Education

• 1). Prepare to attend graduate school in counseling or social work by receiving a four-year degree from an undergraduate institution. Specific degree programs are not required to attend graduate school in counseling, but courses in areas such as psychology, social work, English and communications are be helpful.
  
  
• 2). Apply to graduate schools in mental health counseling or social work, which usually take from one to three years to complete. Applications require a fee, letters of recommendation, undergraduate transcripts, personal statements and might also include an interview. There are graduate schools in Indiana with programs in mental-health counseling and social work, but students can choose to attend graduate school elsewhere if desired.
  
  
• 3). Receive notifications of admissions to graduate schools and make a decision about the school that you would like to attend. Important factors when choosing a school include location, the possibility of taking classes online, the faculty-to-student ratio, cost, graduate financial assistance and size of the institution.
  
  

Indiana Licensure

• 1). Fill out the Indiana application for mental health counseling licensure forms.
  
  
• 2). Have a background check completed to prove to the state of Indiana that you have not committed any crimes that would affect your ability to practice counseling competently.
  
  
• 3). Take and pass the counselor licensure examination offered by the state of Indiana.
  
  
• 4). Pay the fee required by the state of Indiana for licensure as a mental health counselor or social worker. The fee is $50 as of September 2010.
  
  
• 5). Send all required materials to the state of Indiana's Professional Licensing Agency to be approved. The process takes from three to six weeks on average. Materials should be sent to the following address:
  
  Professional Licensing Agency
  
  Attn: Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board
  
  402 West Washington St., Room W-072
  
  Indianapolis, Ind. 46204
  
  
• 6). Once approved for licensure, begin applying for jobs as an adoption counselor in Indiana. There are many jobs available in Indiana in the field of mental health counseling, including openings at adoption agencies.