30 Miss. Code. R. 1903-1.2 - DEFINITIONS

As used in these Rules and Regulations and in the Mississippi Marriage and Family Therapy Act of 1997, the following words and terms shall have the meaning ascribed herein below:

A. "Act" is the Mississippi Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Act of 1997, Title 73, Chapter 54 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended.

B. "Advertise" means, but is not limited to, issuing or causing to be distributed any card, sign or device to any person; causing, permitting or allowing any sign or marking on or in any building; broadcasting by radio or television; or advertising on the internet or by any other means designed to secure public attention.

C. "AAMFT" means the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

D. "Client contact hours" means both direct client contact hours as defined below and administrative and supportive client associated hours as defined by the individual accredited Institute of Higher Learning.

E. Clinical Supervision" means the direct clinical review, for the purposes of training or teaching by a supervisor, of the supervisee's interaction with a client.

F. "COAMFTE" means the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.

G. "Code of Ethics" means the current Code of Ethics of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

H. "Completed Application" means the official marriage and family therapy application prescribed by the Board with the signature of the applicant, fees and all supporting information and documents requested by the Board.

I. "Contact Hour" means one 60-minute clock hour of an approved educational activity offered by an approved provider with no less than 50 minutes of instructional content within the 60 minutes.

J. "Consultation" or "Conferring" means a professional collaborative relationship between a licensed marriage and family therapist and a qualified licensed individual or other professional of relative equal expertise or status in which the other licensed individual or professional makes an assessment based on information supplied by the licensed marriage and family therapist and jointly develops a written treatment plan with the licensed marriage and family therapist which indicates the responsibility of each professional for implementing elements of the plan, updating the plan, and assessing the client's progress.

K. "Continuing Education" means programs and/or activities designed to and have the content intended to enhance the general or specialized marriage and family therapy practice, values, skills, ethics and/or knowledge.

The primary objective of continuing education must be to maintain and improve the quality of professional services in marriage and family therapy provided to the public; maintain and improve the therapist's knowledge of current research, techniques, and practice; and provide other resources which will improve skill and competence in marriage and family therapy.

L. "Direct Client Contact" means face-to-face interaction, either in-person or through a secure video conferencing platform between the therapist and an individual, couple, or family.

M. "Direct Clinical Review" means board approved supervision that consists of case related interactive face to face, either in-person or through a secure video conferencing platform meeting between the supervisor and supervisee.

N. "Examination" means the test or exam endorsed or prescribed by the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards.

O. Face-to-Face Supervision" means supervision conducted by a supervisor, either in person or through a secure video conferencing platform, of the person being supervised for the purpose of carrying out the supervision functions described in Part 1903, Chapter 2, Rule 2.2(C)(3) (i).

P. "Good Moral Character" shall have the meaning set forth in Part 1901, Chapter 2, Rule 2.1 of these Rules and Regulations.

Q. "Group Supervision" means a minimum of three (3) and no more than eight (8) marriage and family supervisees or associates in a clinical setting during the supervision hour. A supervision hour is fifty (50) minutes.

R. "Individual Supervision" shall mean a maximum of two (2) marriage and family supervisees or associates in a clinical setting during the supervision hour. A supervision hour is fifty (50) minutes.

S. "Institution of Higher Education" means any college or university which is accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education or a substantially equivalent foreign institution.

T. "Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)" means a person to whom a license has been issued under the Mississippi Code of 1972 as amended, Section 73-53-8, which license is in force and not suspended or revoked as of the particular time in question.

U. "Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LMFTA)" means a person to whom a marriage and family therapy associate license has been issued under the Mississippi Code of 1972 as amended, Section 73-53-8, which license is in force and not suspended or revoked as of the particular time in question.

V. "Live Supervision" consists of a case related interactive face-to-face, either inperson or through a secure video conferencing platform meeting between the supervisor and supervisee, during which time the supervisor is physically or virtually present in the clinical setting with the supervisee.

W. "Marriage and Family Therapy" means the rendering of professional therapy services to individuals, families or couples, singly or in groups, and involves the professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of therapy services to those persons.

X. "Offering" means an organized learning experience or course planned and designed to enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to marriage and family therapy.

Y. "Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, organization or body politic.

Z. "Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy" means the rendering of professional marriage and family therapy services, to individuals, couples or families, singly or in groups, whether those services are offered directly to the general public or through organizations, either public or private, for a fee, monetary or otherwise. This involves assessment, diagnosis, identification, evaluation and treatment of emotional problems and conditions, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, resolving intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, and attempting to change perception, attitudes, and behaviors, all within the context of human relationship systems. Marriage and Family therapy includes, without being limited to, individual, group, couple, sexual, family and divorce therapy. It involves an applied understanding of the dynamics of marriage and family systems, including individual psychodynamics, the use of assessment instruments that evaluate individuals, couples and family members with regard to marriage and family functioning, and the use of psychotherapy and counseling.

AA. "Use of title or description of" means to hold oneself out to the public as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate (LMFTA) through means of stating it on signs, mailboxes, address plates, stationery, announcements, calling cards, the internet or other instruments of professional identification.

Notes

30 Miss. Code. R. 1903-1.2

Miss. Code Ann. §§ 73-53-11(1) (c) and (j), 73-54-5, 73-54-11, and 73-54-19 (Supp. 2011).

Amended 2/10/2020 Amended 11/17/2022