Counseling Degrees & Licenses in Maine

There are four types of licenses in Maine for mental health counselors:

• Conditional LPC
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Conditional LCPC
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

For a Conditional LPC credential, applicants must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 48 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 600-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 2,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,000 hours must be direct counseling and 67 hours must be in supervision
• Pay a $250 license fee

Conditional LCPC candidates must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 60 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 900-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LCPC, must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,500 hours must be direct counseling. There must be one hour of supervision for every 30 hours of direct client contact.
• Pay a $250 license fee
• Pass the NCMHCE exam

Renewals for mental health counselors in Maine are due every two years. Renewals cost $200 for conditional licenses and $250 for full licenses.

Additionally, counselors are required to complete 55 hours of continuing education hours every renewal cycle.

The Maine Department of Education issues a School Counselor Certificate.

The requirements for a conditional certificate are:

• Complete a bachelor’s degree
• Complete 24 graduate semester credits of education for school counselors
• Have proof of current enrollment in a school counselor master’s program
• Pass a criminal background check
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee

Applicants for a professional certificate must meet the requirements for a conditional certificate, as well as:

• Complete a master’s program in school counseling from an accredited institution
• Have a formal recommendation from the program
• Complete a “Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom” training
• Pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (Level K-6 or 7-12) and School Guidance and Counseling exams
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $100 application fee

A conditional school counselor certificate issued in Maine is non-renewable.

Professional certificates are valid for five years and cost $100 to renew. To renew, school counselors must complete six semester credit hours or 90 contact hours of continuing education.

Maine Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors

The Maine Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors licenses Alcohol and Drug Counseling Aides (ADCA), Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors (CADC), and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC)

ADCA certificate candidates must:

• Be 18 years old
• Hold a high school diploma
• Pay $40 license fee and $21 background check fee
• Complete an online application
• Provide the name of supervisor for supervised work experience

The applicant must be employed at an agency providing substance abuse counseling.

CADC licensure candidartes must:

• Be 18 years old
• Graduate from high school and have 4,000 hours of documented supervised clinical work experience as an ADCA or have an associate’s degree in clinically based behavioral sciences or addiction counseling or related field or have 30 semester credit hours of education in substance abuse or mental health approved courses
• Pay $40 license fee and $21 background check fee
• Complete an online application
• Pass the IC&RC ADC exam

LADC licensure requirements include:

• Be 18 years old
• Complete 2,000 hours of work experience as a CADC or have a bachelor’s degree in clinically based behavioral sciences, addiction counseling, or a related field and complete 4,000 hours of supervised practice (or 2,000 hours if the applicant has completed 18 semester credits in addiction counseling) or have a master’s in clinically based behavioral sciences, addiction counseling, or a related field and complete 2,000 hours of supervised practice (or 1,500 hours if the applicant has completed 12 semester credits in addiction counseling)
• Pay $40 license fee and $21 background check fee
• Complete an online application
• Pass the IC&RC ADC and AADC exams

Renewals for ADCA, CADC, and LADC licenses are due every year. They expire on November 30th and cost $35 to renew.

ADCAs must complete 12 hours of continuing education; CADCs must complete 18 hours; and LACDs must complete 25 hours.

Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure

There are four types of licenses in Maine for rehabilitation counselors:

• Conditional LPC
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Conditional LCPC
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

For a Conditional LPC credential, applicants must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 48 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 600-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 2,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,000 hours must be direct counseling and 67 hours must be in supervision
• Pay a $250 license fee

Conditional LCPC candidates must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 60 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 900-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LCPC, must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,500 hours must be direct counseling. There must be one hour of supervision for every 30 hours of direct client contact.
• Pay a $250 license fee
• Pass the NCMHCE exam

Renewals for mental health counselors in Maine are due every two years. Renewals cost $200 for conditional licenses and $250 for full licenses.

Additionally, counselors are required to complete 55 hours of continuing education hours every renewal cycle.

Currently, there are no state certification or licensing requirements for applied behavior analysts in Maine.

However, holding a BCBA certification and maintaining membership with the Association for Maine Behavior Analysis can help with employment opportunities or job advancement.

The Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure licenses full and conditional Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT).

For a conditional MFT license, applicants must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, COAMFTE, or regionally accredited master’s program in marriage and family with at least 60 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pay $21 background check fee
• Pass the AMFTRB exam
• Complete background check
• Submit a completed Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Provide a copy of a proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full MFT, candidates must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,000 hours must be direct counseling and 200 hours must be in supervision
• Pay a $250 license fee

Renewals for marriage and family therapists in Maine are due every two years. Renewals cost $200 for conditional licenses and $250 for full licenses.

Additionally, counselors are required to complete 55 hours of continuing education hours every renewal cycle.

There are four types of licenses in Maine for child therapists:

• Conditional LPC
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Conditional LCPC
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)

For a Conditional LPC credential, applicants must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 48 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 600-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LPC, candidates must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 2,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,000 hours must be direct counseling and 67 hours must be in supervision
• Pay a $250 license fee

Conditional LCPC candidates must:

• Provide an official transcript which shows graduation from a CACREP, CORE or regionally accredited master’s program in counseling with at least 60 semester hours
• Submit a completed application
• A 900-hour practicum or internship
• Pay $200 license fee
• Pay $25 application fee
• Pass the NCE exam prior to submitting an application
• Submit a background check
• Complete a Proposed Supervision Plan Form
• Send a copy of a Proposed Disclosure Statement

To become a full LCPC, must meet the above requirements as well as:

• Complete 3,000 hours of post-graduate supervised work experience in no less than two years, of which 1,500 hours must be direct counseling. There must be one hour of supervision for every 30 hours of direct client contact.
• Pay a $250 license fee
• Pass the NCMHCE exam

Renewals for mental health counselors in Maine are due every two years. Renewals cost $200 for conditional licenses and $250 for full licenses.

Additionally, counselors are required to complete 55 hours of continuing education hours every renewal cycle.