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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
House: HHS DP 10-2-0-0 |
HB 2001: behavioral health; temporary licensure; graduates
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
House Engrossed
Overview
Requires the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners (BBHE) to issue temporary licenses to eligible behavioral health graduates who are in the process of applying for an associate level license.
History
BBHE is authorized to establish and maintain standards of qualifications and performance for licensed behavioral health professionals in the areas of counseling, marriage and family therapy, social work and addiction counseling and to regulate the practice of licensed behavioral health professionals for protection of the public (A.R.S. § 32-3253).
BBHE, by rule, may prescribe a procedure for issuing temporary licenses. At minimum, these rules must include the following: 1) a person issued a temporary license may practice behavioral health only under direct supervision of a licensee; 2) a temporary license expires on the date specified by BBHE and not more than one year after the date of issuance; 3) a temporary license may contain restrictions as to time, place and supervision that the board deems appropriate; 4) the board may summarily revoke a temporary license without a hearing; and 5) the board's denial of a licensure application terminates a temporary license (A.R.S. § 32-3279(C)).
An individual is not eligible for a temporary license if the individual: 1) is the subject of a complaint pending before any state behavioral health regulatory entity; 2) has had a license or certificate to practice a health care profession suspended or revoked by any state regulatory entity; 3) has a criminal history or history of disciplinary action by a state behavioral health regulatory entity unless BBHE determines the history is not of sufficient seriousness to merit disciplinary action; or 4) has been previously denied a license by BBHE (A.A.C. R4-6-306).
Direct client contact is the performance of therapeutic or clinical functions related to the applicant's professional practice level of psychotherapy that includes diagnosis, assessment and treatment and may include psychoeducation for mental, emotional and behavioral disorders based primarily on verbal or nonverbal communications and intervention with, and in the presence of, one or more clients, including through the use of telehealth (A.R.S. § 32-3251).
Direct supervision means responsibility and oversight for all services provided by a supervisee (A.A.C. R4-6-101).
Provisions
1. Requires BBHE to issue a temporary license to an applicant who:
a) has completed their course of study in either social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy or addiction counseling and graduated from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;
b) possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card; and
c) is in the process of applying for an associate level license if the person's activities are performed under qualified direct supervision during their course of study or internship. (Sec. 1)
2. Authorizes temporary licenses to be valid for 90 days after the person's date of graduation. (Sec. 1)
3. Allows a licensee to apply any direct client contact work experience obtained during the temporary licensure timeframe toward their direct client contact work experience required for licensure. (Sec. 1)
4. Makes conforming and technical changes. (Sec. 2, 3 and 4)
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8. HB 2001
9. Initials AG Page 0 House Engrossed
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