Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-809-080, 246-809-615, 246-809-630, and 246-809-632, licensure for mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers. The department of health (department) is considering amending rules to reflect legislation. ESHB 2411 (chapter 229, Laws of 2020) adds additional requirements for suicide prevention continuing education that impact mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers. ESHB 1551 removes training requirements for AIDS training.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Rule making is necessary because recent legislation has resulted in conflicts between the statutes and the rules. Amending chapter 246-809 WAC will allow the department to bring rule language into compliance with statute by clarifying suicide prevention continuing education requirements, and removing AIDS training requirements for the mental health professions included in this rule making. The amendments being considered are intended to promote public health.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting U. James Chaney, P.O. Box 47850, Olympia, WA 98504-7850, phone 360-236-2831, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 711, email ulysses.chaney@doh.wa.gov.

Additional comments: Rule development will take place in open public meetings prior to a formal rule proposal and comment period. All rule-making notices will be mailed via GovDelivery to various behavioral health professions lists. Notices for this rule making will be the same regardless of the GovDelivery list it will be sent to. To receive notices, interested persons may sign up for any or all of the lists mentioned here. Please go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOH/subscriber/new. After signing in, please click open the box labeled "Health Systems Quality Assurance." Next click open the box labeled "Health Professions." From there you may check the box next to one or more of the follow[ing] professions: Agency Affiliated Counselor, Board of Psychology, Certified Counselors/Certified Advisers, Licensed Counselors.