Table of Contents Sec. 20-195aa. Definitions. As used in sections 20-195aa to 20-195ee, inclusive:
"Professional counseling" means the application, by persons trained in counseling, of
established principles of psycho-social development and behavioral science to the evaluation, assessment, analysis and treatment of emotional, behavioral or interpersonal dysfunction or difficulties that interfere with mental health and human development. "Professional counseling" includes, but is not limited to, individual, group, marriage and
family counseling, functional assessments for persons adjusting to a disability, appraisal,
crisis intervention and consultation with individuals or groups. Sec. 20-195bb. Practice restricted to licensed persons. Exceptions. Title protection. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person may practice
professional counseling unless licensed pursuant to section 20-195cc. Sec. 20-195cc. Licensure application. Renewal. Fees. (a) The Commissioner of
Public Health shall grant a license as a professional counselor to any applicant who
furnishes evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that he has met the requirements
of section 20-195dd. The commissioner shall develop and provide application forms.
The application fee shall be two hundred fifty dollars. Sec. 20-195dd. Qualifications. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of
this section, an applicant for a license as a professional counselor shall submit evidence
satisfactory to the Commissioner of Public Health of having: (1) Completed sixty graduate semester hours deemed to be in or related to the discipline of professional counseling
by the National Board for Certified Counselors, or its successor organization, at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, which included the core and clinical
curriculum of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs and preparation in principles of etiology, diagnosis, treatment planning and
prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior, and has
earned, from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with a major deemed
to be in the discipline of professional counseling by the National Board for Certified
Counselors or its successor organization, either (A) a master's degree of at least forty-
two graduate semester hours or a master's degree and a sixth-year degree, or (B) a
doctoral degree; (2) acquired three thousand hours of postgraduate-degree-supervised
experience in the practice of professional counseling, performed over a period of not
less than one year, that included a minimum of one hundred hours of direct supervision
by (A) a physician licensed pursuant to chapter 370 who has obtained certification in
psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, (B) a psychologist
licensed pursuant to chapter 383, (C) an advanced practice registered nurse licensed
pursuant to chapter 378 and certified as a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and
mental health nursing with the American Nurses Credentialing Center, (D) a marital
and family therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 383a, (E) a clinical social worker
licensed pursuant to chapter 383b, (F) a professional counselor licensed, or prior to
October 1, 1998, eligible for licensure, pursuant to section 20-195cc, or (G) a physician
certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, psychologist, advanced practice registered nurse certified as a clinical specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing with the American Nurses Credentialing Center, marital
and family therapist, clinical social worker or professional counselor licensed or certified
as such or as a person entitled to perform similar services, under a different designation,
in another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are
substantially similar to or higher than those of this state; and (3) passed an examination
prescribed by the commissioner. Sec. 20-195ee. Disciplinary action. Grounds. The Commissioner of Public
Health may take any disciplinary action set forth in section 19a-17 against a professional
counselor for any of the following reasons: (1) Failure to conform to the accepted standards of the profession; (2) conviction of a felony; (3) fraud or deceit in obtaining or
seeking reinstatement of a license to practice professional counseling; (4) fraud or deceit
in the practice of professional counseling; (5) negligent, incompetent or wrongful conduct in professional activities; (6) physical, mental or emotional illness or disorder resulting in an inability to conform to the accepted standards of the profession; (7) alcohol
or substance abuse; (8) wilful falsification of entries in any hospital, patient or other
record pertaining to professional counseling; or (9) violation of any provision of sections
20-195aa to 20-195dd, inclusive, or any regulation adopted pursuant to section 20-195ff.
The commissioner may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or
mental examination if his physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject
of an investigation. The commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial
district of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to said section
19a-17. The commissioner shall give notice and an opportunity to be heard on any
contemplated action under said section 19a-17.
Sec. 20-195aa. Definitions.
Sec. 20-195bb. Practice restricted to licensed persons. Exceptions. Title protection.
Sec. 20-195cc. Licensure application. Renewal. Fees.
Sec. 20-195dd. Qualifications.
Sec. 20-195ee. Disciplinary action. Grounds.
Sec. 20-195ff. Regulations.
(P.A. 97-311, S. 1.)
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(b) No person may use the title "licensed professional counselor" or make use of
any title, words, letters or abbreviations that may reasonably be confused with licensure
as a professional counselor unless licensed pursuant to section 20-195cc.
(c) No license as a professional counselor shall be required of the following: (1) A
person who furnishes uncompensated assistance in an emergency; (2) a clergyman,
priest, minister, rabbi or practitioner of any religious denomination accredited by the
religious body to which the person belongs and settled in the work of the ministry,
provided the activities that would otherwise require a license as a professional counselor
are within the scope of ministerial duties; (3) a sexual assault counselor, as defined
in section 52-146k; (4) a person participating in uncompensated group or individual
counseling; (5) a person licensed or certified by any agency of this state and performing
services within the scope of practice for which licensed or certified; (6) a student, intern
or trainee pursuing a course of study in counseling in a regionally accredited institution
of higher education, provided the activities that would otherwise require a license as
a professional counselor are performed under supervision and constitute a part of a
supervised course of study; (7) a person employed by an institution of higher education
to provide academic counseling in conjunction with the institution's programs and services; or (8) a vocational rehabilitation counselor, job counselor, credit counselor, consumer counselor or any other counselor or psychoanalyst who does not purport to be a
counselor whose primary service is the application of established principles of psycho-
social development and behavioral science to the evaluation, assessment, analysis and
treatment of emotional, behavioral or interpersonal dysfunction or difficulties that interfere with mental health and human development.
(P.A. 97-311, S. 2; P.A. 98-43, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 98-43 replaced "self-help group counseling or peer" counseling with "group or individual" counseling
in Subsec. (c)(4), replaced "hold himself out as" with "purport to be" in Subsec. (c)(8) and made gender-neutral technical
changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c).
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(b) The license may be renewed annually pursuant to section 19a-88 for a fee of
one hundred fifty dollars.
(P.A. 97-311, S. 3.)
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(b) Prior to July 1, 1999, an applicant for a license as a professional counselor may,
in lieu of the requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section, submit evidence
satisfactory to the commissioner of having: (1) Earned a master's degree, sixth-year
degree or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
with a major the National Board for Certified Counselors or its successor organization
deems to be in the discipline of professional counseling; and (2) practiced professional
counseling for a minimum of two years within a five-year period immediately preceding
application.
(c) An applicant for licensure by endorsement shall present evidence satisfactory
to the commissioner that the applicant is licensed or certified as a professional counselor,
or as a person entitled to perform similar services under a different designation, in
another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are
substantially similar to or higher than those of this state and that there are no disciplinary
actions or unresolved complaints pending.
(P.A. 97-311, S. 4; P.A. 98-43, S. 2; P.A. 99-126, S. 4, 5.)
History: P.A. 98-43 inserted reference to subsection (b) in Subsec. (a) and deleted reference to "January 1, 1999",
modified degree requirements in Subsec. (a)(1)(A), divided Subsec. (a)(2) into subparagraphs, added Subparas. (C) and
(G), added "or prior to October 1, 1998, eligible for licensure" in new Subpara. (F), changed "Except as provided in
subsection (c) of this section, prior to January 1, 1999" to "Prior to July 1, 1999" in Subsec. (b), changed "shall" to "may,
in lieu of the requirements set forth in subsection (a) of this section" in Subsec. (b), changed practice requirement in Subsec.
(b)(2) from two years "immediately preceding October 1, 1997" to two years "within a five-year period immediately
preceding application" and made gender-neutral technical changes in Subsecs. (a),(b) and (c); P.A. 99-126 amended Subsec.
(b) by deleting requirement of completion of an examination prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, effective
June 8, 1999.
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(P.A. 88-230, S. 10, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4−6; P.A. 97-311, S. 5.)
History: P.A. 88-230, 90-98, 93-142 and 95-220 authorized substitution of "judicial district of Hartford" for "judicial
district of Hartford-New Britain" in public and special acts of 1997, effective September 1, 1998.
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