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.
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))