legislation

Current Licensure News and Updates

This legislative page contains the most recent Legislative Report. Efforts are made to stay current; please be sure to check the Legislative Report in NorCATA's latest newsletter, as well. If you have more questions or would like more information, please contact Sarah Kremer, Director of Legislative Affairs at sarah.kremer@gmail.com.

Currently, art therapy itself is not regulated in California; art therapists may practice privately but may be unable to receive third-party payment, and may work for other organizations if funding is not dependent upon or they do not require all professionals to be licensed or license-eligible. Art therapy is also open to anyone who wishes to say that they practice, regardless of education or experience. California consumers, then, are not protected from receiving qualified services from an appropriately trained and supervised art therapist.

As of January 1, 2010, licensure in California is now available for three categories of master’s level and one doctoral level mental health professionals (see the Board of Behavioral Sciences web site at www.bbs.ca.gov/ for more information):

· Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC)

· Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT), formerly Marriage, Family, and Child Counselors (LMFCC)

· Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and Associate Clinical Social Workers (ASW)

· Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEP)

Three programs in the state offering master's level training in art therapy are currently designed for graduates to sit for the MFT license, though this may be changing soon to incorporate a distinct Professional Counselor track. If an art therapist did not attend one of these three programs, attended a certificate program that may no longer exist, did not attend a program for Marriage and Family Therapy out-of-state, or do not already have this license from another state, he or she is most likely not eligible to apply for the MFT license.

California is now the last state to implement the Professional Counselor License (LPC) or, in California, Professional Clinical Counselor License (LPCC). This is a general mental health professional license with specialties – like art therapy, dance therapy, rehabilitation therapy, career counseling, and school counseling – existing under its umbrella. Unless an art therapist lives in a handful of states with a specific art therapy or creative art therapy license, the LPC may be the best license to allow third-party payment, private practice, and portability between states. Nationally, the American Art Therapy Association works to address counseling curricular requirements as expressed both in state licensure regulations and through accrediting bodies such as CACREP. Programs approved by the American Art Therapy Association Education Program Approval Board have met the educational standards established by the American Art Therapy Association; these standards are generally aligned with counseling requirements where possible. Many art therapy graduate programs are now or are working to be in alignment with these standards, so that graduates would be eligible to sit for the LPC or the Clinical Professional Counselor License (LCPC), a second-tier established in some states.

The Northern California Art Therapy Association has been working with the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure, a group of nine statewide organizations, for the past seven years to bring counselor licensure to California. With the support of the American Art Therapy Association and other national organizations wishing to bring California into the fold of 49 other states who offer this general mental health license, we have finally achieved success!

We are pleased to announce that SB 788 was signed into law on October 11, 2009, bringing licensure for professional counselors to California. After seven years and three bills, the final bill was approved by California’s Legislature and signed into law by its Governor. This now allows art therapists, who meet the qualifications, to achieve licensure if they are not eligible for the current MFT license. Additionally, there will be a process for art therapists currently licensed as MFTs to be grandparented and receive their LPCC.

This would not have been possible without the dedicated counselors and graduate students throughout the state and the state and national organizations that support professional counseling. The Northern California Art Therapy Association and American Art Therapy Association are recognized by the CCCL as providing financial support among other state and national organizations.

For more thorough and updated information about the new LPCC requirements, visit the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure web site at www.caccl.org. For greatest ease, sign up to receive email updates on the Register with Us page.

IMPLEMENTATION DATES for LPCC

January 1, 2010: The bill became law and the Board of Behavioral Sciences now has the responsibility for developing the rules and regulations to implement the bill and it will gear up to accept LPCC applications.

January 1, 2011: Applications for grandparenting and reciprocity will be available through the Board of Behavioral Sciences. These requirements are posted now on the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure web site under Licensure Requirements.

January 1, 2012: Applications for regular licensure will be available for those not eligible for grandparenting or reciprocity. These requirements are posted now the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure web site under Licensure Requirements.

The California Coalition for Counselor Licensure will continually update its web site, as information becomes available on providers of required coursework and administration of required examinations. Stay tuned for information from the Northern California Art Therapy Association specifically related to art therapists!