Kentucky Administrative Regulations
Title 201 - GENERAL GOVERNMENT CABINET
Chapter 32 - Board of Licensure of Marriage and Family Therapists
Section 201 KAR 32:020 - Equivalent course of study

Universal Citation: 201 KY Admin Regs Service 32:020

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024

RELATES TO: KRS 335.330(1), (2)

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 335.330(1) provides that the board shall define a course of study equivalent to a master's degree in marriage and family therapy and promulgate the equivalency standard by administrative regulations. This administrative regulation establishes the criteria for the equivalent course of study.

Section 1. Definition. "Related field" means psychology, community mental health, social work, or professional counseling.

Section 2. An applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall:

(1) Comply with the requirements of KRS 335.330; and

(2) Submit an application on the Application for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist or Marriage and Family Therapist Associate form, incorporated by reference in 201 KAR 32:025.

(3) An applicant completing a postgraduate degree program, master's degree program, or doctoral degree program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Education who also has completed a master's or doctoral degree program in a related field may count clinical contact hours and clinical supervision hours earned in a Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Education postgraduate degree program, masters degree program, or doctoral degree program towards the clinical supervision requirements for licen-sure.

Section 3. The basic core areas that are necessary in order to qualify as an equivalent course of study, shall include the following:

(1) Marriage and family studies. This area shall include a minimum of three (3) courses (nine (9) semester hours, twelve (12) quarter hours, or 135 didactic contact hours). Courses in this area shall be theoretical in nature and have a major focus of system theory orientation, and may include:
(a) Systems theory;

(b) Family development;

(c) Blended families;

(d) Cultural issues in families;

(e) Family subsystems;

(f) Major models of family systems theory; or

(g) Gender issues in families;

(2) Marriage and family therapy. This area shall include a minimum of three (3) courses (nine (9) semester hours, twelve (12) quarter hours, or 135 didactic contact hours). Courses in this area shall have a major focus on family systems theory and systemic therapeutic interventions. Courses shall relate to major theories of family systems change and therapeutic practices evolving from each theoretical model. Examples include:
(a) Structural communications family therapy;

(b) Strategic object relations family therapy;

(c) Behavioral family therapy;

(d) Intergenerational family therapy;

(e) Solution oriented family therapy;

(f) Narrative family therapy; and

(g) Systemic sex therapy;

(3) Human development. This area shall include a minimum of three (3) courses (nine (9) semester hours, twelve (12) quarter hours, or 135 didactic contact hours). Courses in this area shall provide knowledge of individual human personality development in both normal and abnormal manifestations. Topic areas include, for example:
(a) Human development;

(b) Personality theory;

(c) Human sexuality; and

(d) Effects of gender and cultural issues on human development;

(4) Psychopathology and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This area shall include a one (1) course minimum (three (3) semester hours, four (4) quarter hours, or forty-five (45) didactic contact hours). Courses in this area shall include psychopathology, diagnosis through use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or applications of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to marriage and family therapy;

(5) Professional studies. This area shall include a minimum of one (1) course minimum (three (3) semester hours, four (4) quarter hours, or forty-five (45) didactic contact hours). Courses include, for example:
(a) Professional ethics in marriage and family therapy;

(b) Legal responsibilities of the therapist;

(c) Professional socialization and the role of the professional organization;

(d) Licensure or certification legislation; and

(e) Independent practice issues;

(6) Research. This area shall include a minimum of one (1) course minimum (three (3) semester hours, four (4) quarter hours, or forty-five (45) didactic contact hours). Courses may include:
(a) Statistics;

(b) Research methods;

(c) Quantitative methodology; or

(d) Other courses designed to assist the student to understand and perform research; or

(7) Practicum or internship. The practicum or internship shall include a minimum of one (1) year or 300 hours of supervised direct client contact with individuals, couples, and families for family therapy.
(a) An applicant who did not complete a clinical practicum in graduate school may satisfy the practicum requirement with his or her first 300 post masters' client contact hours.

(b) These hours shall not be counted toward the two (2) years of required post master's experience or the 200 hours of clinical supervision.

Section 4. A course used to fulfill one (1) of the requirements established in Section 2 of this administrative regulation shall not be used to fulfill more than one (1) of the basic core area requirements.

Section 5.

(1) An applicant who completed a qualifying graduate degree in a mental health field prior to 1985 may substitute conferences, workshops, seminars, or in-service training related to marriage and family therapy attended or presented as a substitute for college course-work required in Section 3 of this administrative regulation.

(2) Forty-five (45) contact hours of relevant content shall equal three (3) semester hours of credit.

(3) A list of equivalencies the applicant wishes to have considered shall be organized by core area as established in Section 3 of this administrative regulation. (4) Appropriate documentation shall include:
(a) Date;

(b) Title;

(c) Course description;

(d) Sponsoring organization;

(e) Presenter, including presenter's qualifications;

(f) Number of contact hours attended or presented; and

(g) Certificates of attendance.

Section 6. Other acceptable equivalencies shall be considered as follows:

(1) One (1) graduate level course taught on a subject relevant to marriage and family therapy after 1985 shall be considered equivalent to three (3) semester hours of credit.

(2) Publication on a subject relevant to marriage and family therapy dated after 1985 may be submitted as equivalencies as acceptable to the board. Credit shall be granted as follows:
(a)
1. A chapter in a book is equivalent to three (3) semester hours of credit.

2. An applicant who authors or edits a book shall be given credit equivalent to six (6) semester hours of credit.

3. An applicant shall submit a copy of the title page, table of contents, and bibliography.

(b)
1. Publication in a professional refereed journal shall be equivalent to three (3) semester hours of credit.

2. An applicant shall submit the journal table of contents and a copy of the article as it appeared in the journal including bibliography.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 335.320(9), 335.330(1), (2)

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