Committee directs staff to draft Phase 1 changes to licensure pathway, including 7‑year exam and experience windows

The Board of Behavioral Sciences Workforce Development Committee on April 4 directed staff to draft and advance Phase 1 of a multi‑phase plan to restructure the pathway to licensure for licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional clinical counselors (LPCC) and licensed educational psychologists (LEP). The committee voted unanimously to send the completed Phase 1 proposal to the board’s Policy and Advocacy Committee for consideration.

The Phase 1 package staff presented would change several timing and documentary requirements the board says have created barriers for applicants while preserving public protection. "We talked about how the licensing and exams, it's a very complex process," Roseanne Helms, legislative manager for the board, said during the committee discussion.

Under the Phase 1 items discussed and approved for drafting, staff would:

- Allow associates to choose when to take the California law and ethics exam after registration is granted rather than requiring an annual attempt for renewal.

- Impose a seven‑year age limit on California law and ethics exam scores, aligning it…