Association Executive Directors Community

  • 1.  Paraprofessional Licensing

    Posted 10-08-2019 14:24
    Hi All,

    DC is having a renewed discussion about licensing, certification, or registration for paraprofessionals, specifically baccalaureate or associate degreed community support workers (under the Medicaid rehab option for mental health) not already licensed as professional or graduate counselor or social worker.

    Does your State have a professional licensing board review, register, and monitor community support workers who do not qualify for counseling or social work licenses? Is there a bachelor or associate degree level of license, certification, or registration for a community support worker, human service worker, or some other paraprofessional skill level, particularly other than limited licensing for people with baccalaureate degrees in social work?

    If your State does have that kind of license, registration, or certification, which professional licensing board reviews applicants? What are the minimum qualifications? Are those qualifications more or less demanding than any standards in your Medicaid SPAs or mental health credentialing regulations or requirements?

    Thanks in advance,

    Mark

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    Mark Levota
    Executive Director
    District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association
    202-661-3536
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  • 2.  RE: Paraprofessional Licensing

    Posted 10-08-2019 18:13
    Hi Mark,

    California's mental health licensees include:
    Psychiatrists
    Psychologists
    Educational psychologists
    Marriage and family therapists
    Social workers
    Professional clinical counselors
    Psychiatric nurse practitioners

    They are licensed under the Department of Consumer Affairs and specifically by the Medical Board, Board of Psychology, Board of Behavioral Sciences, and the Board of Registered Nursing.

    There are a host of optional certifications and licenses run by independent, non-state entities as described below:

    Licensed Advanced Alcohol Drug Counselor
    Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor Associate,
    Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor I,
    Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor II
    Applied behavior analysts
    Promotoras
    Peer specialists
    Community health workers

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    Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Ph.D.
    Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs
    California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies
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