INSTRUCTIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR RESEARCH STUDIES:   LİCENSED PROFESSİONAL COUNSELORS ASSOCİATION, LPCA 

Guidelines and Instructions for Requests for Access to Membership for Research and Assessment Purposes

LPCA is committed to supporting and advancing the field of higher education for mental health students. LPCA follows the guidelines set by AMHCA.

The IRB (Institutional Review Board) is the organization who approves and “allows” a study to be run.  As LPCA Policy, a student member will present to LPCA a letter from the (name of university) IRB that clearly that the study is approved and managed by the “name of the university” IRB, and the student will simply request the opportunity to request LPCA to send out the study to the LPCA membership, under the LPCA policy and terms.

LPCA policy allows the opportunity for its current student members who are not licensed as counselors to presents their “projects/studies” within the guidelines without inundating our members with surveys, research projects, or studies.  

The following disclaimer statement will be included in the distribution of the study. 

Disclaimer Statement:  The Licensed Professional Counselors Association, LPCA, as a non-profit Professional Organization has no association or connection to this study.

To that end, the following guidelines and procedures have been put in place for members of LPCA interested in accessing LPCA’s membership for research and assessment purposes. The following principles serve as the foundation for the development of these procedures:

Research requests must fit with the mission and purpose of LPCA, be culturally appropriate, and comply with LPCA’s statement on non-discrimination* and ethical principles.**

Review of research requests will not include making judgments on the quality and rigor of the study as this is evidenced by the researcher’s home institutional review procedures and IRB approval.

Current LPCA policy does not allow for the release of e-mail addresses of members; however, LPCA does provide the service of sending an e-mail message and follow-up announcement, on behalf of the member researcher, on a timed schedule.  (Please note that LPCA policy allows for only one e-mail blast per month to members.)

All requests from LPCA members will be treated equally without regard to leadership or membership status.

LPCA has a responsibility to protect members’ rights and confidentiality. In addition, consistent with ethical research practice, research submitted for review must adhere to expectations regarding participant anonymity, confidentiality, and privacy.

The process must provide assurance that LPCA members will not be unreasonably burdened by research participation requests. As such, the Association will closely monitor the number of requests and will not approve more than three (3) research requests per academic semester per person.

Researchers will be required to provide a copy of a one-page abstract of the thesis/dissertation or study. Researchers will also be encouraged to submit proposals for the Regional convention programs and manuscripts to Ga Journal of Professional Counseling publication.

Non-members requesting studies to be emailed to members, must be members of their professional organization in their state.

**LPCA’s statement of ethical principles may be found http://www.LPCAGA.org

Procedure 

Email to the LPCA office:  [email protected]:

Must include descriptions of the purpose of the study; connection of proposed research to LPCA’s mission and core values (www.LPCAGA.org to view the mission statement, and statement of anticipated risks, ; name of faculty advisor and contact information; timeline and duration of project; confirmation of compliance with research ethics and non-discrimination statements.

Review and Approval Process

Applications will be reviewed by the Professional Development Chair/Committee and Educational Programs. All requesters will receive a confirmation of receipt.

If the proposal meets all criteria, and the number of requests has not exceeded the maximum three (3) per semester, an Approve will be emailed.

Each request is reviewed for duplication of prior research topics and sample populations. Duplicate or similar research topics and sample populations will not be scheduled in the same academic semester, including summer.

Requests to communicate with LPCA members via LPCA social medica will not be approved, in certain situations LPCA may distribute via LPCA social media.

Fee Structure

Members whose research requests are approved by LPCA will not be assessed a fee.

Non-members requesting approval will be not be charged a fee, but need to list their membership number from their state association

Terms and Conditions

Once approved LPCA will post:  All letters of invitation to study participants must include language that the study has been approved by an appropriate IRB board and that the research internally approved by LPCA.

RESEARCH POLICY

 Description:  IRBs are now requiring students to have an acknowledgement from professional organizations, social media manager, listserv owners, etc. to indicate that, if the students' IRB Is approved by their home institution, the student may post their recruitment request (or have it posted on their behalf) through the respective professional organization, social media site, or listserv.

 Students are now asking if you can acknowledge that LPCA will send the recruitment ‘survey’ message through the organization’s listserv/E-newsletter/Etc.  if the IRB approves the study.

 The current policy has been reviewed, 11/02/2023 and is acceptable.

LPCA Board member, Professional Development will review the Research Request Application to determine if it fits within the scope of LPCA (most almost always do) 

LPCA will provide the student request with the LPCA document/policy.

 And if the board member approves, LPCA will indicate that LPCA will post the recruitment/survey request upon receipt of a formal letter of approval from the student's IRB.

 The LPCA email should be enough for the IRB to have the student obtain IRB's approval.

 Then the student can provide LPCA with the IRB's formal approval letter.

At that point, the board member and LPCA staff still agree, LPCA can send the message to the listserv/members

This change in directions is due to federal changes to IRB regulations.

 Julia Whisenhunt, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, CPCS (she/her)

Past LPCA Ethics Chair

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Procedures

·Complete Application

Email to the LPCA office, [email protected]:

Must include descriptions of the purpose of the study; connection of proposed research to LPCA’s mission and core values (www.LPCAGA.org to view the mission statement, and statement of anticipated risks, ; name of faculty advisor and contact information; timeline and duration of project; confirmation of compliance with research ethics and non-discrimination statements.

Review and Approval Process

Applications will be reviewed by the Membership Committee and Educational Programs, and the designated person in the office. All requesters will receive a confirmation of receipt.

If the proposal meets all criteria, and the number of requests has not exceeded the maximum three (3) per semester, the office will approve requests.

Each request is reviewed for duplication of prior research topics and sample populations. Duplicate or similar research topics and sample populations will not be scheduled in the same academic semester, including summer.

Requests to communicate with LPCA members via LPCA social medica will not be approved, in certain situtations LPCA may distribute via LPCA social media.

·Fee Structure

Members whose research requests are approved by LPCA will not be assessed a fee.

Non-members requesting a member list will be not be charged a fee, but need to list their membership in their state.

·Terms andConditions

All letters of invitation to study participants must include language that the study has been approved by an appropriate IRB board and that the research internally approved by LPCA.