Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 27-8-6 - Qualifications of Applicants6.1. Education: The education requirements for the licensure of applicants are set forth in W. Va. Code §30-31-9. To meet those requirements, an applicant shall have one of the following degrees: 6.1.a. A master's or doctoral degree from an institution with a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or a comparable accrediting body as determined by the Board. Applicants shall complete a minimum of 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of graduate course work inclusive of a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy. Pertaining to the educational requirements, a degree in marriage and family therapy shall meet all the following criteria, as determined by the Board: (1) The program or concentration must clearly be identified as marriage and family therapy. Such a program must specify in pertinent institutional catalogues and brochures its intent to educate and train marriage and family therapists;(2) The marriage and family therapy curriculum must stand as a recognized entity within the institution and have a marriage and family therapy faculty;(3) The marriage and family therapy coursework completed must be an organized course of study that includes at least one three hour graduate course in each of these eight areas of marriage and family therapy:(a) Marriage and family studies: Courses in this area should present a fundamental introduction to marriage and family studies. The student should learn to think across a wide variety of family structures and a diverse range of issues (i.e., gender, culture, and substance abuse). Topic areas may include but are not limited to family development, subsystems, blended families, gender issues in families, and cultural issues in families;(b) Systems theory: Courses in this area should address the historical development, theoretical and empirical foundations, and contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy;(c) Research: Courses in this area should assist the student in understanding and performing research. Topic areas may include research methodology, qualitative and quantitative methods, and statistics;(d) Professional ethics: Courses in this area shall include the "American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy" (AAMFT) code of ethics, confidentiality and liabilities of clinical practice and research, professional ethics as a marriage and family therapist, professional socialization and the role of the professional organization, licensure or certification legislation, independent practice and inter professional cooperation. Religious ethics courses and moral theology courses do not meet this requirement;(e) Human growth and development: Courses in this area should provide knowledge of personality development and its normal and abnormal manifestations. The student should have relevant coursework in human development across the lifespan, which includes special issues that should be integrated with systems concepts. Topic areas may include but are not limited to human development, psychopathology, personality theory, human sexuality. Test and measurement courses do not meet this requirement;(f) Appraisal of individuals and families includes individual and family differences, methods of data gathering and interpretation, individual, family and group testing, and case study;(g) Principles of etiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior; and,(h) Practicum: Includes a supervised training experience consisting of the provision of marriage and family therapy to clients that is acceptable to the Board;(i) A minimum of twelve months supervised clinical practicum with three hundred hours of direct contact with individuals, couples, and or families;(ii) Fifty percent of the three hundred hours shall be with couples and families present.(4) The marriage and family therapy coursework completed shall include four courses in marriage and family therapy. Courses in this area should have a major focus on advanced marital or family systems and systemic therapeutic interventions. This area is intended to provide a substantive understanding of the major theories of systems change and the applied practices evolving from each theoretical orientation. Major theoretical approaches include but are not limited to strategic, structural, object relations, behavioral, intergenerational, and systemic sex therapy.(5) Additional or advanced courses in any required curriculum category listed in subdivisions 6.1.a(3) and 6.1.a(4) of this rule or sufficient semester credit hour courses that are marriage and family related elective subjects to equal the semester credit hour course requirements as outlined in subsections 6.1.a(3) and 6.1.a(4) of this rule.6.1.b. Applicants with other graduate degrees in a mental health field that contain sixty semester hours, or ninety quarter hours must submit written evidence that the degree program and any additional coursework meet standards that are equivalent to a graduate degree in marriage and family therapy set forth in paragraphs 6.1.a(3) and 6.1.a(4) of this rule.6.1.c. The credentialing committee, composed of the two (2) counselor educators and other Board staff, shall review all matters regarding education requirements. The marriage and family board member may attend credentialing committee meetings at his or her discretion. The credentialing committee may make a final determination regarding the sufficiency of the applicant's education or may refer the matter to the entire Board for determination. Any determination made by the committee or Board may be appealed in accordance with the procedures set forth in 27CSR5 of the Board's rules.6.2. Supervised post-graduate work experience: The applicant shall have a minimum of 3000 hours of supervised marriage and family therapy experience, after earning a master's degree in marriage and family therapy as determined by the Board; or have earned a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy as determined by the Board and have a minimum of 1500 hours of supervised marriage and family therapy experience after earning the degree. 6.2.a The applicant may receive up to 600 hours credit toward the 3000 hour minimum requirement in subsection 6.2 of this rule for the work completed in their practicum and internship from his or her master's program. The credentialing committee shall determine the number of hours that may be granted. There are no credit hours granted for the doctoral supervision hour requirement.6.2.b. The master's level marriage and family therapy work experience shall be obtained in not less than two years and the doctoral degree marriage and family therapy work experience shall be obtained in not less than one year.6.2.c. The Board may not credit an applicant with more than 1500 hours of experience in any twelve-month period.6.2.d. At least 50% of the supervised marriage and family therapy experience shall be in the direct provision of therapy to individuals, couples, or families. 6.2.d.1. Applicants should apply systemic theories and treatment with all clients and make every effort to work with as many couples and families as possible. At least 50% of the 1500 hours in subdivision 6.2.c. of this rule shall be with couples and families present.6.2.e. The applicant shall remain under professional supervision satisfactory to the Board and may not be called a licensed marriage and family therapist, or in any way be represented as a licensed marriage and family therapist, until the applicant is duly licensed by the Board.6.2.f. The professional supervisor shall determine the applicant's activities. A minimum of one (1) hour of direct individual supervision is required for every twenty (20) hours of practice unless the professional supervisor considers additional supervision is necessary. When the professional supervisor is not a full-time employee of the same firm or agency as the applicant, this supervision shall occur at least twice in each calendar month while maintaining the minimum hourly requirement, unless the professional supervisor considers additional supervision is necessary. The supervisor shall be reasonably available to the applicant for telephone consultation. An approved professional supervisor may not supervise more than four (4) individual applicants. Supervision can be conducted in-person or via any secured, encrypted telecommunication modality.6.2.g. The professional supervisor shall be pre-approved by the Board and shall provide post-graduate degree supervision for applicants provided he or she is a licensed marriage and family therapist or licensed professional counselor. At a minimum, the professional supervisor shall have been licensed for a period of two (2) years and shall have five (5) years therapy/counseling experience. The professional supervisor shall document to the Board that he or she has a current license and has completed Board approved training in therapy/counseling supervision that includes content and experiences relevant to the professional and clinical supervision of marriage and family therapists. The professional supervisor shall provide the Board with a statement detailing his or her therapy philosophy, supervision experience and therapy experience. The professional supervisor shall demonstrate a stable employment history and skills necessary to address core areas of practice as outlined in subdivision 6.1.a of this rule and the AAMFT Code of Ethics. 6.2.g.1. The training in therapy/counseling supervision in subdivision 6.2.g. of this rule shall be one of the following: 6.2.g.1.A. Successful completion of a one-semester graduate course in marriage and family therapy clinical supervision from an accredited institution; or6.2.g.1.B. A 30 hour continuing education course in clinical supervision offered by a board approved provider.6.2.h. In lieu of meeting the qualifications set forth in subdivision 6.2.g. of this rule, a licensed mental health professional is an acceptable professional supervisor if the licensed mental health professional has been designated as an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) before the licensed mental health professional provides any supervision.6.2.i. The applicant shall provide the Board with verification of completion of supervised marriage and family therapy experience on forms provided by the Board.6.3. Standardized certification examination in marriage and family therapy: The applicant shall provide the Board with verification that he or she has attained a successful score on a certification examination in marriage and family therapy approved by the Board. The successful score is valid for five (5) years from the date of examination.