Licensure Requirements - Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and

Description of Service: The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling licenses and regulates clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and mental health counselors who meet the statutory requirements for safe practice in Florida. Chapter 491, Florida Statutes governs the practice of CSW/MFT/MHC, including interns, in Florida. Rule Chapter 64B4, Florida Administrative Code are the rules that define the Board’s policies.

For information on licensure by endorsement, please see Section 491.006, Florida Statutes. Florida does not have reciprocity with any state, nor do these boards license corporations.

Specific Services or Activities Provided: Evaluates applications for licensure and examination, conducts board meetings, administers policy and determines probable cause in disciplinary actions, issues final orders in imposing discipline, reviews and approves continuing education providers, and audits licensure compliance for continuing education.

No application is complete until all required documentation and fees are received. Your application will not be processed until it is complete. Applications are reviewed in date order received.

Certified Master Social Work – Masters degree in social work from a university accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, with a major emphasis or specialty in clinical practice or administration. Must also have three (3) years experience, two (2) years of which must be at the post-master’s level under the supervision of a person who meets the education and experience requirements for certification as a certified master social worker or a licensed clinical social worker. In addition, the applicant must pass the national advanced generalist (formerly known as the intermediate level) examination developed by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and complete an eight-hour laws and rules course and a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider. Please note: this license will not authorize a certified master social worker to provide clinical social work services.

Clinical Social Work – Masters degree in social work; completion of 24 semester hours or 32 quarter hours in theory of human behavior and practice methods as courses in clinically oriented services, including a minimum of one course in psychopathology taken in a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. A supervised field placement that was part of the applicant’s advanced concentration in direct practice, during which the applicant provided clinical service directly to clients. Must also have post-masters supervised experience under the supervision of a licensed clinical social worker or the equivalent who is qualified as determined by the Board. In addition, the applicant must pass the national clinical level examination developed by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) and complete an eight-hour laws and rules course and a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider.

Marriage and Family Therapy – Masters degree with major emphasis in marriage and family therapy; 36 semester hours or 48 quarter hours of graduate coursework, which must include a minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level course credits in each of the following nine areas: dynamics of marriage and family systems; marriage therapy and counseling theory and techniques; family therapy and counseling theory and techniques; individual human development theories throughout the life cycle; personality theory or general counseling theory and techniques; psychopathology; human sexuality theory; psychosocial theory and substance abuse theory and counseling techniques. A minimum of one graduate-level course of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours in legal, ethical, and professional standards issues in the practice of marriage and family therapy or a course determined by the board to be equivalent. A minimum of one graduate-level course of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours in diagnosis, appraisal, assessment, and testing for individual or interpersonal disorder or dysfunction; and a minimum of one 3 semester hour of 4 quarter hour graduate level course in behavioral research which focuses on the interpretation and application of research data as it applies to clinical practice. A minimum of one supervised clinical practicum, internship, or field experience in a marriage and family counseling setting, during which the student provided 180 direct client contact hours of marriage and family therapy services. Must also have two years of post-master’s supervised experience under the supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist with five years of experience or the equivalent (see 64B4-21.007(1)a,b,c,d F.A.C.) who is qualified as determined by the Board. In addition, the applicant must pass the national examination developed by the Examination Advisory Committee of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and Professional Examination Services and complete an eight-hour laws and rules course and a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider.

Mental Health Counseling
1. (a) Minimum of an earned master’s degree from a mental health counseling program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) that consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours of clinical and didactic instruction, including a course in human sexuality and a course in substance abuse. [Note: CACREP accredited programs that are not mental health counseling programs do not meet this requirement, i.e., community counseling, school counseling, counselor education.]
OR
(b) Minimum of an earned master’s degree from a program related to the practice of mental health counseling that consists of at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours and meets the following requirements:

Minimum of 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate-level coursework in each of the following 12 content areas: counseling theories and practice, human growth and development, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology, human sexuality, group theories and practice, individual evaluation and assessment, career and lifestyle assessment, research and program evaluation, social and cultural foundations, counseling in community settings, substance abuse, and legal, ethical, and professional standards issues. Courses in research, thesis or dissertation work, practicums, internships, or fieldwork may not be applied toward this requirement.

The equivalent of at least 1,000 hours of university-sponsored supervised clinical practicum, internship, or field experience as required in the standards for CACREP accredited mental health counseling programs. This experience may not be used to satisfy the post-master’s clinical experience requirement.

2. Must have two (2) years of post-master’s supervised experience under the supervision of a licensed mental health counselor or the equivalent (Rule 64B4-31.007, F.A.C.) who is qualified as determined by the Board.

3. The applicant must pass the national clinical mental health counseling examination (NCMHCE) developed by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

4. Complete an eight-hour laws and rules course from an approved provider.

5. Complete a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider.

6. Complete a three-hour course on human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Licensure by Endorsement for CSW/MFT/MHC – Must hold an active valid license to practice and has actively practiced the profession for which licensure is applied in another state for 3 of the last 5 years immediately preceding licensure, meet the education requirements outlined in the previous information, passed the national examination required for licensure in Florida (or will pass after Board approval) and must complete an eight-hour laws and rules course and a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider. (If you cannot document two year’s of post-master’s supervised experience by a qualified supervisor or your passing exam score is over five years old, you need to apply by endorsement).

Dual Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist – Must hold a valid, active Florida license for a minimum of three years in one of the following four professions: Licensed Psychologist under Chapter 490, Florida Statute; Licensed Clinical Social Worker under Chapter 491 Florida Statute; Licensed Mental Health Counselor under Chapter 491 Florida Statute; or an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner certified under Section 464.012 Florida Statute, as a specialist in psychiatric mental health by the Board of Nursing. The applicant must pass the national examination developed by the Examination Advisory Committee of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and Professional Examination Services and complete an eight-hour laws and rules course and a two-hour prevention of medical errors course from an approved provider.

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