Extends certain provisions authorizing certain mental health practitioners to engage in diagnosis and the development of assessment-based treatment plans

• Democratic3

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Samra Brouk says this is needed

There are critical workforce shortages in the mental health professions across New York State. There is a need to ensure that programs and services providing addiction and mental health services to children, adults and communities have the appropriate staff to provide comprehen- sive services, including diagnosis. Licensed mental health counselors (LMHC), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), and psychoanalysts (LP) currently do not have the authority to diagnose. To increase the number of licensed mental health professionals authorized to diagnose, this bill would establish requirements for these professionals to obtain a diagnostic privilege. The requirements for the diagnostic privilege, intended to align with the requirements of a licensed clinical social worker, include: *filing an application with SED; *being licensed and registered in the state as a LMHC, LMFT, or LP; *verifying the completion of a 60-semester hour master's degree or high- er, including 12 semester hours (or the equivalent) of clinical courses; and *having completed at least 2,000 hours of supervised, direct client contact hours, unless the applicant can attest to having certain accept- able experience. In addition, this bill would allow, LMHCs, LMFTs and LPs currently work- ing in certain settings, as defined by SED in regulations, provided that such settings shall not include a private practice owned or operated by the applicant, to continue to diagnose through June 24, 2025. At such time, individuals will need to obtain a privilege from SED in order to diagnose. This provision ensures that our community substance abuse and mental health providers have adequate workforce to meet the current demand for care.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.