H-3186.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2291
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Representatives Dellwo, Dyer, Ballasiotes, R. Johnson, Thibaudeau, L. Johnson and Pruitt
Read first time 01/12/94. Referred to Committee on Health Care.
AN ACT Relating to the certification of mental health counselors; and amending RCW 18.19.120.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 18.19.120 and 1991 c 3 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The department shall issue a certified mental health counselor certificate to any applicant meeting the following requirements:
(a) A master's or
doctoral degree in mental health counseling ((or a related field from an
approved school, or completion of at least thirty graduate semester hours or
forty-five graduate quarter hours in the field of mental health counseling or
the substantial equivalent in both subject content and extent of training;
(b) Postgraduate
supervised mental health counseling practice that meets standards established
by the secretary;
(c) Qualification by
an examination, submission of all necessary documents, and payment of required
fees; and
(d) Twenty-four months
of postgraduate professional experience working in a mental health counseling
setting that meets the requirements established by the secretary.
(2) No applicant may
come before the secretary for examination without the initial educational and
supervisory credentials as required by this chapter, except that applicants
completing a master's or doctoral degree program in mental health counseling or
a related field from an approved graduate school before or within eighteen
months of July 26, 1987, may qualify for the examination.
(3) For one year
beginning on July 26, 1987, a person may apply for certification without
examination. However, if the applicant's credentials are not adequate to
establish competence to the secretary's satisfaction, the secretary may require
an examination of the applicant during the initial certification period. For
the initial certification period, an applicant shall:
(a) Submit a
completed application as required by the secretary, who may require that the
statements on the application be made under oath, accompanied by the
application fee set by the secretary in accordance with RCW 43.70.250;
(b) Have a master's
or doctoral degree in counseling or a related field from an approved school;
and
(c) Have submitted a
completed application as required by the secretary accompanied by the
application fee set by the secretary and a request for waiver from the
requirements of (b) of this subsection, with documentation to show that the
applicant has alternative training and experience equivalent to formal
education and supervised experience required for certification.)) or a behavioral science master's or
doctoral degree in a related field with the program equivalency as determined
by rule by the department based on nationally recognized standards; and
(b) Two years of postgraduate practice of counseling under the supervision of a qualified mental health counselor-supervisor or other mental health professional deemed appropriate by the secretary that may be accumulated concurrently with completion of the required program equivalency.
(c) An individual meeting the requirements of this chapter shall be recognized as a health care provider within the definitions of this chapter.
(((4))) (2)
Certified mental health counseling practice is that aspect of counseling
that involves the ((rendering to individuals, groups, organizations,
corporations, institutions, government agencies, or the general public a mental
health counseling service emphasizing a wellness model rather than an illness model
in the application of therapeutic principles, methods, or procedures of mental
health counseling to assist the client in achieving effective personal,
organizational, institutional, social, educational, and vocational development
and adjustment and to assist the client in achieving independence and autonomy
in the helping relationship)) provision of professional mental health
counseling services to individuals, couples, and families, singly or in groups,
whether the services are offered directly to the general public or through
organizations, either public or private, for a fee, monetary or otherwise.
"Certified mental health counseling" means the application of
principles of human development, learning theory, group dynamics, and etiology of
mental illness and dysfunctional behavior to individuals, couples, families,
groups, and organizations, for the purpose of treating mental disorders and
promoting optimal mental health and functionality. Certified mental health
counseling also includes, but is not limited to, the assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment of mental and emotional disorders, educational techniques developed
to prevent such disorders, as well as the application of a wellness model of
mental health.
(3) The secretary shall establish rules governing mandatory continuing education requirements for a certified mental health counselor applying for renewal. The rules shall also establish compliance monitoring and compliance shall be a prerequisite for issuance of a renewal certificate.
(4) For a period of six years from the effective date of this act, a mental health counselor certified as such by the department who has not earned a minimum of a master's degree in mental health counseling or a master's degree in behavioral science in a related field during the prescribed six-year period, with the program equivalency as determined by rule by the secretary, is not eligible for certification or renewal of certification as a mental health counselor after the prescribed six-year period.
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