AB 607

Under current administrative code, qualified treatment trainees may provide

psychotherapy to consumers through outpatient mental health clinics certified by

the Department of Health Services. Under current administrative code, “qualified

treatment trainee” is defined to mean either a graduate student who is enrolled in

an accredited institution in psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy,

social work, nursing, or a closely related field or a person with a graduate degree from

an accredited institution and course work in psychology, counseling, marriage and

family therapy, social work, nursing, or a closely related field who has not yet

completed applicable supervised practice requirements. This bill adds to the

definition of qualified treatment trainee for purposes of providing psychotherapy to

consumers through outpatient mental health clinics a person with a graduate degree

from an accredited institution in psychology, counseling, marriage and family

therapy, social work, nursing or a closely related field who has submitted an

application for a training license as a social worker, marriage and family therapist,

or professional counselor until the person is granted a training license or for one year

following the date that the person submitted an application for a training license,

whichever occurs first.

Further, this bill codifies current administrative code by directing DHS to

promulgate rules to allow qualified treatment trainees and persons with a graduate

degree from an accredited institution in psychology, counseling, marriage and family

therapy, social work, nursing, or a closely related field who have submitted an

application for a training license as a social worker, marriage and family therapist,

or professional counselor within the previous year but have not yet been granted a

training license to provide psychotherapy to patients through an outpatient mental

health clinic certified by DHS while under clinical supervision as defined by DHS.

Additionally, the bill directs the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional

Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board to promulgate rules establishing

standards of conduct for qualified treatment trainees to engage in psychotherapy in

an outpatient mental health clinic certified by DHS including a requirement that

qualified treatment trainees be supervised while engaging in psychotherapy.