Ohio Counseling Conversations

Couch to Capitol: January 2026 Legislative Updates

• Ohio Counseling Association

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We share major wins and warnings for Ohio counselors: streamlined licensure, a new path to cross-state practice, civil rights amendments with clinical stakes, a brief but chilling federal funding scare, and a push to document insurer barriers that block care. We close with a reminder to seek support, protect your capacity, and stay engaged.

• new single-exam pathway from LPC to LPCC and required supervision documentation
• counseling compact launch and steps to apply for privileges in Arizona and Minnesota
• equal rights and marriage amendments with mental health implications
• federal grant termination letters and fast reversal after bipartisan pressure
• how to submit insurer delay and denial examples to support provider-friendly bills
• self-care, supervision, and peer support as professional necessities

Subscribe, share with a colleague, and send us your questions or examples. Your voice drives access, equity, and the future of counseling in Ohio.

Resources Mentioned on the Episode:

  • https://cswmft.ohio.gov/about-the-board/news-and-events/news/counseling_licensure_exam_change
  • https://www.counseling.org/publications/media-center/article/2026/01/05/ohio-becomes-the-3rd-state-to-grant-counseling-compact-privileges?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter_TLP_Jan15_2026&_zs=Hvx8D1&_zl=PKHx7
  • http://www.ohioequalrights.org
  • Insurance Advocacy Survey / Resources:
    •  Take the survey:
      https://lnkd.in/eAK5hN3E
    • Review common insurance abuses before starting:
      https://lnkd.in/eaZWYxxh
    • Tip: Please gather any relevant documentation or letters before beginning the survey. Even one documented example can make a difference for our lobbyists.

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Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, Mariah Payne, and Chase Morgan-Swaney

·Editing by Marisa Cargill


SPEAKER_00:

Welcome back to Couch to Capital on Ohio Counseling Conversations, where we bridge the gap between your clinical couch and the halls of Ohio's Statehouse and beyond. I'm Victoria Frasier, and each month it's our goal to bring you the most relevant legislative updates impacting counselors, clients, and the mental health profession across our state. Let's start locally. At its September 2025 meeting, the Counselor Professional Standards Committee voted to revise the licensure process for both licensed professional counselor and licensed professional clinical counselors' licenses. These changes took effect January 1st, 2026. Individuals applying for their initial LPC licensure may choose to qualify by either the National Counselor Exam or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam. Applicants must pass either of the exams, hold a master's degree in counseling, and have no disqualifying criminal convictions. LPCs who have completed the required hours of training and supervision no longer need to pass the second exam that Ohio previously required to obtain their next level of licensure. Now, LPCs will have their last supervisor submit documentation of completed supervision hours, pass a background check, hold a valid LPC license, and have previously passed either the NCE or NCMHCE required for LPC licensure. These changes have been debated since May of 2023 prior to the implementation of Ohio's Reciprocity and Counseling Compact legislation. Most states require only one exam for independent counselor licensure. The Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board state that benefits to eliminating the exam for LPCC licensure include aligning Ohio with national licensure practices, reduced costs for applicants, streamlining career progression, and improving internal processing efficiency by eliminating exam approval steps throughout the licensure application process. Additionally, Ohio officially began granting counseling compact privileges as of Monday, January 5th. Ohio is the third state to begin granting privileges. Ohio counselors can apply for the privilege of practicing in both Minnesota and Arizona. The counseling compact allows counselors to practice across state lines to break. The counseling compact allows counselors to practice across state lines, bridge gaps in care, and bring our services to communities in need. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have ratified the interstate agreement. The compact is a legislative agreement among participating states that allows professional counselors to practice across state lines, either in person or via telehealth. The American Counseling Association has referred to it as a mutual recognition model that functions similarly to a driver's license. Previously, transferring your license between states was a largely prohibitive practice with little consensus in licensing requirements. The ability to practice across state lines is essential in meeting the mental health needs of so many Americans, especially those who are located in remote and rural areas where we often see a dearth of professional counselors, said ACA President Elsa Soto Laguette. Those wishing to apply for reciprocal licensing privileges can apply at counselingcompact.gov. In order to apply, Ohio must be your primary residence and the state that has granted your license. Currently, only those with individual licenses meet both criteria and are able to apply for the privilege to practice in Arizona and Minnesota. Ohio Equal Rights has launched a signature collection campaign on January 14th in the hopes of placing constitutional amendments on the ballot in November. The ballots include the Ohio Equal Rights Amendment and the Right to Marry Amendment. The amendments will work to ensure individual freedoms of all Ohioans at a time when basic rights are increasingly vulnerable. For counselors, these issues are directly connected to client safety, access to care, and the ethical responsibility to understand the systems that shapes clients' lived experiences and well-being. The deadline to collect and submit 413,487 valid signatures for each issue from registered voters in at least half of Ohio's 88 counties is July 1st, so that they are able to be on the ballot in November of this year. The Ohio Equal Rights Amendment would prohibit discrimination by state and local governments based on race, color, creed, or religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, regardless of sex assigned at birth, pregnancy status, genetic information, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status, ensuring that no Ohioan is denied services, dignity, or opportunity because of who they are. These protections are particularly relevant for counselors as systemic discrimination and loss of legal safeguards are well-documented contributors to mental health distress, trauma exposure, and barriers to treatment. The Right to Marry Amendment would remove a 2004 provision from the state constitution that prohibits same-sex marriage. Currently, if federal protections fall, marriage equality would disappear overnight in Ohio, leaving more than 40,000 families without protection, an outcome that would have significant implications for family stability, legal security, and the mental health of clients and their loved ones. Susan Appell, a volunteer campaign manager for Ohio Equal Rights, said individual rights are constantly under attack in this country, and Ohioans deserve protections that cannot be taken away by shifting political winds. We cannot trust that the government will always do the right thing simply because it should. So we're doing what Ohioans have always done. We're taking matters into our own hands. The amendments would ensure that Ohioans, not politicians, decide how their families are treated, how their identities are respected, and how their rights are protected. Ohio Equal Rights emphasizes that this is a citizen-led, all-volunteer effort, Ohio's strongest form of direct democracy. Individuals and groups interested in collaborating on this initiative can reach out via the organization's website, OhioEqualRights.org. Now for some national news. The Trump administration set hundreds of termination letters effective immediately for federal grants supporting health services effective January 13, 2026. Total cuts to nonprofit groups, many providing street-level care to people experiencing addiction, homelessness, and mental illness, could reach roughly$2 billion. This decision would affect up to 2,800 grantees that serve those seeking recovery. Programs affected include services such as an loxone distribution, support for minors in the form of underage drinking prevention and recovery, overdose prevention, and peer recovery services. They also come with the distinct possibility of layoff to staff and providers in these programs. The letters stated that the programming no longer aligned with the Trump administration's priorities, although the funding and initiatives had previously experienced bipartisan support. There was no warning for programs prior to the distribution of these letters. This move comes on top of deep Medicaid cuts passed last year by the Republican-controlled Congress, which affect numerous mental health and addiction care providers. APA President Dr. Teresa M. Mizaman Rivera said overnight cuts to thousands of programs nationwide are nothing short of catastrophic, placing millions of Americans with unmet mental health and substance use disorder needs at even greater risk. Our programs, which only represent a fraction of what's been cut, establish a vital pathway for psychiatrists to serve those in need, especially in areas experiencing mental health professional shortages and in schools. Less than 24 hours after the Trump administration informed more than 2,000 addiction and mental health programs nationwide that it was immediately terminating almost$2 billion of their funding, the administration reversed course and reinstated the money. The decision followed furious lobbying by lawmakers from both parties to restore the cuts and a letter to the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with signatures from 100 House members. This episode has only created uncertainty and confusion for families and healthcare providers. I hope this reversal serves as a lesson learned. Congress holds the power of the purse, and the Secretary must follow the law, said Representative Rosa Delaro of Connecticut, who currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee. The reversal of this decision speaks to the importance of our advocacy, contacting our representatives and utilizing our collaborative bargaining power to make change for ourselves and those we serve. Finally, on February 1st, Ohio counselors will meet to consider provider-friendly bills that could significantly reduce insurance barriers for both clinicians and patients. To remove these bills forward, lawmakers need real, documented examples of insurance delays, denials, and administrative burdens that interfere with care. This is where clinicians can make an immediate impact. OCA's Insurance Advocacy Committee is currently conducting a survey to gather input and evidence on your behalf. If you've experienced delayed or denied payments, excessive prior authorizations, rectoractive denials or clawbacks, or repeated requests for the same documentation, please consider sharing your experiences. Even one concrete example can help push these bills across the finish line. The link to the survey can be found on the Ohio Counseling Association's social media and in our show notes. Please gather any relevant documentation or letters before beginning the survey. Do not include clients or business identifiers. Our team will also review and redact all submissions for added protection. We included a list of examples should you require assistance knowing what to send. And before we go, a quick reminder: if you're going through a hard season, you don't have to power through it alone. As counselors, we carry a lot, and support isn't just something we offer to others. Therapy consultation, supervision, peer support, or simply reaching out to someone you trust are more important now than ever. Effective self-care and a supportive community allows us to carry on not only for our clients, but for ourselves. Take care of yourself the way you encourage others to, with honesty, compassion, and permission to show up as you are. That wraps up this month's episode of Couch to Capital. From key updates to Ohio's licensure process, Ohio's launch of counseling compact privileges, a push to get two constitutional amendments on the ballot, the recent federal funding uncertainty, and how clinicians can help advocate for better insurance practices, there's a lot to juggle right now. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an update. If you have questions, feedback, or you want to get involved with our advocacy efforts, be sure to drop us a line. You can text us or connect with our socials. Our number and social media profiles can be found in the show notes.