FL
Florida House Bill H0343

Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0343 Compare Versions

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1010 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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1414 A bill to be entitled 1
1515 An act relating to mental health professional 2
1616 licensure; amending s. 491.005, F.S.; revising 3
17-licensing requirements for clinical social workers, 4
18-marriage and family therapists, and mental health 5
19-counselors; providing an effective date. 6
17+licensing requirements for marriage and family 4
18+therapists and mental health counselors; providing an 5
19+effective date. 6
2020 7
2121 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
2222 9
23- Section 1. Subsections (1), (3), and (4) of section 10
24-491.005, Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 11
23+ Section 1. Subsections (3) and (4) of section 491.005, 10
24+Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 11
2525 491.005 Licensure by examination. — 12
26- (1) CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK. —Upon verification of 13
26+ (3) MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY. —Upon verification of 13
2727 documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 14
28-board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost to the department 15
29-for purchase of the examination from the American Association of 16
30-State Social Worker's Boards or a similar national organization, 17
31-the department shall issue a license as a clinical social worker 18
32-to an applicant whom who the board certifies has met all of the 19
33-following criteria: 20
28+board rule, plus the actual cost of the purchase of the 15
29+examination from the Association of Marital and Family Therapy 16
30+Regulatory Board, or sim ilar national organization, the 17
31+department shall issue a license as a marriage and family 18
32+therapist to an applicant who the board certifies has met all of 19
33+the following criteria : 20
3434 (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate 21
3535 fee. 22
36- (b)1. Has Received a doctoral degree in social work from a 23
37-graduate school of social work which at the time the applicant 24
38-graduated was accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by 25
36+ (b)1. Attained one of the following: 23
37+ a. A minimum of a master's degree in marriage and family 24
38+therapy from a program accredited by the Commission on 25
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4747 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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51-the United States Department o f Education or has received a 26
52-master's degree in social work from a graduate school of social 27
53-work which at the time the applicant graduated: 28
54- a. Was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; 29
55- b. Was accredited by the Canadian Association of Sc hools 30
56-of Social Work; or 31
57- c. Has been determined to have been a program equivalent 32
58-to programs approved by the Council on Social Work Education by 33
59-the Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council on 34
60-Social Work Education. An applicant who grad uated from a program 35
61-at a university or college outside of the United States or 36
62-Canada must present documentation of the equivalency 37
63-determination from the council in order to qualify. 38
64- 2. The applicant's graduate program must have emphasized 39
65-direct clinical patient or client health care services, 40
66-including, but not limited to, coursework in clinical social 41
67-work, psychiatric social work, medical social work, social 42
68-casework, psychotherapy, or group therapy. The applicant's 43
69-graduate program must have includ ed all of the following 44
70-coursework: 45
71- a. A supervised field placement which was part of the 46
72-applicant's advanced concentration in direct practice, during 47
73-which the applicant provided clinical services directly to 48
74-clients. 49
75- b. Completion of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in 50
51+Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education; 26
52+ b. A minimum of a master's degree with a major emphasis in 27
53+marriage and family therapy or a closely related field from a 28
54+university program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of 29
55+Counseling and Related Educational Programs and graduate courses 30
56+approved by the board; or 31
57+ c. Has A minimum of a master's de gree with an major 32
58+emphasis in marriage and family therapy or a closely related 33
59+field, with a degree conferred before September 1, 2027, from an 34
60+institutionally accredited college or university from a program 35
61+accredited by the Commission on Accreditation f or Marriage and 36
62+Family Therapy Education or from a Florida university program 37
63+accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and 38
64+Related Educational Programs and graduate courses approved by 39
65+the board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, 40
66+and Mental Health Counseling . 41
67+ 2. If the course title that appears on the applicant's 42
68+transcript does not clearly identify the content of the 43
69+coursework, the applicant must shall provide additional 44
70+documentation, including, but not limited to, a syllabus or 45
71+catalog description published for the course. The required 46
72+master's degree must have been received in an institution of 47
73+higher education that, at the time the applicant graduated, was 48
74+fully accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body 49
75+recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or 50
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8484 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88-theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in 51
89-clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course 52
90-in psychopathology, and no more than one course in research, 53
91-taken in a school of social work accredited or approved pursuant 54
92-to subparagraph 1. 55
93- 3. If the course title which appears on the applicant's 56
94-transcript does not clearly identify the content of the 57
95-coursework, the applicant shall be required to provide 58
96-additional documentation, including, but not limited to, a 59
97-syllabus or catalog description published for the course. 60
98- (c) Has Had at least 2 years of clinical social work 61
99-experience, which took place subsequent to completion of a 62
100-graduate degree in social work at an ins titution meeting the 63
101-accreditation requirements of this section, under the 64
102-supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or the 65
103-equivalent who is a qualified supervisor as determined by the 66
104-board. An individual who intends to practice in Florida to 67
105-satisfy clinical experience requirements must register pursuant 68
106-to s. 491.0045 before commencing practice. If the applicant's 69
107-graduate program was not a program which emphasized direct 70
108-clinical patient or client health care services as described in 71
109-subparagraph (b)2., the supervised experience requirement must 72
110-take place after the applicant has completed a minimum of 15 73
111-semester hours or 22 quarter hours of the coursework required. A 74
112-doctoral internship may be applied toward the clinical social 75
88+its successor organization Commission on Recognition of 51
89+Postsecondary Accreditation or publicly recognized as a member 52
90+in good standing with the Association of Universities and 53
91+Colleges of Canada, or an institution of higher education 54
92+located outside the United States and Canada which, at the time 55
93+the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant 56
94+graduated, maintained a standard of training substantially 57
95+equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in 58
96+the United States which are accredited by an institutional a 59
97+regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher 60
98+Education Accreditation or its successor organization Commission 61
99+on Recognition of Postseconda ry Accreditation. Such foreign 62
100+education and training must have been received in an institution 63
101+or program of higher education officially recognized by the 64
102+government of the country in which it is located as an 65
103+institution or program to train students to p ractice as 66
104+professional marriage and family therapists or psychotherapists. 67
105+The applicant has the burden of establishing that the 68
106+requirements of this provision have been met, and the board 69
107+shall require documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign 70
108+equivalency determination service, as evidence that the 71
109+applicant's graduate degree program and education were 72
110+equivalent to an accredited program in this country. An 73
111+applicant with a master's degree from a program that did not 74
112+emphasize marriage and family therapy may complete the 75
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121121 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125-work experience requirement. A licensed mental health 76
126-professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 77
127-provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 78
128- (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination 79
129-designated by the board provided by the department for this 80
130-purpose. 81
131- (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board rule 82
132-of the board, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the 83
133-practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, 84
134-and mental health counseling. 85
135- (3) MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY. —Upon verification of 86
136-documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 87
137-board rule, plus the actual cost of the purchase of the 88
138-examination from the Association of Marital and Family Therapy 89
139-Regulatory Board, or similar national organization, the 90
140-department shall issue a license as a marriage and family 91
141-therapist to an applicant who the board certifies has met all of 92
142-the following criteria : 93
143- (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate 94
144-fee. 95
145- (b)1. Attained one of the following: 96
146- a. A minimum of a master's degree in marriage and family 97
147-therapy from a program accredited by the Commission on 98
148-Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education; 99
149- b. A minimum of a master's degree with a major emphasis in 100
125+coursework requirement in a training institution fully 76
126+accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and 77
127+Family Therapy Education recognized by the United States 78
128+Department of Education. 79
129+ (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical 80
130+experience during which 50 percent of the applicant's clients 81
131+were receiving marriage and family therapy services, which must 82
132+be at the post-master's level under the supervision of a 83
133+licensed marriage and family therapist with at least 5 years of 84
134+experience, or the equivalent, who is a qualified supervisor as 85
135+determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice 86
136+in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must 87
137+register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before comm encing practice. If 88
138+a graduate has a master's degree with a major emphasis in 89
139+marriage and family therapy or a closely related field which did 90
140+not include all of the coursework required by paragraph (b), 91
141+credit for the post-master's level clinical experien ce may not 92
142+commence until the applicant has completed a minimum of 10 of 93
143+the courses required by paragraph (b), as determined by the 94
144+board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of the 95
145+course credits must have been completed in the area of marri age 96
146+and family systems, theories, or techniques. Within the 2 years 97
147+of required experience, the applicant shall provide direct 98
148+individual, group, or family therapy and counseling to cases 99
149+including those involving unmarried dyads, married couples, 100
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158158 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162-marriage and family therapy or a closely related field from a 101
163-university program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of 102
164-Counseling and Related Educational Programs and graduate courses 103
165-approved by the board; or 104
166- c. Has A minimum of a master's degree with an major 105
167-emphasis in marriage and family therapy or a closely related 106
168-field, with a degree conferred before September 1, 2027, from an 107
169-institutionally accredited college or university from a program 108
170-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and 109
171-Family Therapy Education or from a Florida university program 110
172-accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and 111
173-Related Educational Programs and graduate courses approved by 112
174-the board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Th erapy, 113
175-and Mental Health Counseling . 114
176- 2. If the course title that appears on the applicant's 115
177-transcript does not clearly identify the content of the 116
178-coursework, the applicant must shall provide additional 117
179-documentation, including, but not limited to, a sy llabus or 118
180-catalog description published for the course. The required 119
181-master's degree must have been received in an institution of 120
182-higher education that, at the time the applicant graduated, was 121
183-fully accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body 122
184-recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or 123
185-its successor organization Commission on Recognition of 124
186-Postsecondary Accreditation or publicly recognized as a member 125
162+separating and divorcing couples, and family groups that include 101
163+children. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the 102
164+clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 103
165+professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 104
166+provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 105
167+ (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination 106
168+designated provided by board rule the department. 107
169+ (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board 108
170+rule, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 109
171+clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 110
172+health counseling. 111
173+ 112
174+For the purposes of dual licensure, the department shall licens e 113
175+as a marriage and family therapist any person who meets the 114
176+requirements of s. 491.0057. Fees for dual licensure may not 115
177+exceed those stated in this subsection. 116
178+ (4) MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING. —Upon verification of 117
179+documentation and payment of a fee not t o exceed $200, as set by 118
180+board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost of purchase of 119
181+the examination from the National Board for Certified Counselors 120
182+or its successor organization, the department shall issue a 121
183+license as a mental health counselor to an a pplicant who the 122
184+board certifies has met all of the following criteria : 123
185+ (a) Has Submitted an application and paid the appropriate 124
186+fee. 125
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195195 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199-in good standing with the Association of Universities and 126
200-Colleges of Canada, or an institution of higher education 127
201-located outside the United States and Canada which, at the time 128
202-the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant 129
203-graduated, maintained a standard of training substantially 130
204-equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions in 131
205-the United States which are accredited by an institutional a 132
206-regional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher 133
207-Education Accreditation or its successor organization Commission 134
208-on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. Such foreign 135
209-education and training must have been received in an institution 136
210-or program of higher education officially recognized by the 137
211-government of the country in which it is located as an 138
212-institution or program to train students to prac tice as 139
213-professional marriage and family therapists or psychotherapists. 140
214-The applicant has the burden of establishing that the 141
215-requirements of this provision have been met, and the board 142
216-shall require documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign 143
217-equivalency determination service, as evidence that the 144
218-applicant's graduate degree program and education were 145
219-equivalent to an accredited program in this country. An 146
220-applicant with a master's degree from a program that did not 147
221-emphasize marriage and family the rapy may complete the 148
222-coursework requirement in a training institution fully 149
223-accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and 150
199+ (b)1. Attained Has a minimum of an earned master's degree 126
200+from a mental health counseling program accredited by the 127
201+Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related 128
202+Educational Programs which consists of at least 60 semester 129
203+hours or 80 quarter hours of clinical and didactic instruction, 130
204+including a course in human sexuality and a course in substance 131
205+abuse. If the master's degree is earned from a program related 132
206+to the practice of mental health counseling which is not 133
207+accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling 134
208+and Related Educational Programs, then the coursework and 135
209+practicum, internship, or fie ldwork must consist of at least 60 136
210+semester hours or 80 quarter hours and meet all of the following 137
211+requirements: 138
212+ a. Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of 139
213+graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester 140
214+hours or 4 quarter hou rs of graduate-level coursework in each of 141
215+the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and 142
216+practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment 143
217+of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and 144
218+practice; individual evaluation and a ssessment; career and 145
219+lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social 146
220+and cultural foundations; substance abuse; and legal, ethical, 147
221+and professional standards issues in the practice of mental 148
222+health counseling. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation 149
223+work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied 150
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232232 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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236-Family Therapy Education recognized by the United States 151
237-Department of Education. 152
238- (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical 153
239-experience during which 50 percent of the applicant's clients 154
240-were receiving marriage and family therapy services, which must 155
241-be at the post-master's level under the supervision of a 156
242-licensed marriage and family therapist with at least 5 years of 157
243-experience, or the equivalent, who is a qualified supervisor as 158
244-determined by the board. An individual who intends to practice 159
245-in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience requirements must 160
246-register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before commencing prac tice. If 161
247-a graduate has a master's degree with a major emphasis in 162
248-marriage and family therapy or a closely related field which did 163
249-not include all of the coursework required by paragraph (b), 164
250-credit for the post-master's level clinical experience may not 165
251-commence until the applicant has completed a minimum of 10 of 166
252-the courses required by paragraph (b), as determined by the 167
253-board, and at least 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours of the 168
254-course credits must have been completed in the area of marriage 169
255-and family systems, theories, or techniques. Within the 2 years 170
256-of required experience, the applicant shall provide direct 171
257-individual, group, or family therapy and counseling to cases 172
258-including those involving unmarried dyads, married couples, 173
259-separating and divorcing couples, and family groups that include 174
260-children. A doctoral internship may be applied toward the 175
236+toward this requirement. 151
237+ b. A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of 152
238+graduate-level coursework addressing diagnostic processes, 153
239+including differential diagnosis and t he use of the current 154
240+diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the American 155
241+Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of 156
242+Mental Disorders. The graduate program must have emphasized the 157
243+common core curricular experience. 158
244+ c. The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least 159
245+700 hours of university -sponsored supervised clinical practicum, 160
246+internship, or field experience that includes at least 280 hours 161
247+of direct client services, as required in the accrediting 162
248+standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and 163
249+Related Educational Programs for mental health counseling 164
250+programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post -165
251+master's clinical experience requirement. 166
252+ 2. Has Provided additional documentation if a co urse title 167
253+that appears on the applicant's transcript does not clearly 168
254+identify the content of the coursework. The documentation must 169
255+include, but is not limited to, a syllabus or catalog 170
256+description published for the course. 171
257+ 172
258+Education and training in men tal health counseling must have 173
259+been received in an institution of higher education that, at the 174
260+time the applicant graduated, was fully accredited by an 175
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269269 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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273-clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 176
274-professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 177
275-provided by a registered inter n in a private practice setting. 178
276- (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination 179
277-designated provided by board rule the department. 180
278- (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board 181
279-rule, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 182
280-clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 183
281-health counseling. 184
282- 185
283-For the purposes of dual licensure, the department shall license 186
284-as a marriage and family therapist any person who meets the 187
285-requirements of s. 491.0057. Fees for dual licensur e may not 188
286-exceed those stated in this subsection. 189
287- (4) MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING. —Upon verification of 190
288-documentation and payment of a fee not to exceed $200, as set by 191
289-board rule, plus the actual per applicant cost of purchase of 192
290-the examination from the N ational Board for Certified Counselors 193
291-or its successor organization, the department shall issue a 194
292-license as a mental health counselor to an applicant who the 195
293-board certifies has met all of the following criteria : 196
294- (a) Has Submitted an application and pa id the appropriate 197
295-fee. 198
296- (b)1. Attained Has a minimum of an earned master's degree 199
297-from a mental health counseling program accredited by the 200
273+institutional a regional accrediting body recognized by the 176
274+Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor 177
275+organization or publicly recognized as a member in good standing 178
276+with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, or 179
277+an institution of higher education located outside the United 180
278+States and Canada which, at the time the applic ant was enrolled 181
279+and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard 182
280+of training substantially equivalent to the standards of 183
281+training of those institutions in the United States which are 184
282+accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body 185
283+recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or 186
284+its successor organization. Such foreign education and training 187
285+must have been received in an institution or program of higher 188
286+education officially recognized by the government of the countr y 189
287+in which it is located as an institution or program to train 190
288+students to practice as mental health counselors. The applicant 191
289+has the burden of establishing that the requirements of this 192
290+provision have been met, and the board shall require 193
291+documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign equivalency 194
292+determination service, as evidence that the applicant's graduate 195
293+degree program and education were equivalent to an accredited 196
294+program in this country. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant 197
295+must have a master's degree from a program that is accredited by 198
296+the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related 199
297+Educational Programs , the Masters in Psychology and Counseling 200
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306306 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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310-Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related 201
311-Educational Programs which consists of at least 60 semeste r 202
312-hours or 80 quarter hours of clinical and didactic instruction, 203
313-including a course in human sexuality and a course in substance 204
314-abuse. If the master's degree is earned from a program related 205
315-to the practice of mental health counseling which is not 206
316-accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling 207
317-and Related Educational Programs, then the coursework and 208
318-practicum, internship, or fieldwork must consist of at least 60 209
319-semester hours or 80 quarter hours and meet all of the following 210
320-requirements: 211
321- a. Thirty-three semester hours or 44 quarter hours of 212
322-graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester 213
323-hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate -level coursework in each of 214
324-the following 11 content areas: counseling theories and 215
325-practice; human growth and development; diagnosis and treatment 216
326-of psychopathology; human sexuality; group theories and 217
327-practice; individual evaluation and assessment; career and 218
328-lifestyle assessment; research and program evaluation; social 219
329-and cultural foundations; sub stance abuse; and legal, ethical, 220
330-and professional standards issues in the practice of mental 221
331-health counseling. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation 222
332-work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied 223
333-toward this requirement. 224
334- b. A minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of 225
310+Accreditation Council, or an equivalent accrediting body which 201
311+consists of at least 60 semes ter hours or 80 quarter hours to 202
312+apply for licensure under this paragraph. 203
313+ (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical 204
314+experience in mental health counseling, which must be at the 205
315+post-master's level under the supervision of a licensed mental 206
316+health counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor 207
317+as determined by the board. An individual who intends to 208
318+practice in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience 209
319+requirements must register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before 210
320+commencing practice. If a graduate has a master's degree with a 211
321+major related to the practice of mental health counseling which 212
322+did not include all the coursework required under sub -213
323+subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., credit for the post -master's level 214
324+clinical experience may not commen ce until the applicant has 215
325+completed a minimum of seven of the courses required under sub -216
326+subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., as determined by the board, one of 217
327+which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal 218
328+psychology. A doctoral internship may be applie d toward the 219
329+clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 220
330+professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 221
331+provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 222
332+ (d) Has Passed a theory and practice examination 223
333+designated provided by board rule the department for this 224
334+purpose. 225
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343343 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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346346
347-graduate-level coursework addressing diagnostic processes, 226
348-including differential diagnosis and the use of the current 227
349-diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the American 228
350-Psychiatric Association's Dia gnostic and Statistical Manual of 229
351-Mental Disorders. The graduate program must have emphasized the 230
352-common core curricular experience. 231
353- c. The equivalent, as determined by the board, of at least 232
354-700 hours of university -sponsored supervised clinical practicu m, 233
355-internship, or field experience that includes at least 280 hours 234
356-of direct client services, as required in the accrediting 235
357-standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and 236
358-Related Educational Programs for mental health counseling 237
359-programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post -238
360-master's clinical experience requirement. 239
361- 2. Has Provided additional documentation if a course title 240
362-that appears on the applicant's transcript does not clearly 241
363-identify the content of the coursework. Th e documentation must 242
364-include, but is not limited to, a syllabus or catalog 243
365-description published for the course. 244
366- 245
367-Education and training in mental health counseling must have 246
368-been received in an institution of higher education that, at the 247
369-time the applicant graduated, was fully accredited by an 248
370-institutional a regional accrediting body recognized by the 249
371-Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor 250
372-
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380-F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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384-organization or publicly recognized as a member in good standing 251
385-with the Association of Univer sities and Colleges of Canada, or 252
386-an institution of higher education located outside the United 253
387-States and Canada which, at the time the applicant was enrolled 254
388-and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard 255
389-of training substantially equival ent to the standards of 256
390-training of those institutions in the United States which are 257
391-accredited by an institutional a regional accrediting body 258
392-recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or 259
393-its successor organization. Such foreign education and training 260
394-must have been received in an institution or program of higher 261
395-education officially recognized by the governme nt of the country 262
396-in which it is located as an institution or program to train 263
397-students to practice as mental health counselors. The applicant 264
398-has the burden of establishing that the requirements of this 265
399-provision have been met, and the board shall require 266
400-documentation, such as an evaluation by a foreign equivalency 267
401-determination service, as evidence that the applicant's graduate 268
402-degree program and education were equivalent to an accredited 269
403-program in this country. Beginning July 1, 2025, an applicant 270
404-must have a master's degree from a program that is accredited by 271
405-the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related 272
406-Educational Programs , the Masters in Psychology and Counseling 273
407-Accreditation Council, or an equivalent accrediting body which 274
408-consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours to 275
409-
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417-F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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421-apply for licensure under this paragraph. 276
422- (c) Completed Has had at least 2 years of clinical 277
423-experience in mental health counseling, which must be at the 278
424-post-master's level under the supervision of a lice nsed mental 279
425-health counselor or the equivalent who is a qualified supervisor 280
426-as determined by the board. An individual who intends to 281
427-practice in Florida to satisfy the clinical experience 282
428-requirements must register pursuant to s. 491.0045 before 283
429-commencing practice. If a graduate has a master's degree with a 284
430-major related to the practice of mental health counseling which 285
431-did not include all the coursework required under sub -286
432-subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., credit for the post -master's level 287
433-clinical experience may not commence until the applicant has 288
434-completed a minimum of seven of the courses required under sub -289
435-subparagraphs (b)1.a. and b., as determined by the board, one of 290
436-which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal 291
437-psychology. A doctoral internsh ip may be applied toward the 292
438-clinical experience requirement. A licensed mental health 293
439-professional must be on the premises when clinical services are 294
440-provided by a registered intern in a private practice setting. 295
441- (d) Has Passed a theory and practice exa mination 296
442-designated provided by board rule the department for this 297
443-purpose. 298
444- (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board 299
445-rule, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 300
446-
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454-F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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458-clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 301
459-health counseling. 302
460- Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 303
347+ (e) Has Demonstrated, in a manner designated by board 226
348+rule, knowledge of the laws and rules governing the practice of 227
349+clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental 228
350+health counseling. 229
351+ Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 230