(a) The board may issue a license to a person who, at the time of submitting an application for a license pursuant to this chapter, holds a license in another jurisdiction of the United States as a professional clinical counselor at the highest level for independent clinical practice if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The applicant’s license in the other jurisdiction has been current, active, and unrestricted for at least two years immediately before the date the application was received by the board. The applicant shall disclose to the board for review any past restrictions or disciplinary action on an out-of-state license, and the board shall consider those actions in determining whether to issue a license to the applicant.

(2) The applicant’s degree that qualified the applicant for the out-of-state license is a master’s or doctoral degree that was obtained from an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12.

(3) The applicant complies with the fingerprint requirements established in Section 144.

(4) The applicant completes the coursework specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) from an accredited or approved school, college, or university, as defined in Section 4999.12, or from a continuing education provider that is acceptable to the board, as defined in Section 4999.76. Undergraduate coursework shall not satisfy this requirement.

(A) A minimum of 12 hours of coursework in California law and professional ethics that includes, but is not limited to, instruction in advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous clients, psychotherapist-client privilege, recordkeeping, client 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 clients, the application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and licensing process.

(B) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction that includes an understanding of various California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.

(5) The applicant obtains a minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(6) On and after January 1, 2021, the applicant shall show proof of completion of at least six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention using one of the methods specified in Section 4999.66.

(7) The applicant passes the board-administered California law and ethics examination specified in Section 4999.53. The clinical examination specified in Section 4999.53 shall be waived for an applicant qualifying under this section.

(b) A licensee who is issued a license pursuant to this section shall be permitted to treat couples or families if the licensee meets one of the following:

(1) The scope of the license held in the other state permitted treatment of couples and families without restrictions or additional coursework and the licensee completes a minimum of six hours of continuing education specific to marriage and family therapy in each renewal cycle.

(2) The licensee completes the requirements to treat couples or families specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 4999.20.

(c) This section was developed based on an examination of the licensure requirements for professional clinical counselors on a national level. This section shall not be construed to apply to any provisions under this division or Division 3 (commencing with Section 5000) other than this act.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 380, Sec. 13. (SB 679) Effective January 1, 2020.)