BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2198
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 2198 (Levine)
As Amended August 4, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |47-11|(May 19, 2014) |SENATE: |30-1 |(August 14, |
| | | | | |2014) |
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Original Committee Reference: B., P. & C. P.
SUMMARY : Requires Psychologists, Licensed Marriage and Family
Therapists (LMFTs), Licensed Education Psychologists (LEPs),
Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), and Licensed
Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs) to complete either 15
or more hours of coursework during a degree program, or six or
more hours of continuing education (CE) coursework as part of
license renewal, in the areas of suicide assessment, management,
and treatment, depending on the professional's date of
graduation. Specifically, this bill :
For Psychologists:
1)Requires an applicant for licensure as a psychologist, who
began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, to complete
as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact hours of
coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management
and prohibits the Board of Psychology (BOP) from issuing a
license to a psychologist applicant until the applicant has
met the specified educational requirements.
2)Requires a licensed psychologist or any applicant for
licensure, who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016,
to complete a six-hour CE course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management during his or her first
renewal period, as specified, and submit acceptable evidence
to BOP of the person's satisfactory completion of that course,
and prohibits BOP from issuing a license to a psychologist
until the applicant has met the specified educational
requirements.
3)Permits CE courses taken in suicide assessment, treatment, and
management, to be applied to the 36 hours of approved
continuing education required, as specified.
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4)Delays the implementation of the CE requirement until January
1, 2016.
For Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists:
5)Requires a qualified applicant for licensure as a marriage and
family therapist, who began graduate study on or after January
1, 2016, to complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum
of 15 contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment,
treatment, and management.
6)Requires a LMFT or any applicant for licensure, who began
graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, to complete a
six-hour CE course in best practices for suicide assessment,
treatment, and management during his or her first renewal
period, as specified, and submit acceptable evidence to
California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) of the person's
satisfactory completion of that course.
7)Permits CE courses taken in suicide assessment, treatment, and
management, to be applied to the 36 hours of approved CE
required, as specified.
8)Delays the implementation of the CE requirement until January
1, 2016.
For Licensed Educational Psychologists:
9)Requires an applicant for licensure as an educational
psychologist, who began graduate study on or after January 1,
2016, to complete as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15
contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment,
and management and prohibits BBS from issuing a license to an
educational psychologist until the applicant has met the
specified educational requirements.
10)Requires an LEP or any applicant for licensure, who began
graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, to complete a
six-hour CE course in best practices for suicide assessment,
treatment, and management during his or her first renewal
period, as specified, and submit acceptable evidence to BBS of
the person's satisfactory completion of that course.
11)Permits CE courses taken in suicide assessment, treatment,
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and management, to be applied to the 36 hours of approved CE
required, as specified.
12)Delays the implementation of the CE requirement until January
1, 2016.
For Licensed Clinical Social Workers:
13)Requires an applicant for licensure as a clinical social
worker, who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016,
to complete as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15
contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment,
and management and prohibits BBS from issuing a license to a
social worker until the applicant has met the specified
educational requirements.
14)Requires an LCSW or any applicant for licensure, who began
graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, to complete a
six-hour CE course in best practices for suicide assessment,
treatment, and management during his or her first renewal
period, as specified, and submit acceptable evidence to BBS of
the person's satisfactory completion of that course.
15)Permits CE courses taken in suicide assessment, treatment,
and management, to be applied to the 36 hours of approved
continuing education required, as specified.
16)Delays the implementation of the CE requirement until January
1, 2016.
For Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors:
17)Requires a qualified applicant for licensure as a
professional clinical counselor, who began graduate study on
or after January 1, 2016, to complete, as a condition of
licensure, a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in
suicide assessment, treatment, and management.
18)Requires an LPCC or any applicant for licensure, who began
graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, to complete a
six-hour CE course in best practices for suicide assessment,
treatment, and management during his or her first renewal
period, as specified, and submit acceptable evidence to BBS
of the person's satisfactory completion of that course.
AB 2198
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19)Permits CE courses taken in suicide assessment, treatment,
and management, to be applied to the 36 hours of approved CE
required, as specified.
20)Delays the implementation of the CE requirement until January
1, 2016.
The Senate amendments simply clarify that the provisions of this
bill apply to applicants for licensure in addition to license
holders. This bill is substantially similar to the version
passed by the Assembly.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS :
1)Purpose of this bill. This bill will require psychologists,
LMFTs, LEPs, LCSWs and LPCCs to complete either 15 or more
hours of coursework, or six or more hours of continuing
education, related to suicide assessment, treatment, and
management, depending on the date in which the individual
began their graduate degree program. The aim is to ensure
that mental health professionals have adequate training to
deal with potentially suicidal individuals. This bill is
author-sponsored.
2)Author's statement. According to the author, "Studies
estimate that 40% of people who die by suicide have had
contact with mental health services within a year of their
death. There is no requirement on the books that mental
health professionals have training in suicide assessment,
treatment and management. Most people would assume that if
[patients need] help with suicide prevention that they should
[seek] a mental health professional who has experience with
suicide assessment, treatment and management. This bill is
necessary to ensure that mental health professionals receive
the appropriate training in suicide assessment, treatment and
management, thereby protecting public health."
3)Suicide prevention. According to information provided by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 suicide
ranked as the 10th leading cause of death of person's ages 10
years and older, accounting for over 36,000 deaths.
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In 2012, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
released the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
(National Strategy). The National Strategy outlines strategic
directions with 13 goals and 60 objectives that are meant to
work together in a coordinated format to help prevent suicide.
Goal number seven of the National Strategy is to "Provide
training to community and clinical service providers on the
prevention of suicide and related behaviors," including, but
not limited to, professions such as first responders, adult
and child protective service professionals, and health care
providers, including behavioral health care professionals.
The objective of that goal is to "provide training to mental
health and substance abuse providers on the recognition,
assessment, and management of at-risk behavior, and the
delivery of effective clinical care for people with suicide
risk."
This bill aims to ensure that education for mental health
providers include coursework in suicide assessment, treatment
and management by requiring coursework in this subject area be
completed either during a degree program or through CE,
depending upon the beginning date of their graduate degree
program. In order to provide schools with an opportunity to
revise their curricula if necessary, this bill authorizes
licensees who completed graduate study before January 1, 2016,
to obtain the needed coursework through CE, as approved by BOP
or BBS. For individuals who begin graduate study after 2016,
they will be required to complete the coursework during a
degree program.
Analysis Prepared by : Elissa Silva / B., P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
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