38-312. License required; exceptions.

No person shall engage in alcohol and drug counseling or hold himself or herself out as an alcohol and drug counselor unless he or she is licensed for such purpose pursuant to the Uniform Credentialing Act, except that this section shall not be construed to prevent:

(1) Qualified members of other professions who are credentialed by this state from practice of any alcohol and drug counseling consistent with the scope of practice of their respective professions;

(2) Teaching or the conduct of research related to alcohol and drug counseling with organizations or institutions if such teaching, research, or consultation does not involve the delivery or supervision of alcohol and drug counseling to individuals or groups of individuals who are themselves, rather than a third party, the intended beneficiaries of such services;

(3) The delivery of alcohol and drug counseling by:

(a) Students, interns, or residents whose activities constitute a part of the course of study for medicine, psychology, nursing, school psychology, social work, clinical social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, compulsive gambling counseling, or other health care or mental health service professions; or

(b) Individuals seeking to fulfill postgraduate requirements for licensure when those individuals are supervised by a licensed professional consistent with the applicable regulations of the appropriate professional board;

(4) Duly recognized members of the clergy from providing alcohol and drug counseling in the course of their ministerial duties and consistent with the codes of ethics of their profession if they do not represent themselves to be alcohol and drug counselors;

(5) The incidental exchange of advice or support by persons who do not represent themselves as engaging in alcohol and drug counseling, including participation in self-help groups when the leaders of such groups receive no compensation for their participation and do not represent themselves as alcohol and drug counselors or their services as alcohol and drug counseling;

(6) Any person providing emergency crisis intervention or referral services; or

(7) Staff employed in a program designated by an agency of state government to provide rehabilitation and support services to individuals with alcohol or drug disorders from completing a rehabilitation assessment or preparing, implementing, and evaluating an individual rehabilitation plan.

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