An Act To Improve Professional Training for Licensed Mental Health Clinicians
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §3831, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. Q, §9, is further amended to read:
Beginning January 1, 2020, a candidate for this license shall furnish the board with satisfactory evidence that the candidate has successfully completed a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. A candidate may fulfill this requirement through course work taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or through separate course work. The board shall accept certification from the accredited educational institution from which the applicant is a graduate that verifies the applicant's satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's completed course curriculum.
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §3835, first ¶, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. Q, §11, is further amended to read:
Licenses issued under this chapter expire biennially or as established by the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation. A person licensed under this chapter shall submit, on or before the established expiration date, an application for license renewal together with the renewal fee as set under section 3833-A. Beginning January 1, 2020, a person that submits an application for license renewal must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board successful completion of a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. The board may accept equivalent courses in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies or equivalent teaching or practice experience completed prior to January 1, 2020 in satisfaction of this requirement. Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this paragraph must be applied to the licensee's required hours of continuing education.
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1987, c. 735, §69, is further amended to read:
(1) Shall have subsequently completed 2 years of social work experience with 96 hours of consultation in a clinical setting; or
(2) Shall have demonstrated 2 years of full-time clinical social work experience or its equivalent and have completed the graduate degree prior to January 1, 1987, and have completed 2 years of subsequent social work experience with 96 hours of consultation in a private setting; or
(1) Shall have subsequently completed 4 years of social work experience with 192 hours of consultation in a clinical setting; or
(2) Shall have demonstrated 2 years of full-time clinical social work experience or its equivalent and have completed the graduate degree prior to January 1, 1987, and have completed 4 years of subsequent social work experience with 192 hours of consultation in a private setting.
The board may waive up to one year of the post-master of social work, clinical experience requirement pursuant to this subsection for those candidates who demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board equivalent clinical experience prior to receiving the masters degree in social work.
The board shall issue rules, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, Title 5, chapter 375, defining the clinical experience required for this level of licensure.
Beginning January 1, 2020, an applicant shall have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board successful completion of a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. A candidate may fulfill this requirement through course work taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or through separate course work. The board shall accept certification from the accredited educational institution from which the applicant is a graduate that verifies the applicant's satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's completed course curriculum.
Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §7060, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. V, §15, is further amended by adding after the first paragraph a new paragraph to read:
Beginning January 1, 2020, a person that submits an application for license renewal must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board successful completion of a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. The board may accept equivalent courses in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies or equivalent teaching or practice experience completed prior to January 1, 2020 in satisfaction of this requirement. Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this paragraph must be applied to the licensee's required hours of continuing education.
Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §13858, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 542, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. 6. 32 MRSA §13860, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 128, §1, is further amended to read:
summary
This bill makes changes to the laws governing the licensure requirements for psychologists, clinical professional counselors and clinical social workers. It requires that, beginning January 1, 2020, applicants for licensure demonstrate to the satisfaction of their respective licensing boards that they have successfully completed a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. Applicants may fulfill this requirement through course work taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or through separate course work. The bill requires that the boards accept certification from the accredited educational institution from which the applicant is a graduate that verifies the applicant's satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's completed course curriculum.
The bill also makes changes to the licensure renewal requirements for psychologists, clinical professional counselors and clinical social workers to require that, beginning January 1, 2020, applicants for licensure renewal in these categories demonstrate to the satisfaction of their respective licensing boards successful completion of a minimum of 15 contact hours of course work in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. The bill allows the boards to accept equivalent courses in spousal or partner abuse screening and referral and intervention strategies or equivalent teaching or practice experience completed prior to January 1, 2020 in satisfaction of this requirement. The bill requires that continuing education courses taken for this purpose must be applied to the licensee's required hours of continuing education.