Professional Ethics and Law in California, 2nd Edition _ ____________________________________________
CALIFORNIA LAW AND ETHICS EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS In accordance with California regulations, individuals seeking licensure in certain fields are required to meet specific criteria related to law and ethics. First and foremost, applicants and registrants must successfully pass a California law and eth- ics examination administered by the board as a prerequisite for obtaining their license (unless an exemption under Section 4980.398 applies). Registrants are also mandated to partici- pate in this examination before each registration renewal. In the event of an unsuccessful attempt, applicants have the opportunity to retake the examination upon payment of the prescribed fees, eliminating the need for a new application. Additionally, the board strictly stipulates that a subsequent registration number will only be issued if the applicant has successfully cleared the California law and ethics examination. Furthermore, registrants must fulfill an ongoing educational requirement of a minimum of three hours in California law and ethics during each renewal period, irrespective of whether they have already passed the examination. This coursework should be obtained from a provider of continuing education accepted by the board. These measures underscore the signifi- cance of maintaining a strong foundation in California law and ethics within the licensed professions (California Board of Behavioral Sciences, 2023). CONTINUING EDUCATION The California Board of Behavioral Sciences implemented changes in 2021 and 2023 regarding continuing education and specifically required courses. These apply to licensees and associates of LCSW, LEP, LMFT, and LPCC and associates. Suicide Risk Assessment Effective January 1, 2021, the Board began requiring both applicants for licensure and licensees to have completed a minimum of 6 hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention. Under this new law, effective January 1, 2021, the Board began requiring both applicants for licensure and licensees to have completed a minimum of 6 hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention (California Board of Behavioral Sciences, 2023). Meeting this requirement can be accomplished in three ways (California Board of Behavioral Sciences, 2023): 1. You may have fulfilled the coursework as part of your graduate degree program that made you eligible for licensure. To utilize this option, you’ll need to secure written certification from your school’s registrar or training director, confirming that the coursework was a mandatory component of your graduation curriculum.
2. Alternatively, the requirement could have been satis- fied through your applied experience. If this is the case, the experience must have been acquired during your practicum, supervised experience mandated for licensure, formal doctoral placement, or other quali- fying supervised experience. To go this route, obtain written certification from your program’s director of training or your primary supervisor, clearly stating that the necessary training was incorporated into your applied experience. Another option is to fulfill the requirement by completing a continuing education course offered by an approved provider recognized by the Board. You’ll need to obtain a certification of completion from the course provider. You can find infor- mation about acceptable continuing education providers on the Board’s website, accessible through this link: https://bbs. ca.gov/licensees/cont_ed.html Telehealth Effective July 1, 2023, the California Board of Behavioral Services began requiring both applicants for licensure and licensees to have completed a minimum of 3 hours of train- ing or coursework in the provision of mental health services via telehealth, which must include law and ethics related to telehealth. The California BBS statutes state the following for required training or course work: Provision of Mental Health Services via Telehealth: (a) On or after July 1, 2023, an applicant for licensure as an LED, LCSW, LMFT and LPCC shall show, as part of the application, that they have completed a minimum of three hours of training or coursework in the provision of mental health services via telehealth, which shall include law and ethics related to telehealth. This requirement shall be met in one of the following ways: (1) Obtained as part of their qualifying graduate degree program. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the registrar or training director of the educational institution or program from which the applicant graduated stating that the coursework required by this section is included within the institution’s curriculum required for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework that was completed by the applicant. (2) Obtained by completing a continuing education course that meets the requirements of Section 4989.34. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a certification of comple- tion.
10
EliteLearning.com/Psychology
Powered by FlippingBook