Bill Text: FL S1368 | 2013 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Clinical, Counseling, and Psychotherapy Services
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Failed) 2013-05-03 - Died in Children, Families, and Elder Affairs [S1368 Detail]
Download: Florida-2013-S1368-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2013 CS for CS for SB 1368
By the Committees on Criminal Justice; and Health Policy; and
Senator Ring
591-04352-13 20131368c2
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to clinical, counseling, and
3 psychotherapy services; amending s. 491.004, F.S.;
4 deleting an obsolete provision; conforming provisions;
5 amending s. 491.0045, F.S.; requiring registered
6 interns to remain under supervision while maintaining
7 registered intern status; providing for noncompliance;
8 providing for the expiration of intern registrations
9 and registered intern licenses; prohibiting specified
10 persons from applying for an intern registration;
11 amending s. 491.0046, F.S.; correcting cross
12 references; prohibiting specified persons from
13 applying for a provisional license; amending s.
14 491.005, F.S.; revising the requirements for a
15 clinical social worker license, a marriage and family
16 therapist license, and a mental health counselor
17 license; deleting a provision requiring certain
18 registered interns to be certified as having met
19 specified licensure requirements; amending s.
20 491.0057, F.S.; providing for future repeal of
21 provisions providing for dual licensure as a marriage
22 and family therapist; amending s. 491.006, F.S.;
23 revising requirements of licensure or certification by
24 endorsement; amending s. 491.007, F.S.; deleting a
25 provision providing certified master social workers a
26 limited exemption from continuing education
27 requirements; deleting a provision requiring the Board
28 of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy,
29 and Mental Health Counseling to establish a procedure
30 for the biennial renewal of intern registrations;
31 providing an effective date.
32
33 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
34
35 Section 1. Subsections (3) through (7) of section 491.004,
36 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
37 491.004 Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family
38 Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling.—
39 (3) No later than January 1, 1988, the Governor shall
40 appoint nine members of the board as follows:
41 (a) Three members for terms of 2 years each.
42 (b) Three members for terms of 3 years each.
43 (c) Three members for terms of 4 years each.
44 (3)(4) As the terms of the initial members expire, the
45 Governor shall appoint successors for terms of 4 years; and
46 those members shall serve until their successors are appointed.
47 (4)(5) The board shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
48 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement and enforce the provisions of
49 this chapter.
50 (5)(6) All applicable provisions of chapter 456 relating to
51 activities of regulatory boards shall apply to the board.
52 (6)(7) The board shall maintain its official headquarters
53 in the City of Tallahassee.
54 Section 2. Section 491.0045, Florida Statutes, is amended
55 to read:
56 491.0045 Intern registration; requirements.—
57 (1) Effective January 1, 1998, An individual who has not
58 satisfied intends to practice in Florida to satisfy the
59 postgraduate or post-master’s level experience requirements, as
60 specified in s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or (4)(c), must register
61 as an intern in the profession for which he or she is seeking
62 licensure before prior to commencing the post-master’s
63 experience requirement. or An individual who intends to satisfy
64 part of the required graduate-level practicum, internship, or
65 field experience, outside the academic arena for any profession,
66 must register as an intern in the profession for which he or she
67 is seeking licensure before prior to commencing the practicum,
68 internship, or field experience.
69 (2) The department shall register as a clinical social
70 worker intern, marriage and family therapist intern, or mental
71 health counselor intern each applicant who the board certifies
72 has:
73 (a) Completed the application form and remitted a
74 nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $200, as set by
75 board rule;
76 (b)1. Completed the education requirements as specified in
77 s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or (4)(c) for the profession for which
78 he or she is applying for licensure, if needed; and
79 2. Submitted an acceptable supervision plan, as determined
80 by the board, for meeting the practicum, internship, or field
81 work required for licensure that was not satisfied in his or her
82 graduate program.
83 (c) Identified a qualified supervisor.
84 (3) An individual registered under this section must remain
85 under supervision while practicing under registered intern
86 status until he or she is in receipt of a license or a letter
87 from the department stating that he or she is licensed to
88 practice the profession for which he or she applied.
89 (4) An individual who has applied for intern registration
90 on or before December 31, 2001, and has satisfied the education
91 requirements of s. 491.005 that are in effect through December
92 31, 2000, will have met the educational requirements for
93 licensure for the profession for which he or she has applied.
94 (4)(5) Individuals who have commenced the experience
95 requirement as specified in s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or (4)(c)
96 but failed to register as required by subsection (1) shall
97 register with the department before January 1, 2000. Individuals
98 who fail to comply with this section subsection shall not be
99 granted a license under this chapter, and any time spent by the
100 individual completing the experience requirement as specified in
101 s. 491.005(1)(c), (3)(c), or (4)(c) before prior to registering
102 as an intern shall not count toward completion of the such
103 requirement.
104 (5) Intern registration shall be valid for 5 years. Any
105 subsequent intern registration shall be as a result of applying
106 for and meeting all requirements imposed on an applicant for
107 initial registration.
108 (6) A registration issued on or before June 30, 2011,
109 expires on July 1, 2016, and may not be renewed or reissued. A
110 registration issued after June 30, 2011, expires 60 months after
111 the date it was issued. Any subsequent intern registration shall
112 be issued at the discretion of the board.
113 (7) A person who has held a provisional license issued by
114 the board may not apply for an intern registration in the same
115 profession.
116 Section 3. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
117 491.0046, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (5) is
118 added to that section, to read:
119 491.0046 Provisional license; requirements.—
120 (2) The department shall issue a provisional clinical
121 social worker license, provisional marriage and family therapist
122 license, or provisional mental health counselor license to each
123 applicant who the board certifies has:
124 (c) Has met the following minimum coursework requirements:
125 1. For clinical social work, a minimum of 15 semester hours
126 or 22 quarter hours of the coursework required by s.
127 491.005(1)(b)2.b.
128 2. For marriage and family therapy, 10 of the courses
129 required by s. 491.005(3)(b)1.a. 491.005(3)(b)1.a.-c., as
130 determined by the board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9
131 quarter hours of the course credits must have been completed in
132 the area of marriage and family systems, theories, or
133 techniques.
134 3. For mental health counseling, a minimum of seven of the
135 courses required under s. 491.005(4)(b)1.a. 491.005(b)1.a.-c.
136 (5) A person who has held an intern registration issued by
137 the board may not apply for a provisional license in the same
138 profession.
139 Section 4. Section 491.005, Florida Statutes, is amended to
140 read:
141 491.005 Licensure by examination.—
142 (1) CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK.—Upon verification of
143 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
144 board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost to the department
145 for purchase of the examination from the American Association of
146 State Social Worker’s Boards or a similar national organization,
147 the department shall issue a license as a clinical social worker
148 to an applicant who the board certifies:
149 (a) Has submitted an made application therefor and paid the
150 appropriate fee.
151 (b)1. Has received a doctoral degree in social work from a
152 graduate school of social work which at the time the applicant
153 graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by
154 the United States Department of Education or has received a
155 master’s degree in social work from a graduate school of social
156 work which at the time the applicant graduated:
157 a. Was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education;
158 b. Was accredited by the Canadian Association of Schools of
159 Social Work; or
160 c. Has been determined to have been a program equivalent to
161 programs approved by the Council on Social Work Education by the
162 Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council on
163 Social Work Education. An applicant who graduated from a program
164 at a university or college outside of the United States or
165 Canada must present documentation of the equivalency
166 determination from the council in order to qualify.
167 2. The applicant’s graduate program must have emphasized
168 direct clinical patient or client health care services,
169 including, but not limited to, coursework in clinical social
170 work, psychiatric social work, medical social work, social
171 casework, psychotherapy, or group therapy. The applicant’s
172 graduate program must have included all of the following
173 coursework:
174 a. A supervised field placement which was part of the
175 applicant’s advanced concentration in direct practice, during
176 which the applicant provided clinical services directly to
177 clients.
178 b. Completion of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in
179 theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in
180 clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course
181 in psychopathology, and no more than one course in research,
182 taken in a school of social work accredited or approved pursuant
183 to subparagraph 1.
184 3. If the course title which appears on the applicant’s
185 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the
186 coursework, the applicant shall be required to provide
187 additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a
188 syllabus or catalog description published for the course.
189 (c) Has had at least not less than 2 years of clinical
190 social work experience, which took place subsequent to
191 completion of a graduate degree in social work at an institution
192 meeting the accreditation requirements of this section, under
193 the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or the
194 equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as determined by the
195 board. An individual who intends to practice in Florida to
196 satisfy clinical experience requirements must register pursuant
197 to s. 491.0045 before prior to commencing practice. If the
198 applicant’s graduate program was not a program which emphasized
199 direct clinical patient or client health care services as
200 described in subparagraph (b)2., the supervised experience
201 requirement must take place after the applicant has completed a
202 minimum of 15 semester hours or 22 quarter hours of the
203 coursework required. A doctoral internship may be applied toward
204 the clinical social work experience requirement. A licensed
205 mental health professional must be on the premises when clinical
206 services are provided by a registered intern in a private
207 practice setting. A registered intern may not engage in his or
208 her own independent private practice. The experience requirement
209 may be met by work performed on or off the premises of the
210 supervising clinical social worker or the equivalent, provided
211 the off-premises work is not the independent private practice
212 rendering of clinical social work that does not have a licensed
213 mental health professional, as determined by the board, on the
214 premises at the same time the intern is providing services.
215 (d) Has passed a theory and practice examination provided
216 by the department for this purpose.
217 (e) Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the
218 board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
219 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
220 health counseling.
221 (2) CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK.—
222 (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1)(b),
223 coursework which was taken at a baccalaureate level shall not be
224 considered toward completion of education requirements for
225 licensure unless an official of the graduate program certifies
226 in writing on the graduate school’s stationery that a specific
227 course, which students enrolled in the same graduate program
228 were ordinarily required to complete at the graduate level, was
229 waived or exempted based on completion of a similar course at
230 the baccalaureate level. If this condition is met, the board
231 shall apply the baccalaureate course named toward the education
232 requirements.
233 (b) An applicant from a master’s or doctoral program in
234 social work which did not emphasize direct patient or client
235 services may complete the clinical curriculum content
236 requirement by returning to a graduate program accredited by the
237 Council on Social Work Education or the Canadian Association of
238 Schools of Social Work, or to a clinical social work graduate
239 program with comparable standards, in order to complete the
240 education requirements for examination. However, a maximum of 6
241 semester or 9 quarter hours of the clinical curriculum content
242 requirement may be completed by credit awarded for independent
243 study coursework as defined by board rule.
244 (3) MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY.—Upon verification of
245 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
246 board rule, plus the actual cost to the department for the
247 purchase of the examination from the Association of Marital and
248 Family Therapy Regulatory Board, or its successor similar
249 national organization, the department shall issue a license as a
250 marriage and family therapist to an applicant who the board
251 certifies:
252 (a) Has submitted an made application therefor and paid the
253 appropriate fee.
254 (b)1. Has a minimum of a master’s degree from a program
255 accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and
256 Family Therapy Education, from a mental health counseling
257 program with a marriage and family track from a university in
258 this state accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of
259 Counseling and Related Educational Programs, from a program
260 accepted by the board as meeting these coursework requirements
261 with major emphasis in marriage and family therapy, or a program
262 in a closely related field as determined by the board, and has
263 completed all of the following requirements:
264 a. Sixty Thirty-six semester hours or 80 48 quarter hours
265 of graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3
266 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework
267 course credits in each of the following nine areas: dynamics of
268 marriage and family systems; marriage therapy and counseling
269 theory and techniques; family therapy and counseling theory and
270 techniques; individual human development theories throughout the
271 life cycle; personality theory or general counseling theory and
272 techniques; psychopathology; human sexuality theory and
273 counseling techniques; psychosocial theory; and substance abuse
274 theory and counseling techniques; legal, ethical, and
275 professional standards issues in the practice of marriage and
276 family therapy; individual evaluation, assessment, and testing;
277 and behavioral research which focuses on the interpretation and
278 application of research data as it applies to clinical practice.
279 Courses in research, evaluation, appraisal, assessment, or
280 testing theories and procedures; thesis or dissertation work; or
281 practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied toward
282 this requirement.
283 b. A minimum of one graduate-level course of 3 semester
284 hours or 4 quarter hours in legal, ethical, and professional
285 standards issues in the practice of marriage and family therapy
286 or a course determined by the board to be equivalent.
287 c. A minimum of one graduate-level course of 3 semester
288 hours or 4 quarter hours in diagnosis, appraisal, assessment,
289 and testing for individual or interpersonal disorder or
290 dysfunction; and a minimum of one 3-semester-hour or 4-quarter
291 hour graduate-level course in behavioral research which focuses
292 on the interpretation and application of research data as it
293 applies to clinical practice. Credit for thesis or dissertation
294 work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied
295 toward this requirement.
296 d. A minimum of one supervised clinical practicum,
297 internship, or field experience in a marriage and family
298 counseling setting, during which the student provided 400 180
299 direct client contact hours of marriage and family therapy
300 services under the supervision of an individual who met the
301 requirements for supervision under paragraph (c). This
302 requirement may be met by a supervised practice experience which
303 took place outside the academic arena, but which is certified as
304 equivalent to a graduate-level practicum or internship program
305 which required a minimum of 400 180 direct client contact hours
306 of marriage and family therapy services currently offered within
307 an academic program of a college or university accredited by an
308 accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of
309 Education, or an institution which is publicly recognized as a
310 member in good standing with the Association of Universities and
311 Colleges of Canada or a training institution accredited by the
312 Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy
313 Education recognized by the United States Department of
314 Education. Certification shall be required from an official of
315 such college, university, or training institution.
316 2. If the course title which appears on the applicant’s
317 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the
318 coursework, the applicant shall be required to provide
319 additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a
320 syllabus or catalog description published for the course.
321
322 The required master’s degree must have been received in an
323 institution of higher education which at the time the applicant
324 graduated was: fully accredited by a regional accrediting body
325 recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary
326 Accreditation; publicly recognized as a member in good standing
327 with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; or
328 an institution of higher education located outside the United
329 States and Canada, which at the time the applicant was enrolled
330 and at the time the applicant graduated maintained a standard of
331 training substantially equivalent to the standards of training
332 of those institutions in the United States which are accredited
333 by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on
334 Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Such foreign
335 education and training must have been received in an institution
336 or program of higher education officially recognized by the
337 government of the country in which it is located as an
338 institution or program to train students to practice as
339 professional marriage and family therapists or psychotherapists.
340 The burden of establishing that the requirements of this
341 provision have been met shall be upon the applicant, and the
342 board shall require documentation, such as, but not limited to,
343 an evaluation by a foreign equivalency determination service, as
344 evidence that the applicant’s graduate degree program and
345 education were equivalent to an accredited program in this
346 country. An applicant with a master’s degree from a program
347 which did not emphasize marriage and family therapy may complete
348 the coursework requirement in a training institution fully
349 accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and
350 Family Therapy Education or the Council for Accreditation of
351 Counseling and Related Educational Programs recognized by the
352 United States Department of Education.
353 (c) Has had at least not less than 2 years of clinical
354 experience during which 50 percent of the applicant’s clients
355 were receiving marriage and family therapy services, which must
356 be at the post-master’s level under the supervision of a
357 licensed marriage and family therapist with at least 5 years of
358 experience, or the equivalent, who is a qualified supervisor as
359 determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice
360 in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must
361 register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before prior to commencing
362 practice. If a graduate has a master’s degree with a major
363 emphasis in marriage and family therapy or a closely related
364 field that did not include all the coursework required under
365 sub-subparagraph (b)1.a. sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-c., credit
366 for the post-master’s level clinical experience shall not
367 commence until the applicant has completed coursework in at
368 least a minimum of 10 of the areas courses required under sub
369 subparagraph (b)1.a. sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-c., as determined
370 by the board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours
371 of the course credits must have been completed in the area of
372 marriage and family systems, theories, or techniques. Within the
373 2 3 years of required experience, the applicant shall provide
374 direct individual, group, or family therapy and counseling, to
375 include the following categories of cases: unmarried dyads,
376 married couples, separating and divorcing couples, and family
377 groups including children. A doctoral internship may be applied
378 toward the clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental
379 health professional must be on the premises when clinical
380 services are provided by a registered intern in a private
381 practice setting. A registered intern may not engage in his or
382 her own independent private practice The clinical experience
383 requirement may be met by work performed on or off the premises
384 of the supervising marriage and family therapist or the
385 equivalent, provided the off-premises work is not the
386 independent private practice rendering of marriage and family
387 therapy services that does not have a licensed mental health
388 professional, as determined by the board, on the premises at the
389 same time the intern is providing services.
390 (d) Has passed a theory and practice examination designated
391 provided by the board department for this purpose.
392 (e) Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the
393 board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
394 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
395 health counseling as determined by the board.
396 (f) For the purposes of dual licensure, the department
397 shall license as a marriage and family therapist any person who
398 meets the requirements of s. 491.0057. Fees for dual licensure
399 shall not exceed those stated in this subsection. This paragraph
400 expires July 1, 2020.
401 (4) MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.—Upon verification of
402 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by
403 board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost to the department
404 for purchase of the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor
405 Examination from the Professional Examination Service for the
406 National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors
407 or a similar national organization, an examination managed by
408 the National Board of Certified Counselors or its successor, the
409 department shall issue a license as a mental health counselor to
410 an applicant who the board certifies:
411 (a) Has submitted an made application therefor and paid the
412 appropriate fee.
413 (b)1. Has a minimum of an earned master’s degree from a
414 mental health counseling program accredited by the Council for
415 the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
416 that consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours
417 of clinical and didactic instruction, including a course in
418 human sexuality and a course in substance abuse. If the master’s
419 degree is earned from a program related to the practice of
420 mental health counseling that is not accredited by the Council
421 for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
422 Programs, then the coursework and practicum, internship, or
423 fieldwork must consist of at least 60 semester hours or 80
424 quarter hours and meet the following requirements:
425 a. Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of
426 graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester
427 hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in each of
428 the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and
429 practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment
430 of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and
431 practice; individual evaluation and assessment; career and
432 lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social
433 and cultural foundations; counseling in community settings; and
434 substance abuse; and legal, ethical, and professional standards
435 issues in the practice of mental health counseling. Courses in
436 research, thesis or dissertation work, practicums, internships,
437 or fieldwork may not be applied toward this requirement.
438 b. A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of
439 graduate-level coursework in legal, ethical, and professional
440 standards issues in the practice of mental health counseling,
441 which includes goals, objectives, and practices of professional
442 counseling organizations, codes of ethics, legal considerations,
443 standards of preparation, certifications and licensing, and the
444 role identity and professional obligations of mental health
445 counselors. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation work,
446 practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied toward
447 this requirement.
448 c. The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least
449 700 1,000 hours of university-sponsored supervised clinical
450 practicum, internship, or field experience that includes at
451 least 280 hours of direct client services, as required in the
452 accrediting standards of the Council for Accreditation of
453 Counseling and Related Educational Programs for mental health
454 counseling programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy
455 the post-master’s clinical experience requirement.
456 2. If the course title which appears on the applicant’s
457 transcript does not clearly identify the content of the
458 coursework, the applicant shall be required to provide
459 additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a
460 syllabus or catalog description published for the course.
461
462 Education and training in mental health counseling must have
463 been received in an institution of higher education which at the
464 time the applicant graduated was: fully accredited by a regional
465 accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education
466 or its successor Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary
467 Accreditation; publicly recognized as a member in good standing
468 with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada; or
469 an institution of higher education located outside the United
470 States and Canada, which at the time the applicant was enrolled
471 and at the time the applicant graduated maintained a standard of
472 training substantially equivalent to the standards of training
473 of those institutions in the United States which are accredited
474 by a regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for
475 Higher Education or its successor Commission on Recognition of
476 Postsecondary Accreditation. Such foreign education and training
477 must have been received in an institution or program of higher
478 education officially recognized by the government of the country
479 in which it is located as an institution or program to train
480 students to practice as mental health counselors. The burden of
481 establishing that the requirements of this provision have been
482 met shall be upon the applicant, and the board shall require
483 documentation, such as, but not limited to, an evaluation by a
484 foreign equivalency determination service, as evidence that the
485 applicant’s graduate degree program and education were
486 equivalent to an accredited program in this country. Effective
487 July 1, 2020, an applicant must have a master’s degree
488 accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
489 Related Educational Programs consisting of at least 60 semester
490 hours or 80 quarter hours to apply for licensure under this
491 subsection. The applicant’s graduate program must have
492 emphasized the common core curricular experience to include at
493 least 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of coursework
494 specifically addressing the diagnostic process, including
495 differential diagnosis and the use of the current diagnostic
496 tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and
497 Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
498 (c) Has had at least not less than 2 years of clinical
499 experience in mental health counseling, which must be at the
500 post-master’s level under the supervision of a licensed mental
501 health counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor
502 as determined by the board. An individual who intends to
503 practice in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience
504 requirements must register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before prior
505 to commencing practice. If a graduate has a master’s degree in
506 with a major related to the practice of mental health counseling
507 or a closely related field that did not include all the
508 coursework required under sub-subparagraph (b)1.a. sub
509 subparagraphs (b)1.a.-b., credit for the post-master’s level
510 clinical experience shall not commence until the applicant has
511 completed a minimum of seven of the courses required under sub
512 subparagraph (b)1.a. sub-subparagraphs (b)1.a.-b., as determined
513 by the board, one of which must be a course in psychopathology
514 or abnormal psychology. A doctoral internship may be applied
515 toward the clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental
516 health professional must be on the premises when clinical
517 services are provided by a registered intern in a private
518 practice setting. No registered intern may engage in his or her
519 own independent private practice The clinical experience
520 requirement may be met by work performed on or off the premises
521 of the supervising mental health counselor or the equivalent,
522 provided the off-premises work is not the independent private
523 practice rendering of services that does not have a licensed
524 mental health professional, as determined by the board, on the
525 premises at the same time the intern is providing services.
526 (d) Has passed a theory and practice examination designated
527 provided by the department for this purpose.
528 (e) Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the
529 board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
530 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
531 health counseling as determined by the board.
532 (5) INTERNSHIP.—An individual who is registered as an
533 intern and has satisfied all of the educational requirements for
534 the profession for which the applicant seeks licensure shall be
535 certified as having met the educational requirements for
536 licensure under this section.
537 (5)(6) RULES.—The board may adopt rules necessary to
538 implement any education or experience requirement of this
539 section for licensure as a clinical social worker, marriage and
540 family therapist, or mental health counselor.
541 Section 5. Section 491.0057, Florida Statutes, is amended
542 to read:
543 491.0057 Dual licensure as a marriage and family
544 therapist.—
545 (1) The department shall license as a marriage and family
546 therapist a any person who demonstrates to the board that he or
547 she:
548 (a)(1) Holds a valid, active license as a psychologist
549 under chapter 490 or as a clinical social worker or mental
550 health counselor under this chapter, or is certified under s.
551 464.012 as an advanced registered nurse practitioner who has
552 been determined by the Board of Nursing as a specialist in
553 psychiatric mental health.
554 (b)(2) Has held a valid, active license for at least 3
555 years.
556 (c)(3) Has passed the examination provided by the
557 department for marriage and family therapy.
558 (2) This section is repealed July 1, 2020.
559 Section 6. Subsection (1) of section 491.006, Florida
560 Statutes, is amended to read:
561 491.006 Licensure or certification by endorsement.—
562 (1) The department shall license or grant a certificate to
563 a person in a profession regulated by this chapter who, upon
564 applying to the department and remitting the appropriate fee,
565 demonstrates to the board that he or she:
566 (a) Has demonstrated, in a manner designated by rule of the
567 board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of
568 clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental
569 health counseling as defined by rule of the board.
570 (b)1. Holds an active valid license to practice in the
571 profession for which the applicant seeks licensure and has
572 actively practiced the profession for which licensure is applied
573 in another state for 3 of the last 5 years immediately preceding
574 licensure.
575 2. Meets the education requirements of this chapter for the
576 profession for which licensure is applied or has demonstrated
577 proof of substantially equivalent education as defined by rule
578 of the board.
579 3. Has passed the licensure examination designated by the
580 board or has passed a substantially equivalent licensing
581 examination in another state for the profession which the
582 applicant seeks licensure a substantially equivalent licensing
583 examination in another state or has passed the licensure
584 examination in this state in the profession for which the
585 applicant seeks licensure.
586 4. Holds a license in good standing, is not under
587 investigation for an act that would constitute a violation of
588 this chapter, and has not been found to have committed any act
589 that would constitute a violation of this chapter. The fees paid
590 by any applicant for certification as a master social worker
591 under this section are nonrefundable.
592 Section 7. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 491.007,
593 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
594 491.007 Renewal of license, registration, or certificate.—
595 (2) Each applicant for renewal shall present satisfactory
596 evidence that, in the period since the license or certificate
597 was issued, the applicant has completed continuing education
598 requirements set by rule of the board or department. The board
599 may not require Not more than 25 classroom hours of continuing
600 education per year shall be required. A certified master social
601 worker is exempt from the continuing education requirements for
602 the first renewal of the certificate.
603 (3) The board or department shall prescribe by rule a
604 method for the biennial renewal of an intern registration at a
605 fee set by rule, not to exceed $100.
606 Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.
