43-10A-13. Requirements for licensure in marriage and family therapy; expedited license by endorsement.

The education, experience, and training requirements for licensure in marriage and family therapy are as follows:#

1. (1)

   For licensure as an associate marriage and family therapist, a master’s degree from a program in marriage and family therapy or a program including a master’s degree and additional post-master’s degree coursework, both of which programs shall include coursework as set forth on July 1, 2023, by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, or from any program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, which degree shall have been granted by a recognized educational institution; completion of a one-year practicum in marriage and family therapy under supervision before or after the granting of the master’s degree, which practicum shall meet the minimum number of direct clinical contact hours and supervision hours as set forth on July 1, 2023, by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education; and registration with the board of an acceptable contract for obtaining the post-master’s experience under direction and supervision required for licensure as a marriage and family therapist; and#

2. (2)

   For licensure as a marriage and family therapist:#

   1. (A)

      Licensure as an associate marriage and family therapist and two years of full-time post-master’s experience or its equivalent in the practice of marriage and family therapy under direction and supervision as an associate marriage and family therapist, which shall include a minimum of 1,500 hours of direct clinical experience and 100 hours of supervision of such experience and which shall be completed within a period of not less than two years and not more than five years;#

   2. (B)

      A master’s degree from:#

      1. (i)

         A program in marriage and family therapy;#

      2. (ii)

         A program in clinical counseling, clinical social work, any allied profession, applied child and family development, or applied sociology; provided, however, that, on and after July 1, 2025, any such degree program or additional post-master’s degree coursework shall include courses equivalent to those of a marriage and family therapy degree program; or#

      3. (iii)

         Any program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education,#

      4. which degree shall have been granted by a recognized educational institution, and three years’ full-time post-master’s experience or its equivalent under direction and supervision in the practice of any specialty, which shall include a minimum of 1,800 hours of direct clinical experience, one year of which may have been in an approved practicum before or after the granting of the master’s degree which shall meet the minimum number of direct clinical contact hours and supervision hours as set forth on July 1, 2023, by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, and two years of which shall have been in the practice of marriage and family therapy which shall include a minimum of 1,500 hours of direct clinical experience, and 200 hours of supervision of such experience all of which shall be completed within a period of not less than three years and not more than five years; or

   3. (C)

      A doctorate degree from:#

      1. (i)

         A program in marriage and family therapy;#

      2. (ii)

         A program in clinical counseling, clinical social work, any allied profession, applied child and family development, or applied sociology; provided, however, that, on and after July 1, 2025, any such doctorate degree program or additional post-master’s degree coursework shall include courses equivalent to those of a marriage and family therapy degree program; or#

      3. (iii)

         Any program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education,#

      4. which degree shall have been granted by a recognized educational institution; two years’ full-time post-master’s experience under direction in the practice of marriage and family therapy which shall include a minimum of 1,000 hours of direct clinical experience, one year of which may have been in an approved internship program before or after the granting of the doctoral degree, which shall meet the minimum number of direct clinical contact hours and supervision hours as set forth on July 1, 2023, by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, and one year of which shall have been full-time post-master’s experience, which shall include a minimum of 700 hours of direct clinical experience; and 100 hours of supervision of such experience in the practice of marriage and family therapy, 50 hours of which may have been obtained while a student or intern in an accredited doctoral program.

Persons intending to apply for licensure as a marriage and family therapist and who have completed one of the graduate degrees required for such licensure may register a contract with the board for obtaining the required post-master’s experience under direction and supervision.#

Associate marriage and family therapists may only use the title “associate marriage and family therapist” and may practice marriage and family therapy only under direction and supervision and only for a period not to exceed five years while obtaining the post-master’s experience required for licensure as a marriage and family therapist.#

1. (1)

   Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the board shall issue an expedited license by endorsement to any individual seeking licensure as a marriage and family therapist who:#

   1. (A)

      Completes an application for licensure and pays all applicable fees;#

   2. (B)

      Holds a current, valid, and unrestricted license to practice as a marriage and family therapist issued by another state;#

   3. (C)

      Is in good standing in such other state and is not the subject of an investigation or a disciplinary proceeding being conducted by a professional licensing board in such other state;#

   4. (D)

      Does not have a disqualifying criminal record; and#

   5. (E)

      Has been verified to have a lawful presence in the United States pursuant to Code Section 50-36-1.#

2. (2)

   An expedited license by endorsement provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be issued no later than 30 days from the date of receipt of an application and information and documents that show that all of the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection have been met. Such application for an expedited license by endorsement shall only require such information and documentation necessary to verify that the applicant meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection.#

3. (3)

   This subsection shall not be used to grant an expedited license by endorsement to an associate marriage and family therapist.#

4. (4)

   For purposes of this subsection, the term “another state” or “other state” means a state of the United States other than this state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.#