Professional licensure.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law prohibits the licensure requirements for professional personnel, including psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and professional clinical counselors, in the state and other governmental health facilities licensed by the department from being less than for those professional personnel in health facilities under private ownership. Existing law authorizes the department to waive that requirement for persons in the professions of psychology, marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, or professional clinical counseling who are gaining qualifying experience for licensure in that profession in this state. Existing law requires that a person employed or under contract to provide diagnostic, treatment, or other mental health services, or to supervise or provide consultation on these services, in the state correctional system be a physician and surgeon, a psychologist, or other health professional, licensed to practice in this state. Existing law authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to waive that requirement for persons in the professions of psychology or social work who are gaining qualifying experience for licensure in that profession in this state. Existing law, the Bronzan-McCorquodale Act, contains provisions governing the operation and financing of community mental health services for the mentally disordered in every county through locally administered and locally controlled community mental health programs. The act requires persons employed or under contract to provide mental health services pursuant to these provisions to be subject to all applicable requirements of law regarding professional licensure, and prohibits a person from being employed to provide services for which a license is required unless the person possesses a valid license. The act requires the State Department of Health Care Services to waive these requirements for persons employed or under contract to provide, pursuant to the act, mental health services as psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, or professional clinical counselors who are gaining the experience required for licensure. This bill would clarify that, in those cases, experience that constitutes qualifying experience for licensure, or experience required for licensure, as applicable, is determined by reference to the act regulating the profession.