BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|Hearing Date:June 23, 2014 |Bill No:AB |
| |2213 |
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS, PROFESSIONS
AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Senator Ted W. Lieu, Chair
Bill No: AB 2213Author:Eggman
As Amended:March 28, 2014Fiscal: Yes
SUBJECT: Behavioral health care licensees.
SUMMARY: Revises the current education and curriculum requirements
for licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and
Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC) for out-of-state applicants who
are applying for licensure on or after January 1, 2016.
Existing law:
1) Establishes licensing requirements for MFT applicants who are
licensed outside of California and apply for licensure on or after
January 1, 2016. (Business and Professions Code (BPC) § 4980.72)
2) Establishes registration, education and experience requirements for
MFT applicants who currently do not hold a license outside of
California, on or after January 1, 2016.
(BPC § 4980.74)
3) Establishes the equivalent education guidelines for MFT applicants
licensed outside of California who apply for licensure on or after
January 1, 2016, and obtained education outside of California, as
specified. (BPC § 4980.78)
4) Establishes the licensure requirements for MFT applicants who hold
an out-of-state license and apply for licensure between January 1,
2010, and December 31, 2015, and repeals these requirements
effective January 1, 2016. (BPC § 4980.80)
5) Authorizes experience gained outside of California to be accepted
towards the licensure requirements for MFT applicants who apply for
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licensure between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015, if
specified criteria are met, and repeals that authority effective
January 1, 2016. (BPC § 4980.90)
6) Authorizes experience gained outside of California to be accepted
towards the licensure requirements for PCC applicants who apply for
examination or eligibility requirements between January 1, 2011,
and December 31, 2015, if specified criteria are met, and repeals
that authority effective January 1, 2014. (BPC § 4999.57)
7) Establishes the examination eligibility requirements for PCC
applicants who apply for licensure between January 1, 2011, and
December 31, 2015, who hold a valid license
outside of California for more than two years and meet specified
criteria, and repeals these requirements effective January 1, 2016.
(BPC § 4999.58)
8) Establishes the examination eligibility or registration
requirements for PCC applicants who apply for licensure between
January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, and hold a valid license
outside of California for less than two years and meet specified
criteria, and repeals that authority effective January 1, 2016.
(BPC § 4999.59)
This bill:
For persons licensed outside of California and apply for licensure as
a MFT on or after January 1, 2016:
1)Permits the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to accept time
actively licensed as a MFT towards licensure at a rate of 100 hours
per month, up to a maximum of 1,200 hours if the applicant has less
than 3,000 hours of qualifying supervised experience and the
applicant's degree meets specified practicum requirements without
exemption and remediation.
For persons who do not hold a license outside of California and apply
for licensure or registration as a MFT on or after January 1, 2016:
2)Revises the current number of units required for an applicant
educated outside of California as follows:
a) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeline, the degree must contain no less than 60
semester units or 90 quarter units of instruction, and up to
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12 semester or 18 quarter units of instruction may be remediated if
missing from the degree and may occur while the applicant is
registered as an intern;
b) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeframe, the degree must contain no less than 48
semester units or 72 quarter units of instruction; and,
c) An additional 75 hours of either face-to-face counseling or
client-centered advocacy, or a combination thereof.
3)Revises the coursework requirements for California law and ethics as
follows:
a) An applicant who completed a course in law and professional
ethics for MFTs, as specified, that did not contain instruction
in California law and ethics must complete an
18-hour course, as specified, prior to registering as an intern;
and,
b) An applicant, who has not completed a course in law and
professional ethics for MFTs, as specified, must complete
coursework which contains content specific to California law and
ethics and completes the coursework prior to registration as an
intern.
4)Clarifies for an applicant who completes specified educational
requirements, which were not completed during his or her education,
that the coursework must be from an accredited school, college or
university, as specified, an educational institution approved by the
Bureau
of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) or from a continuing
education provider that is acceptable to BBS, as specified, which
cannot be undergraduate coursework.
5)Requires an applicant to complete the following coursework, which
cannot be undergraduate coursework, not already completed in his or
her education from a specified educational institution:
a) At least three semester units or 45 hours of instruction
regarding the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care
and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice
environments, including structured meetings with various
consumers and family members of consumers of mental health
services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental
AB 2213
Page 4
illness, treatment, and recovery; and,
b) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction that
includes an understanding of various California cultures and the
social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
6)Clarifies that an applicant may complete any specified units and
course content requirements not already completed in his or her
education while registered as an intern, unless otherwise specified.
For persons licensed outside of California and apply for licensure or
registration as a MFT on or after January 1, 2016:
7)States that education will be considered substantially equivalent if
all of the following requirements are met:
a) The degree is obtained from a school, college or university
accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United
States Department of Education and consists of:
i) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeframe, the degree must contain no less than 60
semester or 90 quarter units of instruction and up to 12
semester or 18 quarter units of instruction may be remediated
while registered as an intern.
b) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeline, the degree must contain no less than 48
semester or 72 quarter units of instruction;
c) Six semester or nine quarter units of practicum, including but
not limited to, a minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face
counseling, and an additional 75 hours of either face-to-face
counseling or client-centered advocacy, or a combination thereof;
i) An out-of-state applicant, who has been licensed for at
least two years in clinical practice, as verified by the BBS,
is exempt from the requirement above; and,
ii) An applicant who has been licensed for less than two years
in clinical practice, as verified by the BBS, who does not meet
the practicum requirement, is required to remediate it by
obtaining 150 hours of face-to-face counseling and an
additional 75 hours of either face-to-face counseling or
client-centered advocacy, as specified, in addition to the
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3,000 hours of experience required while registered as an
intern.
d) Twelve semester or 18 quarter units in the areas of marriage,
family, and child counseling and marital and family systems, and
approaches to treatment, as specified.
8)Specifies that an applicant must complete coursework in law and
ethics as follows:
a) An applicant who has completed a course in law and
professional ethics for MFTs, as specified, that did not include
instruction in California law and professional ethics must
complete an 18 hour course in California law and professional
ethics prior to registering as an intern, and the content of the
course must at least include, advertising, scope of practice,
scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality,
dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege,
recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws
relating to confidentiality of patient health information, dual
relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse,
online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability,
disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethic complaints
and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care,
relevant family law, therapist disclosure to patients,
differences in legal and ethical standards in different types of
work settings, and licensing law and licensing process prior to
registering as an intern; and
b) An applicant, who has not completed a course in law and
professional ethics for MFTs, as specified, shall complete the
coursework which includes content specific to California law and
ethics, prior to registering as an intern.
9)Permits coursework not already completed during an applicant's
education to be from an accredited school, college or university, as
specified, an institution approved by the BPPE, or from a continuing
education provider that is acceptable to BBS, and does not include
undergraduate coursework.
10)Requires an applicant to complete coursework, not already completed
in his or her education, from an accredited school, college or
university, as specified, an institution approved by the BPPE, or
from a continuing education provider that is acceptable to BBS, and
is not undergraduate coursework to include:
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a) At least three semester units or 45 hours of instruction
regarding the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care
and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice
environments, including structured meetings with various consumer
and family members of consumers of mental health services to
enhance understanding of their experience of mental illness,
treatment, and recovery; and
b) At least one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction that
includes an understanding of the various California cultures and
the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic
position.
11)Clarifies that an applicant's degree title does not need to be
identical to other specified degree titles.
12)Specifies that an applicant may complete specified units and course
content requirements not already completed in his or her education,
while registered as an intern unless otherwise specified.
For persons who apply for licensure as a MFT between January 1, 2010,
and December 31, 2015, and hold a valid license issued by a board or
corresponding authority outside of California:
13)Permits BBS to accept time actively licensed to be accepted toward
licensure at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a maximum of 1,200
hours if the applicant has less than 3,000 hours of qualifying
supervised experience.
For persons who do not hold a license outside of California and apply
for licensure or registration as a MFT on or after January 1, 2016:
14)Requires an applicant to meet the following educational
requirements:
a) A minimum of two semester units of instruction in the
diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, and treatment of mental
disorders, including severe mental disorders, evidence-based
practices, psychological testing, psychopharmacology, and
promising mental health practices that are evaluated in peer
review literature; this must include at least one semester unit
or 15 hours of instruction in psychological testing and at least
one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction in
psychopharmacology;
b) Training in developmental issues from infancy to old age,
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including demonstration of at least one semester unit or 15 hours
of instruction that includes the following subjects:
i) The effects of developmental issues on individuals,
couples, and family relationships;
ii) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, and health
implications of developmental issues and their effects; and,
iii) The understanding of the impact that personal and social
insecurity, social stress, low education levels, inadequate
housing, and malnutrition have on human development and
specifies that an applicant who is deficient in any of the
subjects above may remediate the coursework by completing three
hours of instruction in each deficient subject.
c) Training in the broad range of matters and life events that
may arise within marriage and family relationships and within a
variety of California cultures, including instruction in the
following:
i) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework
in child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified, and any
regulations promulgated;
ii) A minimum of ten contact hours of coursework that
includes:
(1) The assessment and reporting of, as well as
treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and
neglect;
(2) Aging and its biological, social, cognitive, and
psychological aspects;
(3) Long-term care; and
(4) End-of-life grief.
iii) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in spousal or
partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies,
and same-gender abuse dynamics;
iv) Cultural factors relevant to abuse of partners and family
members;
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v) Childbirth, child rearing, parenting, and step-parenting;
vi) Marriage, divorce, and blended families;
vii) Poverty and deprivation;
viii) Financial and social stress;
ix) Effects of trauma; and,
x) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, community and health
implications of the matters and life events, as specified.
d) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction in
multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction,
including experiences of race, ethnicity, class spirituality,
sexual orientation, gender, and disability, and their
incorporation into the psychotherapeutic process;
e) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in
human sexuality, as specified, including the study of
physiological, psychological, and social cultural variables
associated with sexual behavior and gender identity, and the
assessment and treatment of psychosexual dysfunction;
f) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in substance use
disorders, co-occurring disorders and addiction and the
coursework must include:
i) The definition of substance use disorders, co-occurring
disorders and addiction and defines "co-occurring" to mean a
mental illness and substance abuse diagnosis occurring
simultaneously in an individual;
ii) Medical aspects of substance use disorders and
co-occurring disorders;
iii) The effects of psychoactive drug use;
iv) Current theories of the etiology of substance abuse and
addiction;
v) The role of persons and systems that support or compound
substance abuse and addiction;
vi) Major approaches to identification, evaluation, and
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treatment of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders,
and addiction, including best practices;
vii) Legal aspects of substance abuse;
viii) Populations at risk with regard to substance use disorders
and co-occurring disorders;
ix) Community resources offering screening, assessment,
treatment, and follow-up for the affected person and family;
x) Recognition of substance use disorders, co-occurring
disorders, and addiction and appropriate referral; and,
xi) The prevention of substance use disorders and addiction.
g) A minimum of a two semester or three quarter unit course in
law and professional ethics for MFTs, including instruction in
the following:
i) Contemporary professional ethics and statutory,
regulatory, and decisional laws that delineate the scope of
practice of marriage and family therapy;
ii) The therapeutic, clinical and practical considerations
involved in the legal and ethical practice of marriage and
family therapy, including family law;
iii) The current legal patterns and trends in the mental health
professions;
iv) The psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality,
the patient dangerous to self or others and the treatment of
minors with and without parental consent;
v) A recognition and exploration of the relationship between
a practitioner's sense of self and human values and his or her
professional behavior and ethics;
vi) Differences in legal and ethical standards for different
types of work settings; and,
vii) Licensing law and licensing process.
For persons who apply for licensure as an MFT between January 1, 2010,
and December 31, 2015, who have gained experience out-of-state:
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15)Permits BBS to accept time actively licensed as a MFT to be
accepted towards licensure at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a
maximum of 1,200 hours if the applicant has less than 3,000 hours of
qualifying supervised experience.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility or registration, as
a PCC, between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2015, and who are not
licensed out-of state:
16)Exempts an applicant from taking an 18-hour ethics course, as
specified, if the applicant completed a course that included
instruction in California law and ethics.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility between January 1,
2011 and December 31, 2015, and who have held a PCC license,
out-of-state, for at least two-years:
17)Permits BBS to accept time actively licensed as a PCC to be
accepted towards licensure at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a
maximum of 1,200 hours if the applicant has less than 3,000 hours of
qualifying supervised experience.
18)Exempts an applicant from taking an 18-hour ethics course, as
specified, if the applicant completed a course that included
instruction in California law and ethics.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility between January 1,
2011 and December 31, 2015, and who have held a PCC license,
out-of-state, for less than two-years:
19)Permits BBS to accept time actively licensed as a PCC to be
accepted towards licensure at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a
maximum of 1,200 hours if the applicant has less than 3,000 hours of
qualifying supervised experience.
20)Exempts an applicant from taking an 18-hour ethics course, as
specified, if the applicant completed a course that included
instruction in California law and ethics.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility for licensure as a
PCC who are licensed outside of California and apply on or after
January 1, 2016:
21)Permits BBS to accept time actively licensed as a PCC to be
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accepted towards licensure at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a
maximum of 1,200 hours if the if the applicant has less than 3,000
hours of qualifying supervised experience and the applicant's degree
meets specified practicum requirements without exemptions or
remediation.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility or registration as a
PCC on or after January 1, 2016, who do not hold a license outside of
California:
22)Clarifies that education is considered substantially equivalent if:
a) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeline, the degree must contain no less than 60
graduate semester or 90 graduate quarter units, and up to 12
semester or 18 quarter units of instruction may be remediated
while registered as an intern; and,
b) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeline, the degree must contain no less than 48
graduate semester or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction, as
specified.
23)Clarifies that an applicant whose degree is deficient, as
specified, may satisfy those deficiencies by successfully completing
graduate level coursework at an accredited or
approved institution and the coursework taken must be the equivalent
of three semester units or four and one-half quarter units of study.
24)Provides that an applicant who completed a course in professional
orientation, ethics, and law in counseling that did not contain
instruction in California law and professional ethics must complete
an 18-hour course, as specified, prior to registering as an intern.
25)Provides that an applicant, who has not completed a course in law
and professional ethics for MFTs, as specified, shall complete the
coursework which includes content specific to California law and
ethics, prior to registering as an intern.
26)Requires an applicant who completes any units, as specified, not
already in his or her education to comply with the following:
a) At least 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units of advanced
coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues or
special populations in addition to currently required coursework;
AB 2213
Page 12
and
b) Coursework must be from an accredited or approved school,
college of university as specified.
27)Requires an applicant to complete the following graduate level
coursework not already completed in his or her education to comply
with the following:
a) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training in human sexuality,
as specified, including the study of the physiological,
psychological, and social cultural variables associated with
sexual behavior, gender identity, and the assessment and
treatment of psychosexual dysfunction;
b) A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or
partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies, and
same-gender abuse dynamics;
c) A minimum of seven contact hours of instruction in child abuse
assessment, and reporting, as specified; and,
d) A minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and
long-term care, including biological, social, cognitive, and
psychological aspects of aging, and include instruction on the
assessment and reporting of, and treatment related to elder and
dependent adult abuse and neglect.
28)Requires an applicant who completes coursework not already
completed in his or her education to be at a graduate level and
include:
a) At least three semester units or 45 hours of instruction
regarding the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care
and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice
environments, including structured meetings with various
consumers and family
members of consumers of mental health services to enhance
understanding of their experiences of mental illness, treatment
and recovery; and
b) At least one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction that
includes and understanding of various California cultures and the
social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
AB 2213
Page 13
29)Clarifies that an applicant may complete units and course content
requirements not already completed in his or her education while
registered with the BBS as an intern.
For persons who apply for examination eligibility or registration as a
PCC on or after January 1, 2016, and hold a license outside of
California:
30)Specifies that education is deemed substantially equivalent if:
a) The degree was obtained at an accredited or approved
institution, as specified, and consists of the following:
i) For an applicant who obtained his or her degree within a
specified timeframe, the degree must be no less than 60
graduate semester or 90 quarter units and up to
12 semester or 18 quarter units of instruction may be remediated
if missing from the degree while registered as an intern.
b) For an applicant who obtained his or degree within a specified
timeframe, the degree shall contain no less than 48 graduate
semester or 72 graduate units of instruction;
c) Six semester or nine quarter units of practicum, including but
not limited to, a minimum of 280 hours of face-to-face
counseling:
i) An applicant who has been licensed for at least two years
in clinical practice, as verified, is exempt; and,
ii) An out-of-state applicant who has been licensed for less
than two years in clinical practice, as verified by BBS, and
does not meet the practicum requirement, shall remediate the
requirement by demonstrating completion of a total of 280 hours
of face-to-face counseling, as specified, in addition to the
3,000 hours of experience required and must be gained while
registered as an intern.
d) Specified areas of study:
i) An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than six
of the required areas of study, as specified, may satisfy those
deficiencies by successfully completing graduate level
coursework which must be the equivalent of three semester units
or four and one-half units of study;
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Page 14
ii) An applicant who completed a course in professional
orientation, ethics, and law in counseling that did not contain
instruction in California law and ethics must complete an 18
hour course in California law and professional ethics, as
specified; and,
iii) An applicant who has not completed a course in
professional orientation ethics and law in counseling, as
specified must complete this coursework prior to registration
as an intern.
31)Requires an applicant to complete any required units, as specified,
not already completed in his or her education as follows:
a) At least 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units of advanced
coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues or
special populations, in addition to specified requirements; and,
b) Coursework shall be from an accredited or approved school,
college, or university, as specified.
32)Requires an applicant to complete the following coursework not
already completed in his or her education:
a) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training in human sexuality,
as specified, and any regulations promulgated thereunder
including the study of physiological, psychological and social
cultural variables associated with sexual behavior, gender
identity, and the assessment and treatment of psychosexual
dysfunction;
b) A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or
partner abuse, assessment, detection, intervention strategies,
and same-gender abuse dynamics;
c) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in
child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified;
d) A minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and
long-term care including biological, social, cognitive, and
psychological aspects of aging and this coursework must include
instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as
treatment related to elder and dependent abuse and neglect; and,
e) This coursework may be from an accredited or approved school,
college or university, as specified, and undergraduate coursework
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Page 15
will not satisfy this requirement.
33)Requires an applicant to complete the following coursework not
already completed in his or her education from an accredited or
approved school, college, or university, as specified, or from a
continuing education provider that is acceptable to the BBS and
undergraduate coursework will not satisfy this requirement:
a) A least three semester units or 45 hours of instruction
regarding the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care
and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice
environments, including structured meetings with various
consumers and family members of consumers of metal health
services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental
illness, treatment, and recovery; and,
b) At least one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction that
includes an understanding of various California cultures and the
social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
34)Provides that an applicant may complete any units and course
content requirements, as specified, not already completed in his or
her education while registered with the BBS as an intern, unless
otherwise specified.
FISCAL EFFECT: This measure has been keyed "fiscal" by Legislative
Counsel. According to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations
analysis dated April 30, 2014, the bill would have minor and
absorbable costs to the BBS to update requirements.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose. The sponsor of the bill is the BBS . According to the
Author, licensing requirements for out-of-state LMFT and LPCC
applicants are set to change on January 1, 2016. After January 1,
2016, out-of-state applicants will be required to complete a long
list of very specific education al requirements, including courses
that deal with topics specific to California, which out-of-state
applicants are highly unlikely to have completed. Moreover, the BBS
would not be able to accept coursework completed through continuing
education, but rather require all remediation coursework be
completed at the graduate level. Additionally, all coursework would
need to be remediated prior to registration with the board as an
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intern.
2.Background.
a) Licensing Requirements. Currently, requirements for licensure
for MFTs are consistent for out-of-state applicants and in state
applicants. Further, according to the BBS, approximately 3% of
applicants for MFT intern and 1.5% of applicants for MFT exam
eligibility are out-of-state applicants. However, 35% of
applicants for clinical counselor intern are out-of-state
applicants. The BBS was unable to provide statistics reflecting
the exam eligibility for out-of-state PCC applicants because they
have issued registrations for less than two years.
Senate Bill 788 (Wyland, Chapter 619, Statutes of 2009) established
the PCC Act which provided for the licensing and regulation of
PCCs by the BBS. When the legislation took effect in 2010, many
sections of California law that applied to other mental health
professionals had not yet been revised to incorporate PCCs.
Because PCCs are largely comparable to MFTs, SB 146 (Wyland,
Chapter 381, Statutes of 2011) was passed to amend various code
sections relating to MFTs so that the same substantive provisions
and requirements would apply to PCCs as well. Because the
out-of-state applicant requirements for PCCs were patterned after
MFT law, with similar education, exam and experience
requirements, PCC applicants are faced with similar licensure
access and portability issues as MFTs.
b) Out-of-State MFT and PCC Applicants. Certain educational and
experience requirements were scheduled to take effect as result
of SB 33 (Correa, Chapter 26, Statutes of 2009) beginning January
1, 2014. SB 33 revised the requirements for MFTs seeking
licensure or registration in California who were educated or
licensed outside of California. Based on concerns raised by the
BBS regarding out-of-state applicants not being able to meet
those revised requirements without significant challenges, the
BBS sponsored AB 451 (Eggman, Chapter 551, Statutes of 2013).
This bill extended the effective date for the new education,
examination and eligibility requirements for out-of-state
applicants for MFTs and PCCs by two years from January 1, 2014,
to January 1, 2016. The two-year delay allowed the BBS time to
revise changes contained in SB 33 for licensure requirements for
out-of-state applicants.
Under the provisions of SB 33, new applicants are required take a
broad range of coursework, from understanding marriage and family
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principles to cultural competency and sensitivity, including a
familiarity with the racial, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic
backgrounds of persons living in California. These courses could
be difficult to obtain in out-of-state programs as they relate
specifically to California and may not be offered at out-of-state
educational institutions which could potentially prevent an
individual licensed or educated outside of California from
qualifying for licensure without providing a way to make up the
required coursework.
3.Arguments in Support. The Association of California Healthcare
Districts supports the bill and writes, "There is a growing demand
to provide increased mental health services in California; in order
to meet this growing demand, there must be a qualified workforce
able to offer mental health services within our communities?AB 2213
would ease concerns with current law, making it possible for
out-of-state licensees to consider employment in California.
Additionally, this measure is vital to increasing the number of
mental health professionals available in California."
The California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies also
supports the bill and writes, "Workforce capacity is an enormous
challenge for our member agencies. This measure will make it
easier to attract and retain workers from other states and will
improve our workforce capacity."
SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION:
Support:
Association of California Healthcare Districts
California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies
Opposition:
None received and June 18, 2014.
Consultant:Le Ondra Clark, Ph.D.