Florida Senate - 2022                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 566
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
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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.