The general assembly hereby finds and determines that, in order to safeguard the public health, safety, and welfare of the people of this state and in order to protect the people of this state against the unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of psychology, social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychotherapy, and addiction counseling, it is necessary that the proper regulatory authorities be established and adequately provided for. The general assembly therefore declares that there shall be established a state board of psychologist examiners, a state board of social work examiners, a state board of marriage and family therapist examiners, a state board of licensed professional counselor examiners, a state board of unlicensed psychotherapists, and a state board of addiction counselor examiners with the authority to license, register, or certify, and take disciplinary actions or bring injunctive actions, or both, concerning licensed psychologists and psychologist candidates, licensed social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapist candidates, licensed professional counselors and licensed professional counselor candidates, unlicensed psychotherapists, and licensed and certified addiction counselors, respectively, and mental health professionals who have been issued a provisional license pursuant to this article 245.
Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1221, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: Entire section amended, (HB 20-1206), ch. 304, p. 1544, § 45, effective July 14.
Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-43-101 as it existed prior to 2019.