CSWMFT Board Rule Changes Effective 12/26/23

On December 16, 2023, a number of rule changes under the Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage & Family Therapist (CSWMFT) Board went into effect. These changes were shared for public comment in May and August 2023. A summary of the Rule Changes, effective December 26th, 2023, is below.

Notes:

  • Rules have been revised to reduce use of “counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists”. Where practical, “licensees and registrants” is used. 
  •  References to art therapy/therapist, music therapy/therapist have been inserted where appropriate in response to the new licenses authorized in House Bill 33. 

4757-1-03 Minutes of board meetings.

  • Changed to “drafted” from “recorded” to reflect how minutes are processed.
  • Extended post-meeting preparation time to 15 business days, ensuring sufficient time following the meeting to prepare the minutes.

4757-1-04 Applications of first licensure.            

  • Clarifies that applicants and licensees are responsible for establishing and maintaining a password to the online system selected by the Board.

4757-1-05 License fees.

  • Eliminates the fee for a single program approval.
  • Reduces by 50% the Provider fee.

4757-1-09 Conditional Permission to Practice

  • Removes provision allowing for a renewal of conditional permission. With the passage of the reciprocity bill, the Counseling Compact, and a pending Social Work Compact, out of state clinicians will have ample means to assist clients located in Ohio.     

4757-5-02 Standards of ethical practice and professional conduct: clients/consumers of services.           

  • Clarifies the termination language to regarding referrals.

4757-5-04 Standards of ethical practice and professional conduct: sexual relationships.

  • Changes wording from “intimacies” to “relations”.

4757-5-09 Standards of ethical practice and professional conduct: record keeping.

  • Adds a reference to case notes.
  • Removes individual service plans reference; adds treatment plan and correspondence among records to maintain.            

4757-5-10 Standards of ethical practice and professional conduct: reporting unethical actions.

  • Changes references to “licensees and registrants” instead of only “licensees”.     

4757-7-01 Renewal of license or certificate of registration.         

  •  Removes reference to not sharing usernames and passwords. Many licensees are now assisted by credentialing professionals, necessitating the sharing of login information.           

4757-7-03 Inactive status of license; restoration.                             

  • Revises the requirements for restoration. Licensees with a license in inactive escrow for five or more years must complete 45 hours of continuing education, as opposed to 30 hours for restoration under five years. Those with a license inactive for 10 or more years may be required to complete a competency-based appraisal, a mentorship, or meet similar other requirements.

4757-9-01 Continuing education requirements for renewal of a marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist license.

  • Includes reference to “supervision endorsement” (“S”)

4757-9-02 Continuing education requirements for renewal of a licensed professional counselor or a licensed professional clinical counselor.

  • Includes reference to “supervision endorsement” (“S”)
  • Removes references to training in “administration”. 

4757-9-03 Continuing education requirement for renewal of a certificate of registration as a social work assistant or a license as a social worker or an independent social worker.    

  • Includes reference to “supervision endorsement” (“S”).
  • Removes reference to CE required for renewal of licensure by persons with a related degree.

4757-9-04 Clock hours for continuing professional education.   

  • Clarifies the hours for presentations.
  • Reduces the banked hours for SWAs from 12 to 6 to reflect recent reduction in required CE from 30 to 15.

4757-9-05 Approval of continuing professional education programs required for renewal of licenses and certificates of registration issued by the board.

  • Eliminates approval of single CE programs.
  • Discontinues post-program approval; programs currently eligible for post program approval will be set up for submission via the “report CE” function in CE Broker.
  • Simplifies the requirements for applying for CE provider status.
  • Adds state agencies to the list of approved providers.

4757-9-06 Sources of continuing professional education.

  • Removes unnecessary technology and CE type definitions.
  • Clarifies acceptance of CEs based on profession/license type.

4757-9-07 Documentation of continuing professional education required for renewal of a license or certificate of registration.

  • Adds phrase “licensees and registrants”.

4757-11-01 Denial, and disciplinary action for licenses or certificates of registration issued by the counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board.

  • Added a provision clarifying that after initial licensure, a felony conviction in Ohio or any other state may be the basis for discipline.                

4757-13-02 Requirements for licensure as a professional counselor.

  • Removes reference to “good moral character” not removed in a previous revision.    

4757-13-06 Endorsement of a professional counselor or professional clinical counselor license.

  • Modifies the rule to reflect the changes included in Senate Bill 131.

4757-13-08 Approval of applications for professional counselor licenses.

  • Modifies the rule to include a reference to Rule 4757-13-06
  • Allows the Counselor Professional Standards Committee to delegate certain reviews to Board staff.

4757-19-02 Requirements for licensure as an independent social worker.           

  • Adds a reference to Rule 4757-19-07 to address changes resulting from SB 131.

4757-19-07 Endorsement of a social work license.

  • Modifies the rule to reflect the changes included in Senate Bill 131.

4757-19-08 Approval of applications for social worker licenses and registration.         

  • Adds a reference to Rule 4757-19-07.              

4757-25-06 Endorsement of a marriage and family therapist license.    

  • Modifies the rule to reflect the changes included in Senate Bill 131.

4757-25-07 Approval of applications for marriage and family therapist licenses.          

  • Adds a reference to Rule 4757-25-06 to address changes resulting from Senate Bill 131