S.B. 2877 Summary

• Restructures mental health counselor licensure requirements by integrating the practicum internship experience into the graduate coursework requirement instead of treating it as a separate qualification.

• Specifies that supervised mental health practicum intern experience requires at least six semester hours or ten quarter hours of graduate credit across two academic terms with a total of 300 hours of supervised client contact.

• Permits applicants to complete part or all of their 100 hours of required post-graduate clinical supervision through videoconference services that comply with federal and state privacy laws, provided applicants review impact on licensure reciprocity in other states.

• Clarifies exemptions from licensing requirements for various professionals including clergy, students, interns, government employees, and other licensed professionals obtaining supervised clinical experience.

• References updated diagnostic standards by removing specific reference to DSM-IV and replacing it with general "DSM" categories.