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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill amends the Mental Health Professional Licensing Act.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ reduces the number of clinical hours required for licensure as a mental health
14 counselor.
15 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16 None
17 Other Special Clauses:
18 None
19 Utah Code Sections Affected:
20 AMENDS:
21 58-60-405, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 4
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23 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 Section 1. Section 58-60-405 is amended to read:
25 58-60-405. Qualifications for licensure.
26 (1) An applicant for licensure as a clinical mental health counselor shall:
27 (a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
28 (b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
29 (c) produce certified transcripts evidencing completion of:
30 (i) a master's or doctorate degree conferred to the applicant in:
31 (A) clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counselor
32 education and supervision from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of
33 Counseling and Related Educational Programs; or
34 (B) clinical mental health counseling or an equivalent field from a program affiliated
35 with an institution that has accreditation that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education
36 Accreditation; and
37 (ii) at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours of coursework related to
38 an educational program described in Subsection (1)[
39 (d) have completed a minimum of [
40 counselor training as defined by division rule under Section 58-1-203:
41 (i) in not less than two years;
42 (ii) under the supervision of a clinical mental health counselor, psychiatrist,
43 psychologist, clinical social worker, registered psychiatric mental health nurse specialist, or
44 marriage and family therapist supervisor approved by the division in collaboration with the
45 board;
46 (iii) obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection (1)(c); and
47 (iv) including a minimum of two hours of training in suicide prevention via a course
48 that the division designates as approved;
49 (e) document successful completion of not less than 1,000 hours of supervised training
50 in mental health therapy obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection
51 (1)(c), which training may be included as part of the [
52 Subsection (1)(d), and of which documented evidence demonstrates not less than 100 of the
53 hours were obtained under the direct supervision of a mental health therapist, as defined by
54 rule; and
55 (f) pass the examination requirement established by division rule under Section
56 58-1-203.
57 (2) (a) An applicant for licensure as an associate clinical mental health counselor shall
58 comply with the provisions of Subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c).
59 (b) Except as provided under Subsection (2)(c), an individual's licensure as an
60 associate clinical mental health counselor is limited to the period of time necessary to complete
61 clinical training as described in Subsections (1)(d) and (e) and extends not more than one year
62 from the date the minimum requirement for training is completed.
63 (c) The time period under Subsection (2)(b) may be extended to a maximum of two
64 years past the date the minimum supervised clinical training requirement has been completed,
65 if the applicant presents satisfactory evidence to the division and the appropriate board that the
66 individual is:
67 (i) making reasonable progress toward passing of the qualifying examination for that
68 profession; or
69 (ii) otherwise on a course reasonably expected to lead to licensure.
70 (3) (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(c), an applicant satisfies the education
71 requirement described in Subsection (1)(c) if the applicant submits documentation verifying:
72 (i) satisfactory completion of a doctoral or master's degree from an educational
73 program in rehabilitation counseling accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling
74 and Related Educational Programs;
75 (ii) satisfactory completion of at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit
76 hours of coursework related to an educational program described in Subsection (1)(c)(i); and
77 (iii) that the applicant received a passing score that is valid and in good standing on:
78 (A) the National Counselor Examination; and
79 (B) the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination.
80 (b) During the 2021 interim, the division shall report to the Occupational and
81 Professional Licensure Review Committee created in Section 36-23-102 on:
82 (i) the number of applicants who applied for licensure under this Subsection (3);
83 (ii) the number of applicants who were approved for licensure under this Subsection
84 (3);
85 (iii) any changes to division rule after May 12, 2020, regarding the qualifications for
86 licensure under this section; and
87 (iv) recommendations for legislation or other action that the division considers
88 necessary to carry out the provisions of this Subsection (3).