Providers
Chapter 11
Section 3.10
Pastoral Counselor
Issue Date: February 23, 1994
Revision: C-54, October 10, 2019
1.0 ISSUE
Pastoral Counselors.
2.0 POLICY
2.1 Provider
Certification. A pastoral counselor may provide covered mental health
services upon the referral and under the supervision of a physician.
The pastoral counselor must have the following:
2.1.1 A recognized graduate professional
education with the minimum of an earned master’s degree from a regionally
accredited educational institution in an appropriate behavioral
science field, mental health discipline;
2.1.2 Experience which consists
of either:
2.1.2.1 A combination of:
2.1.2.1.1 Two hundred
(200) hours of approved supervision in the practice of pastoral counseling,
ordinarily to be completed in a two- to three-year period, of which
at least 100 hours must be in individual supervision. This supervision
will occur preferably with more than one supervisor and should include
a continuous process of supervision with at least three cases; 1,000
hours of clinical experience in the practice of pastoral counseling
under approved supervision, involving at least 50 different cases; or
2.1.2.2 A combination
of:
2.1.2.2.1 One hundred and fifty (150) hours of approved
supervision in the practice of psychotherapy, ordinarily to be completed
in a two- to three-year period, of which at least 50 hours must
be individual supervision; plus at least 50 hours of approved individual
supervision in the practice of pastoral counseling, ordinarily to
be completed within a period of not less than one nor more than two
years; and
2.1.2.2.2 Seven hundred
and fifty (750) hours of clinical experience in the practice of psychotherapy
under approved supervision involving at least 30 cases; plus at
least 250 hours of clinical practice in pastoral counseling under
approved supervision, involving at least 20 cases;
2.1.3 Licensure
or certification as a pastoral counselor:
2.1.3.1 If licensure/certification
is offered by the jurisdiction in which the pastoral counselor is practicing,
it is required in all cases, even if the jurisdiction offers it
on an optional basis.
2.1.3.2 Prior
to March 1, 2019, in jurisdictions that do not offer
licensure or certification, a pastoral counselor must be (or must
meet all the requirements to become) a fellow or diplomate member
in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) as determined
by the AAPC. Fellow or diplomate level pastoral counselors are listed
in the AAPC Registry which can be obtained by writing to the AAPC at
9504-A Lee Highway, Fairfax, Virginia 22031. Updated membership
information may be obtained by calling the AAPC at (703) 385-6967.
2.1.3.3 Beginning March 1, 2019, in jurisdictions
that do not offer licensure or certification, a pastoral counselor
must be (or meet all the requirements to become) an Association
for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) Psychotherapist, as determined
by the ACPE. ACPE Psychotherapists are listed on the ACPE website
at https://www.acpe.edu.
2.2 Because
of the similarity of the requirements for licensure, certification,
experience and education a pastoral counselor may elect to be authorized
as a certified marriage and family therapist, and as such, would
be subject to all previously defined criteria for the certified
marriage and family therapist category, to include acceptance of
the determined allowable charge as payment in full, except for applicable
deductibles and cost-shares (i.e., balance billing of a beneficiary
above the allowable charge is prohibited; may not bill beneficiary
for noncovered care). The pastoral counselor must also agree to
enter into the same participation agreement with the Defense Health
Agency (DHA) within which the pastoral counselor agrees to all provisions,
including conditions upon termination, as specified in the
32 CFR 199.6 and outlined in this chapter.
Note: No dual status will be recognized. Pastoral counselors
must elect one category of extramedical providers as specified above.
Once authorized as either a pastoral counselor, or a certified marriage
and family therapist, claims review and reimbursement will be in
accordance with the criteria established for the elected provider
category.
2.3 The services of an authorized
pastoral counselor are covered when:
2.3.1 A physician refers the beneficiary
for therapy;
2.3.2 A physician provides ongoing oversight and
supervision of the therapy; and
2.3.3 On each claim, the pastoral
counselor certifies that a written communication has been (or will
be) made to the referring physician of the results of the treatment.
Such communication will be made at the end of the treatment or more
frequently, as required by the referring physician (see
32 CFR 199.7.
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