Welcome to the Professional Counselor Homepage
The Colorado State Board of Professional Counselor Examiners regulates Licensed Professional Counselors in the state. Board activities include the review of licensure applications and complaints and enforcement of disciplinary actions against violators of the Mental Health Practice Act or Board Rule. The Board is made up of seven members, three public and four professionals, who meet six times per year.
Program Information
- Program/Board Members
-
Reina Sbarbaro-Gordon, Program Director
State Board of Professional Counselor Examiners
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202Phone: 303-894-7800 | Fax: 303-894-7764 | Email: dora_mentalhealthboard@state.co.us
Board Members:
-
Vacant
Professional Member| Term Expires: -
Amy Skinner, LPC
Professional Member | Term Expires: August 31, 2024 -
Karen Van Zuiden, LPC
Professional Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2024 -
Ralph Kenneth O'Neal, II
Public Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2022 -
Maki Sonoda-Sutton, LPC
Professional Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2022 -
Daniel Zarnowski
Public Member | Term Expires: August 31, 2022 -
Richard Glover
Public Member| Term Expires: August 31, 2024
-
- Public Notices
-
Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - September 10, 2021
The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners held a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing on September 10, 2021, that allowed stakeholders a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Board considered adopting revisions to Rule 1.8(B), to implement Colorado Senate Bill 21-077 (Concerning the elimination of verification of an individual's lawful presence in the United States as a requirement for individual credentialing).
- Notice, Draft Rule, SB21-077, and Written Comments
- Joint SB21-077 Stakeholder Meeting (recording): July 26, 2021
- Effective Date: October 30, 2021
Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - July 9, 2021The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners held a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing on July 9, 2021, that allowed stakeholders a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Board considered adopting revisions to Rules 1.12, 1.23, and Appendix A to correct language in the rules that conflicted with portions of the statutes in Colorado House Bill 20-1326 (Concerning an expansion of an individual's ability to practice an occupation in Colorado through creation of an occupational credential portability program), and Colorado Senate Bill 20-102 (Concerning required disclosures to patients regarding formal actions based on sexual misconduct).
- Notice, Draft Rules, HB20-1326, and SB20-120
- Joint SB20-102 Stakeholder Meeting (recording): February 11, 2021
- Effective Date: August 30, 2021
Permanent Rulemaking Hearing - March 5, 2021The State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners will hold a Permanent Rulemaking Hearing to consider adopting revisions to Rule 1.6(A), to implement Colorado House Bill 19-1129, which prohibits mental health care providers from engaging in conversion therapy with patients under eighteen years of age.
- Notice, Draft Rule, and HB 19-1129
- January 28, 2021: Stakeholder Meeting Recording
- December 3, 2020: Joint Stakeholder Meeting Recording
An Important Message about LPC Licensing and RegulationThe July 14, 2020 signing into law of House Bill 20-1206, Sunset Mental Health Professionals has prompted changes affecting the licensure requirements for professional counselors in Colorado. The new law requires that the supervised postgraduate practice in professional counseling include at least 2,000 hours of professional counseling, 1,500 hours of which must be face-to-face, direct client contact under clinical supervision.
In addition, HB 20-1206 modifies the requirements for a licensed professional counselor to serve as a supervisor for another mental health professional to include education and training as determined by the Board.
The Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners is working diligently to implement these specific changes as well as the remainder of the Mental Health Sunset bill, HB20-1206. As rules are being promulgated, the Board will continue to process applications for licensure as a professional counselor under the previous requirements. Those persons who began supervised postgraduate practice before July 14, 2020, may continue completing the previous supervised practice requirements as the Board completes the rules.
The new requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors supervisors are currently slated to become effective upon renewal in August 2021, and current supervisors who meet the requirements of Board Rule 1.14 may continue supervision in the interim.
Please review the Revised Proposed Draft Rules
Visit the Colorado State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners website for the latest information, as it becomes available. Questions may be referred to and written feedback on the proposed rules may be submitted to dora_dpo_rulemaking@state.co.us.
- Legislative Updates
-
- 2022 New Legislation
- 2021 New Legislation
- HB21-1021: Peer Support Professionals Behavioral Health
- HB21-1022: Surrogacy Agreements
- HB21-1068: Insurance Coverage Mental Health Wellness Exam
- HB21-1085: Secure Transportation Behavioral Health Crisis
- HB21-1119: Suicide Prevention, Intervention, & Postvention
- HB 21-1123: CAPS Check for Substantiated Cases of Mistreatment of an At-Risk Adult
- HB21-1130: Expand Transition Specialist Program
- HB21-1169: Prohibit Discrimination Organ Transplant Recipient
- HB21-1198: Healthcare Billing Requirements for Indigent Patients
- HB21-1232: Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option
- HB21-1300: Health-care Provider Liens for Injured Persons
- SB21-056 Expand Cannabis-based Medicine At Schools
- SB21-077: Remove Lawful Presence Verification Credentialing
- SB21-097: Sunset Medical Transparency Act
- SB21-271: Misdemeanor Reform
- 2020 New Legislation
- Meeting Minutes