Qualified Mental Health Professionals

The General Assembly authorized the Board of Counseling in 2017 to register Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHPs). Effective January 3, 2018, individuals are able to apply for QMHP registration by submitting an online application, fee paid online and supplemental documentation with the Board of Counseling. DMAS and DBHDS require all QMHP-A, QMHP-C and QMHP-Trainee staff to be registered with the Board of Counseling in order to provide services and to be reimbursement for such  services. (Please note that QMHP credential is a registration and not a license.) Grandfather Provision within the Regulations expired on 12/31/2018.

Regulation Changes:

Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP) Regulations changes effective 11/13/2019. Key changes to the regulations are listed below.

• Acceptance of a foreign degree if the degree and coursework is equivalent to a course of study at an accredited school.
• Definition of QMHP-C has been updated to specify children or adolescents up to the age of 22.
• National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) self-query report will be required for all applicants registering for QMHP-A and QMHP-C.
• Supervision obtained in another United States jurisdiction supervised by a licensed mental health professional in that jurisdiction can be considered toward meeting the supervised experience requirements.
• Clarification made to the continued competency requirements section to specifically identify DBHDS licensed agencies as approved to provide continuing education.
• Registrants who hold both a QMHP-A and QMHP-C registration are only required to complete a total of 8 contact hours of continuing education.
• Allow licensed occupation therapist to meet the supervised experience requirements if they obtained an internship or practicum of at least 500 hours with person with mental illnesses.
• QMHP-Trainee registration expires five years from the date of issuance.

Contact Information:

Email: qmhp@dhp.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 367-3053
Fax: (804) 977-9772
Address: 9960 Mayland Drive
Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233

Helpful Resource Information:

• Regulations Governing the Registration of Qualified Mental Health Professionals - 10-29-2020
• QMHP - Frequently Asked Questions
• Online Application Handbook
• Online Application and Forms – (Paper applications and payments by check or money order are not accepted)
• Guidance Document 115-2 -  Impact of Criminal Convictions
• Guidance Document 115-8 -  Approved Degrees in Human Services and Related Fields for QMHP Registration
• Check your Application Status
• QMHP Information Presentation

Register with Virginia Townhall to receive notification on changes to the Regulations