Section 4980.78.

(a) This section applies to persons who apply for licensure or registration on or after January 1, 2014.

(b) For purposes of Sections 4980.72 and 4980.74, education is substantially equivalent if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The degree is obtained from a school, college, or university accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and consists of, at a minimum, 48 semester or 72 quarter units, including, but not limited to, both of the following:

(A) Six semester or nine quarter units of practicum, including, but not limited to, a minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face counseling.

(B) Twelve semester or 18 quarter units in the areas of marriage, family, and child counseling and marital and family systems approaches to treatment, as specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 4980.36.

(2) The applicant completes any units and course content requirements under subdivision (d) of Section 4980.36 not already completed in his or her education.

(3) The applicant completes credit level coursework from a degree-granting institution that provides all of the following:

(A) Instruction regarding the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care and methods of service delivery in recovery model practice environments.

(B) An understanding of various California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.

(C) Structured meeting with various consumers and family members of consumers of mental health services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental illness, treatment, and recovery.

(D) Instruction in addiction and co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders, as specified in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 4980.36.

(4) The applicant completes an 18-hour course in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws relating to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, differences in legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and licensing process.

(5) The applicant's degree title need not be identical to that required by subdivision (b) of Section 4980.36.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 799, Sec. 36. Effective January 1, 2013.)