AB 2198, as amended, Levine. Mental health professionals: suicide prevention training.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professionals who provide mental health-related services, including psychologists, marriage and family therapists, educational psychologists, professional clinical counselors, and clinical social workers. Under existing law, an applicant for licensure in these professions is required to complete certain coursework or training in order to be eligible for a license. Existing law also requires these professionals to participate in continuing education as a prerequisite for renewing their license.
This bill would require a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, educational psychologist, professional clinical counselor, and clinical social worker who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, to complete a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management before he or she may be issued a license. The bill would also require, commencing January 1, 2016, a person licensed in these professionsbegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, to take a six-hour continuing education course in suicide assessment, treatment, and management in order to renew his or her license.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 2915.3 is added to the Business and
2Professions Code, to read:
(a) Any applicant for licensure as a psychologist who
4began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, shall complete,
5as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact hours of
6coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.
7(b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
8applicant has met the requirements of this section.
Section 2915.4 is added to the Business and Professions
10Code, to read:
(a) A licenseebegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who
12began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
13six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
14assessment, treatment, and management during his or her first
15renewal period after the operative date of this section, and shall
16submit to the board evidence acceptable to the board of the person’s
17satisfactory completion of that course.
18(b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
19applicant has met the requirements of this section.
20(c) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
21shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
22required by Section 2915.
23(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
Section 4980.393 is added to the Business and
25Professions Code, immediately following Section 4980.39, to read:
(a) An applicant for licensure who began graduate
27study on or after January 1, 2016, and whose education qualifies
28him or her under Section 4980.36 orbegin delete 4980.37end deletebegin insert 4980.37,end insert shall
29complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact
30hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and
31management.
Section 4980.394 is added to the Business and
2Professions Code, to read:
(a) A licenseebegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who
4began graduate study before January 1, 2016, shall complete a
5six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
6assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
7renewal period after the operative date of this section and shall
8submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the
9person’s satisfactory completion of the course.
10(b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
11shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
12required by Section
4980.54.
13(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
Section 4989.21 is added to the Business and
15Professions Code, to read:
(a) Any applicant for licensure as an educational
17psychologist who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016,
18shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15
19contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and
20management.
21(b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
22applicant has met the requirements of this section.
Section 4989.35 is added to the Business and
24Professions Code, to read:
(a) A licenseebegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who
26began graduate study before January 1, 2016, shall complete a
27six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
28assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
29renewal period after the operative date of this section and shall
30submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the
31person’s satisfactory completion of the course.
32(b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
33shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
34required by Section
4989.34.
35(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
Section 4996.27 is added to the Business and
37Professions Code, immediately following Section 4996.26, to read:
(a) Any applicant for licensure as a licensed clinical
39social worker who began graduate study on or after January 1,
402016, shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of
P4 115 contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment,
2and management.
3(b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
4applicant has met the requirements of this section.
Section 4996.275 is added to the Business and
6Professions Code, immediately following Section 4996.27, to read:
(a) A licenseebegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who
8began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
9six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
10assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
11renewal period after the operative date of this section, and shall
12submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the
13person’s satisfactory completion of the course.
14(b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
15shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
16required in Section
4996.22.
17(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
Section 4999.37 is added to the Business and
19Professions Code, to read:
An applicant for examination eligibility or registration
21who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, and whose
22education qualifies him or her under Section 4999.32 orbegin delete 4999.33end delete
23begin insert 4999.33,end insert shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum
24of 15 contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment,
25and management.
Section 4999.77 is added to the Business and
27Professions Code, to read:
(a) A licenseebegin insert or any applicant for licensureend insert who
29began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
30six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
31assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
32renewal period after the operative date of this section, and shall
33submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the
34person’s satisfactory completion of the course.
35(b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
36shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
37required in Section
4999.76.
38(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
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