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 17-079)
ORDER
An order of the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board to repeal and recreate MPSW 14.01 (2) (b) as affected by CR 13-009 and create MPSW 14.01 (3) relating to internship and courses in equivalency programs. Analysis prepared by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
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ANALYSIS
Statutes interpreted: s. 457.12, Stats. Explanation of agency authority:
The 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.] Upon the advice of the professional counselor section, promulgate rules establishing minimum standards for educational programs that must be completed for licensure under this chapter and for supervised clinical training that must be completed for licensure as a professional counselor under this chapter and approve educational programs and supervised clinical training programs in accordance with those standards. [s. 457.03 (1), Stats.] Plain language analysis:
This rule corrects inadvertent omissions when the board updated the education equivalency standards in CR 13-009. Section 1 maintains the language of MPSW 14.01 (2) (b) and then adds a sentence to the end of the paragraph to clarify the internship experience includes an average of one and a half hours of group supervision throughout the internship similar to the language in the practicum experience.
Section 2 clarifies an applicant may complete up to 18 credit hours outside of the master’s degree if necessary to meet the equivalency requirements. This provision is necessary in order to avoid permanently preventing applicants from being able to meet the requirements because their degree program was missing some of the required content.
Summary of, and comparison with, existing or proposed federal regulation: None
Comparison with rules in adjacent states:
Illinois: Illinois requires the master’s and doctoral degree come from a counseling program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs or the Council on Rehabilitation Education or a psychology program approved by the American Psychological Association and the Council for the National Registry of Health Service Providers. Any program not accredited or approved by the program will be evaluated by the Board to determine equivalency. The equivalency standards are not specified by rule.
Iowa: Iowa requires mental health counselors meeting the educational requirements by demonstrating an equivalent to a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs to have an internship which includes a minimum of one and a half hours per week of group supervision by a program faculty member supervisor. Iowa does not indicate whether courses outside of the degree will be considered to meet the requirements.
Michigan: Michigan requires education programs to meet the 2009 standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs or the Council on Rehabilitation Education.
Minnesota: Minnesota requires a supervised field experience in counseling that is not fewer than 700 hours but does not indicate the required supervision hours. Minnesota allows 20 credits to be completed postdegree for purposes of meeting coursework requirements.
Summary of factual data and analytical methodologies:
Stakeholders approached the board requesting the clarifications.
Analysis and supporting documents used to determine effect on small business or in preparation of economic impact analysis:
This rule was posted for economic comments and none were received. The rule retains the current requirements where were inadvertently removed in CR 13-009.
