2021 Utah Code
Title 58 - Occupations and Professions
Chapter 60 - Mental Health Professional Practice Act
Part 4 - Clinical Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act
Section 405 - Qualifications for licensure.

Affected by 63I-1-258 on 7/1/2022

• (1) An applicant for licensure as a clinical mental health counselor shall:
  • (a) submit an application on a form provided by the division;
  • (b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63J-1-504;
  • (c) produce certified transcripts evidencing completion of:
    • (i) a master's or doctorate degree conferred to the applicant in:
      • (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
      • (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
    • (ii) at least 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours of coursework related to an educational program described in Subsection (1)(d)(i);
  • (d) have completed a minimum of 4,000 hours of clinical mental health counselor training as defined by division rule under Section 58-1-203:
    • (i) in not less than two years;
    • (ii) under the supervision of a clinical mental health counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, registered psychiatric mental health nurse specialist, or marriage and family therapist supervisor approved by the division in collaboration with the board;
    • (iii) obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection (1)(c); and
    • (iv) including a minimum of two hours of training in suicide prevention via a course that the division designates as approved;
  • (e) document successful completion of not less than 1,000 hours of supervised training in mental health therapy obtained after completion of the education requirement in Subsection (1)(c), which training may be included as part of the 4,000 hours of training in Subsection (1)(d), and of which documented evidence demonstrates not less than 100 of the hours were obtained under the direct supervision of a mental health therapist, as defined by rule; and
  • (f) pass the examination requirement established by division rule under Section 58-1-203.

• (2)
  • (a) An applicant for licensure as an associate clinical mental health counselor shall comply with the provisions of Subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c).
  • (b) Except as provided under Subsection (2)(c), an individual's licensure as an associate clinical mental health counselor is limited to the period of time necessary to complete clinical training as described in Subsections (1)(d) and (e) and extends not more than one year from the date the minimum requirement for training is completed.
  • (c) The time period under Subsection (2)(b) may be extended to a maximum of two years past the date the minimum supervised clinical training requirement has been completed, if the applicant presents satisfactory evidence to the division and the appropriate board that the individual is:
    • (i) making reasonable progress toward passing of the qualifying examination for that profession; or
    • (ii) otherwise on a course reasonably expected to lead to licensure.

• (3)
  • (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (1)(c), an applicant satisfies the education requirement described in Subsection (1)(c) if the applicant submits documentation verifying:
    • (i) 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;
    • (ii) 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
    • (iii) that the applicant received a passing score that is valid and in good standing on:
      • (A) the National Counselor Examination; and
      • (B) the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination.
  • (b) During the 2021 interim, the division shall report to the Occupational and Professional Licensure Review Committee created in Section 36-23-102 on:
    • (i) the number of applicants who applied for licensure under this Subsection (3);
    • (ii) the number of applicants who were approved for licensure under this Subsection (3);
    • (iii) any changes to division rule after May 12, 2020, regarding the qualifications for licensure under this section; and
    • (iv) recommendations for legislation or other action that the division considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Subsection (3).