How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health in Delaware
Delaware calls its professional counseling license the Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health, or LPCMH. It's issued by the Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals, under the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR), through the state's online DELPROS system.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need at least 60 graduate credits in clinical mental health counseling, or a graduate degree the Board recognizes as equivalent, from a regionally accredited institution.
Step 2: Apply for Your Associate License (LACMH)
Before accruing supervised hours, you'll hold a Licensed Associate Counselor of Mental Health (LACMH) credential, working under a supervisor acceptable to the Board.
Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience
Delaware requires 3,200 hours of post-master's mental health counseling experience, completed over no less than two years (and no more than four). Of those hours, 1,600 must be supervised, including at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact and at least 100 hours of face-to-face clinical supervision.
Step 4: Pass a Licensing Exam
Delaware accepts the NCE, the NCMHCE, or another exam the Board finds acceptable to demonstrate professional competence.
Step 5: Apply for Full LPCMH Licensure
Submit your application through DELPROS with official transcripts, your Direct Supervision Reference forms, and your exam score report. Current application fees are confirmed through DELPROS at the time you apply.
Renewing Your License
Delaware LPCMH licenses expire September 30 of even-numbered years. Renewal requires attesting to 40 hours of continuing education, including at least 3 hours specifically covering cultural inclusion, equity, and diversity, a requirement made permanent starting with the October 2022 renewal cycle.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals, the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects information from the Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals and Delaware's administrative code. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change, and current fee amounts are confirmed only through the DELPROS system at the time of application. Verify current requirements directly with the Board at dpr.delaware.gov before making any licensure decision.
Delaware's supervised-hour breakdown is specific about what counts as direct versus supervised time, so track both categories separately from the start rather than reconstructing them later.
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