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Board hears administrative cases and approves multiple licensure applications; one denial upheld
Summary
The board reviewed several administrative matters and individual licensure applications. It upheld a notice of intent to deny for one applicant, recorded a withdrawal of a mobile endorsement application, required two absent applicants to appear at future meetings, and approved multiple licensure applications with conditions where noted.
The Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, Board of considered a series of administrative proceedings and licensure applications and took multiple formal actions on individual applicants.
A key contested item: the board moved to uphold a prior notice of intent to deny the application of Jennifer Jacob, who sought credit for out-of-state supervised experience toward Florida requirements. The board majority concluded documentation of supervision and clinical hours from Washington state was insufficiently clear to approve all requested credit; the chair moved to uphold the notice of intent to deny and Ms. Krause seconded. "I move to uphold the original notice of intent to deny," the mover said; the motion carried with three ayes.
Other case outcomes and application decisions (Votes at a glance):
- Jennifer Jacob: board upheld the notice of intent to deny; applicant was advised to work with board staff to submit missing documentation and may reapply. - Janet Mejias: application for registered clinical social worker intern approved (motion carried). Janet Mejias said she recently graduated and described ongoing recovery supports described in submitted health-status materials. - Kristen Miller: application approved; board recorded provider evaluation indicating the applicant is safe to practice. - Andrew Mitanni: the applicant withdrew a mobile endorsement application during the meeting after staff advised the national practitioner database listing made him ineligible under Florida statute; the board advised him to seek legal counsel regarding eligibility for licensure by exam. - Shirlane Azurin and Marie Samara Loussaint: both were not present; because their supervisory verification relied on a supervisor who died in 2019, the board voted to require each to appear at one of the next two meetings and to submit HR records documenting employment and role during the supervision period. - Kristen Noel Lalka: application approved after the board reviewed two health-status evaluations. - Michelle Smith: application approved; staff confirmed completion of a PRN participant contract. - Vincent Joseph Russo: the board approved licensure contingent on conditions mirroring an active Arizona consent agreement (restrictions and probationary conditions were to be replicated in the Florida order). Russo's out-of-state disciplinary history was discussed and the board tied Florida probation conditions to his active probation from Arizona. - Jessica Caroline Mitchell: application approved contingent on meeting remaining obligations in her prior final order, specifically payment of outstanding costs totaling $1,488.10. - Ivan Vega Pacheco: mobile application (licensure by endorsement under the mobile act) approved after staff verified post-master's experience satisfied the three-years-in-four requirement.
Board counsel and staff repeatedly advised applicants to coordinate directly with board staff to supply missing supervisory verifications, corrected dates on verification forms, and final documentation needed to reach determinations on exam eligibility versus licensure eligibility.
Several actions carried on unanimous voice votes; in other cases the board recorded the vote totals when given. Applicants who were required to provide additional documentation were advised to work with board staff between meetings rather than immediately reappear.
