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1997 SESSION

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SB 1169 Professional regulations; substance abuse treatment professionals.

Introduced by: Joseph B. Benedetti | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY:

Professional regulations; substance abuse treatment professionals. Revises the regulation of certified substance abuse counselors to require licensure of three levels of substance abuse treatment professionals, i.e., licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners, licensed substance abuse treatment providers, and licensed substance abuse treatment assistants. This regulatory scheme will license individuals with master's degrees to provide independent treatment, assessment, etc.; individuals with bachelor's degrees to perform treatment, assessment, etc., under the supervision or direction of an individual licensed as a substance abuse treatment practitioner or holding equivalent credentials; and individuals with high school diplomas or a GED or other certificate to conduct orientation, implementation of treatment planning, case management, crisis intervention, etc., under the supervision or direction of a licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner or licensed substance abuse treatment provider. The composition and name of the existing board are changed to include two substance abuse treatment professionals and two marriage and family therapists, i.e., the Board membership is increased from nine to 11 and renamed the Board of Professional Counselors, Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals, and Marriage and Family Therapists. The Board will continue to have five professional counselors in its membership. A second enactment authorizes the Board to continue to certify substance abuse counselors while the regulations for this new licensure scheme are being developed. A third enactment grandfathers individuals who are certified substance abuse counselors into this program by requiring the Board, upon the effective date of the new licensure regulations, to license these individuals at one of the three levels of substance abuse treatment professional licensure. This bill was introduced and passed in 1996; however, a third enactment required that the act be reenacted by the 1997 Session of the General Assembly.


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