Iowa Admin. Code r. 645-31.2

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 645-31.2 - Requirements for permanent and temporary licensure as a mental health counselor or marriage and family therapist

The following criteria shall apply to licensure:

(1) The applicant shall submit a completed online application for licensure and pay the nonrefundable licensure fee specified in rule 645-5.3 (147,154D).

(2) The applicant for a mental health counseling license shall submit two completed fingerprint cards and a signed waiver form to facilitate a national criminal history background check by the Iowa division of criminal investigation (DCI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cost of the criminal history background check by the DCI and the FBI shall be assessed to the applicant.

(3) No application will be considered by the board until official copies of academic transcripts sent directly from the school to the board of behavioral science have been received by the board or an equivalency evaluation completed by the CCE has been received by the board. The applicant shall present proof of meeting the educational requirements. Documentation of such proof shall be on file in the board office with the application and include one of the following:

a. For licensure as a marital and family therapist, an official transcript verifying completion of a marital and family therapy program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) as defined in subrule 31.5(1) or an equivalency evaluation of the applicant's educational credentials completed by CCE as defined in subrule 31.5(2).

b. For licensure as a mental health counselor, an official transcript verifying completion of a mental health counseling program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) as defined in subrule 31.6(1) or an equivalency evaluation of the applicant's educational credentials completed by CCE as defined in subrule 31.6(2).

(4) The applicant is required to take the examination(s) provided in rule 645-31.3 (1).

(5) The applicant for permanent licensure shall submit the required attestation of supervision forms documenting clinical experience as required in rule 645-31.7 (154D).

(6) The applicant for temporary licensure must submit a supervision plan to the board prior to licensure. Within 30 days of completion of the supervised clinical experience, the attestation of the completed supervised experience must be submitted to the board office. The temporary licensee shall remain under supervision until a permanent license is issued.

(7) A temporary license is only valid for the purpose of fulfilling the postgraduate supervised clinical experience requirement. It is valid for three years and may be renewed at the discretion of the board.

(8) A licensee who was issued an initial permanent license within six months prior to the renewal shall not be required to renew the license until the renewal date two years later.

(9) An application for a temporary or permanent license will be considered active for two years from the date the application is received. If the applicant does not submit all materials within this time period or if the applicant does not meet the requirements for the license, the application shall be considered incomplete. An applicant whose application is filed incomplete must submit a new application, supporting materials, and the application fee. The board shall destroy incomplete applications after two years.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 645-31.2

ARC 8152B, IAB 9/23/09, effective 10/28/09; ARC 0777C, IAB 6/12/2013, effective 7/17/2013

Amended by IAB December 10, 2014/Volume XXXVII, Number 12, effective 1/14/2015

Amended by IAB December 7, 2016/Volume XXXIX, Number 12, effective 1/11/2017

Amended by IAB April 10, 2019/Volume XLI, Number 21, effective 3/22/2019

Amended by IAB July 17, 2019/Volume XLII, Number 2, effective 8/21/2019

Amended by IAB July 14, 2021/Volume XLIV, Number 1, effective 8/18/2021

Amended by IAB June 15, 2022/Volume XLIV, Number 25, effective 7/20/2022

Adopted by IAB May 1, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 22, effective 6/5/2024