To clarify that board approval of registraion will be provided in writing with the date of registration of supervision to be effective 30 day from the initial receipt of the applicant\'s request.

At its first meeting following the close of comment, which is scheduled for November 16, 2012, the Board will consider the request to amend regulations and all comment received in support or opposition. 

While the members understand the rationale for the request to allow applicants to begin supervision 30 days after the initial receipt of an application, they did not agree that a regulatory change was appropriate.

The Board acknowledges that the application/licensing process can be time-consuming.  Counseling staff reported that there has been an increase in applications and registrations of 127% in the past four years, that there are approximately 200 calls and 300+ emails per week, and that the Board has received over 4,800 registrations and applications. 

Applications are typically acknowledged very promptly, and once all essential information is received and determined to be complete, supervision hours can be counted from the date of approval.  The delays in approval are most often due to insufficient or incomplete documentation from an applicant or his/her supervisor.  A transcript may not indicate adequate educational preparation for practice in marriage and family therapy, or a supervisory contract may not provide adequate evidence of clinical practice.  In any case, it would be a disservice for an applicant to accumulate hours of supervised practice prior to a determination of eligibility, if those hours would later have to be disallowed.  The Board’s primary purpose is protection of the public, and it remains concerned that supervised practice should only be conducted by persons who have been determined to be qualified.