The history of CALPCC: CCCL to CALPCC
The California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC) has its roots in the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (CCCL). This original organization that led the successful effort to achieve licensure for counselors in California. The CCCL included representatives from nine California counseling organizations, representing unlicensed counselors in the state who hard worked together for over 8 years.
Timeline
Preparation
2002-2004: The nine California counseling professional associations incorporated as the California Coalition for Counseling Licensure (CCCL), raised funds, drafted bill language, worked with stakeholders, regulators, and engaged lobbyists.
It took 3 bills over 5 years to get passed in the state legislature:
- 2005: AB 894 failed to get passed
- 2007: AB 1486 failed to get passed
- 2009: SB 788 was finally signed by the Governor
The LPCC bill became law January 1, 2010
- August 2010: CCCL became CALPCC
- February 2012: The first LPCC licenses were issued
After the passage of SB 788 in October 2009 and the bill becoming law in January 2010, the CCCL Board of Directors agreed to continue its work by developing a new organization designed to protect the license and to serve newly licensed professional clinical counselors.
The CCCL transitioned to the CALPCC, a membership-based organization, and officially launched in January 2011. CALPCC continued to use their relationships in Sacramento and their knowledge of the legislative/advocacy process to ensure the effectiveness and credibility of the LPCC in California.
CALPCCs continual advocacy efforts resulted in:
- 2011 Senate Bill 146 -Healing Arts: Professional Clinical Counselors (Wyland, Chapter 381, Statutes of 2011) This bill, sponsored by the California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (CALPCC) adds LPCCs to statutory code sections consistent with the inclusion of other Board licensees. Key amendments include adding LPCCs to the list of mandated reporters, and adding LPCCs to the list of practitioners that are defined as a psychotherapist.
- February 2014: DHCS Announced that LPCCs are qualified providers of Medi-Cal specialty mental health services
- January 1, 2020 (LAW AB679): Simplified and streamlined the process for LPCCs to transfer a license to California if the professional counselor has held a unrestricted license in the last two years in another United States jurisdiction.
- January 1, 2022 (LAW AB462): Eliminated the additional licensing requirements to see couples and families and the additional requirement to complete at least 150 hours of clinical experience in a hospital or community mental health setting
The following 9 California counseling associations, that were part of CCCL, continue to participate in CALPCC’s legislative efforts:
- California Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (CACES)
- California Association of School Counselors (CASC)
- California Career Development Association (CCDA)
- California Counseling Association (CCA)
- California Mental Health Counselors Association (CAMHCA)
- California Rehabilitation Association (CRA)
- California Rehabilitation Counseling Association (CRCA)
- Northern California Art Therapy Association (NorCATA)
- Southern California Chapter of American Dance Therapy Association (SCCADTA)
