HB 1069 — Adopting the mental health counselor compact.

(1) At least ((fifty)) 50 hours must include supervision by a licensed advanced social worker or licensed independent clinical social worker;

the other ((forty)) 40 hours may be supervised by an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner;

and (2) At least ((forty)) 40 hours must be in one-to-one supervision and ((fifty)) 50 hours may be in one-to-one supervision or group supervision;

and (II) Eight hundred hours must be in direct client contact;

and (D) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.

(ii) Licensed independent clinical social worker:

(A) Graduation from a master's or doctorate level social work educational program accredited by the council on social work education and approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;

(B) Successful completion of an approved examination;

(C) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.

The supervised experience requirement consists of a minimum of ((four thousand)) 4,000 hours of experience, over a period of not less than three years, with supervision by an approved supervisor who has been licensed for at least two years and, as specified in this subsection, may be either a licensed independent clinical social worker who has had at least one year of experience in supervising the clinical social work of others or an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.

Of those supervised hours:

(I) At least ((one thousand)) 1,000 hours must be direct client contact;

and (II) Hours of direct supervision must include:

(1) At least ((one hundred thirty)) 130 hours by a licensed mental health practitioner;

(2) At least ((seventy)) 70 hours of supervision with a licensed independent clinical social worker meeting the qualifications under this subsection (1)(a)(ii)(C);

the other ((sixty)) 60 hours may be supervised by an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner;

and (3) At least ((sixty)) 60 hours must be in one-to-one supervision and ((seventy)) 70 hours may be in one-to-one supervision or group supervision;

and p.

24 SHB 1069 (D) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.

(b) Licensed mental health counselor:

(i) (A) Graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program in counseling that consists of at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours, or includes at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate coursework that includes the following topic areas:

(I) Mental health counseling orientation and ethical practice;

(II) Social and cultural diversity;

(III) Human growth and development;

(IV) Career development;

(V) Counseling and helping relationships;

(VI) Group counseling and group work;

(VII) Diagnosis and treatment;

(VIII) Assessment and testing;

and (IX) Research and program evaluation;

or (B) Graduation from a master's or doctoral level educational program in ((mental health counseling or)) a related discipline from a college or university approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards.

An applicant who satisfies the educational requirements for licensure under this subsection (1)(b)(i)(B) is not qualified to exercise the privilege to practice under the counseling compact established in chapter 18.--- RCW (the new chapter created in section 17 of this act) unless the master's or doctoral level educational program in a related discipline consists of at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours, or includes at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate coursework that includes the topic areas specified in subsection (1)(b)(i)(A)(I) through (IX) of this section;

(ii) Successful completion of an approved examination;

(iii) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.

The experience requirement consists of a minimum of ((thirty-six)) 36 months full-time counseling or ((three thousand)) 3,000 hours of postgraduate mental health counseling under the supervision of a qualified licensed mental health counselor or equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner, in an approved setting.

The ((three thousand)) 3,000 hours of required experience includes a minimum of ((one hundred)) 100 hours spent in immediate supervision with the qualified licensed mental health counselor, and p.

25 SHB 1069 includes a minimum of ((one thousand two hundred)) 1,200 hours of direct counseling with individuals, couples, families, or groups;

and (iv) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.

(c) Licensed marriage and family therapist:

(i) Graduation from a master's degree or doctoral degree educational program in marriage and family therapy or graduation from an educational program in an allied field equivalent to a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy approved by the secretary based upon nationally recognized standards;

(ii) Successful passage of an approved examination;

(iii) Successful completion of a supervised experience requirement.

The experience requirement consists of a minimum of two calendar years of full-time marriage and family therapy.

Of the total supervision, ((one hundred)) 100 hours must be with a licensed marriage and family therapist with at least five years' clinical experience;

the other ((one hundred)) 100 hours may be with an equally qualified licensed mental health practitioner.

Total experience requirements include:

(A) A minimum of ((three thousand)) 3,000 hours of experience, ((one thousand)) 1,000 hours of which must be direct client contact;

at least ((five hundred)) 500 hours must be gained in diagnosing and treating couples and families;

plus (B) At least ((two hundred)) 200 hours of qualified supervision with a supervisor.

At least ((one hundred)) 100 of the ((two hundred)) 200 hours must be one-on-one supervision, and the remaining hours may be in one-on-one or group supervision.

Applicants who have completed a master's program accredited by the commission on accreditation for marriage and family therapy education of the American association for marriage and family therapy may be credited with ((five hundred)) 500 hours of direct client contact and ((one hundred)) 100 hours of formal meetings with an approved supervisor;

and (iv) Successful completion of continuing education requirements of ((thirty-six)) 36 hours, with six in professional ethics.

(2) The department shall establish by rule what constitutes adequate proof of meeting the criteria.

Only rules in effect on the date of submission of a completed application of an associate for her or his license shall apply.

If the rules change after a completed p.

26 SHB 1069 application is submitted but before a license is issued, the new rules shall not be reason to deny the application.

(3) In addition, applicants shall be subject to the grounds for denial of a license or issuance of a conditional license under chapter 18.130 RCW.

17.16.

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