03/29/2023 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

          HB 126-ASSOCIATE AND PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:33:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL   NO.  126,  "An   Act  relating  to  the   Board  of                                                               
Professional Counselors;  and relating to licensing  of associate                                                               
counselors."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:34:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT, as  prime sponsor, introduced HB  126.  He                                                               
stated that  HB 126  would create a  tiered licensure  system for                                                               
professional counselors.   This would create a clear  path in the                                                               
state  for   qualified  candidates  to  become   licensed  as  an                                                               
associate counselor before becoming  professional counselors.  He                                                               
stated that currently there is  no structure of support for post-                                                               
graduate behavioral counselors.   He pointed out  that creating a                                                               
tiered system would align Alaska  with national standards, ensure                                                               
ethical  and effective  services, increase  public confidence  in                                                               
the counseling  profession, and improve  access to  mental health                                                               
services.  He stated that  a tiered system would encourage career                                                               
advancement  and  professional development.    He  added that  it                                                               
would also help attract qualified candidates to the state.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:35:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL GUNN, Staff, Representative  Stanley Wright, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Wright,  prime sponsor,                                                               
further  discussed HB  126.   She pointed  out that  the proposed                                                               
legislation  would create  a dual  tiered  system for  counseling                                                               
licensure.  She stated that the  issue was brought forward by the                                                               
Board of  Counselors because currently there  is limited guidance                                                               
and support  for individuals who  have graduate degrees  but have                                                               
not yet obtained the requirements  to be licensed as a counselor.                                                               
She   explained   that   establishing  a   designated   associate                                                               
counselor's  license would  ensure these  individuals are  set up                                                               
for success.   She explained  that the nationwide  requirement is                                                               
for  a  candidate to  complete  3,000  hours of  counseling  with                                                               
supervision.   She advised that this  could take up to  six years                                                               
and  often supervisors  become unavailable  during this  time for                                                               
various  reasons,   and  the  proof  of   the  candidate's  hours                                                               
disappear.   She  suggested that  in these  situations candidates                                                               
may  never be  able to  obtain licensure.   She  stated that  the                                                               
proposed legislation would allow the  board to adopt standards of                                                               
reporting so  individuals could continue with  the accrued hours.                                                               
She added that the supervisors in  the state exist "in limbo" and                                                               
issuing them  a license with  the board would  allow professional                                                               
development.    She  continued   that  this  would  help  promote                                                               
retention of  counselors and address  the lack of  counselors for                                                               
mental health issues in the state.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:37:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RACHEL   BUDDIN-YOUNG,  LPC,   Member,   Board  of   Professional                                                               
Counselors, provided invited testimony on  HB 126.  She expressed                                                               
the  opinion   that  the  proposed  legislation   would  make  an                                                               
improvement in the state.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:38:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE  questioned how long the  board has been                                                               
aware of the issue.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. BUDDIN-YOUNG  responded that  the proposed  legislation would                                                               
help align the  state with national standards, and  the board has                                                               
been working on this for the last six to eight months.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RUFFRIDGE, in  regard  to  becoming an  associate                                                               
counselor, questioned  the number of individuals  that this would                                                               
help.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BUDDIN-YOUNG responded  that there  is  no way  to know  the                                                               
number of  individuals who have  obtained master's  degrees until                                                               
they apply  for licensure.  She  stated that the bill  would help                                                               
provide the  board with the  number of  up-and-coming candidates,                                                               
and this  would allow  these candidates to  be supported  in more                                                               
effective ways.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:39:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  questioned  the difference  between  the                                                               
requirements   for  a   licensed  counselor   and  an   associate                                                               
counselor.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BUDDIN-YOUNG   responded  that   to  be  a   fully  licensed                                                               
professional  counselor (LPC)  there  is a  requirement for  3000                                                               
hours of  supervision.  She  continued that to have  an associate                                                               
license the individual would need  to have a master's degree, and                                                               
this is the  in-between time of acquiring  the supervision needed                                                               
to become a licensed professional counselor.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER, with a follow  up question, expressed the                                                               
understanding that an  associate would need a  master's degree to                                                               
be  licensed  in  route  to   becoming  a  licensed  professional                                                               
counselor.  He questioned the  educational requirements to become                                                               
a full LPC.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. BUDDIN-YOUNG  responded that  along with the  master's degree                                                               
and the 3000 hours, the candidate  would have to pay the required                                                               
fees,   have   a   background  check,   and   have   letters   of                                                               
recommendation.   To  make sure  the candidate  has a  qualifying                                                               
degree,  she said,  there  would  need to  be  specific hours  in                                                               
specific courses.   She added that the 3,000 hours  would need to                                                               
be  under a  supervisor who  has been  approved by  the Board  of                                                               
Professional  Counselors  in  the state,  and  these  supervisors                                                               
would have  to have the  appropriate continuing  education hours,                                                               
if applicable.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER clarified  that to be an  associate and an                                                               
LPC, the individual would need a master's degree.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. BUDDIN-YOUNG  responded in the  affirmative.   She reiterated                                                               
that  individuals  cannot  counsel  until they  have  a  master's                                                               
degree.   From  the time  of obtaining  the master's  degree, the                                                               
individual  must  accrue  the  3,000   hours  of  practice  under                                                               
supervision  to obtain  a license;  however,  currently there  is                                                               
nothing governing the  individuals working on the  3,000 hours of                                                               
practice.    She  reiterated  that  this  is  what  the  proposed                                                               
legislation would do.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  questioned the  services that  a licensed                                                               
professional counselor would provide  that an associate could not                                                               
provide.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BUDDIN-YOUNG  responded that  the primary difference  is LPCs                                                               
can bill insurance  but associates, or those  not fully licensed,                                                               
cannot.   She  added that  associates  are required  to be  under                                                               
supervision.  In response to a follow up question, she stated                                                                   
that the main difference is the experience level.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:43:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SUMNER announced that HB 126 was held over.