Types of Mental Health Professional Credentials
Get to know the different mental health professionals and credentials in Colorado – from therapists and social workers, to peer support specialists and psychologists.
When looking for a mental health or substance use professional for yourself or a loved one, it's important to find someone with the right education, skills, qualifications, and expertise.
Many behavioral health professionals make it easy to see their qualifications by adding their credentials next to their names. These often look like capital letters following their name and a comma - for instance:
Jane Doe, LPC
John Smith, LCSW
Sandy Jones, LMFT, LAC
While helpful once you understand them, this "alphabet soup" of letters can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing, especially if mental health services and providers are new to you.
Keep reading for a brief explanation of why credentials are important, and what each of these credentials means so that you know what to look for when seeking mental health or substance use care.
Why credentials matter
When you are sick or injured, you want help from a trained medical professional - such as a doctor or nurse. In the same way, it's important to work with a qualified professional for mental health or substance use support.
Credentials show that a person has received the formal training and education they need to effectively help you achieve your wellness goals. These credentials are granted to people by state and national regulatory agencies only once they prove they have completed the required qualifications.
Here in Colorado, credentialling for mental health professionals is managed by multiple agencies – including:
Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) - professional licensing
Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) - State agency oversight
Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) - Medicaid validation and enrollment
Beyond displaying their qualifications, credentials can also be a valuable tool for finding the right professional for your needs. Once you understand what the credentialing letters mean, it can help you have more confidence in seeking out someone who specializes in the type of care you are looking for.
Credentials for therapists and social workers
While this list isn't exhaustive, here are some of the most frequent mental health credentials you are likely to see:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Licensed Professional Counselors, or LPCs, are professionals who specialize in mental health counseling and are trained in assessing a person's mental health, diagnosing mental illness, and using proven therapeutic techniques like psychotherapy to treat conditions. Most people are referring to LPCs, LMFTs, and LPCCs (see below) when they say "therapist."
In addition to completing a master's degree (Master of Arts, or MA, or Master of Science, MS) in clinical mental health counseling, LPCs must complete hundreds or even thousands of hours of post-graduate clinical work under the supervision of an approved expert. This supervision takes at least 2 years, and most of these hours must be spent working directly with clients. Lastly, individuals must pass national and state licensing exams to apply to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.
LPCs cannot prescribe medications for their clients.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT)
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, or LMFTs, have studied counseling with a focus on marriage and family therapy or a related field. They are certified mental health professionals with specialty training to help individuals, couples, and families work through interpersonal challenges such as anxiety, depression, conflict, substance use, and more. Once they identify and diagnose a cause of relationship strain, LMFTs can use therapeutic techniques and an understanding of family systems to help resolve conflict.
LMFTs must complete a master's or doctoral program in marriage and family therapy, work thousands of supervised clinical hours, and pass required state and national exams administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
Similar to LPCs and LCSWs, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist cannot prescribe medications.
Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC)
An LPCC is a mental health professional who has completed their master's degree in counseling, but who is still working to complete their supervised clinical hours. LPCCs are fully qualified to provide therapy and counseling services to individuals, couples, and groups; however, they must regularly meet with a fully licensed (LPC) supervisor to review cases and ensure quality care.
In some states, LPCCs are referred to as a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) - not be confused with a Licensed Addiction Counselor. However, here in Colorado, we refer to these professionals as Licensed Professional Counselor Candidates (LPCCs).
Like LPCs, LPCCs cannot prescribe medications to clients.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Social Worker (LSW)
Licensed Clinical Social Workers, or LCSWs, and Licensed Social Workers, or LSWs, are behavioral health professionals with expertise in assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health and substance use conditions. They are also trained to evaluate other "systemic" factors that might affect a person's mental health - like social, economic, environmental, housing, and family. LCSWs and LSWs can incorporate care coordination and case management into therapy services to support the "whole-person" needs of their client. When most people think of "social workers," they are referring to LCSWs or LSWs.
To become an LCSW/LSW, individuals must complete a master's degree in social work (MSW), complete thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience, and pass a clinical-level exam administered by the Association of Social Work Boards. In addition, LCSWs must complete ongoing professional development and continuing education to maintain their licensure.
LCSWs/LSWs cannot prescribe medication on their own, so they often work alongside psychiatrists, doctors, and other medical professionals.
Social Worker Candidate (SWC)
Also sometimes referred to as a pre-licensed social worker or associate clinical social worker, a Social Worker Candidate, or SWC, is a behavioral health professional who has completed their master's degree in social work (MSW), but who is still working to complete their supervised clinical hours. In short, SWCs and do everything a LCSW or LSW can do, but they must regularly meet with a fully licensed supervisor to review cases and ensure quality care.
Like LCSWs and LSWs, SWCs cannot prescribe medications to clients.
Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC)
A Licensed Addiction Counselor, or LAC, is a behavioral health professional who has received specialty training in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating people struggling with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. An LAC is equipped to review a person's history with substances, create custom recovery plans, provide therapy and other treatments, teach coping skills to prevent relapse, and coordinate care to help their clients connect to other support systems.
Colorado requires LACs to have a Clinical Behavioral master's degree or higher in substance use disorders/addiction or a related subject from an accredited institution. In addition, LACs must do 18+ months of supervised clinical hours (including 2,000 hours in direct care), completed over 100 hours of trainings, pass a jurisprudence exam, and pass the Master Addiction Counselor (MAC) exam administered by The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC). This credential is managed and overseen by Colorado's Behavioral Health Administration (BHA).
LACs cannot prescribe medications.
Certified Addiction Technician (CAT) or Specialist (CAS)
In Colorado, mental health professionals can earn entry-level and mid-level addiction counseling certificates from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA):
Certified Addiction Technician (CAT) is an entry-level certification that teaches how to support individuals and families affected by substance use and related behavioral disorders. The CAT level requires a high school diploma or GED, and professionals complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinical experience over 6 months. In addition, CAT professionals must pass national and state exams.
Certified Addiction Specialist (CAS) is a mid-level certification that provides more comprehensive addiction treatment training to professionals on clinical assessments, treatment planning, and counseling under the supervision of a trained clinician. The CAS level requires a bachelor's degree in a behavioral health concentration or human services equivalent (psychology, etc.), and applicants must complete minimum of 3,000 hours of supervised clinic work hours over 18 months. In addition, CAS professionals must pass national and state exams.
A Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) is the most advanced credential available in this area.
Neither Certified Addiction Technicians nor Specialists can prescribe medications.
Peer Support Credentials
A Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS) is a mental health professional with "lived experience" (meaning they have personal experience with mental health challenges or substance use recovery) who is trained to mentor and support others who are on a similar journey. Peer support specialists help people feel understood, build the skills and knowledge to navigate mental health or substance use challenges, and they take an active role in the health and wellness of their clients.
To become a certified peer support specialists in Colorado, peer professionals typically must apply through the Colorado Providers Association (COPA) and prove they have lived experience, completed 60 hours of training, documented previous peer work or volunteer hours, and passed an exam.
Peer support specialists (including those with CPSS and CPFS credentials) cannot prescribe medications.
Who prescribes medications for mental health?
Only trained medical professionals can prescribe and monitor mental health medications. In Colorado, this includes:
Psychiatrists (MD or DO). A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor who has completed special training in mental health and substance use. Psychiatrists can be identified by one of two credentials: Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
Psychologists (PhD or PsyD). A psychologist has a doctoral degree (either a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology) and is trained to provide psychological testing and treatment for personality disorders, learning disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other conditions. Treatment may include medication.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMNHP). In Colorado, advanced practice registered nurses with specialized psychiatric training can also prescribe mental health medications.
Primary Care Physicians (PCPs). While general medical doctors and PAs can prescribe standard psychiatric medications (like common antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs), they do not typically specialize in complex mental health care and will often refer patients to a psychologist.
Physician Assistants (PAs). PAs can sometimes prescribe medications but only under a collaborative agreement with a supervising physician and in compliance with state and federal rules.
Other mental health professionals - including LPCs, LCSWs, and peer support specialists – cannot prescribe medications.
Find qualified mental health professionals
If you live in or near Boulder and Broomfield counties and are seeking out a mental health or substance use professional, we invite you to browse through our Providers page - where you can read each provider's biography and view their education, credentials, and other qualifications.
Don't know what type of professional you need? That's okay! We can assess your needs and match you with a team of specialists and experts who are highly trained to support you.
What's the difference between therapists and social workers?
The primary difference between therapists (like LPCs and LPCCs) and social workers (like LCSWs and SWCs) lies in the scope of their work.
Therapists typically focus on helping clients learn and practice skills to improve their mental health and well-being. This is often done through psychotherapy (talk therapy) and other evidence-based methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT). Therapists commonly help treat conditions like anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, life transitions, mood disorders, and emotional regulation.
Social workers, on the other hand, tend to specialize in broader social systems and issues - in addition to psychotherapy. They often utilize methods like Family Systems and Ecological Systems Theory to help their clients in the context of their environment. Social workers commonly specialize in treating trauma, grief, depression, and relationship stress.