Legislative Priorities 2023

The Advocacy Committee is Here for You! 

LCCNC is a 501c6 nonprofit membership association founded in 1995 on one key principle: advocacy for the licensed clinical mental counseling profession. As the only North Carolina organization that lobbies on behalf of the entire clinical mental health counseling profession, LCCNC works diligently to advocate and promote, protect, and develop the scope of practice of North Carolina’s LCMHCs. 

Annually LCCNC develops an Advocacy Agenda to support and advance the public policy and legislative priorities for our profession. LCCNC values its members’ input to help direct the course of LCCNC Advocacy. The purpose of the LCCNC Advocacy Committee is to enact and support LCCNC’s mission: To promote the development of LCMHCs through advocacy and provide a voice for public policy, direct the activities of our professional lobbyist, and respond to the continuing education needs of LCMHCs in North Carolina. The Advocacy Committee works to increase public and political awareness of LCMHC's critical role as providers of comprehensive mental health counseling services across the lifespan.










LCCNC advocates for you, your profession, and those we


serve by:

  • Having a lobbyist to represent and advocate for the needs of LCMHCs and their clients at the North Carolina General Assembly.
  • Strategizing, providing comment and recommendations, and working with key stakeholders and partners.
  • Tracking and responding to legislation that is introduced during legislative sessions that affects the LCMHC profession.
  • Regularly attending meetings to stay involved with issues that legislators address.
  • Develop alliances and partnerships with stakeholders and organizations with mutual interests and common ground.
  • Attending monthly coalition meetings to be informed and up-to-date on issues that affect our profession.
  • Collect, address and respond to member concerns, and pressing issues and work to influence policy regarding those concerns.
  • Promote the LCMHC profession through the development of better policies and legislation.
  • Provide legislative and public policy updates impacting our profession. 
  • Our Association will monitor ongoing trends in Telehealth, Medicaid expansion, and COVID recovery legislation.



Advocacy Quick Links

How does an idea become a law

Check out updates for ongoing advocacy efforts

View the legislative calendar

Become a member! Join the Advocacy Committee

Past Legislative Priorities

2021 Legislative Priorities

2021 Other Bills of Interest 

2023 Legislative Agenda 

The Licensed Clinical Counselors of North Carolina (LCCNC) promotes, protects, and develops the practice of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC). The Legislative Agenda is designed to support and advance the priorities of the LCMHC profession and scope of practice in adherence to the LCMHC Code of Ethics. 

 

  • Promote Tele-Mental Health legislation recognizing Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors as vital treatment providers for the citizens of NC and which requires third-party reimbursement sources, including Medicaid, to cover Tele-Mental Health services.

  • Encourage school districts to more fully utilize Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors to address mental health concerns in North Carolina schools.

  • Support the State of North Carolina’s willingness and efforts to Expand Medicaid eligibility for the 600,000+ citizens of North Carolina who have not previously been covered under the Affordable Care Act. Special attention should be paid to pediatric populations and to reduce pediatric suicide.

  • Increase opportunities for LCMHC’s to provide services to historically marginalized groups including NC citizens with a chronic disability, both physical and/or mental disabilities.

  • Continue to support efforts affirming LGBTQIA+ human rights, equal access to community services, and the freedom to define individual identity choices.

  • Coordinate with counseling partners and the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) to advance and secure the passage of MEDICARE provider recognition for mental health counselors.

  • Support the advancement of evidence-based mental health treatment protocols to include exploration & research on non-traditional therapies.

  • Monitor, and collaborate when needed with the NCBLMHC, NC counseling licensure law and administrative rules to ensure scope of practice professional licensure needs are addressed, public is protected and the profession continues to advance positive mental health outcomes for all North Carolina’s citizens.

  • Collaborate with LCCNC clinical partner organizations to promote positive mental health treatment outcomes.

  • Update and inform membership on Interstate Compact Commission regarding implementation of Interstate Counseling Compact.

  • Support diversity and multicultural awareness in employment and clinical work settings plus counselor training sites through ongoing advocacy and networking opportunities.

  • Support the integration of mental health into primary care through interdisciplinary collaboration.