The American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) is pleased to announce that on July 13, 2004 , legislation to license mental health counselors in the state of Hawaii was enacted into law. The enactment of this legislation ends almost a decade of struggle for licensure in Hawaii . In a May 2004 letter to Governor Linda Lingle (R), AMHCA immediate past-president Gail Adams , urged the Governor to “sign this important legislation providing for the licensing of mental health counselors and for the protection of the consumer seeking quality mental health services.” 

Requirements to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) include a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling or related area and a minimum of 3,000 post master’s supervised experience – a standard advocated by AMHCA – and passage of the National Counselor Examination (NCE). The scope of practice, as defined by the new law, will allow mental health counselors to use testing instruments and will allow mental health counselors to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV). The legislation establishes a state licensure board for mental health counselors. The new law will take effect on July 1, 2005 .

Upon hearing the news, AMHCA President James Blundo said, “ AMHCA commends members of the Hawaii Mental Health Counselors Association and especially Sandra Joy Eastlack and Susanne Langford, for their efforts in working to see the ultimate enactment of this important legislation. Our hearty congratulations and thanks go out to those who made licensure of mental heath counselors in Hawaii a reality.”

Hawaii becomes the 48^th state to license mental health counselors. The remaining states without counselor licensure are California and Nevada .