A. Upon the availability of county funds, the board of county commissioners of each county and the sheriff of each county are hereby authorized to hire counselors or contract for services of counselors for the purpose of providing counseling services to victims of crime, relatives of crime victims, witnesses to crimes, inmates in county jails, mental health detainees in the custody of the county and county employees whose official duties relate to law enforcement or mental health, or immediate family members of such employees; provided, such counseling services shall not be provided at county expense for county employees or immediate family members thereof except for counseling services necessary as a direct result of such employee's performance of official duties.
B. For purposes of this section:
1. "Counselor" includes but is not limited to a licensed professional counselor as defined in the Licensed Professional Counselors Act, psychologist, social worker, chaplain, psychiatrist or any other person trained or experienced in providing counseling services; and
2. "Chaplain" means an ordained or authorized preacher, minister, priest or other ecclesiastical dignitary of any denomination who has been duly ordained or authorized to preach by the church to which he belongs.
Added by Laws 1987, c. 155, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1987. Amended by Laws 1991, c. 296, § 30, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.