School Counselor Certification

NYS School Counselor Certification

School Counselor Certifications (Internship, Initial/Initial Bilingual, and Professional/Professional Bilingual)

School Counselors must be certified to practice in the state in which they work. State requirements can be found here. In New York, all five New York State Education Department (NYSED) school counseling
certificates have specific requirements. Candidates must research the requirements both through the state's websites (listed below) and by contacting Lehman College’s School of Education Teacher (and School Counselor) Certification Office teacher.certification@lehman.cuny.edu.

Lehman College is required by the state to verify specific requirements before recommendations (online verification) can be submitted. After a recommendation is submitted, the state has a final review before approving and issuing the certificate. Everyone must have a TEACH Online Service Account to begin and maintain the certification.

TEACH Online Service Account - This account is permanent for the candidate’s career as a school counselor. The candidate must periodically update their educational background, personal information, work experience (after certification), apply/pay for any certificates, etc.; everything pertaining to state certification. Candidates must have their fingerprints on file in this account.

Internship Certification:
Internship Certification is a temporary optional certificate for candidates in the school counseling program available after 30 credits, including a completed practicum, which can be used to find a full-time job that may include a paid internship. It is only available before graduation.
Requirements:

• Complete 50% of coursework (30 credits) including practicum.
• Show proof of securing a School Counselor position with a letter from the school principal identifying the position and location.
• Apply using the Teach Online Services Account and contact teacher.certification@lehman.cuny.edu for specific requirements. The program coordinator must sign off on the Internship Certification application.
• Complete mandated workshops (3):
  • Child Abuse Identification & Reporting
  • School Violence Prevention
  • DASA: Anti-Bullying & Discrimination Training

Initial Certification
This is the main base school counseling certificate all candidates must first obtain after graduation. All students seeking the bilingual certification should also apply for initial certification.

• First Step: At the end of their last semester, candidates may set up their paid application
  for the initial School Counselor certificate through their state TEACH Online account by
  following these instructions: https://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/apply.html
  When prompted for a program code use: 41528.
  Candidates should email the School of Education Teacher and School Counselor Certification Office at: teacher.certification@lehman.cuny.edu after they receive their official graduation approval from the Registrar Graduation Audit Unit.
• Second Step: Candidates must have 48 credits including both semesters of internship for
  initial certification. School Counseling candidates complete initial certification on their
  own through NYSED online with their TEACH Online Services account using the
  “Individual Evaluation” pathway. The following is what NYSED requires using this
  pathway to issue the initial School Counselor certificate. You will be prompted to upload
  all the following information in the application:
  • Proof of a bachelor’s degree (official transcript)
  • Proof of Graduate Coursework in School Counseling (official transcript)
  • Proof of College Supervised Internship in School Counseling (official transcript with a
    letter grade for Internships)
  • Proof of Completion of 3 mandated workshops:
    • Child Abuse Identification & Reporting
    • DASA: Anti-Bullying & Discrimination Training
    • School Violence Prevention
  • Fingerprint Clearance
  • CST Exam Completion
• Directions: How to apply for Initial School Counselor Certificate using the “Individual
  Evaluation” pathway:
  • Log in to your state TEACH Online Services account
  • When you see a menu, choose "apply for a certificate." It will take you through 10 steps
    to complete:
    1. Update your education and/or teaching experience. If you already entered this
       information, you may skip it by pressing "next" twice.
    2. On the drop-down menu follow these prompts:
       • Area of Interest: Administration & Pupil Personnel Services
       • Subject Area: School Counseling
       • Grade Level: PreK-12, All Grades
       • Title: School Counselor
       • Type of Certificate: Initial Certificate
    3. Press ADD, and it will ask you for the program code - Select "NO"
    4. It will ask if you are coming from another state (Interstate Reciprocity) - Select "NO"
    5. It will take you to your application on file; scroll down & press NEXT
    6. Select: to have the “state review your application"
    7. Answer background questions & click on “Sign Affidavit”
    8. It will show you the cost of the application, and then click on “Sign Application”
    9. It will then provide a checklist to print out everything you must send to the state for the
       issuance of the School Counselor Initial certificate.
    10. Last, pay the application fee with a credit card. Done!
• Third Step: Take and pass the CST: School Counselor exam ideally in late February of
  the last year in the program. All candidates should have passed the CST: School
  Counselor(#193) exam by graduation.

Bilingual Initial Certification:
School Counselor candidates who passed the BEA exam (candidates need to choose the language for the exam and visit the Pearson testing website to register and schedule the exam), filed the appropriate form with their advisor and graduate studies, and have taken the bilingual extension courses in the summer of their third year are eligible for bilingual certification. After graduation, students should contact the School of Education Teacher and School Counselor Certification Office teacher.certifcation@lehman.cuny.edu to request submission for the initial Bilingual Certificate AND the initial School Counseling Certificate.

National Counselor Certification

Counselor Education/School Counseling candidates can pursue National Counselor Certification (NCC) (and after earning the NCC earn the National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) credential) through the National Board of Certified Counselors. Get more information at: www.nbcc.com

To apply to become a National Certified Counselor, you must document successful completion of a qualifying master’s degree and experience, and obtain a passing score on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination NCMHCE). You can show your commitment and expertise in the area of school counseling with the National Certified School Counselor (NCSC). To apply for the NCSC, you must be certified as an NCC.