(1) An applicant for licensure as a clinical mental health counselor shall:

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Terms Used In Utah Code 58-60-405

  • Clinical supervision: means work experience conducted under the supervision of a clinical supervisor, including:
         (3)(a) the practice of mental health therapy, direct client care, direct clinical supervision, direct observation, and other duties and activities completed in the course of the day-to-day job functions and work of a:
              (3)(a)(i) certified social worker;
              (3)(a)(ii) associate marriage and family therapist;
              (3)(a)(iii) associate clinical mental health counselor; or
              (3)(a)(iv) associate master addiction counselor, wherein the supervisor is available for consultation with the supervisee by personal face-to-face contact, or direct voice contact by telephone, radio, or other means within a reasonable time consistent with the acts and practices in which the supervisee is engaged. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Clinical supervisor: means an individual who oversees and mentors one or more mental health therapists licensed under this chapter, and who:
         (4)(a)
              (4)(a)(i) is licensed, in good standing, as a mental health therapist;
              (4)(a)(ii) is approved or certified in good standing as a supervisor by a national professional organization for social work, mental health counseling, addiction counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, medicine, or nursing, or other organization as approved by the division;
              (4)(a)(iii)
                   (4)(a)(iii)(A) has completed eight or more hours of supervision instruction that meets minimum standards established by the division in rule; or
                   (4)(a)(iii)(B) has completed a graduate course on clinical supervision from an accredited program;
              (4)(a)(iv) completes continuing education in clinical supervision, as established by the division in rule; and
              (4)(a)(v) provides supervision to no more than the number of individuals to whom the supervisor can reasonably provide clinical supervision by performing the duties and responsibilities of a supervisor, including:
                   (4)(a)(v)(A) being available to the supervisee for consultation by personal face-to-face contact, or by direct voice contact by telephone, video conference, or other means within a reasonable time frame;
                   (4)(a)(v)(B) providing instruction, direction, oversight, observation, evaluation, and feedback, to enable the supervisee to acquire the knowledge, skills, techniques, and abilities necessary to engage in the practice of behavioral health care ethically, safely, and competently; and
                   (4)(a)(v)(C) maintaining routine personal contact with the supervisee; and
         (4)(b)
              (4)(b)(i) is qualified and acting as a valid supervisor, in accordance with applicable law and division rules, as of April 30, 2024; and
              (4)(b)(ii) has satisfied the requirements of Subsection (4)(a), as of January 1, 2027. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Department: means the Department of Commerce. See Utah Code 58-1-102
  • Direct client care: includes :
              (7)(b)(i) the practice of mental health therapy;
              (7)(b)(ii) the utilization of patient-reported progress and outcomes to inform care; and
              (7)(b)(iii) direct observation. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Direct clinical supervision: includes group supervision. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Direct clinical supervisor: means the clinical supervisor who has signed the supervision contract with the applicant for licensure. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Direct observation: means observation of an applicant for licensure's live or recorded direct client care:
         (10)(a)
              (10)(a)(i) by the applicant for licensure's clinical supervisor; or
              (10)(a)(ii) by a licensee under Subsection (4)(a) who the applicant for licensure's direct clinical supervisor approves; and
         (10)(b) after which the applicant for licensure and the observer under Subsection (10)(a) meet, in-person or electronically, to discuss the direct client care for the purpose of developing the applicant for licensure's clinical knowledge and skill. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Division: means the Division of Professional Licensing created in Section 58-1-103. See Utah Code 58-1-102
  • Group supervision: means an applicant for licensure meeting with the applicant's direct clinical supervisor and at least one of the direct clinical supervisor's other supervised applicants for licensure:
         (12)(a) while the clinical supervisor and the applicants:
              (12)(a)(i) can see and openly communicate with each other; and
              (12)(a)(ii) are present in the same room or via electronic video; and
         (12)(b) for the purpose of developing the applicants' clinical knowledge and skill. See Utah Code 58-60-102
  • Licensee: includes any holder of a license, certificate, registration, permit, student card, or apprentice card authorized under this title. See Utah Code 58-1-102
  • Mental health therapist: means an individual who is practicing within the scope of practice defined in the individual's respective licensing act and is licensed under this title as:
         (15)(a) a physician and surgeon, or osteopathic physician engaged in the practice of mental health therapy;
         (15)(b) an advanced practice registered nurse, specializing in psychiatric mental health nursing;
         (15)(c) an advanced practice registered nurse intern, specializing in psychiatric mental health nursing;
         (15)(d) a psychologist qualified to engage in the practice of mental health therapy;
         (15)(e) a certified psychology resident qualifying to engage in the practice of mental health therapy;
         (15)(f) a physician assistant specializing in mental health care under Section Utah Code 58-60-102
     (1)(a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
     (1)(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
     (1)(c) produce certified transcripts evidencing completion of:

          (1)(c)(i) a master’s or doctorate degree conferred to the applicant in:

               (1)(c)(i)(A) clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, counselor education and supervision from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; or
               (1)(c)(i)(B) clinical mental health counseling or an equivalent field from a program affiliated with an institution that has accreditation that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; and
          (1)(c)(ii) at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours of coursework related to an educational program described in Subsection (1)(c)(i);
     (1)(d) if required under federal law for any licensee as a clinical mental health counselor to qualify as an eligible professional under CMS rules for Medicare payment, document completion of:

          (1)(d)(i) not less than 3,000 hours of clinical supervision, which includes hours accrued under Subsection (1)(e); or
          (1)(d)(ii) not less than two years of clinical supervision;
     (1)(e) document successful completion of not less than 1,200 direct client care hours:

          (1)(e)(i) obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection (1)(c);
          (1)(e)(ii) subject to Subsection (1)(e)(iii), not less than 100 of which are direct clinical supervision hours under the supervision of a clinical supervisor;
          (1)(e)(iii) not less than 25 of which are direct observation hours; and
          (1)(e)(iv) not more than 25 of which are group supervision hours concurrently with more than one other applicant for licensure;
     (1)(f) document successful completion of not less than two hours of training in suicide prevention obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection (1)(c) via a course that the division designates as approved;
     (1)(g)

          (1)(g)(i) pass the examination requirement established by division rule under Section 58-1-203; or
          (1)(g)(ii) satisfy the following requirements:

               (1)(g)(ii)(A) document at least one examination attempt that did not result in a passing score;
               (1)(g)(ii)(B) document successful completion of not less than 500 additional direct client care hours, not less than 25 of which are direct clinical supervision hours, and not less than five of which are direct observation hours by a clinical supervisor;
               (1)(g)(ii)(C) submit to the division a recommendation letter from the applicant’s direct clinical supervisor; and
               (1)(g)(ii)(D) submit to the division a recommendation letter from another licensed mental health therapist who has directly observed the applicant’s direct client care hours and who is not the applicant’s direct clinical supervisor; and
     (1)(h) consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 58-60-103.1 and any requirements established by division rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(2) An applicant for licensure as an associate clinical mental health counselor shall comply with the provisions of Subsections (1)(a) through (c) and (h).
(3) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(c), an applicant satisfies the education requirement described in Subsection (1)(c) if the applicant submits documentation verifying:

     (3)(a) satisfactory completion of a doctoral or master’s degree from an educational program in rehabilitation counseling accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs;
     (3)(b) satisfactory completion of at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours of coursework related to an educational program described in Subsection (1)(c)(i); and
     (3)(c) that the applicant received a passing score that is valid and in good standing on:

          (3)(c)(i) the National Counselor Examination; and
          (3)(c)(ii) the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination.