Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists, educational psychologists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. A violation of these provisions is a crime.
This bill, commencing July 1, 2020, would require those licensees and registrants, prior to initiating specified services, to provide a client with a specified written notice that the board receives and responds to complaints regarding services within the scope of the licensed practice and that the client may contact the board.
Under existing law, an employee or volunteer of a governmental entity, educational facility, or nonprofit charitable institution is exempt from the provisions otherwise
pertaining to marriage and family therapists and clinical social workers if the work is performed solely under the employer’s supervision. Under the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, an employee of a governmental entity, educational facility, or nonprofit charitable institution is exempt from the provisions of the act if the work is performed solely under the employer’s supervision.
This bill, commencing July 1, 2020, would, for an employee or volunteer who is not licensed or registered with the board, additionally condition these exemptions upon the employee or volunteer providing, prior to initiating psychotherapy services, a specified written notice to a client that provides the name and contact information of the agency that the client may contact to file a complaint regarding that practice of psychotherapy. The bill would also expand the exemptions under the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act to a volunteer of a governmental entity,
educational facility, or nonprofit charitable institution.
Existing law, the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act, exempts specified activities and services by graduate students and social work interns pursuing a master’s degree in social work, as specified, or working in a recognized training program from the provisions otherwise pertaining to clinical social workers.
This bill would remove the exemption for graduate students and social work interns working in a recognized training program and would prohibit a student from performing clinical social work in a private practice.
Because this bill would specify additional requirements under provisions pertaining to marriage and family therapists, educational psychologists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors, the violation of which would be a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.