You may still be deciding on a career path and thinking about different options. One of the great aspects of human services is that your choices are abundant and varied. You can begin your career long before an associate degree, as we all know how important lived experience is for the work we do. Or you can choose to further your education, which will give you even more options to choose from. Below we talk about how the different degrees function and then the licensing requirements required by some fields and some agencies.

How Degrees and Licenses Function

Different areas of specialization often require different levels of education and different types of certifications. This can be very confusing to students, and even to professionals already in the field! Here we discuss some of the most common licenses and certifications, focusing on how these look in the State of Oregon.

One area that requires very specific education and certification is substance use treatment. Early treatment programs often relied on people in recovery to serve as counselors and case managers. This resulted in a wide variety of training, education, and approaches to the work that were confusing and sometimes contradictory. The Mental Health and Addiction Certification Board of Oregon was created in 1977 to begin developing standards to be utilized across the state.

In Oregon, working in substance use treatment generally requires workers to become a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC). There are three levels of certification (I, II, and III) that each have specific education and experience requirements. One of the concerns in the field was creating a burden on counselors without an education who had already been doing the work successfully. With this in mind, the CADC I does not require a degree, but it does require 150 hours of education in specific topics and 1,000 hours of supervised experience. After fulfilling these requirements, candidates sit for a licensing exam. The requirements increase with each level.

Another certification that has become prominent is the Qualified Mental Health Associate (QMHA). The QMHA designation came from federal funding sources that wanted to ensure that agencies getting reimbursed from the government hired qualified workers. The QMHA designation recently became a formal certification in Oregon, which requires applicants to either have a bachelor’s degree or a combination of at least three years of relevant education and experience. This certification is most commonly used in agencies providing mental health services.

A relatively new certification is the Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner Credential (HS-BCP). This certification is available to those with either an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in human services, and involves assessing the candidate’s knowledge and experience in eleven core human services competencies.

The two most common licenses in Oregon are the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Both require master’s degrees and have differing education and testing requirements. Having one of these licenses allows practitioners to bill private insurance for provision of mental health services.

To become an LPC in Oregon, you must have a master’s degree from an approved counseling program or a master’s degree that includes a specific curriculum, such as diagnosis of mental health disorders and group dynamics. You also must have at least 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience and pass a competency exam.

The LCSW credential requires applicants to have graduated from an accredited Master’s in Social Work (MSW) program, complete 3,500 hours of post-graduate experience (2,000 of which must be direct client contact), and complete at least 100 hours of supervision with a qualified LCSW supervisor. Applicants must also pass a licensing exam. This license is very specific in that it only applies to those who complete an MSW program.

Variance in Degree and License Qualifications

Degree and license requirements can vary from state to state and from country to country. Many states have reciprocity agreements, which means that they recognize experience and credentials in other states. However, there are often additional steps you must complete to be fully credentialed or licensed in the new state. If you are planning to work in another region after graduation, it will be helpful to research their requirements ahead of time.

While the specific licensing requirements vary, all of the credentials discussed have a few common elements. All have some education or training requirement, as well as a specified amount of experience. In addition, all of these credentials have an ethics component, either proof of training in professional ethics or signing a code of conduct agreement.

Licenses and Attributions

“Education and Career” by Yvonne M. Smith, LCSW, is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Revised by Martha Ochoa-Leyva.