Bill Amendment: FL S0566 | 2022 | Regular Session
NOTE: For additional amemendments please see the Bill Drafting List
Bill Title: Mental Health Professional Licensure
Status: 2022-04-08 - Chapter No. 2022-29 [S0566 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S0566-Senate_Committee_Amendment_604342.html
Bill Title: Mental Health Professional Licensure
Status: 2022-04-08 - Chapter No. 2022-29 [S0566 Detail]
Download: Florida-2022-S0566-Senate_Committee_Amendment_604342.html
Florida Senate - 2022 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 566
Ì604342zÎ604342
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Health Policy (Gruters) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section
6 491.005, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
7 491.005 Licensure by examination.—
8 (1) CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK.—Upon verification of
9 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
10 board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost to the department
11 for purchase of the examination from the American Association of
12 State Social Worker’s Boards or a similar national organization,
13 the department shall issue a license as a clinical social worker
14 to an applicant whom who the board certifies has met all of the
15 following criteria:
16 (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate
17 fee.
18 (b)1. Has Received a doctoral degree in social work from a
19 graduate school of social work which at the time the applicant
20 graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by
21 the United States Department of Education or has received a
22 master’s degree in social work from a graduate school of social
23 work which at the time the applicant graduated:
24 a. Was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;
25 b. Was accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of
26 Social Work; or
27 c. Has been determined to have been a program equivalent to
28 programs approved by the Council on Social Work Education by the
29 Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council on
30 Social Work Education. An applicant who graduated from a program
31 at a university or college outside of the United States or
32 Canada must present documentation of the equivalency
33 determination from the council in order to qualify.
34 2. The applicant’s graduate program must have emphasized
35 direct clinical patient or client health care services,
36 including, but not limited to, coursework in clinical social
37 work, psychiatric social work, medical social work, social
38 casework, psychotherapy, or group therapy. The applicant’s
39 graduate program must have included all of the following
40 coursework:
41 a. A supervised field placement which was part of the
42 applicant’s advanced concentration in direct practice, during
43 which the applicant provided clinical services directly to
44 clients.
45 b. Completion of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in
46 theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in
47 clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course
48 in psychopathology, and no more than one course in research,
49 taken in a school of social work accredited or approved pursuant
50 to subparagraph 1.
51 3. If the course title which appears on the applicant’s
52 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the
53 coursework, the applicant provided shall be required to provide
54 additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a
55 syllabus or catalog description published for the course.
56 (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical social
57 work experience, which took place subsequent to completion of a
58 graduate degree in social work at an institution meeting the
59 accreditation requirements of this section, under the
60 supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or the
61 equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as determined by the
62 board. An individual who intends to practice in Florida to
63 satisfy clinical experience requirements must register pursuant
64 to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If the applicant’s
65 graduate program was not a program which emphasized direct
66 clinical patient or client health care services as described in
67 subparagraph (b)2., the supervised experience requirement must
68 take place after the applicant has completed a minimum of 15
69 semester hours or 22 quarter hours of the coursework required. A
70 doctoral internship may be applied toward the clinical social
71 work experience requirement. A licensed mental health
72 professional must be on the premises when clinical services are
73 provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting.
74 (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination designated
75 by board rule provided by the department for this purpose.
76 (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule
77 of the board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the
78 practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy,
79 and mental health counseling.
80 (3) MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY.—Upon verification of
81 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
82 board rule, plus the actual cost of the purchase of the
83 examination from the Association of Marital and Family Therapy
84 Regulatory Board, or similar national organization, the
85 department shall issue a license as a marriage and family
86 therapist to an applicant who the board certifies has met all of
87 the following criteria:
88 (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate
89 fee.
90 (b)1. Attained one of the following:
91 a. A minimum of a master’s degree in marriage and family
92 therapy from a program accredited by the Commission on
93 Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
94 b. A minimum of a master’s degree with a major emphasis in
95 marriage and family therapy or a closely related field from a
96 university program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of
97 Counseling and Related Educational Programs and graduate courses
98 approved by the board.
99 c. Has A minimum of a master’s degree with an major
100 emphasis in marriage and family therapy or a closely related
101 field, with a degree conferred before September 1, 2027, from an
102 institutionally accredited college or university from a program
103 accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and
104 Family Therapy Education or from a Florida university program
105 accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
106 Related Educational Programs and graduate courses approved by
107 the board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy,
108 and Mental Health Counseling.
109 2. If the course title that appears on the applicant’s
110 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the
111 coursework, the applicant provided shall provide additional
112 documentation, including, but not limited to, a syllabus or
113 catalog description published for the course. The required
114 master’s degree must have been received in an institution of
115 higher education that, at the time the applicant graduated, was
116 fully accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body
117 recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or
118 its successor organization Commission on Recognition of
119 Postsecondary Accreditation or was publicly recognized as a
120 member in good standing with the Association of Universities and
121 Colleges of Canada, or an institution of higher education
122 located outside the United States and Canada which, at the time
123 the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant
124 graduated, maintained a standard of training substantially
125 equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in
126 the United States which are accredited by an institutional a
127 regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher
128 Education Accreditation or its successor organization Commission
129 on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Such foreign
130 education and training must have been received in an institution
131 or program of higher education officially recognized by the
132 government of the country in which it is located as an
133 institution or program to train students to practice as
134 professional marriage and family therapists or psychotherapists.
135 The applicant has the burden of establishing that the
136 requirements of this provision have been met, and the board
137 shall require documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign
138 equivalency determination service, as evidence that the
139 applicant’s graduate degree program and education were
140 equivalent to an accredited program in this country. An
141 applicant with a master’s degree from a program that did not
142 emphasize marriage and family therapy may complete the
143 coursework requirement in a training institution fully
144 accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and
145 Family Therapy Education recognized by the United States
146 Department of Education.
147 (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical
148 experience during which 50 percent of the applicant’s clients
149 were receiving marriage and family therapy services, which must
150 be at the post-master’s level under the supervision of a
151 licensed marriage and family therapist with at least 5 years of
152 experience, or the equivalent, who is a qualified supervisor as
153 determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice
154 in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must
155 register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If
156 a graduate has a master’s degree with a major emphasis in
157 marriage and family therapy or a closely related field which did
158 not include all of the coursework required by paragraph (b),
159 credit for the post-master’s level clinical experience may not
160 commence until the applicant has completed a minimum of 10 of
161 the courses required by paragraph (b), as determined by the
162 board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of the
163 course credits must have been completed in the area of marriage
164 and family systems, theories, or techniques. Within the 2 years
165 of required experience, the applicant shall provide direct
166 individual, group, or family therapy and counseling to cases
167 including those involving unmarried dyads, married couples,
168 separating and divorcing couples, and family groups that include
169 children. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the
170 clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health
171 professional must be on the premises when clinical services are
172 provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting.
173 (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination designated
174 by board rule provided by the department.
175 (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule,
176 knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
177 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
178 health counseling.
179
180 For the purposes of dual licensure, the department shall license
181 as a marriage and family therapist any person who meets the
182 requirements of s. 491.0057. Fees for dual licensure may not
183 exceed those stated in this subsection.
184 (4) MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.—Upon verification of
185 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
186 board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost of purchase of
187 the examination from the National Board for Certified Counselors
188 or its successor organization, the department shall issue a
189 license as a mental health counselor to an applicant who the
190 board certifies has met all of the following criteria:
191 (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate
192 fee.
193 (b)1. Attained Has a minimum of an earned master’s degree
194 from a mental health counseling program accredited by the
195 Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related
196 Educational Programs which consists of at least 60 semester
197 hours or 80 quarter hours of clinical and didactic instruction,
198 including a course in human sexuality and a course in substance
199 abuse. If the master’s degree is earned from a program related
200 to the practice of mental health counseling which is not
201 accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling
202 and Related Educational Programs, then the coursework and
203 practicum, internship, or fieldwork must consist of at least 60
204 semester hours or 80 quarter hours and meet all of the following
205 requirements:
206 a. Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of
207 graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester
208 hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in each of
209 the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and
210 practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment
211 of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and
212 practice; individual evaluation and assessment; career and
213 lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social
214 and cultural foundations; substance abuse; and legal, ethical,
215 and professional standards issues in the practice of mental
216 health counseling. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation
217 work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied
218 toward this requirement.
219 b. A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of
220 graduate-level coursework addressing diagnostic processes,
221 including differential diagnosis and the use of the current
222 diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the American
223 Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
224 Mental Disorders. The graduate program must have emphasized the
225 common core curricular experience.
226 c. The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least
227 700 hours of university-sponsored supervised clinical practicum,
228 internship, or field experience that includes at least 280 hours
229 of direct client services, as required in the accrediting
230 standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
231 Related Educational Programs for mental health counseling
232 programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post
233 master’s clinical experience requirement.
234 2. Has Provided additional documentation if a course title
235 that appears on the applicant’s transcript does not clearly
236 identify the content of the coursework. The documentation must
237 include, but is not limited to, a syllabus or catalog
238 description published for the course.
239
240 Education and training in mental health counseling must have
241 been received in an institution of higher education that, at the
242 time the applicant graduated, was fully accredited by an
243 institutional a regional accrediting body recognized by the
244 Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor
245 organization or was publicly recognized as a member in good
246 standing with the Association of Universities and Colleges of
247 Canada, or an institution of higher education located outside
248 the United States and Canada which, at the time the applicant
249 was enrolled and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained
250 a standard of training substantially equivalent to the standards
251 of training of those institutions in the United States which are
252 accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body
253 recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or
254 its successor organization. Such foreign education and training
255 must have been received in an institution or program of higher
256 education officially recognized by the government of the country
257 in which it is located as an institution or program to train
258 students to practice as mental health counselors. The applicant
259 has the burden of establishing that the requirements of this
260 provision have been met, and the board shall require
261 documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign equivalency
262 determination service, as evidence that the applicant’s graduate
263 degree program and education were equivalent to an accredited
264 program in this country. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant
265 must have a master’s degree from a program that is accredited by
266 the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related
267 Educational Programs, the Masters in Psychology and Counseling
268 Accreditation Council, or an equivalent accrediting body which
269 consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours to
270 apply for licensure under this paragraph.
271 (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical
272 experience in mental health counseling, which must be at the
273 post-master’s level under the supervision of a licensed mental
274 health counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor
275 as determined by the board. An individual who intends to
276 practice in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience
277 requirements must register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before
278 commencing practice. If a graduate has a master’s degree with a
279 major related to the practice of mental health counseling which
280 did not include all the coursework required under sub
281 subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., credit for the post-master’s level
282 clinical experience may not commence until the applicant has
283 completed a minimum of seven of the courses required under sub
284 subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., as determined by the board, one of
285 which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal
286 psychology. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the
287 clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health
288 professional must be on the premises when clinical services are
289 provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting.
290 (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination designated
291 by board rule provided by the department for this purpose.
292 (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule,
293 knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
294 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
295 health counseling.
296 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
297
298 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
299 And the title is amended as follows:
300 Delete everything before the enacting clause
301 and insert:
302 A bill to be entitled
303 An act relating to mental health professional
304 licensure; amending s. 491.005, F.S.; revising
305 licensure requirements for clinical social workers,
306 marriage and family therapists, and mental health
307 counselors; providing an effective date.
