New
Mexico Register / Volume XXXVI, Issue 11 / June 10, 2025
NOTICE
OF PUBLIC RULE HEARING AND BOARD MEETING
The
New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the Regulation and
Licensing Department will hold a rule hearing on Friday, July 11, 2025, at 9:00
a.m. Immediately following the rule
hearing, the Board will convene a regular board meeting to consider adoption of
rules and take care of regular business.
The hearing and board meeting will be held at the Regulation and
Licensing Department, located at 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM in the Rio
Grande Conference Room.
The
hearing and subsequent Counseling and Therapy Practice board meeting may also
be accessed virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Meeting
Link:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjBjYjU5MTgtNGM4My00NzQ1LWJiY2ItODZmYzIyMzc0MDMz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2204aa6bf4-d436-426f-bfa4-04b7a70e60ff%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%220e369004-579e-46ef-9c0c-80e56d3f46b0%22%7d
Meeting ID: 292 719 553
524 4
Passcode: 82yU6w9h
Dial in by phone
+1 505-312-4308,,731328747# United States, Albuquerque
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 731 328 747#
The
purpose of the rule hearing is to consider the initiation of rulemaking for the
following rules:
16.27.1 General Provisions
16.27.3 Application Procedures, Initial Licenses,
and License Period
16.27.4 Requirements for Licensure as a
Professional Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LPCC)
16.27.6 Requirements for Licensure as a Marriage
and Family Therapist (LMFT)
16.27.7 Requirements for Licensure as a
Professional Art Therapist (LPAT)
16.27.9 Requirements for Licensure as a Mental
Health Counselor (LMHC)
16.27.11
Requirements for Licensure with Examination as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselor (LADAC)
16.27.13
Requirements for Licensure as a Substance Abuse Associate (LSAA)
16.27.14
Temporary License
16.27.15
Examinations
16.27.16
Continuing Education
16.27.17
Fees
16.27.18
Code of Ethics
16.27.19
Approved Supervisors
16.27.22
Requirements for Licensure as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
(LAMFT)
On
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, copies of the proposed rules may be obtained through
the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board website at
https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards and commissions/individual boards and
commissions/counseling and therapy practice/statutes rules and rule hearings/, or by contacting the Board
Administrator for the Board at (505) 476-4622.
The New
Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the Regulation and Licensing
Department will begin accepting written public comment regarding the proposed
rule changes beginning Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 8:00 a.m. and ending Friday, July 11, 2025, 9:00 a.m.
Written comments may be submitted either by email to
counseling.board@rld.nm.gov or by postal mail to the following address:
New
Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
Attn: New
Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board
P.O. Box 25101
Santa Fe, NM 87504
Written comments received during the public
comment period (June 10, 2025 July 11, 2025) will be posted to the website
page linked above. Public comment will also be accepted during the rule hearing
and may be submitted in writing or presented orally by those attending
in-person. The
members of the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board will not engage
in substantive discussion of public comments during the rule hearing but will
consider all public comments during the regular board meeting immediately
following the conclusion of the rule hearing.
The
agenda for the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board regular meeting
which will begin immediately after the public rule hearing, will be posted and
available at least 72 hours before the meeting on the Board website at:
https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/counseling-and-therapy-practice/board-information.
Copies of the agenda may also be obtained by contacting Ruth Romero, Board
Administrator .
For inclement weather: If New Mexico state
offices are placed on a two-hour delay due to inclement weather, the rule
hearing will be pushed back two hours from the noticed hearing time. If New
Mexico state offices are closed due to inclement weather, the rule hearing will
be rescheduled as soon as possible.
An individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing, please contact Ruth Romero, Board Administrator at (505) 476-4622 at least 7 days prior to the rules hearing and regular board meeting. Public documents, including the proposed rules, meeting agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats.
Statutory
Authority:
The
rule changes are authorized by the Counseling and Therapy Practice Act, NMSA
1978, Section 61-9A-1 through 61-9A-30, specifically authorizes the Board to adopt
and file in accordance with the State Rules Act, [Chapter 14, Article 4, 1978]
rules necessary to carry out the provision of the Counseling and Therapy
Practice Act, in accordance with the provision of the Uniform Licensing Act.
Purpose
of the Proposed Rules: The proposed rule changes are intended to
address changes to the Counseling and Therapy Practice Act, to provide greater
clarity and align rules with the process for online applications, implement
process for CE Audit, improve process for Temporary License holders and provide
guidelines for ethical use of AI in Counseling and Therapy Practice.
Summary
of Proposed Changes: The Board summarizes its proposed changes
to its administrative rules as follows:
16.27.1
NMAC General Provisions Adds language for online process for a licensee
requesting a name change or address change.
16.27.3
NMAC Application Procedures, Initial Licenses, and License Period Removes
language from application for licensure by examination regarding how
transcripts are to be submitted to the board office and aligns with the current
online application process and clarifies the current process for reinstating a
license from retirement or inactive status.
16.27.4
NMAC Requirements for Licensure as a Professional Clinical Mental Health
Counselor (LPCC) Removes outdated language and adds new language for
documentation required for licensure by examination to align with current
online application process.
16.27.6
NMAC Requirements for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Removes, adds or changes language for documentation required for licensure by
examination to align with current online application process.
16.27.7
NMAC Requirements for Licensure as a Professional Art Therapist (LPAT)
Removes outdated language and adds new language for documentation required for
licensure by examination to align with current online application process.
16.27.9
NMAC Requirements for Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) Removes
Mental Health Specialty or Art Therapy Specialty from Title of Subsection
16.27.9.9 and from description under 16.27.9.11 Examination. Other outdated language is removed to align
with current online application process.
16.27.11
NMAC Requirements for Licensure with Examination as an Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselor (LADAC) Removes outdated language and adds language to align with
current online application process.
16.27.13
NMAC Requirements for Licensure as a Substance Abuse Associate (LSAA)
Removes outdated language and adds language to align with current online
application process.
16.27.14
NMAC Temporary License Changes the process to allow licensees to request
extensions of their temporary license until they pass the exam (up to 3 years)
rather than expiring after one year and having to apply for a new temporary
license. This will make the process
easier for licensees to have the same license number when submitting proof to
the credentialling agencies. Language is
also removed for process that is no longer applicable.
16.27.15
NMAC Examinations Removes outdated language that no longer applies and adds
language to align with the current online application process.
16.27.16
NMAC Continuing Education Changes the process for continuing education
requirements and updates the rules to introduce the standard for auditing
continuing education requirements for license renewal.
16.27.17
NMAC Fees Removes outdated language and changes fee for returned checks
from $25.00 to $35.00.
16.27.18
NMAC Code of Ethics Adds language and subsection for guidance regarding
ethical use of AI in Counseling and Therapy Practice.
16.27.19
NMAC Approved Supervisors Removes requirement for 2x 2 photo which was
applicable to paper applications and corrects process to align with current
online application process.