Healing arts: Board of Behavioral Sciences: licensees and registrants.

(1) Existing law establishes the Board of Behavioral Sciences within the Department of Consumer Affairs and requires the board to regulate various registrants and licensees under the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (LMFTA) , the Educational Psychologist Practice Act (EPPA) , the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (CSWPA) , and the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (LPCCA) . Existing law makes a violation of the provisions under those acts a crime. Existing law, under those acts, requires a licensee to display their license in a conspicuous place in the licensee's primary place of practice. Existing law requires a licensee or registrant to provide, before initiating specified services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a client with a prescribed written notice that specifies that the board receives and responds to complaints regarding services within the scope of the licensed practiced, among other things. This bill would provide that a licensee is required to display their license in a conspicuous place in the licensee's primary place of practice when rendering professional clinical services in person. The bill, commencing July 1, 2025, would require the above-described written notice to additionally include information about the licensee or registrant, including, among others, the licensee's or registrant's full name as filed with the board and the license or registration number, as prescribed. (2) Existing law, under the LMFTA, CSWPA, and LPCCA, requires an applicant for licensure to have, among other things, at least one hour of direct supervisor contact, as defined, in each week for which experience is credited in each work setting. For purposes of that definition, existing law refers to the individual receiving supervision as the supervisee. Existing law prohibits supervisors of supervisees, as specified, from serving as individual or triadic supervisors for more than 6 supervisees at any time, as provided. This bill would revise the definition of "one hour of direct supervisor contact," delete references to "supervisee," and instead refer to that individual as the person receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services. The bill would delete the above-described prohibition and instead prohibit supervisors in nonexempt settings from serving as individual or triadic supervisors for more than a total of 6 persons who are not fully licensed at the highest level for independent clinical practice and who are receiving supervision for providing clinical mental health services in a nonexempt setting. (3) Existing law, under the CSWPA, requires a licensee to complete specified actions on or before the expiration date of the license to renew an unexpired license. Existing law requires the current renewal receipt to be displayed near the licensee's license. This bill would repeal the above-described requirement that the current renewal receipt be displayed near the licensee's license. (4) Because the bill would impose new requirements on licensees and registrants under the LMFTA, EPPA, CSWPA, and LPCCA, the violation of which is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.