Professional Counseling Board proposes new supervision flexibility for licensing requirements

The Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) convened on December 16, 2024, to discuss significant updates regarding supervision requirements for professional counseling licenses in Kansas. The meeting focused on a proposal from the Professional Counseling Advisory Committee aimed at enhancing flexibility in supervision practices.

The primary agenda item addressed the current requirement for individuals seeking a clinical level license in professional counseling, which mandates 3,000 postgraduate hours, including 1,500 hours of psychotherapy and assessments, along with 100 hours of supervision. The proposal discussed would allow up to 50% of the required supervision hours to be provided by licensed professionals from other disciplines, provided they meet specific criteria.

Key points of the proposal included that any supervisor must be a BSRB-approved supervisor and hold a relevant clinical license for at least two years. However, the proposal explicitly excludes clinical addiction counselors from providing this supervision due to their limited scope of practice in diagnosing and treating mental impairments.

During the discussion, board members sought clarification on whether supervisors from other professions also needed to be BSRB-approved. It was confirmed that both the primary supervisor and any additional supervisors must meet this requirement. The meeting also highlighted that professionals from other fields, such as marriage and family therapy (MFT), could supervise but would need to complete additional training to become BSRB-approved supervisors.

The board noted that the MFT advisory committee had previously expressed reluctance to adopt similar flexibility in their supervision requirements. The proposed changes for professional counseling would be included in the statute, while MFTs would maintain their existing supervision requirements, which allow for exceptions under extenuating circumstances.

Concerns were raised regarding the practical implications of the proposal, particularly the limited pool of potential supervisors from other professions who might be willing to participate. Some board members expressed that while the changes might restrict options, they could ultimately enhance the quality of supervision by ensuring that supervisors are adequately qualified.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the need for statutory language to formalize these changes for professional counseling while maintaining the current standards for marriage and family therapy. Further discussions on the proposal's implementation and its potential impact on the profession are anticipated in future meetings.