What is the Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors Association?
The Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselor Association (MLPCA) is a professional organization for licensed professional counselors and mental health counselors in Mississippi. MLPCA is a division of the Mississippi Counseling Association (MCA) and the American Mental Health Counselors’ Association (AMHCA). MLPCA partners with both MCA and AMHCA to achieve our state and national legislative goals. MLPCA is the only organization working exclusively for the mental health counseling profession in the state of Mississippi.
MLPCA Mission Statement
The Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselor Association (MLPCA) is a non-profit division of the Mississippi Counseling Association (MCA) and the American Mental Health Counselors’ Association (AMHCA) dedicated to serving Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) and Mental Health Counselors across the state. MLPCA is the only professional association working entirely to advocate for the practice of mental health counselors in Mississippi. MLPCA is focused on the growth, development, and recognition of the counseling profession through education and training, ethical support, and legislation that affects our profession. The volunteer Board of Directors works closely with the Mississippi Licensing Board to provide the most up-to-date knowledge of ethics, regulations, and laws for professionals severing in a variety of Mental Health settings. The MLPCA Board of Directors strives to move the profession forward in an every changing world through advocacy, friendship, collaboration, and consultation to improve the lives of the clients served by LPCs and Mental Health Counselors in the state of Mississippi.
Who serves on the MLPCA Executive Board?
All board members are volunteers and dedicated to serving all LPCs and individuals seeking licensure.
Executive Board (2023-2024)
- President – Barry Pickreign, P-LPC
- President-Elect – Candace McKey Strong, P-LPC
- Past President – Holly Reeves, LPC
- Secretary – Khaliyah K. Mitchell, M.Ed., NCC
- Treasurer – Cameron Douglas
- Executive Director – Michelle Bell
Executive Board (2022-2023)
- President – Holly A. Reeves, LPC
- President-Elect – Barry Pickreign, P-LPC
- Past President – RobDreka Shaw, MS, LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMH, CCTP
- Secretary – Khaliyah K. Mitchell, M.Ed., NCC
- Treasurer – Cameron Douglas
- Executive Director – Michelle Bell
Executive Board (2021-2022)
- President – RobDreka Shaw, MS, LPC-S, NCC, BC-TMH, CCTP
- President-Elect – Holly A. Reeves, LPC
- President-Elect-Elect – Barry Pickreign, P-LPC
- Past President – Capri Brooks, Ph.D., LPC
- Secretary – Khaliyah K. Mitchell, M.Ed., NCC
- Treasurer – Kristen Slaven, LPC
- Executive Director – Michelle Bell
Executive Board (2020-2021)
- President – Capri Brooks, Ph.D., LPC
- President-Elect – Robdreka Shaw, MS, NCC, LPC
- Past President – Angel Gholson, Ph.D., LPC
- Treasurer – Kristen Slaven, LPC
- Executive Director – Michelle Wallace Bell
Executive Board (2019-2020)
- President – Angel Golson, Ph.D., LPC
- President-Elect – Capri Brooks, Ph.D., LPC
- President-Elect-Elect – Robdreka Shaw, MS, NCC, LPC
- Past President – Martha Rosado, LPC, NCC
- Treasurer – Toby Riley, MSCP, LPC-S
- Executive Director – Michelle Wallace
Executive Board (2018-2019)
- President – Martha Rosado, LPC, NCC
- President-Elect – Angel Cole-Golson, PhD, LPC
- President-Elect-Elect – Capri Brooks, PhD, LPC
- Past President – Morgan Bryant, PhD, LPC-S
- Secretary – Katie Wright, LPC
- Treasurer – Toby Riley, LPC
- Executive Director – Michelle Wallace
- Ethics and Standards of Practice –
- Membership – Capri Brooks, PhD, LPC
- Continuing Education Programs- Angel Cole-Golson, PhD, LPC
- Resolutions – Deb Wells, PhD, LPC, LPC-S
- Public Relations- Kristen Slaven, LPC
- Newsletter – LaShawn Thompson, PhD, LPC
- Scholarship –Dawn Ellison, DPC, LPC, NCC
- Awards –
- Historian – Debra Carr, LPC-S
- Government Relations – Karla Weir, LPC
- Strategic Planning – Morgan Bryant, Ph.D., LPC; Josh Magruder, Ph.D., LPC; Drew Jackson, LPC
How is MLPCA Funded?
MLPCA is funded through membership dues, grants and donations. We welcome all licensed professional counselors, clinical counselors, and students across Mississippi to join. Each new member increases the ability of MLPCA to do more for your profession.
Professional Development
MLPCA is dedicated to the growth, development, and recognition of the counseling profession. An integral part of this dedication involves the support and growth of members’ professional development. MLPCA offers Licensed professional counselors:
- The opportunity to network with other MLPCA members allowing for support, friendships, job opportunities, and chances to develop collaborative relationships to grow our practices and our experience.
- Training and educational opportunities to increase knowledge and skills.
- Increased knowledge and understanding of current operations of the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC Licensure Board).
- To become actively involved in government relations related to our profession.
- In depth looks at how licensure works in our state.
- Insight into how to best advocate for our profession and opportunities to do so with others.
- Opportunities to become involved in leadership roles.
- Opportunities to be a part of developing and offering services to all professional counselors
- Training to become an Mississippi LPC Board Qualified Supervisor
Advocacy and Public Policy
MLPCA’s powerful advocacy initiatives with state government and our grassroots support of national counselor initiatives are primary avenues in which MLPCA is diligently working to improve existing and advocate for new public policies designed to support you, your licensing board, your profession, and your clients.
We work with Mississippi’s legislature, Administrative agencies, and the Executive Branch toward the following objectives:
- Ensure that counselors are recognized in applicable state laws and policies.
- Educate policymakers about the role of mental health counselors.
- Increase lawmakers’ awareness about mental illness and its effects on people’s lives.
- Enhance public and private insurance plans so mental health benefits are offered in parity with medical and surgical benefits.
MLPCA is continuously alert to any issues effecting mental health counselors on a state and national level so that we can at all times prepare a strategy for supporting our profession and the public we serve.
Legislation Accomplished
- 1985 Passage of Professional Counselor Licensure Law
- 1992 Passage of Freedom of Choice Law (Sec.83-41-221)
- 2000 Inclusion of LPCs on the State and Public School Employee Health Insurance Plan
- 2001 LPC Licensure Board regulation requires all supervision be provided by LPCs
- 2015 Inclusion of LPCs on the Medicaid Health Insurance Plan
Who does MLPCA Serve?
- MLPCA represents the legislative and professional interests of over 1,200 Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors practicing statewide.
- MLPCA encourages individuals seeking licensure by offering education about the licensure process, opportunities for networking, and professional training.
- Mississippi’s LPCs work in a wide array of settings:
- Academic Settings Pre-K & K-12 Schools
- Junior & 4 Year Colleges & Universities
- Behavioral Health Services
- Community Mental Health Centers
- Inpatient Treatment Facilities
- Acute Care & Chemical Dependence
- Elderly Services & Nursing Homes
- Psychiatric Hospitals & V.A.
- Legal & Judicial Services
- Detention Centers & Training Schools
- Courts & Juvenile Justice
- Prison Systems
- Private Practice Settings
- Recreational Therapy Settings
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services
MLPCA advocates for all Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors.
Membership Benefits
- MLPCA Quarterly News Letter (The Clinical Courier is packed with current state, legislative, clinical, and association news)
- MCA Quarterly News Letter
- Professional Lobbyist working on your behalf
- Networking and support
- Leadership opportunities
- Professional advocacy and development
- Continuing Education opportunities
- Access to Supervision training
- Eligibility for statewide award nominations (LPC and College Counselor of the Year)
- June Comola Scholarship for Students
- Liaison to the Licensure Board
- Relationship with AMHCA
About Your License
MLPCA knows the issues affecting our license, our clients, and our livelihood. A license in professional counseling represents years of education, training, and commitment to providing quality care to those with mental health concerns. Not having parity with other mental health professions has created issues for LPCs which influences the delivery of treatment, the availability of jobs, and the ability to make a fair living as mental health practitioners. More than ever, LPCs need to join together to continue to create and impact on the systems that govern our clients and us.
MLPCA is committed to maintaining the integrity of our license, making sure that LPCs acquire parity with other mental health professionals, and working to ensure that all citizens of the state of Mississippi have access to a licensed mental health provider of their choice.