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.