65-5804a. Application for licensure; requirements; practice of licensed clinical professional counselor; approval of colleges or universities, criteria; temporary license.
65-5804a
65-5804a. Application for licensure; requirements;practice of licensed clinical professional counselor; approval of colleges oruniversities, criteria; temporary license.(a) Applications for licensure as a professional counselorshall be madeto the board on a form and in the manner prescribed by the board. Eachapplication shall be accompanied by the fee fixed under K.S.A.65-5808 and amendments thereto.
(b) Each applicant for licensure as a professionalcounselor shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant:
(1) Is at least 21 years of age;
(2) has completed 60 graduate semester hours including a graduate degreein counseling from a college or university approved by the board and whichincludes 45 graduate semester hours distributed among each of the followingareas:
(A) Counseling theory and practice;
(B) the helping relationship;
(C) group dynamics, processing and counseling;
(D) human growth and development;
(E) life-style and career development;
(F) appraisal of individuals;
(G) social and cultural foundations;
(H) research and evaluation;
(I) professional orientation;
(J) supervised practicum and internship;
(3) has passed an examination required by the board; and
(4) has satisfied the board that the applicant is a personwho merits thepublic trust.
(c) (1) Applications for licensure as a clinical professional counselorshall be made to the board on a form and in the manner prescribed by the board.Each applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the board that theapplicant:
(A) Is licensed by the board as a licensed professional counselor ormeets all requirements for licensure as a licensed professional counselor;
(B) has completed 15 credit hours as part of or in addition to therequirements under subsection (b) supporting diagnosis or treatment of mentaldisorders with use of the American psychiatric association's diagnostic andstatistical manual, through identifiable study of the following content areas:Psychopathology, diagnostic assessment, interdisciplinary referral andcollaboration, treatment approaches and professional ethics;
(C) has completed a graduate levelsupervised clinical practicum of supervised professional experience includingpsychotherapy and assessment with individuals, couples, families or groups,integrating diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders with use of theAmericanpsychiatric association's diagnostic and statistical manual, with not less than350 hours of direct client contact or additional postgraduate supervisedexperience as determined by the board;
(D) has completed not less than two years of postgraduate supervisedprofessional experience in accordance with a clinical supervision planapproved by the board of not less than 4,000 hours of supervised professionalexperience including at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact conductingpsychotherapy and assessments with individuals, couples, families or groups andnot less than 150 hours of clinical supervision, including not less than50 hours of person-to-person individual supervision, integrating diagnosis andtreatment ofmental disorders with use of the American psychiatric association's diagnosticand statistical manual, except that one-half of the requirement of this part(D) may be waived for persons with a doctor's degree in professional counselingor a related field acceptable to the board;
(E) for persons earning a degree under subsection (b)prior to July 1, 2003, in lieu of the educationrequirements under parts (B) and (C) of this subsection, has completed theeducation requirements for licensure as a professional counselorin effect on the day immediatelypreceding the effective date of this act;
(F) for persons who apply for and are eligible for a temporary permit topractice as a licensedprofessional counselor on the day immediately preceding the effective date ofthis act, in lieu of the education and training requirements under parts (B),(C) and (D) of this subsection, has completed the education and trainingrequirements for licensure as a professional counselor in effect on the dayimmediately preceding the effective date of this act;
(G) has passed an examination approved by the board; and
(H) has paid the application fee fixed under K.S.A. 65-5808 and amendmentsthereto.
(2) A person who was licensed or registered as a professional counselorin Kansas at any time prior to theeffective date of this act,who has been actively engaged in the practice of professional counseling asa registered or licensed professional counselor within five years prior to theeffective date of this actand whose last license or registration in Kansasprior to the effective date of this act was not suspended or revoked, uponapplication to the board, payment of fees andcompletion of applicable continuing education requirements, shall be licensedas a licensed clinicalprofessional counselor by providing demonstration of competence to diagnose andtreat mental disorders through at least two of the following areas acceptableto the board:
(A) Either (i) graduate coursework or (ii) passing anational, clinical examination;
(B) either (i) three years of clinical practice in acommunity mental health center, its contracted affiliate or a state mentalhospital or (ii) three years of clinical practice in other settings withdemonstrated experience in diagnosing or treating mental disorders; or
(C) attestation from one professional licensed to diagnoseand treat mental disorders in independent practice or licensed to practicemedicine and surgery that the applicant is competent to diagnose and treatmental disorders.
(3) A licensed clinical professional counselor may engage in the independentpractice of professional counseling and is authorized to diagnose and treatmental disorders specified in the edition of the diagnostic and statisticalmanual of mental disorders of the American psychiatric association designatedby the board by rules and regulations.When a client has symptoms of a mental disorder, a licensed clinicalprofessional counselor shall consult with the client's primary care physicianorpsychiatrist to determine if there may be a medical condition or medicationthat may be causing or contributing to the client's symptoms of a mentaldisorder. A client may request in writing that such consultation be waived andsuch request shall be made a part of the client's record. A licensed clinicalprofessional counselor may continue to evaluate and treat the client until suchtime that the medical consultation is obtained or waived.
(4) On and after January 1, 2002, a licensed professional counselor maydiagnoseand treat mental disorders specified in the edition of the diagnostic andstatistical manual of mental disorders of the American psychiatric associationdesignated by the board by rules and regulations only under the direction of alicensed clinical professional counselor, licensed psychologist, personlicensed to practice medicine and surgery or person licensed to provide mentalhealth services as an independent practitioner and whose licensure allows forthe diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.When a client has symptoms of a mental disorder, a licensed professionalcounselor shall consult with the client's primary care physician orpsychiatrist to determine if there may be a medical condition or medicationthat may be causing or contributing to the client's symptoms of a mentaldisorder. A client may request in writing that such consultation be waived andsuch request shall be made a part of the client's record. A licensedprofessional counselor may continue to evaluate and treat the client until suchtime that the medical consultation is obtained or waived.
(d) The board shall adopt rules and regulationsestablishing thecriteria which a college or university shall satisfy in order to beapproved by the board. The board may send a questionnaire developed bythe board to any college or university for which the board does not havesufficient information to determine whether the school meets therequirements for approval and rules and regulations adopted under thissection. The questionnaire providing the necessary information shall becompleted and returned to the board in order for the college or universityto be considered for approval. The board may contract with investigativeagencies, commissions or consultants to assist the board in obtaininginformation about colleges and universities. In entering such contractsthe authority to approve college and universities shall remain solely with theboard.
(e) A person who is waiting to take the examination required by theboardmay apply to the board for a temporary license topractice as alicensed professional counselor by (1) paying an application fee of no morethan $150 and (2) meeting the application requirementsas stated in subsections (b)(1), (2) and (4) of K.S.A. 65-5804a and amendmentsthereto.
(f) (1) A temporary license may be issued by the boardafter the applicationhas been reviewed and approved by the board and the applicant has paid theappropriate fee set by the board for issuance of new licenses.
(2) Absent extenuating circumstances approved by the board, atemporary license issued by the board shall expireupon the datethe board issues or denies a license to practice professional counseling or sixmonths after the date of issuance of the temporary license. Notemporary license will be renewed or issued again on any subsequentapplication for the same license level. The preceding provisions in no waylimit the number oftimes an applicant may take the examination.
(g) A person practicing professional counseling with atemporary license maynot use the title "licensed professional counselor" or the initials "LPC"independently. The word "licensed" may be used only when followed by the words"by temporary license" such as licensed professionalcounselor by temporarylicense, or professional counselor licensed by temporarylicense.
(h) No person may practice professional counseling under a temporarylicense except under thesupervision of a person licensed by the behavioral sciences regulatory board atthe independent level.
(i) Nothing in this section shall affect any temporarylicenseto practice issued under this section prior to the effective date of this actand in effect on the effective date of this act. Such temporarylicense shall be subject to the provisions of this section in effect at thetime of its issuance and shall continue to be effective until the date ofexpiration of the temporary license provided under thissection atthe time of issuance of such temporary license.
History: L. 1987, ch. 315, § 4;L. 1988, ch. 243, § 14;L. 1988, ch. 263, § 1;L. 1988, ch. 245, § 4;L. 1989, ch. 276, §1;L. 1996, ch. 153, § 4;L. 1999, ch. 108, § 1;L. 1999, ch. 117, § 3;L. 2001, ch. 154, § 6;L. 2006, ch. 61, § 1; July 1.