La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LX-3319

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

Section LX-3319 - Responsibilities of the Provisional Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

A. General Responsibilities

1. The PLMFT is responsible to be thoroughly aware of his or her legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities as a supervisee and to maintain a level of care for clients that meets the standards for licensed marriage and family therapists as described in this Rule.

2. The PLMFT is responsible to meet with the board-approved supervisor(s) for qualified supervision in the manner prescribed in the plan of supervision. The PLMFT must receive active supervision as defined in §3105

3. The PLMFT is responsible to collaborate with his or her approved supervisor(s) in order to develop and submit to the advisory committee a plan of supervision as defined in Section 3315 B

4. It is the responsibility of the supervisee to immediately report to the approved supervisor(s), the supervisees employer or contractor, and the board any changes in the supervisees status (loss of employment, change of job status, serious illness, legal difficulty, etc.) that significantly affect the supervisees continued qualification as a PLMFT, due qualification as a LMFT, ability to meet the terms of the plan of supervision, or ability to provide the standard of care to clients as defined in this Rule.

a. The supervisee shall report to the approved supervisor(s) and the board within thirty days any change in status that would affect the ability of the supervisor or the board to contact the supervisee, such as changes in postal address, telephone number, or e-mail address.

b. As the board-approved supervisor has knowledge, he or she shall ensure that the supervisee reports such changes in status to the board in accordance with advisory committee policy.

c. The supervisee is responsible to collaborate with his supervisor(s) over the course of his or her postgraduate clinical experience to develop, maintain, and fulfill a plan of supervision that meets the developmental needs of the supervisee, provides for an appropriate level of professional care for the supervisees clients, allows for the adequate monitoring of the supervisees practice by the board-approved supervisor(s) or supervisor candidate, and allows for the supervisees timely qualification as a LMFT.

d. It is the responsibility of the supervisee to submit amendments to the plan of supervision to the advisory committee within 30 days for approval in accordance with advisory committee policy.

5. The PLMFT is responsible to meet with the approved supervisor(s) with a regularity, frequency, and manner prescribed by the board-approved plan of supervision.

a. The supervisee shall inform the board in writing within 30 days in accordance with advisory committee policy in the event that the supervisees supervisor becomes unwilling or unable to fulfill his or her responsibility to the supervisee as defined in the board-approved plan of supervision.

b. In the event that an approved supervisor becomes unwilling or unable for any reason to fulfill the duties as a qualified supervisor, the advisory committee shall assist this supervisor's supervisees according to advisory committee policy in acquiring interim supervision until a suitable board-approved supervisor can be located in order to preserve continuity of care for the supervisees clients.

c. Should an interim supervisor not be located in a timely manner as determined by the advisory committee, the supervisee must suspend services to clients until such time as a new supervisor can be located. In such circumstances it is the responsibility of the supervisee to work with his administrative supervisor to see that his clients are appropriately referred.

6. The supervisee is responsible to be thoroughly aware of the terms of his or her employment as an employee or private contractor as well as the administrative policies and procedures of his employer and/or administrative supervisor.

a. In the event that the standard of professional behavior and/or client care provided by the supervisees employer or administrative supervisor exceeds that of the minimum standards in this Rule, the supervisee should to the best of his ability adhere to the higher standard.

b. In the event that a conflict between the policies, procedures, or directives of the supervisees employer or administrative supervisor impedes the ability of the supervisee to comply with the directives of the supervisees board-approved supervisor(s), the terms of the supervisees plan of supervision, or the standard of professional behavior described in this Rule, the supervisee shall inform his or her approved supervisor(s) immediately.

7. The supervisee may not have ownership of all or part of any mental health counseling practice or accept any direct fee for service from therapy clients. The supervisee may receive a wage for services rendered as an employee or as a private contractor. Should the supervisee receive monetary compensation as a private contractor for services for which his status as a supervisee qualifies him, the contractual agreement under which the supervisee receives compensation must specify a person who functions in the workplace as an administrative on-site supervisor for the supervisee in his delivery of services under the contract.

B. Specific Responsibilities of the PLMFT to the Approved Supervisor. It is the responsibility of the PLMFT to:

1. follow to the best of the supervisees ability the clinical suggestions and directives of the supervisor as the supervisors suggestions and directives are consistent with the ethical, legal, and professional standards provided in this Rule as determined by the advisory committee;

2. provide the supervisor with adequate information about his or her clinical work with clients such that the supervisor can monitor the supervisees clinical practice and assist the supervisee in maintaining an appropriate standard of care for all clients. The supervisee shall provide his supervisor(s) with reasonable access to all written or electronic documentation that relates to the supervisees provision of therapeutic services to his clients;

a. the supervisee shall inform the supervisor(s) immediately in the event that the supervisee believes that a client has committed or is a risk for suicide, homicide, or any other seriously harmful behavior to self or others or is the perpetrator of abuse to a minor, elderly, or disabled person;

b. the supervisees reporting such information as described in Subparagraph B.2.a of this Section to the supervisor is not a substitute for the supervisees preeminent obligation to report directly to appropriate authorities in circumstances in which the law or ethics requires the mandatory reporting of suspected abuse or imminent personal risk;

3. earnestly endeavor to resolve with the supervisees supervisor(s) any personal or professional conflict that may hinder the supervisee in collaborating with supervisor(s) in the provision of an appropriate standard of care to clients, successfully completing the terms of the plan of supervision, or successfully qualifying for licensure as a LMFT;

a. in the event that such conflict cannot be resolved in a timely manner, the supervisee shall request assistance in writing from the advisory committee in accordance with advisory committee policy;

b. the supervisee will accept as final any plan to resolve such conflict upon recommendation of the advisory committee as approved by the board;

4. in the event of multiple supervisors, the supervisee will immediately inform the supervisor(s) if the clinical directives or ethical guidance of one supervisor seem to significantly conflict with another such that the supervisee is impeded in providing an appropriate level of client care. In the event that such conflict cannot be resolved in a timely manner, the supervisee or the supervisor(s) may request assistance in writing from the advisory committee in accordance with advisory committee policy.

C. Revocation, Suspension, or Limitation of the Terms of the Provisional Licensure of the PLMFT.

1. The board upon recommendation of the advisory committee may withhold, deny, revoke, suspend or otherwise limit the terms of the provisional licensure of a PLMFT on a finding that the PLMFT has violated any of the rules, regulations, or ethical standards for licensed or provisionally licensed marriage and family therapists as pertains to the supervision of PLMFTs contained in this Rule or prior final decisions and/or consent orders involving the PLMFT.

2. The advisory committee shall provide due notice to the supervisees designated approved supervisor(s) of any change or potential change in the supervisees qualification as a PLMFT in accordance with advisory committee policy.

3. The approved supervisor(s) of a supervisee whose provisional licensure as a PLMFT has been revoked, suspended, or otherwise limited shall immediately inform his administrative or site supervisor(s) of the supervisees of change in status.

4. The board-approved supervisor shall attend a LMFT board-approved supervisors orientation approved by the advisory committee within one year of the board-approved supervisors date of certification. This orientation may also be counted as continuing education toward the board-approved supervisors licensure renewal as a marriage and family therapist.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LX-3319

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners, LR 38:1970 (August 2012), Amended by LR 41748 (4/1/2015), Amended by LR 451205 (9/1/2019).

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