Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 9. Source pages: 7.
Public comments due by May 24th
The Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors published a Notice of Intent in the April Louisiana Register. The announcement said that the revisions and additions are in part needed to implement Act 276 ad Act 636 of the 2012 Regular Session. Also, the announcement noted, the new rules are needed to update the LPC Code of Conduct with the latest edition of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics. Executive Director Mary Alice Olsan said, “It was a huge body of changes.” Along with the two main themes, the members also “cleaned up” some unnecessary and confusing language, she explained.
The proposed new regulations includes 26 pages. New wording includes changes in organization of the board, definitions of the practice, some descriptions for supervised experience of counselor interns, continuing education requirements, discipline. An extensive revision of the section on Code of Conduct, includes 13 pages of description. The complete text of the Notice of Intent is available online from the Louisiana Register, in the April 2013 issue. The public may submit written comments to Mary Alice Olsan, Executive Director of the LPC Board, until 10 am on May 24th, 2013.
The new rules also include directions about working with individuals with serious mental illness and also consulting and collaborating with practitioners who are licensed under the state medical board, including physicians, medical psychologists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The April Notice of intent includes new wording for the following areas: Chapter 1 – General Provisions (Description of Organization, Officers, and Meetings); Chapter 5 – License and Practice of Counseling (License of title and Practice, Definitions for Licensed Professional Counselors, Serious Mental Illnesses); Chapter 7 – Requirements for Licensure of Licenses Professional Counselors (General Provisions, Licensed Professional Counselors Licensing Requirements, Supervised Experience of Counselor Interns); Chapter 8 – Renewal of Licensed Professional Counselor Licenses and Privileging Designations (Renewal, Continuing Education Requirements for Licensed Professional Counselors and Board Approved Supervisors, Deposit and Use of Fees and Funds); Chapter 11 – Endorsement and Expedited Processing (Endorsement, Expedited Processing); Chapter 13 – Disciplinary Proceedings for Licensed Professional Counselors (Disciplinary Process and Procedures, Initiation of Complaints, Formal Hearing, Consent Order, Reinstatement of Suspended or Revoked License, Declaratory Statements); Chapter 15 – Privileged Communication for Licensed Professional Counselors (Client Records); Chapter 17 – Exclusions for Licensed Professional Counselors (Exemptions); Chapter 21 – Code of Conduct for Licensed Professional Counselors (Preamble, Counseling Relationship, Confidentiality, Privileged Communication, and Privacy, Professional Responsibilities, Relationships with Other Professionals, Supervision, Training, and Teaching, Research and Publication, Resolving Ethical Issues, Appendix- Declaration of Practices and Procedures for Licensed Professional Counselors); In Subpart 2. Professional Standards for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Chapter 33 – Requirements for Licensure ( Examination Requirements, Requirements for the Registration and Supervision of MFT Interns); Chapter 37 – Reciprocity and Provisional Licenses Endorsement and Expedited Processing (Endorsement, Expedited Processing).
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