To amend regulations to waive the requirement for an examination for licensed clinical social workers who can show clinical experience based in substance abuse services to become licensed substance abuse treatment practitioners. Licensed professional counselors currently have such a waiver.

In accordance with Virginia law, the petition will be filed with the Register of Regulations and published on January 21, 2019 with comment requested until February 20, 2019.  It will also be placed on the Virginia Regulatory Townhall and available for comments to be posted electronically.  At its first meeting following the close of comment, scheduled for May 31, 2019, the Board will consider the request to amend regulations and all comment received in support or opposition.  The petitioner will be informed of the board’s response and any action it approves.

The petition was published with comment requested from January 21, 2019 to February 20, 2019.  There were no comments posted electronically on the Virginia Regulatory Townhall or received by the Board.

At its meeting today, the Board discussed the request to amend regulations and voted not to initiate rulemaking.  Recently, the Board conducted a periodic review of regulations and recommended that the exemption from examination currently in place for licensed professional counselors be deleted in regulations governing licensure of substance abuse treatment practitioners.  Therefore, members did not support adding an exemption for licensed clinical social workers.