Executive Summary

Issue Area 1:The Board of Examiners in Counseling Fulfills Most of the General Provisions for Licensing Boards

The Board of Examiners in Counseling (BOEC) was created in 1986 for the purpose of regulating the profession of counseling. Part of this review examined whether the BOEC was in compliance with general provisions for licensing Boards required under Chapter 30, Article 1 of the West Virginia Code. The substantive findings of the report are as follows:

  1. The BOEC license fees are not adequate to carry out its duties. As of January 20, 1999 the Board only had $2,270 left for the remainder of the fiscal year. As a result, the Board's Program Specialist voluntarily delayed being paid for 120 hours of work this year until the adequacy of funding was certain. However, the Legislature passed the Board's proposed rule changes during the 1999 legislative session which increased license fees to an adequate level.

  2. The Board Investigates and Resolves Complaints as required. Nine complaints have been investigated over the last three years, resulting in the suspension of a license and the surrender of another.

  3. The Board is in compliance with most requirements for professions and occupational licensing boards, such as being accessible to the public, meeting regularly and establishing quorum, and filing financial disclosure statements with the Ethics Commission.

  4. There was no impropriety with respect to the Board's travel reimbursement.

  5. The BOEC's renewal fee should be pro-rated when applicants apply for a license between the 2-year renewal dates. Since applicants are not required to pay a pro rated amount, the Legislative Auditor found that between July 1995 and June 1997 the Board lost an estimated $1,884 in revenue.

  6. The Board should validate certain application information and Continuing Education.