(a) The Legislature acknowledges that the basic obligation to provide a complete and accurate application for a marriage and family therapist license lies with the applicant. At the same time, the Legislature recognizes that an effort should be made by the board to ensure that persons who enter degree programs and supervisorial training settings that meet the requirements of this chapter are enabled to discern the requirements for licensing and to take the examination when they have completed their educational and experience requirements.
(b) In order that the board, the educational institutions, and the supervisors who monitor the education and experience of applicants may develop greater cooperation, the board shall do all of the following:
(1) Apply a portion of its limited resources specifically to the task of communicating information about its activities, the requirements and qualifications for licensure, and the practice of marriage and family therapy to the relevant educational institutions, supervisors, professional associations, applicants, trainees, associates, and the consuming public.
(2) Develop policies and procedures to assist educational institutions in meeting the curricula requirements of Sections 4980.36 and 4980.37 and any regulations adopted pursuant to those sections, so that those educational institutions may better provide assurance to their students that the curriculum offered to fulfill the educational requirements for licensure will meet those requirements at the time of the student’s application for licensure.
(3) Notify applicants in the application procedure when applications are incomplete, inaccurate, or deficient, and inform applicants of any remediation, reconsideration, or appeal procedures that may be applicable.
(4) Undertake, or cause to be undertaken, further comprehensive review, in consultation with educational institutions, professional associations, supervisors, associates, and trainees, of the supervision of associates and trainees, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following, and shall propose regulations regarding the supervision of associates and trainees that may include, but not be limited to, the following:
(A) Supervisor qualifications.
(B) Continuing education requirements of supervisors.
(C) Registration or licensing of supervisors, or both.
(D) Responsibilities of supervisors in general.
(E) The board’s authority in cases of noncompliance or negligence by supervisors.
(F) The associate’s and trainee’s need for guidance in selecting well-balanced and high-quality professional training opportunities within his or her community.
(G) The role of the supervisor in advising and encouraging his or her associate or trainee regarding the necessity or value and appropriateness of the associate or trainee engaging in personal psychotherapy, so as to enable the associate or trainee to become a more competent marriage and family therapist.
(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 743, Sec. 5. (AB 93) Effective January 1, 2019.)