La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LX-3311

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section LX-3311 - Coursework and Academic Supervision Requirements, for Options 2, 3, and 4

A. General Requirements for Qualifying Coursework and Academic Supervision

1. Undergraduate level courses will not meet academic requirements unless the applicant's official transcript clearly shows that the course was given graduate credit.

2. Only coursework taken for credit and receiving a passing grade will be accepted. Coursework taken outside of a program of study for which a degree was granted must receive an "A," "B," or "pass."

3. One course is defined as three semester credits, four quarter credits, or 45 didactic contact hours in a postgraduate training program.

4. An applicant may not use a course for more than one of the seven coursework areas described in Subsection B of this Section.

5. If titles of academic courses are not self-explanatory, their content and relevance must be substantiated by the applicant through course descriptions in official school catalogs, bulletins, syllabi, or by other means approved by the advisory committee.

6. The burden is on the applicant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the coursework is equivalent to the requirements in Subsections A and B of this Section.

7. Degrees and coursework obtained at foreign universities shall be acceptable only if determined to be equivalent as defined in Subsections A and B of this Section as determined by the advisory committee.

8. The applicant must document that all required graduate and postgraduate coursework was presented from a family systems perspective. Coursework will specify how marriage and family therapists apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of professional psychotherapeutic services to individuals, couples, families, and groups for the purpose of assessment, treatment planning, and treatment of mental, intellectual, emotional, or behavioral disorders and apply family systems theories, assessment, and techniques in their professional consultation work with organizations.

9. Up to 220 of the required 500 hours of supervised direct client contact and 44 of the required 100 hours of face-to-face supervision not completed during a practicum and/or internship during the completion of the qualifying degree program or postgraduate training institute may be completed once an applicant is provisionally licensed as a provisional licensed marriage and family therapist and is under the supervision of an LMFT board-approved supervisor. These hours shall be added to the required 1500 hours of supervised direct client contact required for licensure.

B. Specific Coursework Requirements-Option 3

1. Academic Course Content. An applicant with a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a related clinical mental health field from programs not accredited by the COAMFTE or with a certificate from a postgraduate training institute in marriage and family therapy not accredited by the COAMFTE must have the specified coursework in each of the following areas (one course equals three semester hours or its equivalent as defined in Paragraph A.3 of this Section.

a. Theoretical Knowledge of Marriage and Family Therapy-minimum of two courses. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction in the historical development, empirical foundations, and contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy. Coursework shall provide a comprehensive survey and substantive understanding of the systems paradigm, family therapy theory, and the major models of marriage, couple, and family therapy practice. Overview courses in which systems theory is surveyed equally as one of several theories do not qualify for this area.

b. Clinical Knowledge of Marriage and Family Therapy-minimum of four courses. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction in clinical intervention as it relates to family systems theory. Coursework shall highlight clinical practice in couples and family therapy in relation to cultural and racial diversity, gender, sexual functioning/orientation, violence, addiction, abuse and other relevant issues. Coursework shall focus on the treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a systemic/relational perspective and in response to a wide variety of presenting problems.

c. Assessment and Treatment in Marriage and Family Therapy-prior to January 1, 2018, a minimum of six credit hours, three in assessment and three in diagnosis are required. As of January 1, 2018, a minimum of nine credit hours are required, three in assessment and six in diagnosis pursuant to Act 736 of the 2014 Regular Legislative Session. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction from a systemic/relational perspective in psychopharmacology, physical health and illness, traditional psycho diagnostic categories including the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) as published by the American Psychiatric Association on May 18, 2013 and/or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Edition, published in 1992 (ICD-10) as published by World Health Organization, and the assessment and treatment planning for the treatment of mental, intellectual, emotional, or behavioral disorders within the context of marriage and family systems. Any additional coursework may be completed as post-graduate work in accordance with §3309 C

d. Individual, Couple, and Family Development-minimum of one course. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction in individual, couple, and family development across the lifespan.

e. Professional Identity and Ethics-minimum of one course. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction in the development of professional identity, ethical and legal issues, scope of practice, professional membership, certification, and licensure. Coursework shall focus on ethical and legal issues related to the practice of marriage and family therapy, including but not limited to the AAMFT Code of Ethics, confidentiality, legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical practice and research, family law, record keeping, reimbursement, the business aspects of practice, and familiarity with regional and federal laws as they relate to the practice of individual, couple and family therapy. Generic courses in ethics do not meet this standard.

f. Research-minimum of one course. Courses in this area shall provide academic instruction in the understanding and performance of research. Coursework shall focus on content such as research methodology, data analysis, research evaluation, and quantitative and qualitative research.

g. Additional Learning-minimum of one course. Courses in this area will augment students' specialized interest and background in individual, couple, and family therapy and may be chosen from coursework offered in a variety of disciplines.

2. Academic Supervision. As part of their degree program, an applicant must have completed the minimum number of direct clinical contact hours and supervision hours as set forth by COAMFTE. If a student is simultaneously being supervised and having direct client contact, the time may be counted as both supervision time and direct client contact time.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LX-3311

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners, LR 37:1602 (June 2011), repromulgated LR 37:2163 (July 2011), amended LR 38:1966 (August 2012), LR 41742 (4/1/2015), Amended by Department of Health, Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners, LR 431983 (10/1/2017), Amended LR 491087 (6/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R. S. 37:1101-1123.