Board committee begins multi-meeting review of LMFT education requirements; staff proposes consolidated framework

A preliminary framework to consolidate and clarify education requirements for licensed marriage and family therapists was presented to the Board of Behavioral Sciences Workforce Development Committee on Oct. 24, 2025.

The proposal, presented by Roseanne Helms, legislative manager for the board, would apply one unified set of qualifying-degree rules to all applicants regardless of where the degree was earned. The draft calls for a single integrated graduate degree (a 60-semester-unit/90-quarter standard, with a legacy allowance for pre-August 2012 48-unit degrees), a practicum requirement equal to six semester units of face-to-face counseling experience, and clearer remediation pathways that rely on graduate-level coursework rather than ad-hoc fixes.

The committee and staff said they intend the changes to preserve consumer protection while reducing unnecessary barriers and administrative complexity. "We want a clear, streamlined set of education requirements that's not vague or overly complex, that's fairly simple, that's easy for everybody to understand," Roseanne Helms said.

Why it matters: California's current system differentiates in-state and out-of-state degree pathways and lists acceptable degree titles; staff said that distinction has become harder to apply as programs shift to hybrid and online models. The proposed framework would: (1) remove the in-state/out-of-state distinction, (2) remove degree-title lists and instead accept degrees that clearly meet required course competencies, (3) require a core practicum that cannot be remediated post degree, and (4) allow remediation of other deficits through graduate-level coursework or defined supplemental continuing-education units.

Staff presentation and next steps

Steve Sodegren, executive officer of the Board of Behavioral Sciences, summarized a comparative review of Oregon, Ohio and Texas. He said those states language is generally more prescriptive about unit allocations per content area, while California's in-state statute emphasizes integrated competencies but is less prescriptive about per-topic unit minimums. "In each of the other states, they don't actually use a requirement for in state, out of state. It's just looking at quantifiable course content competencies and program accreditation to determine if a program is acceptable," Sodegren said.

Staff recommended several staged actions: consult subject-matter experts to refine practicum and qualifying-degree language, draft graduate-level remediation rules and limits, and review whether program-level approvals (so that schools could be pre-cleared) are feasible. Helms said staff would produce a more formal draft of statutory-style language for the committee to review and would convene small SME groups to advise on technical points.

Accreditation debate

The meeting included an extended discussion of accreditation recognition. Staff reviewed COAMFT (the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education) standards and CACREP (Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) standards and noted that California currently recognizes COAMFT-accredited programs but continues to review program content rather than accepting accreditation automatically.

Several public commenters urged caution about adopting an automatic acceptance of CACREP/KCREP accreditation for LMFT eligibility. "We are mindful of BBS staffing and workload capacity, but there are some concerns ... about formally recognizing degrees accredited by CACREP as meeting educational requirements," said Shanti Edron of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Ben Caldwell, MFT, and others said accreditation does not always substitute for California-specific competency expectations.

Educators and program representatives said CACREP does include an MFT specialization and that, where a CACREP-accredited program includes the MFT specialty standards, recognition could reduce transcript-by-transcript reviews. "If all the content seems to match, at least you can approve the degree, which means that nobody has to make up the degree, but they can make up just those individual ... hours," said Leah Brew, LPCC and counselor educator.

Public comments and subject-matter concerns

Commenters identified several specific issues they want the committee to address in future drafts: whether accreditation recognition should be unconditional or limited to matching specializations; how to set remediation limits so that a single missing course does not invalidate a degree; whether program approval should include periodic audits; the sequencing of school-counseling courses so school-based clinicians are not disadvantaged; and adding targeted content such as perinatal mental health. "Including perinatal mental health training ... would not overburden graduate programs. It would save lives and strengthen families," said Elise Springer, LMFT volunteer policy and advocacy chair at Postpartum Support International California.

Board action

The committee did not adopt regulatory changes. The only formal action recorded during the meeting was approval of the committee's July 31, 2025 minutes. Chair Wendy Strack said staff will return with a more detailed draft and with SME input; Helms said the committee will likely break the project into smaller parts (qualifying-degree/practicum language and graduate-level remediation rules first) and revisit the item at future meetings.

What wasn't decided

Staff did not ask the committee to adopt any permanent change at this meeting. No final decision was made on automatic accreditation recognition, specific unit allocations by content area, nor on whether the board will implement a formal program-approval and audit process. Committee staff estimated the overall project could take multiple meetings and cautioned that a full rewrite of statutory language will take time.

Ending

Staff said they will prepare statutory-style draft language for the committee to review at subsequent meetings and convene small SME groups to advise on technical components (practicum structure, remediation content, and supplemental mandated trainings). The committee's next scheduled meeting was referenced as Jan. 15 (date provided by staff); no legislative text was adopted on Oct. 24.