Professional Counselor of Mental Health Licensure

You may apply for a license as a Professional Counselor of Mental Health by examination or reciprocity.

• If you hold a current Professional Counselor of Mental Health license in another jurisdiction (state, District of Columbia or U.S. territory) that is in good standing, apply by reciprocity.

• If you do not hold a current Professional Counselor of Mental Health license in another jurisdiction, apply by examination.

Information on How to Apply for a License in DELPROS

All applications are submitted our online system DELPROS. We no longer accept paper applications.

PRIOR TO APPLYING

In order to apply for a license or submit a service request, you must first have a DELPROS user account. To LOG IN or CREATE a DELPROS (Delaware Professional Regulation Online Services) user account:

1. Go to: https://delpros.delaware.gov/OH_HomePage.
2. Click GO on the Apply/Manage a License and Service Requests tile.
3. If you do not have a DELPROS user account, click the REGISTER button on the left side of page forNEW USERS.
4. If you already have a DELPROS user account, enter your email address and password on the right side for EXISTING USERS and click the LOGIN button.

DELPROS allows you to save your incomplete application and return to it later to finish the process. You only have six (6) months to submit your application once you begin.

• If you do not submit your application within six months of starting it, you will be required to restart the entire online application again.

You may check the status of your application online throughout the entire application process by using the “View Application Status” feature in DELPROS on your e-License dashboard.

KNOW YOUR REQUIREMENTS AND COLLECT YOUR DOCUMENTS

1. Know the requirements for the license you are pursuing.
   • For more information on the requirements for licensure, refer to your profession’s License Law and Rules and Regulations.
2. Request and gather all documents required to upload on the Attachments page. All information and forms are located on your profession’s webpages.

ATTACHING AND ACKNOWLEDGING DOCUMENTS

On the ATTACHMENTS page of your application, you may be instructed to:

• either “attach” or “upload” the required document(s) directly to your application. This means you will find the document(s) saved on your computer or device and upload it to your application, or .

• click “acknowledge” . This means you will either mail the documents yourself or request the “third-party” to mail the document(s) directly to the Board office.
  • Examples of “third-party forms” are transcripts from schools, employment verifications from a supervisor, or license verifications from another state.

  
  Requirements for All Applicants

  If you do not have 30 post-Master credit hours in the field of counseling, also submit:

  • A Direct Supervision Reference form(s) completed and signed by each of your approved clinical supervisor(s) to verify the minimum 1,600 hours of direct supervision.
  • A Counseling Experience Verification forms to verify the experience that you gained when you were not under the direct supervision of a clinical supervisor.
  • A Counseling Experience Verification-Self-Employment form from each professional colleague, supervisor, or other individual who has personal knowledge of your professional practice while self-employed. The person who attests to your experience while self-employed cannot be your spouse, former spouse, parent, step-parent, grand-parent, child, step-child, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin or in-law.
  • All Counseling Experience Verification forms must clearly state the total number of post-Master’s mental health counseling hours that you have provided. Giving only the dates of your employment or self-employment is not sufficient.
  • When combined, the mandatory 1,600 hours verified on the Direct Supervision Reference forms added to the hours verified on all of the Counseling Experience Verification-Employment and Counseling Experience Verification-Self-Employment forms must total at least 3,200 hours. All of these hours must span a period of not less than two but no more than four years.

  
  Requirements for Reciprocity Applicants

  Whether or not you need to submit any more documentation depends on how long you’ve been licensed in the jurisdictions where your currently hold a license.

  In addition to submitting the application, fee, and supporting documentation required in the Requirements for All Applicants section in DELPROS, you must also submit:

  • If you have been licensed at least five years in any one jurisdiction, no further documentation is needed. You may be licensed by reciprocity.
  • If you have been licensed less than five years in each of jurisdiction, submit copies of the licensing law/rules and regulations from each jurisdiction where you hold a current license in good standing. The Board will review the licensing standards of the other jurisdictions and determine if any of them is substantially similar to Delaware’s standards.
    • If any of the jurisdictions has substantially similar standards, you may be licensed by reciprocity. No further documentation is needed.
    • If none of the jurisdictions has substantially similar requirements, the Board office will notify you that you cannot be licensed by reciprocity. However, you may apply for an Associate Counselor of Mental Health license.