The Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals ("the Board") voted at its meeting on May 15, 2009 to adopt the following Policy Guideline. This policy guideline is intended as a recommended protocol for the profession to follow. The guideline set forth below does not have the full force and effect of law, as would a Massachusetts General Law or a Board rule or regulation. However, the Board uses policy guidelines as an internal management tool in formulating decisions that relate to issues in the practice of allied mental health and human services.

Policy No. 09-03

Purpose:

Pursuant to 262 CMR 3.04, "The Board shall issue a license without examination to an applicant licensed as a professional in a comparable field in another state whose requirements for the license are determined by the Board to be equivalent to or exceed the requirements of the Commonwealth."

The purpose of this policy statement is to offer guidance to applicants seeking licensure in Massachusetts as a Marriage and Family Therapist, who are also licensed as a marriage and family therapist and/or licensed in a comparable field in another state, regarding the Board's requirements for reciprocal licensure.

Policy:

Effective June 1, 2009, the Board will evaluate each reciprocity application, individually, to determine whether the state, in which the applicant is licensed, has substantially equivalent or higher requirements as those required by the Regulations

Discussion:

After reviewing several recent applications, the Board determined that there are states that currently do not have substantially equivalent requirements for licensure as those required by 262 CMR 3.00. In order to ensure that the public's health, safety, and welfare are properly protected by licensing qualified Massachusetts marriage and family therapists, according to the standards established at 262 CMR 3.03, the Board voted to adopt this policy.

Authority:

M.G.L. Chapter 13, Section 90; and 262 CMR 3.00 et seq.