AB 2649: Marriage and family therapist intern and professional clinical counselor intern: renaming.

(1)Existing law, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. The act sets forth the educational and training requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist, including certain supervised-experience requirements whereby a prospective licensee is required to work a specified number of hours in a clinical setting under the supervision of experienced professionals. The act requires all persons to register with the board as an intern in order to be credited for postdegree hours of supervised experience gained toward licensure.

This bill would, commencing January 1, 2018, deem any reference in any statute or regulation to marriage and family therapist intern to instead refer to associate marriage and family therapist and would deem any reference to marriage and family therapist registered intern to instead refer to registered associate marriage and family therapist.

(2)Existing law, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of professional clinical counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. The act sets forth the educational and training requirements for licensure as a professional clinical counselor, including certain supervised-experience requirements whereby a prospective licensee is required to work a specified number of hours in a clinical setting under the supervision of experienced professionals. The act requires all persons to register with the board as an intern in order to be credited for postdegree hours of supervised experience gained toward licensure.

This bill would, commencing January 1, 2018, deem any reference in any statute or regulation to professional clinical counselor intern to instead refer to associate professional clinical counselor and would deem any reference to professional clinical counselor registered intern to instead refer to registered associate professional clinical counselor.