Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 18, September 16, 2024
PURPOSE: This amendment amends the language regarding
client contact hours.
(1) To
apply for licensure or supervision, an applicant shall have received a graduate
degree at the master, specialist or doctoral level with either a major in
marriage and family therapy or an equivalent graduate course of study in a
mental health discipline from a regionally accredited institution acceptable to
the United States Department of Education.
(A) For the purpose of this rule, a master's
or doctoral degree in marital and family therapy from a program accredited by
the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
(COAMFTE) or its successor organization meets the educational requirements for
licensure. A master or doctoral degree awarded prior to COAMFTE accreditation
meets the educational requirement for licensure if the degree was awarded
within two (2) years of the program receiving accreditation.
(B) For the purpose of this rule, a master's
or doctoral degree from a program in marriage, couple, and family counseling
accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related
Educational Programs (CACREP) or its successor organization meets the education
requirements for licensure. A master's or doctoral degree awarded prior to
CACREP accreditation meets the educational requirement for licensure if the
degree was awarded within two (2) years of the program receiving
accreditation.
(C) A graduate
program in marriage and family therapy that is not COAMFTE or CACREP accredited
shall consist of at least forty-five (45) semester hours or sixty (60) quarter
hours of study in the area of marriage and family therapy; or
(D) An equivalent graduate course of study
in a mental health discipline shall consist of at least forty-five (45)
semester hours or sixty (60) quarter hours of study. The applicant shall have
completed graduate or postgraduate course work in each core area as defined in
20 CSR 2233-2.010(7)(A)-(F).
(2) When evaluating transcripts based on a
quarter hour system, the state committee shall consider a quarter hour of
academic credit as two-thirds (2/3) of a semester hour. A semester hour of
credit shall be defined as fifteen (15) clock hours of regularly scheduled
classroom study.
(3) An applicant
for licensure or supervision shall have completed the following:
(A) Three (3) semester hours or five (5)
quarter hours of study in the area of theoretical foundations of marriage and
family therapy;
(B) Twelve (12)
semester hours or twenty (20) quarter hours of study in the area of the
practice of marriage and family therapy;
(C) Six (6) semester hours or ten (10)
quarter hours of study in the area of human development and family studies;
(D) Three (3) semester hours or
five (5) quarter hours of study in the area of ethics and professional
studies;
(E) Three (3) semester
hours or five (5) quarter hours of study in the area of research
methodology;
(F) Six (6) semester
hours or ten (10) quarter hours of practicum in marital and family therapy,
including the minimum number of client contact hours as set forth by the
Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
standards; and
(G) Three (3)
semester hours or five (5) quarter hours of study in the area of diagnostic
systems either within the curriculum leading to a master, doctoral, or
specialist degree, or post master's graduate level course work prior to the
issuance of a license.
(4) Graduate course work in marriage and family
therapy or a course of study in a mental health discipline from a school,
college or university or other institution of higher learning outside the
United States may be considered in compliance with these rules if, at the time
the applicant was enrolled and graduated, the school, college, university or
other institution of higher learning maintained a standard of training
substantially equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions
accredited by one (1) of the regional accrediting commissions recognized by the
United States Department of Education. An official transcript from the college,
university, or other institution of higher learning outside of the United
States must be sent to the committee. If the applicant's official transcript is
not in English, the applicant shall obtain a credential evaluation from a
nationally recognized translation service that compares the courses listed on
the transcript with U.S. standards, in order to determine content and
equivalency in terms of U.S. education. The applicant shall authorize the
release of the translation to the committee. Any costs associated with the
translation are the applicant's responsibility.
(A) A graduate program in marriage and family
therapy shall consist of at least forty-five (45) semester hours or sixty (60)
quarter hours of study in the area of marriage and family therapy; or
(B) An equivalent graduate course of study in
a mental health discipline shall consist of at least forty-five (45) semester
hours or sixty (60) quarter hours of study comprised of graduate or
postgraduate course work in each core area as defined in 20 CSR
2233-2.010(8)(A)-(G).
(5) A course shall be counted once in granting credit
for a core area and be an in-depth study solely devoted to a particular core
area. No core area credit shall be given for courses which contain only a
component or some aspects of a core area. The core areas are defined as
follows:
(A) Theoretical Foundations of
Marriage and Family Therapy- Courses in this area cover the development,
theoretical foundations, contemporary conceptual directions, and critical
philosophical issues of marriage and family therapy;
(B) The Practice of Marriage and Family
Therapy-Courses in this area cover the historical development, theoretical
foundations, contemporary conceptual directions, and critical philosophical
issues of marriage and family therapy and applied marriage and family therapy
practice. Within the context of systems theory and marriage and family therapy,
courses will cover assessment, evaluation and treatment of dysfunctional
relationship patterns and mental disorders consistent with the scope of
practice as defined in section
337.700(7),
RSMo and include marriage and family therapy assessment methods and
instruments;
(C) Human Development
and Family Studies-Courses in this area cover the life cycle of individuals,
couples and families and the modification of relationship dynamics over time
from a systems perspective. Courses shall address issues of relationships,
normal development and dysfunctional patterns, as well as issues of sexuality,
gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, religion, culture and other
issues of diversity which emerge in a pluralistic society;
(D) Ethics and Professional Studies-Courses
in this area cover the development of professional commitment, identity, and
accountability. Studies include professional socialization and professional
organizations, licensure and credentials, legal responsibilities and
liabilities of clinical practice and research, business ethics in professional
practice, family law, confidentiality, professional marital and family therapy
codes of ethics, and cooperation with members of other mental health
professions specific to the practice and profession of marriage and family
therapy;
(E) Research
Methodology-Courses in this area cover an understanding of research methodology
and data analysis with the ability to evaluate research. Course content shall
include both qualitative and quantitative research;
(F) Practicum in Marriage and Family
Therapy-The practicum or internship consists of direct, face-to-face client
contact to include couple and family formats. Individual supervision with one
(1) or two (2) students in face-to-face consultation with a supervisor shall be
provided. Students shall be trained to make relevant assessments of client
systems; and
(G) Diagnostic
Systems-Courses in this area provide an understanding and a working knowledge
of psycho diagnostics using classification systems with an emphasis on the
current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM). Course content regarding the DSM must include understanding the
organizational structure, professional terminology used in the manual, and
competence in its application as it is used in the assessment process and
subsequent treatment planning relative to the practice of marital and family
therapy.
(6) Distance
learning includes cyber/distance (electronic) learning/education and must be a
formal education process in which instruction occurs when the student and the
instructor are not located in the same place and uses technology such as
on-line learning tools, e-mail, video conferencing, and other related
technologies.
(A) Any course or graduate
program offered primarily via distance learning shall be evaluated by the state
committee in the same manner as onsite graduate programs or course work as
defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.010.
(7) Independent studies, courses listed on the
transcript as a seminar, and readings courses shall be clearly delineated on
the transcript and shall be submitted to the state committee for review and
approval. It is the applicant's responsibility to document that the course work
is in compliance with the core course requirements defined in 20 CSR
2233-2.010(8)(A)-(G). The applicant may submit course descriptions from course
catalogs, syllabi, bulletins or through written documentation from an
appropriate school official stating that the course was an in-depth study of a
particular core area.
(8)
Undergraduate level course work is in compliance with core requirements as
defined in this rule if the applicant's official transcript clearly shows that
the course was awarded graduate credit by the school.
(9) Courses provided by a post-degree institute
accredited by an accrediting body which has been approved by the United States
Department of Education may be acceptable as meeting core course requirements
defined in 20 CSR 2233-2.010. It is the applicant's responsibility to document
that the course work is in compliance with the core course requirements defined
in this rule. The applicant may submit course descriptions from course
catalogs, syllabi, bulletins, or through written documentation from an
appropriate official stating that the course was an in-depth study of a
particular core area.
(10) The
applicant has the burden of demonstrating that the academic course work and
training constituted a program of study in marriage and family therapy or a
mental health discipline. A final determination of whether the program of study
which formed the basis of the applicant's degree was marriage and family
therapy or a mental health discipline is within the discretion of the state
committee.
(11) The state
committee shall review an applicant's educational credentials upon request from
an applicant and upon receipt of official educational transcripts received
directly from the university or post-degree institute accredited by an
accrediting body which has been approved by the United States Department of
Education and upon payment of the fee as defined in
20 CSR
2233-1.040(1)(H). All information
shall be submitted to the state committee no later than thirty (30) days prior
to a regularly scheduled state committee meeting to be reviewed at that
meeting.
(12) The state committee
shall review an applicant's proposed plan for obtaining an appropriate
educational degree and/or course work upon receiving a request from an
individual, receipt of the photocopies of official school documents, such as
course syllabi or catalog descriptions of course work and degree programs, and
upon payment of the fee as defined in
20 CSR
2233-1.040(1)(H). All information
shall be submitted to the state committee no later than thirty (30) days prior
to a regularly scheduled state committee meeting to be reviewed at that
meeting.
*Original authority: 337.715, RSMo 1995, amended 2004, 2007
and 337.727, RSMo 1995.
