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Committee advances change to mental-health professional tiers; adds certified peer specialists
Summary
Senate Bill 2079, introduced by the Department of Health and Human Services, would move licensed professional counselors to a higher-tier classification for certain duties and add certified peer support specialists as a defined tier. The Human Services Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill.
The Senate Human Services Committee unanimously advanced Senate Bill 2079, a department-request measure that would change how certain behavioral-health workers are classified under state law and recognize certified peer support specialists in statute.
Dr. Shawna Eberhardt of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Behavioral Health Division briefed the committee on the proposal. The change would move licensed professional counselors (LPCs) from tier 3 to tier 2 in section 25-01-01 of the North Dakota Century Code and add certified peer support specialists as a tier 4 mental-health professional. "The requested change would move licensed professional counselors to a tier 2 status," Eberhardt told the committee, adding that the department seeks flexibility in assigning tasks such as investigation and evaluation of petitions under the relevant statutory sections.
Eberhardt explained the licensure distinction: a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) must complete an additional 3,000 clinical hours and a national exam beyond the requirements for LPC; LPCs have completed two years of direct clinical experience under supervision and can practice independently in North Dakota. Committee members asked about workforce numbers; Eberhardt said she did not have exact counts available in the hearing but would provide data on the number of licensees.
Written testimony from Nexus Path Family Healing stressed the workforce shortage among children's behavioral-health providers and supported the change as a way to increase the available workforce. A Nexus Path representative noted alarming youth mental-health statistics and said the proposed definition change could improve access to services statewide.
Senator Kristen Rohrs moved that the committee recommend a do-pass on SB 2079; the motion was seconded and the roll call recorded all ayes. The committee’s vote will move the bill to the full Senate for further consideration.
Supporters said the change is intended to expand workforce flexibility without replacing higher-level clinical roles, and the addition of certified peer support specialists formally recognizes a credentialed role that complements clinical services.
