Healing arts: marriage and family therapists: clinical social workers: professional clinical counselors: required experience and supervision.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires trainees, interns, and applicants for licensure in those professions to comply with specified educational and experience requirements, including, but not limited to, hours of supervised experience, and sets forth terms, conditions, and limitations for those hours of experience, including required supervision, as specified. Existing law also requires individuals seeking licensure in those professions to register with the board in order to gain experience hours. Under existing law, a violation of any of the requirements of the licensing acts for marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors is punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would revise and recast those supervised experience requirements, as specified. The bill would place new requirements on supervisors of trainees, associates, and applicants for licensure and place new requirements on trainees, associates, and applicants for licensure who are under supervision, as specified. The bill would make conforming changes. By placing new requirements on trainees, associates, applicants for licensure, and their supervisors, a violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 728 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2968 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2968 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4984.01 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2117 to be operative only if this bill and AB 2117 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 2290.5, 4980.78, and 4980.79 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1491 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1491 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 4996.18 and 4996.23 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 456 to be operative only if this bill and AB 456 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The bill would also make corresponding changes to Section 4996.23.1 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by this bill, to be operative only if this bill and AB 456 are enacted to amend Section 4996.23 of the Business and Professions Code. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4996.17 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2117 and SB 1491 that would become operative if this bill and AB 2117, this bill and SB 1491, or all 3 bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 4999.62 and 4999.63 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2296 and SB 1491 that would become operative if this bill and AB 2296, this bill and SB 1491, or all 3 bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.