Pennsylvania Counseling Association
Government Relations
One of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association's key objectives is to engage with Pennsylvania state legislators and staff people to amend, introduce, support, and/or oppose laws and regulations which impact professional counselors in PA and the clients they serve. This process of legislative advocacy is aimed at uplifting the counseling profession and promoting the wellness of clients. The PCA Government Relations Committee is PCA’s vehicle for this work. We are committed to a strong, unified professional counselor identity in order to enhance the mental and emotional health of Pennsylvanians through the critical services we provide.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US!
To learn how you can support the GRC’s efforts, contact the PCA Government Relations Committee at advocacy.pca@gmail.com.
You may also submit your concerns related to legislative issues directly to the GRC by completing the PCA GRC Legislative Needs Survey.
Sign Up Here to participate in the PCA Government Relations Committee’s advocacy events!
Are you a counselor looking to get your clients involved in legislative advocacy on their own behalf? Contact the GRC, and our PA Outreach subcommittee can help you develop these resources!
WHAT'S NEXT?
Help the GRC determine the issues YOU want us to work on!
Review the GRC Legislation Tracker to find current issues for which you want us to advocate, or share your own ideas based on your experience.
Complete the PCA GRC Legislative Needs Survey.
APRIL is Declared Counseling Awareness Month!
To spread awareness of the importance of services Counselors provide in the mental health field, the GRC has been working with Governor Shapiro and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to appreciate the hard work of Professional Counselors in the state. The Governor has declared April as Counseling Awareness Month! Professional Counselors provide mental health services to the many different communities throughout Pennsylvania, providing support, empowerment, advocacy, community, connection, and compassion to individuals as they tackle the many challenges and barriers to mental wellness. Professional Counselors, we thank you for your hard work and dedication to the overall pursuit of mental health access to the people and communities you serve!
Take Action: Contact Your Legislators
PA Legislation Tracker
This tracking spreadsheet contains all current counseling-related legislation moving through the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Access this resource to learn about current issues facing you and your clients. The GRC updates this at least three times per month.
Contact your PA Legislator
Use this legislator resource on the PA General Assembly’s website to locate the names and contact information for your specific Representatives and Senators.
Then, use the GRC’s advocacy letter template to ask your legislators to support or oppose House or Senate bills moving through the General Assembly.
Current Advocacy Priorities
PA’s New Professional Counseling License:
Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC)
In March 2024, the Pennsylvania General Assembly signed into law the creation of a new professional counseling license in PA, which is a first-tier, dependent license called the Associate Professional Counselor license (LAPC). The LAPC creates a state-issued license for previously pre-licensed professional counselors which allows these professionals to adhere to PA insurance laws requiring that professionals hold a license in order to obtain insurance billing opportunities. LAPCs will hold this license for the duration of the time it takes them to work toward their 3,000 supervised hours to obtain PA’s second-tier, independent license, the Professional Counselor license (LPC). The GRC, insurance representatives, and legislative allies in the General Assembly worked tirelessly to pass this bill, and we are excited this pathway for licensure is now available for previously pre-licensed counselors! The creation of the Licensed Associate Professional Counselor (LAPC) license marks a major milestone for the profession, expanding opportunities for new strengthening Pennsylvania's mental health workforce pipeline.
Qualifications to obtain the LAPC include a 60-credit hour master’s degree in one of the fields required for independent licensure as an LPC, a $75 application fee, a job description, and a supervision plan. Applicants should use the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) and contact the PA Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors (phone: 717.783.1389) with questions.
PA Advances Towards Joining the
Interstate Counseling Compact
In February 2025, Pennsylvania introduced the required legislation in the General Assembly (House Bill 668) to become one of the more than 37 states to join the Interstate Counseling Compact which would provide a pathway for independently licensed professional counselors (i.e., LPCs) to obtain the privilege to practice counseling in other Compact member states (including Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware). On February 20, 2025, HB 668 was referred to the Professional Licensure Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
- The Counseling Compact is an interstate agreement allowing licensed professional counselors to practice across member states, via both telehealth and in-person, without multiple licenses.
- It helps meet the demand for mental health services and expands access in rural and underserved areas.
- House Bill 668, sponsored by Rep. Jen O'Mara and Rep. Tim Brennan would make Pennsylvania a member of the Compact, with bipartisan support from over 20 co-sponsors.
- Joining the Compact will:
Expand our counseling workforce without additional state funding
Increase access for families and children
Reduce wait times for care
Support continuity of care for mobile populations (military families, college students, etc.) - 37 states and D. C. have already joined, all PA's neighboring states except for New York.
Here’s what you can do to help: Contact your legislators to let them know you want them to SUPPORT the passage of PA’s Interstate Counseling Compact Bill in the 2025 legislative session. Legislators who serve on the PA House of Representatives’ Professional Licensure Committee and the PA Senate’s Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee are key players in this effort.
Legislative Win: Governor Shapiro
State Boards Adopt Policies to Oppose
Conversion Therapy on Minors
Thanks in part to the advocacy efforts of PCA members, the Shapiro administration announced in mid-2024 that five state licensure boards, including the PA Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors, voted to adopt new Statements of Policy which oppose the use of conversion therapy with minors in PA. This is an issue that the PCA GRC has worked hard to impact over the last several years, and we are pleased that Governor Shapiro and other helping professionals in the Commonwealth have chosen to affirm its support of Pennsylvanians in the LGBTQIA+ community.
Read more about the decision here at PA.gov.
Health Insurance Reimbursement Parity:
Small Steps Forward
In September 2024, the White House announced a new rule related to healthcare reimbursement policies which requires health insurance plans to provide the same amount of coverage for mental healthcare as they do for physical healthcare. Healthcare reimbursement parity remains a complex issue at both the state and federal levels, and PCA as well as its parent organization, the American Counseling Association, continues to advocate for legislation which promote reimbursement parity for professional counselors.
The American Counseling Association (ACA) reported on the new rule at counseling.org.
Partnering with ACA to Support Federal Issues
Although PCA is focused on government relations and legislative advocacy within PA state lines, we also work to align our efforts with those of our parent organization, the American Counseling Association (ACA). Learn more about ACA’s Legislative Agenda, current federal issues facing the counseling profession, and how to get involved on ACA’s website.
Legislative Updates
PA ‘MOMNIBUS’ Laws Passed to
Support Maternal Mental and Perinatal Healthcare
In November 2024, two PA MOMNIBUS bills were signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro, thanks to the work of the PA Black Maternal Mental Health Caucus:
- HB.2127 (now Act 102 of 2024) directs the state Department of Health to create a public awareness campaign around perinatal and postpartum depression.
- HB.1608 (now Act 115 of 2024) extends Medicaid coverage to doula services and establishes a Doula Advisory Board in PA.
PCA GRC In the News
Erie News Now - April 2024
Duquesne University News & Stories - July 2024
