NYMHCA Condemns Department of Education’s Reclassification Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA) Condemns Department of Education’s Reclassification Proposal: A Direct Threat to the Mental Health Workforce

ALBANY, NY – The New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA) vehemently opposes the recent proposal by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and its RISE Committee to redefine "professional degree" programs. This reclassification, which would strip Mental Health Counseling of its status as a professional degree, is a grave misstep that threatens to dismantle the mental health workforce pipeline during a critical national shortage of providers.

A Licensed, Rigorous Profession

The Department’s proposal to restrict "professional degree" status primarily to doctoral-level programs (e.g., M.D., J.D., Pharm.D.) fundamentally misunderstands the rigor and reality of the mental health counseling profession.

In New York State, becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) requires:

• Advanced Academic Rigor: A minimum of a 60-credit master’s degree from a state-registered or accredited program, covering diagnosis, psychopathology, and evidence-based treatment.

• Extensive Clinical Training: Thousands of hours of supervised post-graduate clinical experience before licensure is even possible.

• State Regulation: Strict adherence to state laws, a distinct scope of practice including diagnosis and treatment, and mandatory continuing education.

By every metric—educational depth, clinical requirements, and state licensure—Mental Health Counseling is a professional discipline. To classify it otherwise is factually incorrect and professionally insulting to the thousands of counselors serving on the front lines of our mental health crisis.

Devastating Impact on Access to Care

The proposed reclassification is not merely a bureaucratic label; it has severe financial consequences. By removing the "professional degree" designation, the ED effectively slashes the federal student loan borrowing limits for counseling students—potentially cutting annual eligibility from over $50,000 to just $20,500.

This policy will:

1. Decimate the Pipeline: Aspiring counselors, many of whom come from working-class backgrounds, will be priced out of the education required to practice.

2. Harm Underserved Communities: The debt-to-earnings metric fails to account for the public service nature of our work. By making the degree unaffordable, the ED ensures that only the wealthy can afford to become counselors, reducing diversity in the field and widening the gap in culturally competent care for marginalized populations.

3. Exacerbate the Mental Health Crisis: At a time when anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are climbing, the federal government should be incentivizing entry into the field, not erecting financial barriers.

A Call to Action

NYMHCA calls on the U.S. Department of Education to immediately retract this flawed definition. We urge the Department to recognize that a "professional degree" is defined by the licensure it leads to and the service it provides—not solely by a doctoral title.

We stand with our colleagues in social work, nursing, and public health in demanding that the Department preserve the professional status of our degrees. We urge all NYMHCA members, mental health advocates, and the public to submit comments opposing this change. We cannot afford to devalue the very professionals who are healing our communities.

About NYMHCA:

The New York Mental Health Counselors Association is the professional organization representing the clinical and professional interests of Licensed Mental Health Counselors in New York State. NYMHCA is dedicated to advancing the profession of clinical mental health counseling and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to quality mental health care.

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Media Contact:

Steven Perdek, LMHC-D

Board President, NYMHCA

sperdek@nymhca.org

800-4-NYMHCA (469-6422)

www.nymhca.org