. The original license fee is $150.

The whole process from starting graduate school to getting your LCPC typically takes 6-8 years. Licensed counselors must renew every two years, and LCPC renewals cost $125.

Find Employment

Kansas offers excellent job prospects for licensed clinical mental health counselors in many settings. Recent data shows the state needs more mental health counselors, with a projected job growth rate of 16% through 2030. This growth shows how mental wellness has become a priority throughout the state.

Kansas provides plenty of employment options. The University of Kansas Health System regularly posts behavioral health positions. Companies like LifeStance Health look for licensed therapists to work both in-person and through telehealth. You’ll find openings at community mental health centers, private practices, schools, and government agencies.

Location, experience, and practice setting determine salary levels. Mental health therapists in Kansas earn around $54,170 annually, though this number changes by region. Some areas pay much higher:

• Wichita: $187,814 per year
• Lawrence: $183,108 per year
• Overland Park: $177,196 per year
• Olathe: $175,425 per year
• Kansas City: $171,391 per year

Smaller towns like Paola ($77,921), Junction City ($69,266), and Topeka ($67,562) offer lower salaries but give great experience with less competition.

Major employers include GraceMed Health Clinic ($59,814-$88,702), Ellie Mental Health ($54,474-$76,463), and Metro Treatment Center ($50,953-$72,535).

The state expects about 220 job openings yearly for mental health counselors from 2020 to 2030. Kansas has put nearly $6 million into workforce development, showing its steadfast dedication to training more counselors.

Licensed counselors with independent status (LCPC) earn better salaries than those with supervised licenses. Specialists in areas like substance abuse, trauma, or couples counseling often receive premium pay rates.

Kansas launched the Stepping Up Initiative to reduce stigma and improve care access. Better insurance coverage for counseling services makes job prospects even stronger throughout the state.

Remain Compliant

You need ongoing professional development and strict compliance with state regulations to keep your clinical mental health counselor license active in Kansas. Your biggest compliance requirement after getting licensed is to complete continuing education on time.

Licensed professional counselors in Kansas must complete 30 hours of documented and approved continuing education every two years. These hours should improve your practice, values, ethics, skills, or knowledge. Three of these hours must cover professional ethics, and six hours must focus on diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board allows several continuing education formats with specific limits:

• Academic coursework (maximum 30 hours)
• Seminars, institutes, and workshops (maximum 30 hours)
• Interactive learning modules with posttests (maximum 30 hours)
• Self-directed learning without posttests (maximum 5 hours)
• Cross-disciplinary offerings in medicine, law, or behavioral sciences (maximum 10 hours)
• Board-approved self-directed learning projects (maximum 10 hours)
• Providing supervision to students or license applicants (maximum 10 hours)

One CE hour equals at least 50 minutes of classroom instruction or similar activities. Kansas puts the responsibility on you to determine if CE hours fit your professional development since they don’t pre-approve continuing education programs.

You must keep original continuing education records that show your attendance and participation throughout your career. The board might ask for these records 30 days before your license expires during a renewal audit.

LPC renewal fees cost $100 every two years, while LCPC renewal costs $125. If your license expires, reinstatement within a year costs $200 for LPCs or $250 for LCPCs. Different reinstatement fees apply for licenses expired over a year: $100 for LPCs and $125 for LCPCs.

The board can take disciplinary action if you don’t meet continuing education requirements, and this might lead to license suspension or revocation. Working with an expired license is considered unprofessional conduct.

CE tracking might seem overwhelming at first, but many licensees find services like CE Broker helpful for organizing their documentation. A system to track your continuing education from the start of your career will help you avoid rushing before renewal deadlines.

Next Steps

Becoming a clinical mental health counselor in Kansas takes real dedication and grit. This piece shows you the path from education to licensure and beyond. The whole trip takes about 6-8 years. You’ll start with your master’s degree and work your way up to LCPC licensure that lets you practice on your own.

Kansas uses a tiered system that helps you grow from an LPC with supervision to an independent LCPC. This approach lets you build experience before you take on independent clinical work. The education part is thorough – you’ll need 60 graduate credit hours. These cover everything from counseling theory to human development and diagnosing mental disorders.

Your next step after school is the licensing process. You’ll need to pass standard exams, log 3,000 hours of supervised work, and keep detailed records. Getting your license isn’t the end though. You’ll renew it every two years and keep learning through continuing education.

Mental health counselors have good job prospects in Kansas. The field should grow 16% through 2030 as more people seek mental health services. Your salary will depend on where you work and what you specialize in. Urban areas usually pay more.

Your success as a clinical mental health counselor depends on how well you grow professionally and follow regulations. You’ll need 30 hours of continuing education every two years to stay current. This career needs a lot of time and effort, but helping others through tough times can be incredibly rewarding.

Think about these requirements and how they fit with your goals. The path to becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Kansas takes time, but if you’re passionate about helping others with mental health challenges, you’ll find a stable and fulfilling career.

Join Professional Organizations

Professional organizations in Kansas support counselors throughout their careers. The Kansas Counseling Association (KCA) helps you build a network of peers, find mentoring opportunities, and participate in advocacy efforts to advance your professional growth.

The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) membership gives you access to specialized training, journals, and research publications about new therapeutic approaches. These organizations hold regular conferences where you can earn continuing education credits and grow your professional network.

Adding specialized certifications to your professional memberships can set you apart in competitive job markets. You can become a National Certified Counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors or pursue specialized credentials in addiction, trauma, or marriage counseling.

Kansas’s community mental health system is essential knowledge for counselors in the state. The network has 26 licensed centers that serve all 105 counties. Centers like Valeo Behavioral Health Care in Topeka and COMCARE of Sedgwick County create employment opportunities and deliver crucial community services.

This career path comes with its challenges, but counseling brings exceptional personal satisfaction. You make meaningful contributions to individual wellbeing and community resilience by helping clients overcome mental health challenges. The path to becoming a Kansas clinical mental health counselor proves truly rewarding.