N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-2.4 - Experiential requirements for licensure as a licensed marriage and family therapist

(a) The following words and terms as used in this section and N.J.A.C. 13:34-3, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Counseling experience" means the application of mental health and human development principles through client contact in order to facilitate human development and adjustment throughout the lifespan.

"Group supervision" means the ongoing process of supervising between two and six interns and/or mental health professionals at one time in a group setting by a qualified supervisor.

"Marriage and family therapy experience" means the rendering of professional marriage and family therapy services under supervision to individuals, couples and families, individually or in groups, whether in the general public or in organizations, whether public or private.

"Marriage and family therapy supervision" or "supervised experience" means the ongoing process performed by a qualified marriage and family therapy supervisor who monitors the performance of the intern or licensed associate marriage and family therapist and provides regular, documented, face-to-face consultation, guidance, and instruction with the intern or licensed associate marriage and family therapist with respect to the marriage and family therapy with individuals, couples, and families and monitors the competencies of the intern or licensed associate marriage and family therapist.

"One calendar year" means 1,500 hours over a 50-week period, which is considered full-time, or no less than 750 hours over two periods of 50 weeks, which is considered part-time, totaling of 1,500 hours for the two periods of 50 weeks.

"Qualified supervisor" means an individual who has no less than five full-time years of professional marriage and family therapy practice experience or the equivalent and has either:

1. A New Jersey license to practice as a marriage and family therapist; or

2. A New Jersey license to practice and is acting within the scope of the person's profession or occupation and obtained from an accredited institution a minimum of:

i. A master's degree in marriage and family therapy;

ii. A master's degree in social work;

iii. A graduate degree in a related field and has demonstrated to the Board that he or she has completed course work content and training substantially equivalent to a master's degree in marriage and family therapy; or

iv. A graduate degree in a related field which does not provide training and course work substantially equivalent in content to a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, and is either a post graduate degree recognized by the Board, or a program of training and course work at an institute or training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.

"Telesupervision" means the delivery by a qualified marriage and family therapy supervisor of marriage and family therapy supervision, through technology-assisted media, when the supervisor is present at one site and the intern or licensed associate marriage and family therapist is located at a separate site. "Telesupervision" does not include the use, in isolation, of audio-only telephone conversation, electronic mail, instant messaging, phone text, or facsimile transmission.

(b) An applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall submit to the Board documentation, on a form provided by the Board, establishing that the applicant has completed a minimum of two calendar years of supervised marriage and family therapy experience and one calendar year of counseling experience, which may be in marriage and family therapy, as set forth below:

1. Supervised marriage and family therapy experience for each calendar year shall consist of:

i. A minimum of 50 hours of face-to-face supervision, at the rate of one hour per week, of which not more than one-half of the hours may be in group supervision;

(1) No more than one-half of the supervision hours may be provided through telesupervision. Telesupervision shall be provided consistent with the provisions at N.J.A.C. 13:34-3.5.

ii. A maximum of 1,150 hours of actual marriage and family therapy client contact; and

iii. A maximum of 300 hours of other work-related activities, such as preparing and maintaining client records as described in N.J.A.C. 13:34-8, report writing, maintaining appointment schedules, communicating with other professionals, preparing for supervision, preparing and maintaining financial records in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:34-3.4 and 6.1 , any other activities the qualified supervisor deems appropriate, and any other activities deemed appropriate by the Board as set forth on the documentation of supervision forms required in N.J.A.C. 13:34-3.3(e) and available on the Board's website at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/pages/verification.aspx; and

2. For the two calendar years of supervised marriage and family therapy experience and the one calendar year of counseling experience, no more than 30 hours of experience shall be earned in any one week, and no more than 125 hours of experience shall be earned in any one month.

(c) An applicant for licensure with a master's degree shall complete two of the three required calendar years of marriage and family therapy experience after the applicant has earned the master's degree.

(d) An applicant for licensure with a post-master's or doctoral degree shall complete one calendar year of marriage and family therapy experience after the applicant has earned the post-master's or doctoral degree.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:34-2.4

Adopted by 49 N.J.R. 655(a), effective 4/3/2017 Amended by 52 N.J.R. 529(a), effective 3/16/2020 Amended by 55 N.J.R. 2014(a), effective 9/18/2023