Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act.

Existing law, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, prohibits, except as provided, a person from practicing or advertising the performance of professional clinical counseling services without a license. The act defines "professional clinical counseling" to exclude the assessment or treatment of couples or families unless the professional clinical counselor has completed specified training and education requirements. Existing law authorizes an out-of-state professional clinical counselor licensee at the highest level for independent clinical practice to be licensed as a professional clinic counselor in this state if that person meets certain requirements, and permits that person to treat couples or families if that person meets certain additional requirements. The act requires supervised experience that is obtained for the purpose of qualifying for licensure to be related to the practice of professional clinical counseling and comply with specified requirements, including by requiring at least 150 hours of clinical experience in a hospital or community mental health setting, as defined. A violation of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would delete the provision excluding the assessment or treatment of couples or families without meeting specified training and education requirements from the definition of "professional clinical counseling." The bill would delete the additional requirements for an out-of-state professional clinical counselor licensee to be allowed to treat couples or families. The bill would also eliminate the licensure requirement of completing at least 150 hours of clinical experience in a hospital or community mental health setting. By widening the scope of activity subject to licensure as a professional clinical counselor, this bill would expand the scope of a crime and would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make conforming changes. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4999.46 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 690 to be operative only if this bill and AB 690 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.