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SPONSOR: |
Whitaker |
DATE TYPED: |
03/04/03 |
HB |
395/aHJC |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Licensing Exemption for Peer Counselors |
SB |
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ANALYST: |
Geisler |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
|
NFI |
NFI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Relates to:
HB 784
Regulation
and Licensing Department (RLD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of HJC Amendment
The House Judiciary Committee Amendment to House Bill 395
adds a new subsection to Section B that states that nothing in the section
shall be construed to allow an individual who has lost his/her license (or has
it suspended) by the board to avoid such loss or suspension by utilizing the
exemptions from the act listed in Section B.
Synopsis
of Original Bill
House Bill 395 provides that individuals who serve as peer counselors for a twelve-step recovery program or a similar self-help chemical dependency recovery program would be exempt from the N.M. Counseling and Therapy Practice Act if the program:
Significant
Issues
While the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board supports the objective of increasing the number of chemical dependency counselors to meet pressing needs, it is concerned that this bill may allow individuals without the education and experience to perform alcohol and drug abuse counseling.
Relates to HB 784, which proposes a similar exemption for peer counselors.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Peer counselors are
not licensed by the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board, so the need for the
exemption proposed by the bill to the practice act is unclear. However, the Board believes it is essential
that peer counselors have proper supervision from the appropriate licensed professionals
such as alcohol and drug abuse counselors, psychiatrists, clinical
psychologists, and mental health counselors.