Legislature(2023 - 2024)ADAMS 519
02/19/2024 08:30 AM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB50 | |
| HB126 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 50 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 115 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE BILL NO. 126
"An Act relating to the Board of Professional
Counselors; and relating to licensing of associate
counselors."
9:17:59 AM
Co-Chair Foster OPENED public testimony with a two minute
limit.
9:19:00 AM
KAYLA HARMON, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, REPRESENTING SELF,
favored the bill. She noted that she was a counselor and
received her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She
shared that she was a pre-licensed counselor working in
private practice in Juneau until she completed the
mandatory hours under supervision for licensure. She had
previously worked as a teacher for 15 years in Juneau. She
indicated that in her current profession there was no such
license from the time that she graduated to the time she
became fully licensed. She believed that the situation
created an ethical grey area for the 2-year licensing
period. She felt that counseling licensure needed to catch
up with other states to national standards. Additionally,
she thought that the licensure would increase access to
affordable mental health care in Alaska. Several large
health insurers allowed associate counselors to directly
bill insurance. She indicated that the bill generated
revenue via licensure fees and increased access to mental
health care.
9:21:38 AM
Co-Chair Foster interrupted public testimony and asked the
bill sponsor to briefly summarized the bill.
9:21:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STANLEY WRIGHT, SPONSOR, thanked the
committee for hearing the bill. He explained that HB 126
created and associate professional license designation.
RACHAEL GUNN, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE STANLEY WRIGHT,
expounded that the bill established and associate counselor
licensure within the counseling profession for behavioral
health post-graduate students. The bill facilitated
professional growth and the ability to serve the state's
mental health needs more effectively by streamlining the
process. The legislation's provisions aligned with the high
training standards on the national level and enhanced the
reporting during the supervisory stage.
9:23:08 AM
Co-Chair Foster resumed hearing public testimony.
9:23:30 AM
RACHEL BUDDIN-YOUNG, PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS BOARD, EAGLE
RIVER (via teleconference), was online for questions. She
spoke in favor of the bill. She added that she was an
active advocate for the bill and believed it created more
structure for both supervisors and pre-licensed counselors.
9:24:43 AM
DORENE HAGEN, CHAIR, ALASKA BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELING, HOMER (via teleconference), provided testimony
in support of the bill. She shared that she was a board
approved supervisor. She appreciated what was stated
earlier about ethical grey areas in the pursuit of
licensure. She highly favored the structure the bill
provided and the provisions regarding supervision to
promote best practices and catching up with national
standards.
9:25:56 AM
TERI FORST, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR, JUNEAU (via
teleconference), shared that she was in private practice in
Juneau. She worked exclusively with first responders and
was working to train more counselors in the field with only
a dozen first responder specialist in the state. She
stressed that more counselors trained to work with the
first responder population was necessary. She believed that
the lack of the associate licensure exacerbated the issue.
It was difficult on the bottom line of private practices
and supervisors to be able to train new clinicians. The
bill would allow billing for the associate's services and
enable more training in specialty areas.
9:27:14 AM
ELAINE BORDER, OWNER, BORDER COUNSELING SERVICES, ANCHORAGE
(via teleconference), supported the bill. She shared that
she had a private practice and was also a supervisor. She
previously owned an insurance billing business for 14
years. She indicated that licensure would stop a rash of
fraudulent billing and it would also enable billing for
associate services to Blue Cross who was the prominent
insurance provider in the state. She voiced that recent
graduates were very inexperienced and often not getting
their 3000 hours in the area of expertise they wanted. The
bill would facilitate supervisors to create standards and
better supervise and help associates work in their
specialty areas pre-licensure.
9:29:16 AM
SAMMIE O'NEIL, ALASKA BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS,
EAGLE RIVER (via teleconference), spoke in favor of the
legislation. He relayed that he was a licensed professional
counselor and supervisor and Vice-Chair for the board. He
agreed with all of the prior testimony and added that the
supervisory support would benefit the military people
moving into the state with associate licenses. He wanted
the state's standards enhanced to national standards.
9:30:34 AM
REBECCA SHEERAN, INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN COUNSELING, JUNEAU
(via teleconference), favored the legislation. She echoed
all the prior testimony. She related that she was a pre-
licensed counselor close to finishing her requirements and
was not getting the experience she needed due to the
inability of her program to bill insurance. She emphasized
the importance of passing the legislation.
Representative Stapp appreciated Ms. Sheeran's testimony.
He deduced that he rarely encountered enhancing a
regulatory framework that resulted in increasing the
profession. He asked if the bill would net more counselors,
which he deduced was the goal of the legislation. Ms.
Sheeran responded was unsure whether it would net more
counselors but felt that it could support counselors in
their growth and learning to be competent and likely net
more counselors because there would be less of a barrier
during the pre-counselor period.
9:33:20 AM
PIPER THALLER, SELF, JUNEAU (via teleconference), spoke in
support of the bill. She shared she was a licensed
counselor and supervisor. She had worked with mental health
agencies in Juneau and currently had a private practice.
She had been a clinical director, program manager, and
crisis program manager in behavioral health and was
licensed in three states and had worked in 5 states. She
emphasized that Alaska was unique in what was not offered
and emphasized that the associate licensure was
"imperative." She believed that it was also an issue of
parity and indicated that Licensed Clinical Social Workers
and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists had an
associate licensure. She did not understand how the
situation arose. She answered Representative Stapp's
question and stressed that it would allow therapists to
remain in the state. She had to turn away 7 clients in the
last 7 days that had Blue Cross/Primera insurance because
she could only give interns self-pay clients. She noted
that 1 in 20 clients were self-pay. She reported that
insurance reimbursed at $170 per session and most clients
were in therapy for one year totaling $63,700 per year, per
week from her practice alone. She indicated that the
federal government considered Juneau rural and an
underserved area and offered payment for service. Two of
her four interns were ready to quit, and she believed the
bill would solve the problem.
9:36:23 AM
MARY FITZGERALD, DEEPER LIGHT PSYCHOTHERAPY, JUNEAU (via
teleconference), favored the bill. She was a licensed
counselor and supervisor and currently had two supervisees.
She had worked in the state for the past 12 years and
echoed the prior testimony and spoke of the frustration
with the supervisees. She emphasized that HB 126 would help
the retention factor, streamline the process, and create
efficiency in delegating the supervisory workload. She
believed the bill would help professionals serve their
communities.
9:37:51 AM
Co-Chair Foster CLOSED public testimony.
9:38:16 AM
AT-EASE
9:38:45 AM
RECONVENED
Co-Chair Foster RECESSED the meeting.