H-3963.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2291
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Dellwo, Dyer, Ballasiotes, R. Johnson, Thibaudeau, L. Johnson and Pruitt)
Read first time 02/04/94.
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; and
(c) Qualification by an examination, submission of all necessary documents, and payment of required fees.
(((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 may establish rules governing mandatory continuing education requirements for a certified mental health counselor applying for renewal.
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