Florida Department of Health

Division of Medical Quality Assurance

Mission: To protect and promote the health of all residents

and visitors in the state through organized state and

community efforts, including cooperative agreements with

counties.

Vision: A healthier future for the people of Florida.

Purpose: To protect the public through healthcare licensure,

enforcement, and information.

Focus: To be the nation’s leader in quality healthcare

regulation.

MQA Core Values

Integrity

Commitment

Respect

Excellence

Accountability

Teamwork

Empowerment

Key Processes

• Licensure

• Enforcement

• Information

Bureau of Health Care Practitioner Regulation

• Administers policies

• Audits compliance

• Conducts Board meetings

• Evaluates applications

• Issues Final Orders

• Investigates unlicensed activity

• Conducts legislative analysis

• Communicates with stakeholders

Bureau of Health Care Practitioner Regulation

• Process 110,000+ health care

licensure applications annually

• Regulate 900,000+ health care

practitioners annually

Health Care Practitioners and Facilities

Professions

• Acupuncture

• Anesthesiology Assistants

• Athletic Trainers

• Audiology

• Certified Master Social Workers

• Certified Nursing Assistants

• Chiropractic Medicine

• Clinical Laboratory Personnel

• Clinical Social Workers

• Dental Hygiene

• Dentistry

• Dietetics & Nutrition

• Electrolysis

• Emergency Medical Technicians

• Hearing Aid Specialists

• Marriage and Family Therapists

• Massage Therapy

• Medical Physicists

• Medicine

• Mental Health Counseling

• Midwifery

• Naturopathy

• Nursing

• Nursing Home Administrators

• Occupational Therapy

• Opticianry

• Optometry

• Orthotists

• Osteopathic Medicine

• Paramedics

• Pharmacy

• Physical Therapy

• Physician Assistants

• Podiatric Medicine

• Prosthetists

• Psychology

• Radiologic Technologists

• Respiratory Therapy

• School Psychology

• Speech-Language Pathology

Facilities• Dental Labs

• Electrolysis Facilities

• Massage Establishments

• Office Surgery Registration

(Level 2 & 3)

• Optical Establishments

• Pharmacies

MQA Online Services

www.flhealthsource.com

• Consumer Services

• License Lookup

• Search Discipline Reports

• File a Complaint

• Report Unlicensed Activity

• Access Reports and Publications

• Download Data Files

MQA Online Services (continued)

• Practitioner Services

• Renew License

• Update Address

• Continuing Education Information

• Print Confirmation of License

• Request Duplicate License

• Apply for Licensure Online

The Board:Who We Are And What We Do

The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work,Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling

(491 Board)

• It is the Board’s solitary duty to protect the community by ensuring health care professionals are educated and operating on optimal protocol.

• The Board’s principle responsibility is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by regulating the practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health counseling in Florida

Our Board Members

• The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling is comprised of 9 volunteer members who have been appointed by the Governor of Florida

• 2 members are licensed clinical social workers

• 2 members are licensed marriage and family therapists

• 2 members are licensed mental health counselors

• 3 members are consumers (who have never been connected

with these 3 professions)

Staff Members

• Sue Foster, Executive Director

• Robin McKenzie, Program Administrator (MHC)

• Dee Ramer, Regulatory Supervisor (CSW, MFT)

• Fax Number: (850) 921-5389

• MQA Call Center: (850) 488-0595

• Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy,

and Mental Health Counseling: (850) 245-4474

Board Meetings in Sunshine

• The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and

Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling

meets routinely throughout the year

• Topics include:

• Licensure

• Discipline

• Scope of Practice

• Continuing Education

• Rules Discussion and Promulgation

• These meetings are open to the public

Florida Licensure Statisticsas of June 30, 2011

• 8,013 licensed clinical social workers

• 1,712 licensed marriage and family therapists

• 8,601 licensed mental health counselors

• 2,778 registered clinical social worker interns

• 729 registered marriage and family therapy interns

• 3,231 registered mental health counselor interns

Laws and Rules Affecting Practice

• Laws: Chapters 491 & 456 www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes

• Rules: Chapter 64B4 www.flrules.org

• DOH Website: www.doh.state.fl.us

• MQA Website: www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa

• 491 Board Website: www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/491

Applying for a License

NEW! You can now apply for your license online

• If an applicant has completed their two years of post-

master’s experience, they should submit the application

for licensure

• If an applicant has not completed their post-master’s

experience and intends to practice in Florida, they must

register as an intern prior to commencing their

experience

Requirements to Register as a MHC Intern

• Completed application and $150 application fee

• Master’s degree in MHC or related to the practice of mental health counseling

• Completion of a minimum of 7 of the 12 required course content areas, one of which must be a course in psychopathology or abnormal psychology

• Letter from qualified supervisor stating he or she has agreed to provide supervision while applicant is a registered intern

Mental Health Counselor License Requirements

• Master’s Degree

• Specific Course Work Requirements

• Practicum/Internship

• Two Years Post-Master’s Supervised Clinical

Experience

• Passing Score on the NCMHCE(National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)

• CE Requirements

Master’s Degree from a Mental Health

Counseling Program Accredited by CACREP

Educational Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 semester or 80 quarter hours

of graduate level course work

• Three semester or 4 quarter hours in human

sexuality

• Three semester or 4 quarter hours in substance

abuse

Master’s Degree from a Program Related to Mental

Health Counseling (Any program that is not a CACREP MHC Program)

Educational Requirements:

• Minimum of 60 semester or 80 quarter hours

of graduate level course work

• Three semester or four quarter hours of

graduate level course work in each of the 12

required content areas

• At least 1,000 practicum/internship hours

12 Required Course Content Areas

• Counseling theories and practice

• Human growth and development

• Diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology

• Human sexuality

• Group theories and practice

• Individual evaluation and assessment

• Career and lifestyle assessment

• Research and program evaluation

• Social and cultural foundations

• Counseling in community settings

• Substance abuse

• Legal, ethical, and professional standards issues in the practice of mental health counseling

Two Years Post-Master’s Supervised Clinical Experience

Experience is defined in Rule 64B4-2.001, Florida

Administrative Code (F.A.C.)

• Two years of clinical experience consists of at least 1500

hours of providing psychotherapy face-to-face with clients

accrued in no less than 100 weeks

Supervision is defined in Rule 64B4-2.002, F.A.C.

• At least 100 hours of supervision

• At least 1 hour of supervision per 15 hours of

psychotherapy, with a minimum of 1 hour of supervision

every 2 weeks

Continuing Education Requirements

Must be completed prior to licensure:

• Eight hour approved laws and rules course

• Two hour approved course on the prevention of medical

errors

May be completed prior to licensure or within six

months of licensure:

• Three hour HIV/AIDS course from a board approved

provider or a DOH approved course

• Two hour course on domestic violence from an approved

provider

Licensure by Examination or Endorsement

Examination:• Completed application and $205 fee

• Must meet all educational requirements for licensure, including practicum/internship hours

• Two years post-master’s supervised clinical experience

• Passing score on the NCMHCE

• CE requirements

Endorsement:• Completed application and $405 fee

• Must meet all educational requirements for licensure

• Holds an active valid license to practice and has practiced in another state for 3 of the last 5 years

• Passing score on the NCMHCE

• CE requirements

Responsibilities of Heath Care Professionals

• Be familiar with laws and regulations that govern practice

• Seek out information that might affect scope of practice

• If unsure, always contact the Board of Clinical Social Work,

Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling:

(850) 245-4474

IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE

64B4-3.0085 Intern Registration.(1) An individual who intends to practice in Florida to satisfy the post-master’s experience must

register as an intern by submitting a completed application to the Board on Form DH-MQA 1175, Intern Registration Application (Revised 10/09), hereby adopted and incorporated by reference, which can be obtained from the Board’s website at www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/491. The application shall be accompanied by the application fee specified in Rule 64B4-4.015, F.A.C., which is non-refundable.

(2) An intern is required to identify a qualified supervisor by requesting that the supervisor submit a letter to the Board with the applicant’s name, supervisor’s name, supervisor’s license number, and a statement that he or she has agreed to provide supervision while the applicant is a registered intern.

(3) Prior to changing or adding another qualified supervisor, the registered intern must:

(a) Request that the new supervisor must submit a letter to the Board with the registered intern’s name, the intern’s license number, the supervisor’s name, the supervisor’s license number, and a statement that he or she has agreed to provide supervision to the registered intern; and

(b) Receive a communication from the Board indicating its approval of the new supervisor.

(4) Experience obtained under the supervision of the new qualified supervisor will not count toward completion of the experience requirement until the registered intern has received board approval of their new qualified supervisor.

Rulemaking Authority 491.004(5) FS. Law Implemented 491.0045 FS. History–New 6-8-09, Amended 2-24-10, 10-17-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. How do I know if my supervisor is qualified?A. Check the website (click on license verification) for a listing of licensees. If the licensee is a "qualified supervisor", the individual's computer screen will indicate this. If you need names of qualified supervisors in your profession listed by county, contact the board office (850-245-4474).

• Q. What does the board mean when they say the supervision has to be face-to-face?A. The board defines face-to-face supervision as the supervisor and supervisee physically being together in the same room at the time of the supervision.

• Q. I’ve just put my application for intern registration in the mail. Can I begin counting my hours now?A. No. Chapter 491.0045, F.S. requires that you register as an intern (you will actually receive a license number as such) prior to commencing and counting the hours towards the post-master’s experience.

• Q. Can I sit for the national examination before I finish my post-masters supervised experience?A. Yes. If you have completed the education and practicum requirements and are a registered intern you may be approved to sit for the examination. Call the board office (850-245-4474) for further information.

Frequently Asked Questions (Continued)

• Q. I have changed supervisors; what do I need to do?

• A. Your supervisor needs to notify our office in writing (fax or e-mail directly from the supervisor is acceptable) that they will be your new (or additional) supervisor. Our office will notify you in writing that this person is acceptable as your qualified supervisor. Supervision received from the new supervisor will not count until we have notified you in writing that your new supervisor is approved.

• Q. Do I have to be finished with my supervised experience to take the laws/rules course and/or prevention of medical errors course?A. No. You may take these courses at any time. You must submit the original certificate of completion for the laws and rules course to the Board office. You may submit a copy of the certificate of completion for the prevention of medical errors course to the Board office.

• Q. As a registered intern, am I required to obtain continuing education?A. No, there is no requirement that a registered intern obtain continuing education. However, you may choose to complete the laws and rules course, prevention of medical errors and HIV/AIDS requirement for licensure while you are a registered intern.

Frequently Asked Questions (Continued)

• Q. I am a registered intern and have completed my two year’s post-master’s supervised experience. Do I still need to continue with supervision? A. Yes. Rule 64B4-3.008, F.A.C. states in part, an applicant who practices clinical social work, marriage and family therapy and/or mental health counseling must continue in "supervision" as defined in Rule 64B4-2.002, F.A.C.

• Q. I have passed the examination and submitted the supervision forms for my two years of experience, when can I expect to receive my license?

• A. You will not receive your full license until you submit the Application for Licensure. You may apply online or print the application to complete and mail in.

• Q. Where can I find study materials for the national exams?

• A. Web search using the search term "exam prep" or "test review" for each profession. Contact the ASWB testing service at www.aswb.org or 1-800-225-6880 for sample test booklet, online practice exam, and outline of clinical level exam content. Contact NBCC testing service at www.nbcc.org or (336) 547-0607 for sample test booklet and online practice exam. Contact AMFTRB (719) 388-1615 for national MFT exam information and online practice exam at www.amftrb.org.