State of Louisiana
LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS BOARD OF EXAMINERS
8631 SUMMA AVENUE, SUITE A
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA 70809
Phone: 225-765-2515 C Fax: 225-765-2514
Website: www.lpcboard.org
SUMMARY OF RULES NEEDED TO REGISTER AS A MFT INTERN
Licensing Requirements
There are four different requirement areas: 1) general, 2) academic including MFT practicum/internship, 3) examination, and 4) supervision. Please see the rules at www.lpcboard.org for details. The requirements for licensure are listed in Chapter 33, Sections 3301, 3305, 3309, 3311, 3313, and 3315. This Chapter is summarized in this document.
You need to follow the general and academic including practicum/internship requirements to register as an MFT intern. You then will complete the examination and supervision requirements before you are eligible to apply for licensure. You cannot practice in Louisiana outside of an academic setting unless you are registered as an intern with a licensing board or are licensed as a mental health professional.
Section 3301. General Provisions
Describes general provisions for the issuance of a license to practice as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Louisiana.
Section 3303. Definitions
Defines terms used in Chapter 33.
Section 3305. General Licensing Requirements
To become licensed, an applicant must:
1. Be of good moral character
2. Never have engaged in any practice or conduct that would be grounds for refusing to issue a license
3. Be qualified for licensure pursuant to the requirements provided for in Subpart 2 Professional Standards for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
4. File a completed application form, accompanied by the required fee
5. Ask that official transcripts be sent directly from the educational institution for your applicant file
6. Provide a Statement of Practice (refer to the Appendix) for review and approval by the MFT Advisory Committee. Applicants also licensed by other allied mental health professions may integrate the requirements specific to licensed marriage and family therapy as determined by the MFT Advisory Committee into any similar informed consent document required for licensure by such allied mental health professions
Section 3307. No longer in effect. Expired on June 30, 2004.
Section 3309. Summary of Specific Licensing Requirements
1. Academic Requirements
a. Applicants must have a master’s or doctoral degree from a marriage and family therapy program that meets the standards established by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) as determined by the advisory committee in a regionally accredited educational institution or training from a postgraduate training institute that meets the standards established by COAMFTE as determined by the advisory committee; or
b. Applicants must have a master's or doctoral degree from a marriage and family therapy or counseling program that meets the standards established by the Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and has a minimum of six (6) graduate courses in Marriage and Family Therapy; or
c. Applicants with a master's or doctoral degree in an allied mental health field must meet the equivalency standards for marriage and family therapy described in §3311(B) as determined by the advisory committee
2. Supervision Requirements: Applicants must complete a minimum of two (2) years of supervised work experience in marriage and family therapy as specified in Section 3315 after receipt of a qualifying graduate degree.
3. Examination Requirements: Applicants must pass the national examination in marriage and family therapy as specified in Section 3313. No other examinations will be accepted as substitutes.
Section 3311. Academic Requirements
A. General
1. An applicant must have completed a minimum of 48 semester hours or its equivalent of graduate coursework.
2. One course is defined as 3 semester credits, 4 quarter credits, or 45 didactic contact hours (i.e., lecture hours).
3. Content and relevance of academic courses must be substantiated by the applicant through course descriptions in official school catalogs, bulletins, syllabi, or by other means approved by the advisory committee If their titles are not self-explanatory as determined by the advisory committee.
4. Undergraduate level courses will not meet academic requirements unless the applicant's official transcript clearly shows that the course was given graduate credit.
5. Only coursework taken for credit and receiving a passing grade will be accepted.
6. Coursework taken outside of a program of studies for which a degree was granted must receive an "A," "B," or "pass."
7. A minimum of 45 contact hours in a postgraduate training program will be considered equivalent to a 3-hour semester credit course.
8. An applicant who wishes to make up academic deficiencies may propose a plan of additional coursework to the advisory committee
9. An applicant who has completed a master's degree program in marriage and family therapy or counseling that was accredited by the Council on the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and has a minimum of six graduate courses in Marriage and Family Therapy, will be determined by the advisory committee and the board to have met the equivalency of standards established by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Education (COAMFTE).
B. Specific equivalency requirements in academic coursework and MFT practicum that meet the standards for marriage and family therapy established by COAMFTE as determined by the advisory committee
Academic Course Content for COAMFTE Equivalency
1. Theoretical Knowledge of Marriage and Family Therapy—a minimum of 2 courses
Courses in this area shall contain such content as the historical development, theoretical and empirical foundations, and contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy and will be related conceptually to clinical concerns. Students will be able to conceptualize and distinguish the critical epistemological issues in the profession of marriage and family therapy. Materials covered will provide a comprehensive survey and substantive understanding of the major models of marriage, couple, and family therapy.
2. Clinical Knowledge of Marriage and Family Therapy—a minimum of 4 courses
Courses in this area shall contain such content as: 1) couple and family therapy practice and be related conceptually to theory; 2) contemporary issues, which include but are not limited to gender, violence, addictions, and abuse, in the treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a relational/systemic perspective; 3) a wide variety of presenting clinical problems; 4) issues of gender and sexual functioning, sexual orientation, and sex therapy as they relate to couple, marriage and family therapy theory and practice, 5) diversity and discrimination as it relates to couple and family therapy theory and practice.
3. Assessment and Treatment in Marriage and Family Therapy—a minimum of 2 courses
Courses in this area shall contain such content from a relational/systemic perspective as: 1) psychopharmacology, physical health and illness, traditional psychodiagnostic categories, and the assessment and treatment of major mental health issues; One course must be in psychopathology.
4. Individual, Couple, and Family Development—a minimum of 1 course
Courses in this area shall contain such content as individual, couple, and family development across the lifespan. (A minimum of 1 course required)
5. Professional Identity and Ethics—a minimum of 1 course
Courses in this area shall contain such content as: 1) professional identity, including professional socialization, scope of practice, professional organizations, licensure, and certification; 2) ethical issues related to the profession of marriage and family therapy and the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy. A generic course in ethics does not meet this standard; 3) the AAMFT Code of Ethics, confidentiality issues, the legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical practice and research, family law, record keeping, reimbursement, and the business aspects of practice; 4) the interface between therapist responsibility and the professional, social, and political context of treatment. (A minimum of 1 course required)
6. Research—a minimum of 1 course
Courses in this area shall include significant material on research in couple and family therapy; focus on content such as research methodology, data analysis and the evaluation of research, and include quantitative and qualitative research.
7. Additional Learning—a minimum of 1 course
Courses in this area will augment students' specialized interest and background in individual, couple, and family therapy and may be chosen from coursework offered in a variety of disciplines. (A minimum of 1 course required)
COAMFTE Equivalency for Supervised MFT Clinical Practicum
500 supervised direct client contact hours with 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. At least 250 of these hours will be with couples or families present in the therapy room.
The training of the supervisor must be equivalent to that of an AAMFT approved supervisor or AAMFT supervisor candidate.
If a student is simultaneously being supervised and having direct client contact, the time may be counted as both supervision time and direct client contact time.
The supervised MFT clinical practicum does not count as coursework.
Section 3313. Examination Requirements
All applicants for licensure must pass the National Marital and Family Therapy Examination developed by the Association for Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB).
Applicants are not eligible for examination until approved as MFT Interns by the MFT Advisory Committee. Passing scores on the examination are determined by the testing agency. Any person who fails an examination shall not be admitted to a subsequent examination for at least six months.
Specific information about the National Marital and Family Therapy Examination may be found at www.amftrb.org and www.prometric.com.
The cost of the examination is dependent upon the fees charged by the testing service. The current fees are listed in the application materials. The Board does not charge a fee for the examination.
Section 3315. Supervision Requirements
Summary
1. MFT interns must complete a minimum of two years of supervised work experience and 3,000 hours of clinical services in MFT with a Board Approved LMFT Supervisor or Registered Supervisor Candidate as specified in 3315 after receipt of their qualifying degrees. Of these 3,000 hours, 2,000 must be direct work with clients and 1,000 may come from such things as writing case notes, workshops, public relations, consulting with referral sources, etc. The required hours of supervision are at least 200 hours, of which at least 100 must be individual supervision. Up to 100 hours of supervision received during a graduate program that can be documented as systemic may be counted toward the 200 hours.
2. Supervision, types of supervision (including co-therapy supervision, consultation, group supervision, individual supervision, and live supervision), work experience, and other basic components of supervision (including the supervised experience plan) are defined in '3315(B).
3. MFT interns should apply systemic theories and treatment with all clients and make every effort to work with as many couples and families as possible.
4. MFT interns must meet face-to-face in person with their supervisors for sustained and intense learning customarily for one hour per 10 hours of client contact, with once every other week the minimum and three times a week ordinarily the maximum. Supervision shall not be done via video-conferencing, online, or any other electronic method.
5. MFT interns must file a SUPERVISED EXPERIENCE PLAN, a written agreement on a form required by the MFT Advisory Committee that establishes the supervisory framework for postgraduate MFT clinical experience and describes the expectations and responsibilities of the supervisor and the supervisee.
6. A supervisor may not have more than 10 MFT interns and/or LMFT approved supervisor candidates at one time. This number includes interns and/or supervisor candidates being supervised for licensure in other mental health disciplines.
This summary does not include all the rules pertaining to supervision. For more complete information, see Section 3315. An MFT intern is required to read, learn, understand, and abide by the rules pertaining to the licensure of licensed marriage and family therapists. Not knowing the rules and regulation is not a defense if a grievance is filed against MFT interns or LMFTs.
Information Specific to Obtaining a Supervisor
The Advisory Committee approves supervision on a case-by-case basis. A list of LMFT Approved Supervisors and Supervisor Candidates is available through the Board office and at www.lpcboard.org.
The Advisory Committee must approve your supervision toward licensure as a licensed marriage and family therapist. If you are working toward dual licensure your supervision hours for licensure in the other discipline may count toward licensure as an LMFT if your supervisor is an LMFT-Approved Supervisor.
You cannot practice in Louisiana outside of an academic setting unless you are registered as an intern with a licensing board or are licensed as a mental health professional.
For information about approve supervisors see Instructions and Forms for Approved Supervisors and Registered Supervisor Candidates at www.lpcboard.org