OLERE Professional Licensure 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Oklahoma state agency is responsible for licensing professional counselors in Oklahoma?
- Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Supervisors (Correct answer)
- Oklahoma State Department of Education
- Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision
Correct answer: Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Supervisors
The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Supervisors (OBLPCS) is the licensing authority for LPCs and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisors in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Supervisors administers the counseling licensure system under Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The board sets education and experience requirements, approves supervisors, issues licenses, and handles disciplinary matters. Counselors must apply directly to this board for initial licensure and renewals.
Question 2: To be eligible for the Licensed Professional Counselor credential in Oklahoma, an applicant must have completed a master's degree in counseling with a minimum of how many semester hours?
- 48 semester hours
- 60 semester hours (Correct answer)
- 36 semester hours
- 72 semester hours
Correct answer: 60 semester hours
Oklahoma requires LPC applicants to have completed a master's degree in counseling or a closely related field with a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate coursework.
Oklahoma's LPC licensure law requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate-level counseling coursework as part of the master's degree. The coursework must cover specific content areas including human development, counseling theory and practice, group work, career development, assessment, research, and ethics. The degree must be from a regionally accredited institution.
Question 3: An LPC-Candidate in Oklahoma must complete supervised clinical experience under an approved supervisor before applying for full LPC licensure. How many hours of post-master's supervised experience are required?
- 1,000 hours total
- 2,000 hours total with 1,000 direct client contact hours
- 3,000 hours total with 1,500 direct client contact hours (Correct answer)
- 500 hours total
Correct answer: 3,000 hours total with 1,500 direct client contact hours
Oklahoma requires LPC-C holders to complete 3,000 hours of supervised post-master's experience, including at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact, before applying for full LPC licensure.
Under Oklahoma's LPC law, LPC-Candidates must accumulate 3,000 hours of post-master's supervised experience over a minimum of two years. Of these, at least 1,500 must be direct client contact hours. The remaining hours can include supervision, consultation, and other professional activities. All supervision must be conducted by an OBLPCS-approved Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor.
Question 4: How often must Oklahoma LPCs renew their license?
- Annually
- Every two years (Correct answer)
- Every three years
- Every five years
Correct answer: Every two years
Oklahoma LPC licenses are renewed biennially, every two years. Renewal requires completion of continuing education hours and payment of the renewal fee.
Oklahoma LPC licenses expire and must be renewed every two years. The renewal period requires completion of continuing education requirements, currently 20 hours per renewal cycle including ethics training. License holders must submit a renewal application and fee to the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Supervisors. Failure to renew on time results in a lapsed license, which requires additional steps to reinstate.
Question 5: An Oklahoma LPC who fails to renew their license by the expiration date but continues to practice counseling is:
- Permitted to practice for up to 30 days after expiration without penalty
- Practicing without a valid license, which is a violation of state law (Correct answer)
- Required only to pay a late fee to continue practicing legally
- Automatically granted a 90-day extension upon request
Correct answer: Practicing without a valid license, which is a violation of state law
Practicing counseling without a valid, current license is a violation of Oklahoma law. Once a license expires, the counselor may not legally practice until the license is reinstated.
Under Oklahoma's Professional Counselor Licensing Act, practicing counseling with an expired license is considered unlicensed practice, which is a violation of state law and can result in disciplinary action. Counselors must either renew before the expiration date or stop practicing until reinstatement. Reinstatement of a lapsed license typically requires completing any missed continuing education, paying back fees and penalties, and submitting a reinstatement application.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT typically a required content area in the master's degree curriculum for LPC licensure in Oklahoma?
- Group counseling theory and practice
- Research and program evaluation
- Pharmacology and medication management (Correct answer)
- Career development and counseling
Correct answer: Pharmacology and medication management
Pharmacology and medication management is not a required content area for LPC licensure in Oklahoma. This is typically within the scope of practice of psychiatrists, physicians, or advanced practice nurses, not LPCs.
Oklahoma's LPC licensure requirements include core curriculum areas such as human development, counseling theory and practice, group counseling, career development, assessment, research and program evaluation, and ethics. Pharmacology is not within the LPC scope of practice in Oklahoma. Some LPCs may have training in psychopharmacology for educational purposes, but it is not a licensure requirement.
OLERE Professional Licensure 2
Which Oklahoma state agency is responsible for licensing professional counselors in Oklahoma?