STATE OF WISCONSIN
Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional
Counseling and Social Work Examining Board
IN THE MATTER OF RULE-MAKING PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY, PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING AND
SOCIAL WORK EXAMINING BOARD
ORDER OF THE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY, PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELING AND SOCIAL WORK EXAMINING BOARD
ADOPTING RULES
(CLEARINGHOUSE RULE 16-008)
ORDER
An order of the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board to repeal MPSW 16.03, 16.05, 16.06 and ch. MPSW 18; to renumber MPSW 17.03; to amend ch. MPSW 17 (title); to repeal and recreate MPSW 16.01 and 16.02; and to create MPSW 16.015 (3) and 16.04, relating to marriage and family therapy applications, education, exams and licensure. Analysis prepared by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
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ANALYSIS
Explanation of agency authority:
Each examining board shall promulgate rules for its own guidance and for the guidance of the profession to which it pertains, and define and enforce professional conduct and unethical practices not inconsistent with the law relating to the particular trade or profession. [s. 15.08 (5) (b), Stats.] The examining board shall upon the advice of the…marriage and family therapist section…promulgate rules establishing minimum standards for educational programs that must be completed for certification or licensure under this chapter and for supervised clinical training that must be completed for licensure as …marriage and family therapist under this chapter and approve educational programs and supervised clinical training programs in accordance with those standards. [457.03 (1), Stats.]
Related statute or rule: n/a
Plain language analysis:
This rule updates the MPSW code chapters relating to marriage and family therapists to ensure the code is statutory compliant, reflect current practices and education standards and are clear for applicants and licensees to understand.
Section 1 repeals and recreates the marriage and family therapist license application requirements. An applicant shall file an application, pay a fee, pass an examination to determine competency, after receiving education engage in at least 3,000 hours of marriage and family therapy practice, including 1,000 of face-to-face client contact, not have an arrest or conviction record substantially related to the practice and provide proof of following: master’s or doctorate degree in a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMPTE) or a master’s or doctorate degree in an equivalent education or a degree awarded by a foreign institution of higher learning that is equivalent to a degree from a program accredited by COAMFTE.
Section 2 creates a provision to make clear a marriage and family therapist training license authorizes the holder to use the title and to practice marriage and family therapy within the scope of his or her supervisor while holding a training license.
Section 3 repeals and recreates the education requirements necessary to be equivalent to a COAMFTE accredited program. The program shall minimally contain the following: 6 credits in the area of foundations or relational or systemic practice, theories and models; 6 credits in the area of clinical treatment with individuals, couples and families; 3 credits in the area of diverse, multicultural or underserved communities; 3 credits in the area of research and evaluation; 3 credits in the area of professional identity, federal and state law, ethics and social responsibility; 3 credits in the area of biopsychosocial health and development across the life span; 3 credits in the area of systemic assessment and mental health diagnosis and treatment; 3 credits in the area of contemporary developments which interface marriage and family therapy knowledge and practice with the broader multidisciplinary context and a clinical internship.
Sections 4, 5 and 6 create a new section on supervised practice and repeal the sections where the materials are incorporated in the new section. An applicant completes 3,000 hours of supervised marriage and family therapy practice while holding a valid training license prior to being eligible for licensure. An applicant is supervised by one of the following: a licensed marriage and family therapist who has received a doctorate degree in marriage and family therapy, a licensed marriage and family therapist who has 5 years of marriage and family therapy practice, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy approved supervisor or supervisor candidate or a person approved in advance based upon evidence of experience in marriage and family therapy systems. Supervisor responsibilities include providing 1 hour of face-to-face supervision for each 10 hours of client contact, allow the person being supervised to only engage in services the supervisor can competently do, be available or make arrangements for emergency consultation and intervention, the supervisor is legally and ethically responsible for the activities, be able to interrupt or recommend that the employer interrupt services in given cases and to be able to terminate the supervised relationship. If the supervision is being done in group sessions, the group can consist of no more than 8 persons for every 1 person providing supervision and each person receives one hour of credit for each hour that the group meets.
Section 7 amends the chapter title to reflect training licenses are no longer part of this chapter.
Section 8 moves the marriage and family therapist training license to the application chapter to create clarity.
Section 9 repeals chapter 18 due to redundancy.
The rule will have a delayed initial applicability of October 1, 2019 as it relates to education equivalent requirements to allow students and schools to adjust programs accordingly.
Summary of, and comparison with, existing or proposed federal regulation: None
Comparison with rules in adjacent states:
