HOUSE BILL NO. 5997
September 26, 2024, Introduced by Reps. Brabec, Hope, McFall, Byrnes, Rheingans, Coffia,
Conlin, Edwards, O'Neal, Breen, Young, Morgan and Glanville and referred to the Committee
on Health Policy.
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled
"Public health code,"
by amending section 16909 (MCL 333.16909), as amended by 1997 PA
188, and by adding section 16914.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 16909. (1) The board shall grant a license as a marriage
2 and family therapist to Subject to this section, to be granted a
3 license as a marriage and family therapist, an individual who meets
4 must meet all of the following requirements:
EMR 01711'23
2
1 (a) Provides The individual provides satisfactory evidence to
2 the board of meeting either of the following educational
3 qualifications:
4 (i) Has department that the individual holds a master's or
5 higher graduate degree from an accredited training program in
6 marriage and family therapy approved by the board or a degree that
7 is substantially equivalent to a degree described in this
8 subdivision. The department, in consultation with the board, shall
9 promulgate rules establishing standards to approve programs under
10 this subdivision.
11 (ii) Has a master's or higher graduate degree from an
12 accredited college or university approved by the board and has
13 completed all of the following graduate-level courses at an
14 accredited college or university approved by the board:
15 (A) Three courses in family studies that total at least 6
16 semester or 9 quarter hours.
17 (B) Three courses in family therapy methodology that total at
18 least 6 semester or 9 quarter hours.
19 (C) Three courses in human development, personality theory, or
20 psychopathology that total at least 6 semester or 9 quarter hours.
21 (D) At least 2 semester or 3 quarter hours in ethics, law, and
22 standards of professional practice.
23 (E) At least 2 semester or 3 quarter hours in research.
24 (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), provides
25 The individual provides satisfactory evidence to the board
26 department of having completed supervised clinical marriage and
27 family therapy experience in conjunction with the applicant's
28 educational program. The clinical marriage and family therapy
29 experience described in this subdivision shall meet all of the
EMR 01711'23
3
1 following requirements:
2 (i) Be obtained either in a clinical practicum during graduate
3 education or in a postgraduate marriage and family institute
4 training program acceptable to the board.
5 (ii) Be obtained must include not less than 300 direct client
6 contact hours completed over not less than 8 12 consecutive months
7 of which 150 hours must be with couples, families, or subsystems of
8 families, and must be supervised by 1 of the following individuals
9 who is fully licensed under this article or who holds an equivalent
10 license in another state or province of Canada:
11 (i) A marriage and family therapist.
12 (ii) A licensed master's social worker as that term is defined
13 in section 18501.
14 (iii) A licensed professional counselor as that term is defined
15 in section 18101.
16 (iv) A physician as that term is defined in section 17001 or
17 17501.
18 (v) A psychologist as that term is defined in section 18201.
19 (iii) Be verified by a supervisor who has a master's or higher
20 graduate degree from an accredited college or university approved
21 by the board and meets 1 of the following:
22 (A) Is a marriage and family therapist.
23 (B) Is a certified social worker or a social worker registered
24 under article 16 of the occupational code, 1980 PA 299, MCL
25 339.1601 to 339.1610.
26 (C) Is a licensed professional counselor as defined in section
27 18101.
28 (D) Is a physician as defined in section 17001 or 17501 and
29 practicing in a mental health setting.
EMR 01711'23
4
1 (E) Is a fully licensed psychologist as defined in section
2 18201.
3 (F) Is an approved supervisor or supervisor-in-training
4 through a program conducted by the American association for
5 marriage and family therapy and approved by the board.
6 (iv) Include not less than 300 direct client contact hours in
7 supervised clinical marriage and family therapy experience, at
8 least 1/2 of which were completed in a setting in which families,
9 couples, or subsystems of families were physically present in the
10 therapy room.
11 (v) Be supervised in a ratio of at least 1 hour of supervision
12 for each 5 hours of direct client contact, for a total of not less
13 than 60 hours of supervision concurrent with the 300 hours of
14 supervised direct client contact.
15 (c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), provides
16 The individual provides satisfactory evidence to the board
17 department of having completed a minimum of 1,000 direct client
18 contact hours in supervised marriage and family therapy 3,000 hours
19 of supervised postdegree clinical marriage and family therapy
20 experience in not less than 24 months, at least 1/2 500 hours of
21 which was were completed with in a setting in which families,
22 couples, or subsystems of families physically were present in the
23 therapy room, that meets all of the following conditions:same
24 location or a setting in which families, couples, or subsystems of
25 families met by way of 2-way real-time secure technology that
26 allowed direct, contemporaneous interaction by sight or sound. The
27 department, in consultation with the board, may promulgate rules to
28 revise the number of supervised clinical hours required under this
29 subdivision if the department considers it necessary or
EMR 01711'23
5
1 appropriate.
2 (i) Is verified by the supervising licensed marriage and family
3 therapist.
4 (ii) Is obtained following the completion of the degree
5 required by subdivision (a)(i), is obtained following the completion
6 of the degree required by subdivision (a)(ii) and concurrent with or
7 following the course work specified in subdivision (a)(ii)(A), (B),
8 (C), (D), and (E), or is obtained as part of a doctoral program in
9 marriage and family therapy from an accredited college or
10 university approved by the board, which experience may include
11 experience obtained under subdivision (b)(i).
12 (iii) Is supervised in a ratio of at least 1 hour of supervision
13 for each 5 hours of experience, for a total of not less than 200
14 hours of supervision concurrent with the 1,000 hours of supervised
15 experience. Not less than 100 hours of supervision under this
16 subparagraph shall be individual supervision with no more than 1
17 other supervisee present. The supervision required under this
18 subdivision must include not less than 100 hours of supervision by
19 a fully licensed marriage and family therapist with not less than
20 50 of the 100 hours consisting of either individual supervision or
21 dyadic supervision with no more than 1 other supervisee present.
22 The remaining supervision under this subparagraph subdivision may
23 be group supervision involving no more than 6 supervisees with 1
24 supervisor. The supervision shall be given in must consist of not
25 less than 50% of face-to-face contact with the individual obtaining
26 marriage and family therapy the supervised clinical marriage and
27 family therapy experience and use not more than 50% of 2-way real-
28 time secure technology with the individual obtaining the supervised
29 clinical marriage and family therapy experience.
EMR 01711'23
6
1 (2) The board shall waive the requirements of subsection
2 (1)(b) and (c) for an applicant who provides satisfactory evidence
3 to the board of having obtained a doctoral degree from an
4 accredited doctoral training program in marriage and family therapy
5 approved by the board.
6 (2) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that
7 added this subsection, the department, in consultation with the
8 board, shall promulgate rules to supplement the requirements for
9 licensure under this part as a marriage and family therapist as the
10 department determines is necessary or appropriate. The rules may
11 adopt the standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage
12 and Family Therapy Education or a similar accreditation
13 organization, and any updates or amendments to the standards
14 described in this subsection.
15 (3) The department, in consultation with the board, shall
16 promulgate rules for requirements to be a supervisor under
17 subsection (1)(c).
18 Sec. 16914. (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of part 161,
19 the department, in consultation with the board, shall promulgate
20 rules requiring a licensee seeking renewal of a license to furnish
21 the department with satisfactory evidence that, during the license
22 cycle immediately preceding the application for renewal, the
23 licensee has attended continuing education courses or programs
24 approved by the board in subjects related to the practice of
25 marriage and family therapy and designed to further educate
26 licensees.
27 (2) As required under section 16204, the department, in
28 consultation with the board, shall promulgate rules requiring each
29 applicant for license renewal to complete as part of the
EMR 01711'23
7
1 educational courses or programs required under subsection (1) an
2 appropriate number of hours or courses in pain and symptom
3 management.
EMR Final Page 01711'23
Statutes affected: House Introduced Bill: 333.16909