Rhode-island CMHC Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Rhode Island licenses “clinical mental health counselors” through the Department of Health’s Board of Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists. The process has two levels:

1. Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate
2. Full Clinical Mental Health Counselor (often abbreviated LCMHC/CMHC)

The law and regulations spell out very specific credit, practicum/internship, and post‑degree hour requirements. The key sources are R.I. Gen. Laws § 5‑63.2‑9 and 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.3 (amended effective May 15, 2023). (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

Below is a step‑by‑step guide organized around what the Board actually requires.

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1. Educational foundation for both Associate and full CMHC

Graduate degree and credit hours

To enter the licensure pathway you must complete a graduate program that meets both the statute and the Board’s regulation:

• A master’s or higher degree (master’s, CAGS, or doctorate) in:

  • Mental health counseling, or
  • An allied field (e.g., counseling psychology, community mental health, marriage and family therapy, education with a counseling/psychology concentration) with coursework equivalent to a master’s in mental health counseling. (law.cornell.edu)

• The program must total at least 60 semester hours (or 90 quarter hours) in counseling/therapy coursework. The regulation adds that these 60 hours “must be received prior to beginning post graduate experience and supervised case work hours.” (law.cornell.edu)

• The degree must be from:

  • A CACREP‑accredited program or an equivalent accrediting agency approved by both the Board and a national/regional certifying authority; or
  • A “recognized educational institution” with coursework that meets the Board’s core curriculum requirements in 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.5. (law.cornell.edu)

Practicum and internship (pre‑degree clinical training)

For the Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate level, Rhode Island law and regulation require:

• Supervised practicum:

  • At least 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours of supervised practicum in counseling. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

• Supervised internship:

  • A minimum of one (1) calendar year of supervised internship,
  • Consisting of 20 hours per week, or the equivalent,
  • With an emphasis in mental health counseling,
  • Supervised by the university department or an accredited post‑graduate clinical training program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

The Board’s regulation adds an explicit floor that the internship must be “in no case less than six hundred (600) hours.” (law.cornell.edu)

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2. Step One License: Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5‑63.2‑9(a)(1) and 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.3(11.3.2), you qualify as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate when you have:

1. Good character. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)
2. The qualifying graduate degree and 60 credits in counseling/therapy. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)
3. The required practicum and internship described above. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

The Department issues the associate license to applicants who meet these criteria and submit the Board’s application forms. (law.cornell.edu)

Validity of the Associate license:

• The regulation states that Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate licenses expire three (3) years from the date of issuance, with the possibility of a one‑year extension “to complete all postgraduate requirements,” at the Board’s discretion. (law.cornell.edu)

During this time you accrue your post‑degree supervised experience toward full CMHC licensure.

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3. Post‑degree experience for full Clinical Mental Health Counselor

To move from Associate to full Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Rhode Island law requires specific types and amounts of post‑graduate experience. These are spelled out in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5‑63.2‑9(a)(2) and incorporated into 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.3(11.3.3). (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

Core post‑graduate experience requirements

The statute and regulation use very similar language. In plain terms, you must complete:

1. Total duration of experience

   • A minimum of two (2) years of relevant postgraduate experience following your qualifying graduate degree (master’s/CAGS/doctorate). (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

2. Direct client contact hours

   • Within that post‑graduate experience, at least 2,000 hours must be “direct client contact offering clinical or counseling or therapy services with emphasis in mental health counseling”. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)
   • These hours must be post‑degree; practicum and internship hours do not count toward this 2,000‑hour requirement.

3. Supervised case work hours

   • In addition to the 2,000 direct hours, you must complete a minimum of 100 hours of post‑degree supervised case work,
   • These 100 hours must be “spread over a two‑year (2) period”,
   • Supervision must be provided by a person who, at the time of supervision, is recognized by the Board as an approved supervisor. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

So, in the simple numerical breakdown for Rhode Island:

• 2,000 hours – direct post‑master’s clinical/counseling/therapy services with mental health emphasis, plus
• 100 hours – post‑degree supervised case work, distributed over at least 2 years, under an approved supervisor.

There is no separate second block such as “1,500 hours of non‑direct experience”; the law centers on total post‑degree experience duration (minimum two years), with the explicit quantitative requirements being 2,000 direct client hours and 100 supervision hours.

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4. Who qualifies as an “approved supervisor”?

The Board defines “approved supervisor” in 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.3(11.3.3(B)). To count toward the required 100 hours, your supervisor must:

• Be licensed as one of the following, in good standing for at least five (5) years, and with at least five (5) years of clinical experience as a licensee:

  • Licensed clinical mental health counselor
  • Licensed psychiatrist
  • Licensed psychologist
  • Licensed marriage and family therapist
  • Licensed independent clinical social worker (law.cornell.edu)

• And meet at least one of these training/experience criteria:

  1. Successfully completed a graduate course in supervision in counseling at an institution of higher learning; or
  2. Is approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as a certified supervisor; or
  3. Has at least two (2) years’ experience supervising clinical staff in a mental health setting. (law.cornell.edu)

You must ensure your supervisor meets these standards; otherwise, those hours may not be accepted.

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5. Examination requirement

Both the law and regulation require a licensing examination:

• The statute requires that a CMHC applicant “has passed, to the satisfaction of the board, an examination conducted by it” (or qualifies under the endorsement section). (webserver.rilegislature.gov)
• The regulation specifies that you must “successfully complete the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) or other examination approved by the Board.” (law.cornell.edu)

In practice, this means passing the NCMHCE (unless the Board approves another exam).

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6. Requirements specific to the full Clinical Mental Health Counselor license

Under 216‑RICR‑40‑05‑11.3(11.3.3), a license as a “clinical mental health counselor” is issued to an applicant who:

1. Has met all qualifications of a Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (degree, credits, practicum, internship). (law.cornell.edu)
2. Is of good character. (law.cornell.edu)
3. Has completed at least two years of relevant post‑graduate experience, including the 2,000 hours of direct client contact described above. (law.cornell.edu)
4. Has accrued a minimum of 100 hours of post‑degree supervised case work over that two‑year period with an approved supervisor. (law.cornell.edu)
5. Has passed the NCMHCE (or another Board‑approved exam). (law.cornell.edu)

Additionally, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5‑63.2‑9(b), the Board must vote in favor of licensure; at least four Board members must vote to approve, including at least two mental health counselor members. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

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7. After licensure: renewal and continuing education (briefly)

Once licensed, you must maintain the license:

• CMHC licenses expire on the schedule in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5‑63.2‑17; regulations state that you must complete 40 credits of continuing education every two‑year renewal period, at least 20 of which must be in “Category I” formal education (courses, workshops, institutes, including web‑based). (law.cornell.edu)

Failure to maintain continuing education can result in denial of renewal or sanctions under the Act. (law.cornell.edu)

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8. Numerical summary of hour requirements for Rhode Island CMHC

Putting the key quantitative requirements in one place:

Pre‑degree (within the graduate program)

• 12 semester (or 18 quarter) credits of supervised practicum in counseling.
• At least 1 calendar year of supervised internship, 20 hours/week minimum, with not fewer than 600 total hours, focused on mental health counseling. (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

Post‑degree (after the qualifying graduate degree, on the CMHC associate license)

• Minimum of 2 years of relevant post‑graduate experience, and within that:
  • 2,000 hours of direct client contact providing clinical/counseling/therapy services with an emphasis in mental health counseling.
  • 100 hours of post‑degree supervised case work over at least 2 years, under a Board‑approved supervisor (as defined in regulation). (webserver.rilegislature.gov)

These are the Board’s core hour and supervision thresholds for becoming a fully licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Rhode Island.