Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 135-5-.06 - Marriage and Family Therapists
(1)
Definitions and
Requirements:
(a) Approved Practicum or
Internship Program means supervised experience obtained while enrolled in
graduate courses designated practicum or internship at an educational
institution which, at the time, was accredited by a regional body recognized by
the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
(b) Board Approved Graduate Level Course
means a course in Marriage and Family Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, or
Marriage and Family Therapy Ethics which is offered by a training institute, is
comparable to a graduate course offered by an accredited educational
institution, and has received prior approval by the Board. No new requests or
applications for Board approval of graduate courses offered by training
institutes will be accepted as of the effective date of this rule amendment.
Individuals enrolled in, or who plan to enroll in, prior approved courses must
complete the courses by January 1, 2020 for the courses to be considered for
licensure purposes.
(c) Board
Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor means a person who is licensed
as a marriage and family therapist and who has been approved by the Georgia
Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and
Family Therapists to provide supervision of the practice of marriage and family
therapy. To obtain such approval the person shall submit documentation of the
following:
1. Three years of full-time
post-licensure experience in the practice of marriage and family
therapy;
2. 180 hours of experience
providing marriage and family therapy supervision for at least two supervisees
during a period of no less than two years and no more than five
years;
3. 36 hours of supervision
received from an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved
Supervisor or a Georgia Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor,
specifically in the skill of providing marriage and family therapy supervision,
minimum of 24 hours of which shall have been individual
supervision-of-supervision;
4. A
recommendation from each of the supervisors who provided
supervision-of-supervision attesting to the applicant's competence as a
supervisor; and,
5. The Board may,
in its discretion, approve a supervisor who is licensed, in good standing, as a
Marriage and Family Therapist and who is designated as an approved marriage and
family therapy supervisor in another jurisdiction.
(d) Course in Clinical Content Area means a
graduate course in the etiology, dynamics, evaluation, assessment, diagnosis,
or treatment of emotional or behavioral problems and conditions.
(e) Course in Marriage and Family Studies
means a graduate course in the principles, concepts or history of marriage and
family life, family systems, family relations and family development.
(f) Course in Marriage and Family Therapy
means a graduate course in the theory and practice of various treatment
modalities in marriage and family therapy.
(g) Course in Marriage and Family Therapy
Ethics means a graduate course in professional ethics, legal responsibilities
and liabilities, standards of practice, licensure regulation, and professional
socialization relevant to the practice of marriage and family
therapy.
(h) Direct Clinical
Experience means time spent in client contact as therapist or co-therapist, in
supervision, in case staffing, or in case consultation.
(i) Direction means ongoing oversight by an
employer or superior of the work of a person practicing professional
counseling, social work or marriage and family therapy. The director shall be
responsible for assuring the quality of services rendered by that practitioner,
and shall ensure that qualified supervision or intervention occurs in
situations which require expertise beyond that of the practitioner. In order to
be acceptable to the Marriage and Family Therapy Standards Committee of the
Board, a director must attest to having performed the functions specified in
this paragraph, and when not an employer must have entered into a contractual
agreement with the practitioner to perform these functions.
1. Directors may not provide direction to
family members. In addition, directors shall not provide direction for any
practitioner when that practitioner, or any of that practitioner's family
members have, an ownership interest in, operate, or manage the business entity
in which the director is employed and/or where the professional marriage and
family therapy services are to be provided by that practitioner.
2. Family member means a member of a person's
immediate or extended family, by direct descent or by marriage, including
intimate or cohabitation relationships.
(j) Full-time Experience means a minimum of
20 hours per week spent in direct clinical experience.
(k) Group Supervision means a maximum of six
supervisees meeting with one supervisor.
(l) Individual Supervision means a maximum of
two supervisees meeting with one supervisor.
(m) One Year means twelve months, or any
periods of time which sum to twelve months.
(n) Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy
means evaluating, diagnosing, and treating emotional and mental problems and
conditions, whether cognitive, affective or behavioral, resolving intrapersonal
and interpersonal conflicts, and changing perception, attitudes and behavior;
all within the context of marital and family systems. Marriage and family
therapy includes, without being limited to, individual, group, couple, sexual,
family and divorce therapy. Marriage and family therapy involves an applied
understanding of the dynamics of marital and family therapy systems, including
individual psychodynamics, the use of assessment instruments that evaluate
marital and family functioning, designing and recommending a course of
treatment, and the use of psychotherapy and counseling.
(o) Supervision means the direct clinical
review, for the purpose of training or teaching, by a supervisor of the
interactions with clients of a person practicing professional counseling,
social work or marriage and family therapy. Supervision may include, without
being limited to, the review of case presentations, audio tapes, video tapes,
and direct observation in order to promote the development of the
practitioner's clinical skills. Both supervisors and supervisees are required
to maintain a contemporaneous record of the date, duration, type (individual,
paired, or group), and a brief summary of the pertinent activity for each
supervision session to be submitted to the Board upon request. If there are any
discrepancies in hours, contemporaneous documentation of supervision will be
requested.
1. Supervisors may not provide
supervision to family members. In addition, supervisors shall not provide
supervision for any practitioner when that practitioner, or any of that
practitioner's family members have, an ownership interest in, operate, or
manage the business entity in which the supervisor is employed and/or where the
professional marriage and family therapy services are to be provided by that
practitioner.
2. Family member
means a member of a person's immediate or extended family, by direct descent or
by marriage, including intimate or cohabitation
relationships.
(2)
Requirements for Licensure:
(a) An applicant who holds a current license
as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist must meet the
following requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist:
1. Experience. The applicant must document
two years of full-time post-master's experience or its equivalent, under
direction and supervision.
(i) Such
experience shall have been in the practice of marriage and family therapy, and
shall include a minimum of 2,000 hours of direct clinical experience.
(ii) For applicants who have worked less than
full-time, equivalent experience may be accrued over a total of not less than
two years and not more than five years.
2. Supervision. The applicant must have
obtained 100 hours of supervision, concurrent with his/her documented
experience.
(i) Such supervision shall have
been provided by:
(I) a licensed marriage and
family therapist, professional counselor, clinical social worker, psychiatrist,
or psychologist who shall have been licensed and in good standing for a minimum
of three years; or
(II) an American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor, a
Georgia Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor, or a person who
was receiving supervision-of-supervision in order to qualify for either
designation.
(ii) A
minimum of 50 of these 100 hours must have been in individual supervision, and
a maximum of 50 of these 100 hours may have been in group supervision;
and
(iii) A minimum of 5 hours of
such supervision must have been obtained concurrent with each 100 hours of
direct clinical experience.
3. Examination Waived. The applicant is not
required to re-take the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy following
Board approval of his/her application for licensure as a marriage and family
therapist.
(b) An
applicant who holds a Master's Degree and does not have an active
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) license must meet the following
requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist:
1. Education. The applicant must have earned
a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, social work,
medicine, applied psychology, psychiatric nursing, pastoral counseling, applied
child and family development, applied sociology, or from any program accredited
by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
(COAMFTE). Such degree shall be from an educational institution which, at the
time the degree was awarded, was accredited by a regional body recognized by
the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
(i) For the purpose of licensure under this
rule, a degree in psychology, child and family development or sociology shall
be considered an applied degree and a degree in divinity or in theology shall
be considered a degree in pastoral counseling if the applicant has completed,
as part of the degree program or as additional post-master's coursework, either
of the following two options:
(I) Three
courses in clinical content areas; or
(II) Two courses in clinical content areas,
plus an approved practicum or internship, which shall include a minimum of 500
hours of direct clinical experience in the practice of professional counseling,
clinical social work or marriage and family therapy.
(III) The coursework required under this
section shall be in addition to the five required courses in Marriage and
Family Therapy, Marriage and Family Studies, and Marriage and Family Therapy
Ethics.
(ii) The
applicant shall have completed, as part of the degree program or as additional
post-master's coursework, at least two courses in Marriage and Family Therapy,
two courses in Marriage and Family Studies, one course in Marriage and Family
Therapy Ethics, and one course in either psychopathology or the diagnosis of
mental problems and conditions. These courses shall have been obtained from an
educational institution accredited by a regional body recognized by the Council
on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or, prior to January 1, 2020, from a
training institute which offers Board approved graduate courses.
2. Experience. The applicant must
document three years of full-time post-master experience, or its equivalent,
under direction and supervision, which shall include a minimum of 2,500 hours
of direct clinical experience.
(i) One year of
such experience may have been in an approved practicum before or after the
granting of the master's degree, which shall include a minimum of 500 hours of
direct clinical experience in the practice of professional counseling, clinical
social work or marriage and family therapy.
(ii) At least two years of such experience
shall have been in the practice of marriage and family therapy, which shall
include a minimum of 2,000 hours of direct clinical experience.
(iii) For applicants who have worked less
than full-time, equivalent experience may be accrued over a total of not less
than three years and not more than five years.
3. Supervision. The applicant must have
obtained 200 hours of supervision, concurrent with his/her documented
experience.
(i) Such supervision shall have
been provided by:
(I) a licensed marriage and
family therapist, professional counselor, clinical social worker, psychiatrist,
or psychologist who shall have been licensed and in good standing for a minimum
of three years; or,
(II) an
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved
Supervisor, a Georgia Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor, or
a person who was receiving supervision-of-supervision in order to qualify for
either designation.
(ii)
At least 100 hours of such supervision shall have been provided by an American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor, a Georgia
Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor, or a person who was
receiving supervision-of-supervision in order to qualify for either
designation. A minimum of 50 of these 100 hours must have been in individual
supervision, and a maximum of 50 of these 100 hours may have been in group
supervision;
(iii) A minimum of 5
hours of such supervision must have been obtained concurrent with each 100
hours of direct clinical experience; and
(iv) Up to 100 hours of such supervision may
have been obtained during an approved practicum before or after the granting of
the master's degree.
4.
Examination. The applicant shall register and sit for the Examination in
Marital and Family Therapy following Board review of his/her application for
licensure as a marriage and family therapist and approval to take the
examination. Passage of the exam is a requirement to issue a
license.
(c) An applicant
who holds a Doctoral Degree must meet the following requirements
for licensure as a marriage and family therapist:
(i) Education. The applicant must have earned
a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling, social work,
medicine, applied psychology, psychiatric nursing, pastoral counseling, applied
child and family development, applied sociology, or from any program accredited
by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
(COAMFTE). Such degree shall be from an educational institution which, at the
time the degree was awarded, was accredited by a regional body recognized by
the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
(I) For the purpose of licensure under this
rule, a degree in psychology, child and family development or sociology shall
be considered an applied degree and a degree in divinity or in theology shall
be considered a degree in pastoral counseling if the applicant has completed,
as part of the degree program or as additional post-master's coursework, either
of the following two options:
I. Three courses
in clinical content areas; or
II.
Two courses in clinical content areas, plus an approved practicum or
internship, which shall include a minimum of 500 hours of direct clinical
experience in the practice of professional counseling, clinical social work or
marriage and family therapy.
III.
The coursework required under this section shall be in addition to the five
required courses in Marriage and Family Therapy, Marriage and Family Studies,
and Marriage and Family Therapy Ethics.
(II) The applicant shall have completed, as
part of a master or doctoral degree program, or as additional post-graduate
degree coursework, at least two courses in Marriage and Family Therapy, two
courses in Marriage and Family Studies, one course in Marriage and Family
Therapy Ethics, and one course in either psychopathology or the diagnosis of
mental problems and conditions. These courses shall have been obtained from an
educational institution accredited by a regional body recognized by the Council
on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or, prior to January 1, 2020, from a
training institute which offers Board approved graduate
courses.
(ii) Experience.
The applicant must document two years of full-time post-master or
post-doctorate experience, in the practice of marriage and family therapy,
under direction and supervision, which shall include a minimum of 1,500 hours
of direct clinical experience.
(I) One year
of such experience may have been in an approved internship program before or
after the granting of the doctoral degree, which shall include a minimum of 500
hours of direct clinical experience.
(II) At least one year of such experience
shall have been full-time post-master or post-doctorate experience, which shall
include a minimum of 1,000 hours of direct clinical
experience.
(iii)
Supervision. The applicant must have obtained 100 hours of supervision,
concurrent with their documented experience.
(I) Such supervision shall have been provided
by a licensed marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, clinical
social worker, psychiatrist, or psychologist, who was also an American
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Approved Supervisor, a Georgia
Board Approved Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor, or a person who was
receiving supervision-of-supervision in order to qualify for either
designation.
(II) A minimum of 50
of these 100 hours must have been in individual supervision, and a maximum of
50 of these 100 hours may have been in group supervision;
(III) A minimum of 5 hours of such
supervision must have been obtained concurrent with each 100 hours of direct
clinical experience; and
(IV) A
maximum of 50 of these 100 hours may have been obtained during the applicant's
doctoral degree or internship program.
(iv) Examination. The applicant shall
register and sit for the Examination in Marital and Family Therapy following
Board review of his/her application for licensure as a marriage and family
therapist and approval to take the examination. Passing the examination is a
requirement for licensure.
Notes
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