SLS 21RS-154 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 127
BY SENATOR MCMATH
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. Provides relative to specialized behavioral health rehabilitation
services in the Louisiana medical assistance program. (8/1/21)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:2162(D)(2), relative to behavioral health rehabilitation
3 services in the Louisiana medical assistance program; to require a minimum level of
4 education and training for certain providers; to make technical changes; and to
5 provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 40:2162(D)(2) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 §2162. Specialized behavioral health rehabilitation services in the Louisiana medical
9 assistance program
10 * * *
11 D. In order to be eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursement, all behavioral
12 health services providers shall ensure that any individual rendering PSR or CPST
13 services for the licensed and accredited provider agency meets all of the following
14 requirements:
15 * * *
16 (2)(a) On and after July 1, 2018, any Any individual rendering PSR services
17 for a licensed and accredited provider agency shall hold a minimum of a one of the
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 127
SLS 21RS-154 ORIGINAL
1 following:
2 (i) A bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college in the field
3 of counseling, social work, psychology, or sociology.
4 (ii) Any bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with
5 a minimum of fifteen hours of coursework or practicum experience from an
6 accredited university or college in counseling, social work, sociology, or
7 psychology as part of or in addition to the bachelor's degree.
8 (iii) Any master's degree from an accredited university or college with
9 a minimum of fifteen hours of graduate level coursework or practicum
10 experience from an accredited university or college in counseling, social work,
11 sociology, or psychology as part of or in addition to the master's degree.
12 (b) Any individual rendering PSR services who does not possess the
13 minimum bachelor's degree required educational requirements provided for in this
14 Paragraph, but who met all provider qualifications in effect prior to July 1, 2018,
15 may continue to provide PSR services for the same provider agency. Prior to the
16 individual rendering PSR services at a different provider agency, he must shall
17 comply with the provisions of this Section.
18 (b) On and after July 1, 2018, any (c) Any individual rendering any CPST
19 services for a licensed and accredited provider agency shall hold a minimum of a
20 bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college in the field of counseling,
21 social work, psychology, or sociology.
22 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Brandi Cannon.
DIGEST
SB 127 Original 2021 Regular Session McMath
Present law defines "psychosocial rehabilitation services" (PSR services) as
psycho-educational services provided to individuals with mental illness in order to assist
with skill-building, restoration, and rehabilitation, designed to assist the individual with
compensating for or eliminating functional deficits and interpersonal or environmental
barriers associated with mental illness.
Proposed law retains present law.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 127
SLS 21RS-154 ORIGINAL
Present law provides that, in order to be eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursement, all
behavioral health services providers shall ensure that any individual rendering PSR services
for the provider agency meets certain enumerated requirements including a minimum of a
bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college in the field of counseling, social
work, psychology, or sociology.
Proposed law retains present law and expands the minimum eligible educational requirement
to include both of the following:
(1)Any bachelor's degree with a minimum of 15 hours of coursework or practicum
experience from an accredited university or college in counseling, social work,
sociology, or psychology as part of or in addition to the bachelor's degree.
(2)Any master's degree with a minimum of 15 hours of graduate level coursework or
practicum experience from an accredited university or college in counseling, social
work, sociology, or psychology as part of or in addition to the master's degree.
Present law provides that any individual rendering PSR services who does not possess the
minimum bachelor's degree required by present law, but who met all provider qualifications
in effect prior to July 1, 2018, may continue to provide PSR services for the same provider
agency. Further provides that, prior to the individual rendering PSR services at a different
provider agency, the individual must comply with the provisions of present law.
Proposed law retains present law but makes technical changes.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 40:2162(D)(2))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.