TITLE 16 OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL
LICENSING
CHAPTER 27 COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS
PART 6 REQUIREMENTS
FOR LICENSURE AS A MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
(LMFT)
16.27.6.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Regulation and
Licensing Department Counseling and Therapy Practice Board
[16.27.6.1 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.1, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.2 SCOPE: All
individuals applying for licensure as professional marriage and family
therapists.
[16.27.6.2 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.2, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: These parts are
promulgated pursuant to the Counselor and Therapist Practice Act, Section
61-9A-3, 5, 12 and 15 NMSA 1978.
[16.27.6.3 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.3, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.4 DURATION: Permanent
[16.27.6.4 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.4, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: June 15, 2001
unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.
[16.27.6.5 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.5, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.6 OBJECTIVE: The objective
of Part 6 is to state the minimum requirements for licensure as a marriage and
family therapist and to list the documentation required for application.
[16.27.6.6 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.6, 6-15-01]
16.27.6.7 DEFINITIONS: [Reserved]
16.27.6.8 SUPERVISION:
A. Appropriate
supervision.
(1) Supervision must be provided by a licensed
professional clinical mental health counselor (LPCC), licensed marriage and
family therapist (LMFT), licensed professional art therapist (LPAT), licensed
psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, licensed independent social worker (LISW). Appropriate supervisors must have education
and experience in marriage and family therapy.
(2) It is the responsibility of the individual
seeking supervision to assure the supervision is acceptable for the level of
licensure that will be requested at the completion of the required
supervision. The relationship between
the supervisor and the applicant must promote the development of skill and
responsibility in the delivery of counseling or therapy services.
(3) Client contact and supervision hours prior
to being licensed will not be acceptable for licensure.
B. Marriage
and family therapy core curriculum, means a curriculum for training marriage
and family therapists that includes 45 semester hours or 67.5 quarter hours of
graduate level coursework that embraces a family systems perspective and
consists of the following areas of graduate study:
(1) Marriage and family studies- a minimum of
9 semester hours or 12 quarter-hours of graduate coursework. Course content in this area may include the
study of the family life cycle, family development, family subsystems, family
theories, blended families, gender issues and families, cultural issues and
families, contemporary families, family and interpersonal relationships and
family crisis. All courses in this area
must come from a systems perspective where systems theory is a major focus of
the course.
(2) Marriage and family therapy - a minimum of
9 semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework in family therapy
assessment, treatment and intervention methods.
Major theoretical approaches that may be studied include: strategic,
structural, object relations family therapy, behavioral family therapy,
communication family therapy, intergenerational family therapy and systemic sex
therapy. Courses should have a major
focus on family systems theory and systemic interventions.
(3) Human development - a minimum of 9
semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework. Courses in human development across the life
span including special issues (e.g., culture, gender, human sexuality) would be
appropriate. Topic areas may include human
development, infant/child/adolescent development, psychopathology, personality
theory, and human sexuality. Courses
should have a systemic focus. Testing
and measurement courses are NOT acceptable in this area.
(4) Multicultural studies - a minimum of 3
semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate coursework, includes a systemic
orientation relevant to diverse racial ethnic populations.
(5) Professional studies- a minimum of 3
semester hours or 4 quarter hours of graduate coursework. Areas of study include legal issues and responsibilities,
professional liabilities, and ethics related to the practice of marriage and
family therapy. Religious ethics and
moral theology courses are NOT acceptable in this area.
(6) Research a minimum of 3 semester hours or
4 quarter hours of graduate coursework.
Courses in this area should assist the student in understanding and
performing research. Topical areas may
include: research design and methodology, quantitative methods and
statistics. Personality and test and measurement
courses are NOT accepted in this area.
(7) Supervised practicum - a minimum of 6
semester hours or 8 quarter hours of graduate coursework. As part of the 6 semester hours or 8 quarter
hours of coursework, there must be a minimum of 300 hours of supervised direct
client contact, for a period of at least 12 months. Practicum students may only count hours in
which they work directly with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose
of assessment, diagnosis and treatment in marriage and family related issues.
(8) Electives from any area listed above
satisfy the 45 semester-hour requirement.
Remaining course work would be distributed as electives among the above
areas.
[16.27.6.8 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.1.7.5,
6-15-01; A, 7-1-04; A, 2-10-06]
16.27.6.9 APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE: As a marriage
and family therapist (LMFT) must possess the following qualifications and
provide the required documentation with the application:
A. Age
requirement. Be at least 21 years of
age.
B. Applicant
must sign a statement provided in the application indicating the applicant has
read the code of ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.
C. Hold
a master's or doctoral degree from a accredited institution in marriage and
family therapy, meets the requirements of the core curriculum in marriage and
family therapy.
D. Experience
requirements.
(1) A minimum of two years' postgraduate
marriage and family therapy experience.
(2) Evidence of having participated in a total
of at least 1,000 hours of postgraduate marriage and family clinical client
contact.
(3) 200 hours of appropriate postgraduate
marriage and family supervision, including at least 100 hours of individual
supervision. The appropriate supervision
must be received from an individual who has education, clinical experience and
supervisory experience in the field of marriage and family therapy.
E. Application
fee of $75.00.
[16.27.6.9 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.8, 6-15-01; A, 7-1-04; A, 2-10-06]
16.27.6.10 EXAMINATION: Applicants
must demonstrate professional competency by passing the examination for marital
and family therapy (PES).
[16.27.6.10 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.9, 6-15-01; A, 2-10-06]
16.27.6.11 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR
LICENSURE:
A. A
completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.
B. Proof
of education and experience requirements:
(1) the applicant is required to submit an
official transcript in a sealed envelope from each institution contributing to
the applicant's master or doctoral degree; the transcript must be submitted
with the application; applicants educated in foreign institutions who are
unable to submit certified official transcripts shall submit a statement
explaining why such transcripts are not available and shall submit certified
copies of the degree certificates granted, information on the curricula
offered, and any other documentation requested by the board; and
(2) a statement from each supervisor in a
sealed envelope on a form provided by the board (attachment B) verifying the
applicant's supervised experience and setting forth the nature and extent of
such supervision must be submitted with the application; the statement shall
verify that the applicant's performance was in accordance with adequate
counseling and therapy standards of practice; if a supervisor's statement is
not available, the applicant may submit documentation explaining why the
supervisor's statement is not available and sworn affidavits from other
individuals verifying that supervision took place and describing the nature and
the extent of the supervision;
(3) documentation of 1,000 hours of
postgraduate client contact hours in marriage and family therapy and 200 hours
of appropriate postgraduate supervision in marriage and family therapy;
(4) attachment D, listing only specific
graduate coursework;
(5) documentation of the applicant's
licensure, registration or certification status must be submitted on
application attachment form A, which must be sent directly to the board by the
jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed, certified, or registered.
[16.27.6.11 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC
27.5.10, 6-15-01; A, 7-1-04; A, 2-10-06]
16.27.6.12 LICENSURE BY RECIPROCITY:
A. Submit
a completed application per 16.27.3.8 NMAC.
B. Verification
on (attachment A) that the applicant holds and has held a current license for five
years issued by the appropriate examining board under the law of any other
state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or any
foreign nation.
C. Verification
that the applicant is in good standing with no disciplinary action pending or
brought against the applicant within the past five years.
D. Holds
masters or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling or a
counseling-related field from an accredited institution.
E. Application
fee of $75.00.
F. Applicants
who do not meet the licensure by reciprocity must meet the current licensure
requirements.
[16.27.6.12
NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.9.8&9, 6-15-01; A, 7-1-04; A, 2-10-06; A, 1-15-07]
HISTORY OF 16.27.6 NMAC:
Pre-NMAC History: The material
in this part was derived from that previously filed with the State Records
Center and Archives under:
Rule 2, Definitions, 3-24-94
Rule2, Definitions, 3-20-95
Rule 5, Requirements for
Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, 3-24-94
Rule 5, Requirements for
Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, 3-20-95
Rule 9, Licensure Without
Examination, 3-24-94
Rule 9, Licensure by
Credentials, 3-20-95
Rule 10, Licensure by
Credentials, 3-24-94
HISTORY OF REPEALED MATERIAL:
16 NMAC 27.5, Requirements
for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist - Repealed 6-15-01
16 NMAC 27.9, Licensure by
Credentials - Repealed 6-15-01