New Mexico Register / Volume XXXII, Issue 22 / November 30, 2021

This is an amendment to 16.27.6 NMAC, Sections 3, 8, 9, 11, and 12, effective 11/30/2021.

16.27.6.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: These parts are promulgated pursuant to the Counselor and Therapist Practice Act, [Section 61-9A-3, 5, 12 and 15] Sections 61-9A-5, 61-9A-9, 61-9A-12, 61-9A-15, 61-9A-22, 61-9A-23, and 61-9A-24 NMSA 1978.

[16.27.6.3 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.3, 6/15/2001; A, 11/30/2021]

16.27.6.8 SUPERVISION:

A. [Appropriate supervision.] Supervision.

[(1) Supervision must be provided by a licensed professional clinical mental health counselor (LPCC), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), licensed professional art therapist (LPAT), licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist, licensed independent social worker (LISW). Appropriate supervisors must have education and experience in marriage and family therapy.] No supervision is required to practice with a LMFT independent license. The board strongly recommends that all independently licensed counselors and therapists have an ongoing consultation or peer review process in place.

[(2) It is the responsibility of the individual seeking supervision to assure the supervision is acceptable for the level of licensure that will be requested at the completion of the required supervision. The relationship between the supervisor and the applicant must promote the development of skill and responsibility in the delivery of counseling or therapy services.

(3) Client contact and supervision hours prior to being licensed will not be acceptable for licensure.]

B. Marriage and family therapy core curriculum, means a curriculum for training marriage and family therapists that includes 45 semester hours or 67.5 quarter hours of graduate level coursework that embraces a family systems perspective and consists of the following areas of graduate study:

(1) Marriage and family studies- a minimum of nine semester hours or 12 quarter-hours of graduate coursework. Course content in this area may include the study of the family life cycle, family development, family subsystems, family theories, blended families, gender issues and families, cultural issues and families, contemporary families, family and interpersonal relationships and family crisis. All courses in this area must come from a systems perspective where systems theory is a major focus of the course.

(2) Marriage and family therapy - a minimum of nine semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework in family therapy assessment, treatment and intervention methods. Major theoretical approaches that may be studied include: strategic, structural, object relations family therapy, behavioral family therapy, communication family therapy, intergenerational family therapy and systemic sex therapy. Courses should have a major focus on family systems theory and systemic interventions.

(3) Human development - a minimum of nine semester hours or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework. Courses in human development across the life span including special issues (e.g., culture, gender, human sexuality) would be appropriate. Topic areas may include human development, infant/child/adolescent development, psychopathology, personality theory, and human sexuality. Courses should have a systemic focus. Testing and measurement courses are NOT acceptable in this area.

(4) Multicultural studies - a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework, includes a systemic orientation relevant to diverse racial ethnic populations.

(5) Professional studies- a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework. Areas of study include legal issues and responsibilities, professional liabilities, and ethics related to the practice of marriage and family therapy. Religious ethics and moral theology courses are NOT acceptable in this area.

(6) Research a minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework. Courses in this area should assist the student in understanding and performing research. Topical areas may include: research design and methodology, quantitative methods and statistics. Personality and test and measurement courses are NOT accepted in this area.

(7) Supervised practicum - a minimum of six semester hours or eight quarter hours of graduate coursework. As part of the six semester hours or eight quarter hours of coursework, there must be a minimum of 300 hours of supervised direct client contact, for a period of at least 12 months. Practicum students may only count hours in which they work directly with individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of assessment, diagnosis and treatment in marriage and family related issues.

(8) Electives from any area listed above satisfy the 45 semester-hour or 67.5 quarter hour requirement. Remaining course work would be distributed as electives [among the above areas] related to the areas listed above.

[16.27.6.8 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.1.7.5, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021]

16.27.6.9 APPLICANTS FOR LICENSURE: As a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) must possess the following qualifications and provide the required documentation with the application:

A. Age requirement. Be at least 21 years of age.

B. Applicant must sign a statement provided in the application indicating the applicant has read the code of ethics and agrees to be bound and governed by the code of ethics.

C. Hold a master's or doctoral degree from [a] an accredited institution in marriage and family therapy, meets the requirements of the core curriculum in marriage and family therapy.

D. Experience requirements.

(1) A minimum of two years' postgraduate marriage and family therapy experience.

(2) Evidence of having participated in a total of at least 1,000 hours of postgraduate marriage and family clinical client contact.

(3) 200 hours of appropriate postgraduate marriage and family supervision, including at least 100 hours of individual supervision. The appropriate supervision must be received from an individual who has education, clinical experience and supervisory experience in the field of marriage and family therapy.

E. Application fee of $75.00.

[16.27.6.9 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.8, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021]

16.27.6.11 DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR LICENSURE:

A. A completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.

B. Proof of education and experience requirements:

(1) the applicant is required to submit an official transcript in a sealed envelope from each institution contributing to the applicant's master or doctoral degree; the transcript must be submitted with the application; applicants educated in foreign institutions who are unable to submit certified official transcripts shall submit a statement explaining why such transcripts are not available and shall submit certified copies of the degree certificates granted, information on the curricula offered, and any other documentation requested by the board [and]. Applicants who have just graduated with an appropriate degree field, and whose degrees have not yet been conferred by their university, may submit the following documentation in while awaiting official transcripts to become available:

(a) A verification letter from a university official verifying

(i) their degree program;

(ii) that all courses have been completed and they have earned passing grades;

(iii) their degrees will be conferred by the university; and

(b) A receipt verifying that they have ordered their transcripts to be sent to the board office once their degree is conferred;

(2) a statement from each supervisor in a sealed envelope on a form provided by the board (attachment B) verifying the applicant's supervised experience and setting forth the nature and extent of such supervision must be submitted with the application; the statement shall verify that the applicant's performance was in accordance with adequate counseling and therapy standards of practice; if a supervisor's statement is not available, the applicant may submit documentation explaining why the supervisor's statement is not available and sworn affidavits from other individuals verifying that supervision took place and describing the nature and the extent of the supervision;

(3) documentation of 1,000 hours of postgraduate direct client contact hours in marriage and family therapy and 200 hours of appropriate postgraduate supervision in marriage and family therapy;

(4) [attachment D, listing only specific graduate coursework] if an applicant has been previously licensed, registered or certified in another state, territory or foreign nation, documentation of the applicant’s licensure, registration or certification status shall be submitted on form A of the application;

[(5) documentation of the applicant's licensure, registration or certification status must be submitted on application attachment form A, which must be sent directly to the board by the jurisdiction in which the applicant is licensed, certified, or registered.]

[16.27.6.11 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.5.10, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 2/10/2006; A, 11/30/2021]

16.27.6.12 LICENSURE BY [RECIPROCITY] CREDENTIALS:

A. A completed application as specified in 16.27.3.8 NMAC.

B. Verification (attachment A) that the applicant holds and has held a current independent license for [five] two years issued by the appropriate examining board under the law of any other state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia or any foreign nation.

C. Verification that the applicant is in good standing with no disciplinary action pending or brought against the applicant within the past [five] two years.

D. Holds masters or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy, counseling or a counseling-related field from an accredited institution.

E. Application fee of $75.00 as provided for in Part 17.

F. Applicants who do not meet the licensure by reciprocity must meet the current licensure requirements.

[16.27.6.12 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.9.8&9, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 2/10/2006; A, 1/15/2007; A, 11/30/2021]