H.B. 225

1

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
2 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS -
3 TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS
4 2002 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Sponsor: Judy Ann Buffmire
7 This act modifies the Mental Health Therapist Grant and Scholarship Program. This act
8 makes technical amendments to the definition of mental health therapist to coordinate with
9 changes made to the Mental Health Therapist Licensing Act during the 2001 General
10 Session.
11 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
12 AMENDS:
13 62A-13-102, as last amended by Chapter 157, Laws of Utah 2001
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
15 Section 1. Section 62A-13-102 is amended to read:
16 62A-13-102. Definitions.
17 As used in this chapter:
18 (1) "Applicant" means a person who meets the application requirements established by the
19 committee for a grant or a scholarship under this chapter.
20 (2) "Committee" means the Rural Mental Health Therapist Financial Assistance
21 Committee created by Section 62A-13-103 .
22 (3) "Educational expenses" are tuition, fees, books, supplies, educational equipment and
23 material, and reasonable living expenses.
24 (4) "Medically underserved rural area" means a county, city, town, or other service area
25 with a population of less than 99 people per square mile and designated by the committee as
26 underserved by mental health therapists.
27 (5) "Mental health therapist" means an individual exempt from licensure under Subsection

28 58-1-307 (1)(c) or licensed under Title 58, Occupations and Professions, as a:
29 (a) physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician engaged in the practice of mental
30 health therapy;
31 (b) registered psychiatric mental health nurse specialist;
32 (c) psychologist qualified to engage in the practice of mental health therapy;
33 (d) certified psychology resident;
34 [(d)] (e) clinical social worker;
35 [(e)] (f) certified social worker;
36 [(f)] (g) marriage and family therapist; [or]
37 (h) certified marriage and family therapist intern;
38 [(g)] (i) professional counselor[.]; or
39 (j) certified professional counselor intern.
40 (6) "Practice of mental health therapy" means treatment or prevention of mental illness,
41 including:
42 (a) conducting a professional evaluation of an individual's condition of mental health,
43 mental illness, or emotional disorder consistent with standards generally recognized in the
44 professions of mental health therapy listed under Subsection (5);
45 (b) establishing a diagnosis in accordance with established written standards generally
46 recognized in the professions of mental health therapy listed under Subsection (5);
47 (c) prescribing a plan for the prevention or treatment of a condition of mental illness or
48 emotional disorder; or
49 (d) engaging in the conduct of professional intervention, including psychotherapy by the
50 application of established methods and procedures generally recognized in the professions of
51 mental health therapy listed under Subsection (5).
52 (7) "Recipient" means an applicant selected to receive a grant or a scholarship under this
53 chapter.

Legislative Review Note
as of 7-26-01 2:45 PM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel