BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2552
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 21, 2004

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

                 AB 2552 (Leno) - As Introduced:  February 20, 2004 

          Policy Committee:                              Business and  
          Professions  Vote:                            13-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill makes various changes to the body of law licensing  
          marriage and family therapists (MFTs).  Specifically, this bill:

          1)Includes within MFT principles and methods the use,  
            application, and integration of specified coursework and  
            training.

          2)Requires an applicant for licensure as an MFT who has passed a  
            written exam, but who has not taken and passed an oral exam,  
            to take and pass a written clinical vignette exam, instead of  
            being required to take another written examination under  
            existing law.

          3)Authorizes the supervising licensee of an MFT intern to be an  
            owner or shareholder of the private practice, instead of only  
            being employed by the practice under existing law.

          4)Permits alternative supervision of an MFT intern to be  
            arranged during a supervisor's vacation or sick leave if the  
            supervision meets the requirement in existing law.

          5)Authorizes the use of the word "therapy" in the name of a MFT  
            corporation, in addition to the words "counseling,"  
            "counselor," or "therapist", which are required to be used in  
            the name of an MFT corporation.

           FISCAL EFFECT
           
          Minor and absorbable costs to the Board of Behavioral Sciences,  
          which licenses MFTs.








                                                                  AB 2552
                                                                  Page  2


           COMMENTS
           
          This bill is sponsored by the California Association of Marriage  
          and Family Therapists to include within the application of  
          marriage and family therapy principles and methods the use,  
          application, and integration of coursework and training required  
          under specified provisions of existing law for licensure as an  
          MFT.  The coursework and training referenced includes a degree  
          program that provides an integrated course of study that trains  
          students generally in the diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, and  
          treatment of mental disorders, and coursework in various  
          subjects, including professional ethics and California law,  
          alcoholism, spousal abuse, patient confidentiality,  
          psychological testing, psychopharmacology, and approaches to the  
          treatment of children.  

          Additionally, this bill clarifies the circumstances under which  
          an applicant for a MFT license is obligated to take and pass a  
          clinical vignette written examination, and provides specificity  
          as to how an MFT intern working in a private practice can get  
          supervision and count hours when the private practice supervisor  
          is unavailable due to vacation or illness. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Scott Bain / APPR. / (916) 319-2081