January 2020 NEWSLETTER

Vol. 6 No. 1

IN THIS ISSUE

• Message from the Board Chair
• Law Changes for 2020
• Graduating on or After January 1, 2020? Make Your Hours Count!
• SB 679: Portability of License to California
• ‘Old’ LMFT and LPCC Supervised Experience Categories (Option 2) Expires December 31, 2020
• LEPs May Now Supervise Associates for Up to 1,200 Hours of Educationally Related Mental Health Services
• Updated Publication:  Therapy Never Includes Sexual Behavior
• The Changing Landscape of Public Systems of Care
• BBS Exam Vendor Change
• Avoid CE Audit Failure Fines
• In-State LPCC Applicants—Remediation of Assessment and Diagnosis Core Content Areas Ending Soon
• Executive Officer Recognized by National Associations
• New Board Member
• Stay Informed about What’s Happening with BBS!
• Online is Easier!
• Enforcement Actions
• Explanation of Disciplinary Terms and Actions
• Formal Disciplinary Actions
• The Census is Happening in 2020
• Upcoming Meeting Dates

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
Image: Betty Connolly, LEP
As we begin a new year, I’d like to once again thank all the Board members, Board staff, and stakeholders for their work throughout the past year. I would also like to welcome a new Board Member, Crystal Anthony. Ms. Anthony was appointed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) member by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2019. Ms. Anthony has been a therapist at the Program for Torture Victims and co-executive director for Underground GRIT since 2019, and has been involved in various aspects of community mental health since 2013. Congratulations to Max Disposti, who was elected Vice Chair at the June Board meeting. Finally, I’d like to thank Dr. Peter Chiu for his service on the Board and wish him well in his future endeavors. Dr. Chiu was appointed to the Board by Governor Jerry Brown in 2013 and served through June of 2019.

Kim Madsen, the Board’s Executive Officer, was recognized by the American Association of State Counseling Boards with the Distinguished Service Award for Leadership in August 2019. Ms. Madsen was also recently elected to a two-year term on the Board of Directors for the Association of Social Work Boards. Congratulations Kim!

Several pieces of significant legislation were signed into law recently, each of which will have a positive impact on our professions and improve consumer access and protection. Senate Bill 679, the Board’s license portability bill, was signed by Governor Newsom and went into effect on January 1, 2020. This law will streamline the process for many Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) in other states to add a California license. California’s process is serving as a model for successfully changing laws throughout the country. More information is available in this issue in the article titled “SB 679: Portability of License to California” and on the Board’s website.

Assembly Bill 1651 was also signed into law and went into effect on January 1, 2020. This bill allows individuals seeking licensure as an LPCC, LMFT, or LCSW to be supervised by a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) for a portion of their experience hours. More information is available in this issue in the article titled “LEPs May Now Supervise Associates for Up to 1,200 Hours of Educationally Related Mental Health Services” and on the Board’s website. Lastly, Assembly Bill 630 was signed and will go into effect on July 1, 2020. This bill requires licensees and registrants to provide clients with written notice regarding the process for filing complaints. Sample language and an FAQ is available on the BBS website. This bill will also require unlicensed and unregistered counselors providing psychotherapy in an exempt setting to provide a similar notice.

After extensive discussion, a review of an independent audit, and input from stakeholders, the Board recently voted to pursue legislation and subsequent regulation to increase licensing fees. BBS has not raised licensing fees for MFTs, LCSWs, and LEPs in over 20 years. These fees are necessary to ensure that the board can continue to provide consumer protection and quality service while supporting an ever-increasing number of licensees and registrants.

In November, the Board initiated a contract with Pearson Vue to administer the California Law and Ethics, LMFT Clinical, and LEP Written exams. This contract will replace the current contract with PSI. Pearson Vue is a recognized leader in computer-based testing. It currently has 27 sites in California and will be responsible for approving and providing special accommodations for qualified exam candidates. It is expected that this will result in an enhanced testing experience and increased accessibility for examinees. More information is available in this issue in the article titled “BBS Exam Vendor Change” and on the Board’s website.

I encourage everyone to visit the Board’s website (especially the “What’s New” section) for an update on legislation, board activity, and additional resources. I look forward to another productive and collaborative year in 2020.

Betty Connolly, LEP
Chair, Board of Behavioral Sciences

LAW CHANGES FOR 2020
There are several law changes going into effect in 2020 that will affect Board licensees, registrants, and applicants. It is important to review these changes, which will help ensure compliance with the law. The Board recommends reading the bills referenced in their entirety for greater clarity, available at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

The law changes listed below became effective on January 1, 2020, unless otherwise noted. The Board’s 2020 Statutes and Regulations law book will be available on the Board’s website soon.

BOARD-SPONSORED LEGISLATION
Assembly Bill (AB) 630: Requirement to Provide Notice to Psychotherapy Clients
Beginning July 1, 2020, this bill requires all mental health counselors, whether licensed or unlicensed, to provide a notice to each of their clients stating where they can file a complaint against their counselor. 

The Board has developed an FAQ to provide more information about this requirement, available on the Board's website.

Senate Bill (SB) 679: Out-of-State Applicants Licensed in Another United States Jurisdiction for at Least Two Years: Portability of License to California
This bill creates a new, more streamlined pathway to licensure for out-of-state applicants who already hold an equivalent license in another U.S. jurisdiction. The out-of-state license must be current and active and must have been held for at least two years. The applicant must also have a qualifying degree from an accredited or approved educational institution.

More information about this new pathway to licensure can be found on the Board's website and in this issue in the article titled “SB 679: Portability of License to California.”

SB 786: Senate Business, Professions, and Economic Development Committee: Omnibus Legislation
This bill makes minor and technical amendments to add clarity and consistency to the Board’s licensing laws. 
One change that may be of interest to some is that this bill adds a new degree title that the Board will now accept toward licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). The new degree title is clinical mental health counseling, and it must have an emphasis in either marriage, family, and child counseling or marriage and family therapy. 

The intent of this change is to add a new option for a degree title that is eligible for dual licensure as an LMFT and LPCC in California, and that will also likely be eligible for dual licensure in other states (which often use CACREP standards to set licensure and/or degree title requirements for LPCCs).

OTHER BILLS AFFECTING BOARD LICENSEES AND BOARD OPERATIONS
AB 1651: Licensed Educational Psychologists (LEPs) as Supervisors
This bill permits Associate Marriage and Family Therapists, Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees, Associate Clinical Social Workers, and Associate Professional Clinical Counselors to gain up to 1,200 hours of supervised experience under the supervision of an LEP if certain conditions are met. 
LEPs may only supervise the provision of educationally related mental health services that fall within their scope of practice. Additionally, the LEP must meet all of the requirements for a supervisor specified in the Board’s statutes and regulations.

More information about this bill, including an FAQ, can be found on the Board's website and in this issue in the article titled “LEPs May Now Supervise Associates for Up To 1,200 Hours of Educationally Related Mental Health Services.”

SB 425: Required Reporting to Licensing Board
This bill requires any health care facility or other entity for which a healing arts licensee practices to make a report to the applicable licensing board within 15 days of receiving any allegations of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct against the licensee by a patient, if the patient or a patient’s representative makes the allegation in writing. A willful failure to file the report is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 per violation. Any failure to file the report is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000 per violation. 

SB 601: License Fee Waiver
This bill permits state agencies that issue business licenses to establish a process to reduce or waive fees for a person or business who is displaced or experiencing economic hardship due to an emergency.

OTHER UPCOMING LAW CHANGES
Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention (AB 1436, Statutes of 2018)
Beginning January 1, 2021, applicants for any license with the Board must demonstrate completion of at least six hours of coursework or supervised experience in suicide risk assessment and intervention. Current licensees will also be required to complete this coursework prior to their first license renewal on or after January 1, 2021. 

The Board highly recommends that licensees and future applicants for licensure begin planning now to meet this upcoming requirement. Detailed information about how to comply with this requirement can be found on the Board's website.

90-Day Rule:  Fingerprinting (AB 93, Statutes of 2018)
The “90-day rule” is a clause in the law that allows applicants for associate registration who apply within 90 days of the qualifying degree award date, to count supervised experience gained during the window of time between the degree award date and the date the Board issues the associate registration number.
There will be some changes to the 90-day rule on January 1, 2020. All AMFT, ASW, and APCC applicants who complete graduate study on or after January 1, 2020 may only count hours under the 90-day rule if the applicant can prove that, prior to gaining those hours, the workplace required the applicant to complete Live Scan fingerprinting. To prove this, the applicant must obtain and save a copy of the State of California Request for Live Scan Service form and provide it to the Board when applying for licensure. If a completed Live Scan form is not submitted with the licensure application, the hours gained during the window will not count.

More information about the change to the 90-day rule can be found on the Board's website and in this issue in the article titled “Graduating on or After January 1, 2020? Make Your Hours Count!”

Licensing Boards: Denial of Application: Criminal Conviction (AB 2138, Statutes of 2018)
AB 2138 was signed into law in 2018 and made significant amendments to the Board’s enforcement process, including limits on when a board can deny a license based on a conviction or other acts. It becomes effective on July 1, 2020. Once the bill is effective, the Board may only deny a license on grounds that an applicant has been convicted of a crime or subject to formal discipline if certain conditions are met.

The Board is in the process of developing regulations to comply with the provisions of this bill. Information about the new process will be available before the effective date.

Graduating on or After January 1, 2020? Make Your Hours Count!
A new law* will affect individuals graduating on or after January 1, 2020. These applicants may only count post-degree hours of experience gained under the “90-day rule” if the workplace required the applicant to complete Live Scan fingerprinting prior to gaining those hours.

Image: Copy of Request for Live Scan Service Form next to text that says “Graduating on or after January 1, 2020? Make your hours count! Keep a copy of your employer-required Live Scan Fingerprint Form to count postdegree hours.

What is the “90-day rule”?
The 90-day rule is a clause in the law that allows applicants for registration as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, or Associate Clinical Social Worker (Associate), whose Associate application is received within 90 days of the qualifying degree award date, to count supervised experience gained during the window of time between the degree award date and the issue date of the Associate registration number.

How is this rule changing, and when?
Those who graduate on or after January 1, 2020 may only count post-degree hours of supervised experience gained under the 90-day rule if the workplace required the applicant to complete Live Scan fingerprinting prior to gaining post-degree experience hours. Post-degree hours may only be counted as of the date recorded at the bottom of the Request for Live Scan Service form.

What will be required of applicants?
Applicants must obtain a copy of their Request for Live Scan Service form and provide a copy to the Board when applying for licensure in order to count post-degree experience hours gained under the 90-day rule.

What happens if the applicant’s employer does not require fingerprinting, or if the applicant cannot obtain a copy of the completed Request for Live Scan Service form?
Post-degree experience hours gained during the window of time between the degree award date and the issue date of the Associate registration number will not count.

How can applicants ensure that they meet the new requirement?
Applicants must obtain a copy of their completed Request for Live Scan Service form from the employer and keep it in a safe place. The applicant must submit a copy of this form upon application for licensure. Other documentation cannot be accepted as the law does not allow for any alternatives.

Does this apply to MFT or PCC trainees?
The Live Scan requirement does not apply to trainees. However, if there is a possibility that a trainee will be continuing to work for the same agency after graduation, the individual will need to have been fingerprinted by that agency before they can count any post-degree hours under the 90-day rule at that agency. The fingerprinting may be completed while a trainee.

* Business and Professions Code sections 4980.43, 4996.23 and 4999.46.

SB 679: Portability of License to California
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill (SB) 679, which streamlines the process for certain licensed mental health professionals in other states to become licensed in California. The bill provides a pathway for LPCCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs with a qualifying degree who have held an active, unrestricted license for at least two years in another U.S. jurisdiction, to become licensed in California after completing continuing education coursework specific to the psychotherapy environment in California, and passing a California law and ethics exam. The new requirements apply to individuals submitting an application after January 1, 2020.

The Board has seen an increased demand for licenses to become portable across state lines for several reasons. Demand for mental health services is at an all-time high, and there are shortages of mental health professionals in some regions of California, leading to individuals being unable to access timely services. The provision of mental health services via telehealth is increasing, and California law requires a practitioner providing telehealth to a client located in California to hold a California license. Lastly, under the requirements prior to passage of SB 679, individuals already licensed in another state had to complete nearly the same requirements as a brand new applicant for licensure regardless of past experience, resulting in fewer job opportunities and career disruption while completing those requirements.

Kim Madsen, the Board’s Executive Officer, led the charge in the effort to improve license portability. She participated in discussions with other states at national professional association meetings, and reported back to the Board on these efforts. As a result, the Board formed the License Portability Committee, which began meeting in November 2017. The committee reviewed current California licensing requirements, as well as the requirements of other states to determine how to ease or remove some of the barriers to licensure while maintaining consumer protection. Ms. Madsen continues to work with other states with the goal of promoting increased access to mental health services and increased licensure opportunities nationwide.

Under SB 679, persons applying for licensure from other states who do not already hold a license or who have held a license for less than two years must continue to meet the Board’s full education, experience, and examination requirements.

More information about the new requirements for out-of-state applicants can be found on the Board’s website.

‘Old’ LMFT and LPCC Supervised Experience Categories (Option 2) Expire December 31, 2020
Are you gaining hours of supervised experience toward LMFT or LPCC licensure? If so, there is an important deadline approaching at the end of 2020. Senate Bill 620 (Chapter 262, Statutes of 2015) streamlined the categories of experience hours that qualify for licensure. The legislation allowed the prior set of experience categories to remain available, but only until December 31, 2020.

In order to qualify under the “old” set of categories (Option 2), an Application for Licensure must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2020. Otherwise, the applicant must fully qualify under the new set of categories (Option 1).

Note: There is no mixing and matching between categories—applicants must fully qualify under the new set of categories (Option 1, no deadline) or fully qualify under the old set of categories (Option 2) by the deadline.

For more information on the two options, please see the following:
Frequently Asked Questions for MFT Trainees and AMFTs.
Frequently Asked Questions for APCCs.

LEPs May Now Supervise Associates for up to 1,200 Hours of Educationally Related Mental Health Services
Effective January 1, 2020, Assembly Bill 1651 permits Associate Marriage and Family Therapists, Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees, Associate Clinical Social Workers, and Associate Professional Clinical Counselors to gain up to 1,200 hours of supervised experience under the supervision of a Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP) if certain conditions are met.

LEPs may only supervise the provision of “educationally related mental health services” that fall within their scope of practice. Additionally, the LEP must meet all of the requirements for a supervisor specified in the Board’s statutes and regulations.

What are “Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS)”?
ERMHS are mental health services provided for clients who have social, emotional, or behavioral issues that interfere with their educational progress, including all of the following:

• Educationally related counseling services to clients qualified for special education that are necessary to receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment pursuant to the federal requirements of section 1412 of Title 20 of the United States Code.
• Intensive counseling services on a continuum that may reflect an increase in frequency, duration, or staff specialization to address the client’s emotional and behavioral needs.
• Counseling services provided by qualified practitioners.
• Parent counseling and training.
• Psychological services that include consulting with staff members in planning school programs to meet the client’s educational needs and assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies for the client.
• Social work services such as preparing a social or developmental history on a client with a disability.
• Group and individualized counseling with the client and family.
• Mobilizing school and community resources to enable the client to learn as effectively as possible in their educational program, as outlined in section 300.34 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

What are the Requirements to Be a Supervisor?
The basic requirements for an LEP who wishes to supervise individuals gaining ERMHS experience toward Board licensure are1:

• Has held an active license as an LEP for at least two years within the five-year period immediately preceding any supervision.
• Has provided psychological counseling that is within the scope of practice of an LEP for at least two years within the five-year period immediately preceding supervision.
• Has received training in supervision (see next question).
• Maintains a current, active California LEP license. An LEP whose license is suspended or on probation is not permitted to supervise.

For more information on requirements for supervisors, see the Board’s “Supervisor Resources” page, and the Board’s statutes and regulations.
What Supervision Training am I Required to Have?
The supervision training requirements are different depending on the type of pre-licensees you will be supervising2:

• If you are supervising Marriage and Family Therapist Trainees, Associate Marriage and Family Therapists, or Associate Professional Clinical Counselors, you will need a six-hour supervision training course.
• If you are supervising any Associate Clinical Social Workers, you will need to have completed a 15-hour course.

What Else Should I Know if I am an LEP Planning to Serve as a Supervisor?
All LEPs who are supervising pre-licensees need to make sure they have a thorough understanding of the Board’s laws related to supervision, including supervisor responsibilities. This information can be found on the Board’s “Supervisor Resources” page, and in the Board’s statutes and regulations.
Failure to comply with the Board’s statutes and regulations related to supervising experience hours is considered unprofessional conduct and may subject the supervisor to disciplinary action.

More information, including an expanded FAQ, can be found here.

1Business and Professions Code sections 4980.03, 4996.20, 4999.12
2California Code of Regulations Title 16, Division 18, sections 1821, 1833.1, 1870

UPDATED PUBLICATION:  THERAPY NEVER INCLUDES SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
As you know, therapists have a responsibility to ensure that sexual behavior with a patient does not occur. Business and Professions Code (BPC) section 728 requires a therapist to provide a copy of the Therapy Never Includes Sexual Behavior booklet, and to discuss the booklet when a therapist becomes aware that a client had alleged sexual intercourse, sexual contact, or engaged in sexual behavior with a previous psychotherapist during the course of a prior treatment.

Image: Cover of Therapy Never Includes Sexual Behavior booklet
The purpose of the booklet is to inform clients—and warn therapists—that sexual conduct has no place in professional therapy. Failure to provide a client in this situation with the booklet or failure to discuss the booklet with the client, constitutes unprofessional conduct.

Engaging in sexual relations with a client or a former client within two years following termination of therapy, soliciting sexual relations with a client, or committing an act of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct with a client also constitutes unprofessional conduct.

The BPC* allows the Board to suspend or revoke a registration or license of a therapist guilty of unprofessional conduct. In addition, sexual exploitation of a client by a psychotherapist is a public offense as specified in BPC section 729, and is punishable by imprisonment and a fine.

The Board, in conjunction with the Board of Psychology, Medical Board of California, Osteopathic Medical Board of California, and Department of Consumer Affairs, has issued an update to the booklet, which is available for free download on the Board’s website.

The booklet guides clients through the process of filing a complaint and offers suggestions to support the process of selecting a therapist. Terminology and warning signs have also been updated to more accurately reflect modern-day methods of communication and to include sexual behavior (as opposed to sexual contact). Sexting, out-of-session electronic communication not related to therapy, and social media contacts are specifically addressed.

*BPC sections 4982 (LMFT profession), 4989.54 (LEP profession), 4992.3 (LCSW profession) and 4999.90
(LPCC profession).

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC SYSTEMS OF CARE
By Olivia Loewy, Ph.D.
Public behavioral health settings in California are evolving at a very rapid pace. Exciting opportunities for clinicians are expanding due to this area gaining ground as a priority for lawmakers. While California’s educational requirements and licensing laws are continually changing to ensure that new providers are able to competently contribute within evolving systems of care, those who graduated more than five years ago will likely have quite a learning curve. Those graduates may want to ask themselves what they know about:

• The difference between mental health and behavioral health.
• Integrated and whole-person care.
• Competencies employers are looking for in job applicants.
• Changing clinical competencies.

Behavioral Health
The term “behavioral health” most commonly refers to mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), mental health and SUD treatment were treated and paid for separately in our public system. When the ACA was passed in 2010, the 10 essential health benefits that insurance companies were required to cover grouped mental health and SUD in one category. California public agencies, organizations, and governmental departments began to change their names and acronyms, replacing “mental” with “behavioral.” More recently, the terms are being used interchangeably. Most significant for clinicians is the recognition that conditions we treat are complex and interrelated within a whole being.

Integrated, Whole Person Care
It has long been known that people with mental illness and SUD may die years earlier due to untreated medical conditions intensified by poor health habits. Integrated care is the systematic coordination of primary and behavioral health care, as we “reattach the head to the rest of the body.” This approach to treatment is synonymous with treating the whole person.

In California, integrated systems have emerged in a diversity of forms, from services physically co-located to separate facilities with agreements related to a streamlined referral process. Our Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has initiated Whole Person Care pilot projects designed to coordinate health, behavioral health, and social services within an integrated system that encompasses county agencies, health plans, and providers. The goals are improved experience of care, more effective services, and lower costs. The pilots were deemed successful enough for DHCS to recently allocate $20 million in one-time funds for counties to initiate future whole person care pilots. 

Major changes in the structure and philosophy of the provision of public systems of care have led to the demand for a new kind of practitioner.

Employer Priorities
Employer priorities have changed as the public system has evolved, and long-established clinical competencies have been subsequently updated and revised. In a 2017 sampling of California public behavioral health clinical programs, top management responded to questions about the competencies they are seeking in job applicants.*

Consistently, employers rated personal qualities as a top priority. They want to know “who you are” as well as what you know how to do. The interrelated personal qualities desired include:

• Flexible.
• Collaborative.
• Relationship-oriented.
• Genuine belief in client-centered treatment.
• Refers to clients with respect.
• Able to establish trust, build rapport, and is empathetic, compassionate.
• Works with the “whole person.”
• Family-focused.
• Strengths-based.
• Inclusive and respectful. 
• Embodies cultural humility.
• Appreciates diversity.
• Respect for consumer/peer services.
• Culturally, linguistically mirrors the population served.

The remaining priority skills/knowledge designated by employers are interconnected and were cited repeatedly: 

• Skilled in assessment and diagnosis.
• Documentation, including electronic health records:
• Accurate completion of paperwork as required to document billable services.
• Ability to write concise, clear, and cohesive progress or treatment notes.
• Familiarity, training, or certification in evidence-based practices such as managing and adapting practice, seeking safety, or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
• Familiarity or training in mental health recovery-model orientation.
• Case management skills.
• Knowledge of SUD treatment.
• Able to provide both long- and short-term treatment.
• Knowledge of relevant California state laws and ethical practices.
• An understanding of the public system.

Changing Clinical Competencies
New clinical competencies, developed at the national level, confirm those identified by employers within the context of an integrated, coordinated system of care. Some of these include the ability to:

• Collaborate as part of an integrated team.
• Understand, value, and adapt to the diverse professional cultures of an integrated care team.
• Communicate effectively with other providers, staff, and patients.
• Proficiently screen, assess, and provide a range of brief, focused prevention, treatment, and recovery services as well as longer-term treatment and support for consumers with persistent illnesses.
• Engage and activate patients in their care.
• Provide culturally responsive, whole person and family-oriented care.
• Utilize technology effectively.

While much of our education and training has encompassed these competencies, the context has changed: serious mental illness; recovery and consumer-directed services; accountable care; and coordination with primary care and extended community services.

Opportunities and Challenges
The good news is that the importance of mental health has surfaced in a prominent position, as the catchphrase “there is no health without mental health” becomes increasingly familiar. National and state lawmakers have supported this awareness in the form of budget allocations as well as new legislation. Evolving technologies, structures of care, and clinical competencies are all an ongoing, vital part of the changing landscape. The challenges may seem formidable; however, the opportunities for clinicians are exciting and expanding!
*Excerpts from: Working in the California Community Behavioral Health System: A Navigational Tool.
www.olivialoewy.com/textbook-1

For More Information Online:

• Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
• DHCS: $20 Million One-Time Funds for Counties to Initiate Future Whole Person Care Pilots
• Berwick, Nolan and Whittington:
  The Triple Aim: Care, Health, and Cost
• SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions
• The Lancet (Prince et. al.):
  No Health Without Mental Health

BBS EXAM VENDOR CHANGE
Effective January 1, 2020, examinations administered through the current test vendor, PSI, will no longer be offered as the Board has entered into a new contract with the test vendor Pearson VUE.

How Will This Affect You?
For the most part, there will be very little disruption or change. For those who currently have examination eligibility, we anticipate you will be able to register with Pearson VUE as of January 6. Pearson VUE has multiple test center locations that may be accessed by visiting their website. The application process remains the same; please visit the Board’s website to obtain applications for examination.

Testing Accommodations
LPCC clinical candidates, along with all candidates requesting accommodation for English as a second language (ESL), will continue to apply for testing accommodations through the Board. All other exam candidates will need to apply for accommodations directly through Pearson VUE. For general information on procedures for testing accommodations through Pearson VUE, visit: https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker/Test-accommodations.aspx.

Stay Informed
Candidates should make sure they are registered for the BBS Subscriber List for email updates.
If you do not have a current email address on file with the Board, please update your information online through the BreEZe system.
You can also view updates on the Board’s website.

Avoid CE Audit Failure Fines
Penalties can be up to $1,200
The Board’s recent audit of licensees found a 34% failure rate for completion of required continuing education. Typical reasons are failure to complete required content such as law and ethics, failure to complete all hours during the renewal period, and use of an unacceptable course provider. Please see the Board’s website for the information you need in order to avoid a citation and fine for failing a continuing education audit.

In-State LPCC Applicants—Remediation of Assessment and Diagnosis Core Content Areas Ending Soon
The temporary allowance LPCC applicants with a California degree to be permitted to remediate deficiencies in the “assessment” and “diagnosis” core content areas is ending soon. Applications must be received by the Board on or before August 31, 2020, for remediation to be permitted. After this date, if you apply and your degree did not contain these core content areas, you will not be eligible for LPCC licensure.
If you are an in-state LPCC applicant and wish to remediate the assessment and/or diagnosis core content areas, you must do one of the following:

• Apply for licensure, and make sure that your application is received by the Board on or before August 31, 2020.
• Apply for registration, and make sure that your application is received by the Board on or before August 31, 2020 (the registration must be subsequently issued).

BBS Executive Officer Recognized by National Associations
Image 1: Kim Madsen with the ASWB Board of Directors.
Image 2: Kim Madsen receiving the Distinguished Service Award for Leadership.
We are excited to announce that Kim Madsen, the Board’s Executive Officer, has been recognized for her work at the national level by two different entities. She has been elected to the Association of Social Work Boards’ (ASWB) Board of Directors, which oversees the governance of the ASWB. Ms. Madsen also was recognized by the American Association of State Counseling Boards with the Distinguished Service Award for Leadership. Ms. Madsen also regularly attends meetings of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. Her participation in these annual meetings representing California helps the Board stay on top of emerging regulatory issues around the country, learn how other state boards are working to protect the public, and foster relationships with state boards around the country. Way to go Kim!

New board member
Image: Crystal Anthony
Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed a new member to the Board of Behavioral Sciences. We are pleased to welcome Crystal Anthony of Oceanside as our new Licensed Clinical Social Worker member. Ms. Anthony is a therapist at the Program for Torture Victims and co-executive director for Underground GRIT, which promotes changes in prisons, jails, and juvenile institutions through innovative in-reach and transformative re-entry services. She was a clinical social worker for the Orange County Health Care Agency from 2014 to 2019 and a bilingual project LIFE program coordinator at North County Lifeline from 2012 to 2015, where she was also a community assessment team therapist in 2014. Ms. Anthony was an educationally related mental health services behavioral health clinician in 2013. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association. Ms. Anthony earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California.

Stay Informed about What’s Happening with BBS!
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ONLINE IS EASIER!
A Variety of Online Services Now Available via BreEZe
For faster service, manage your registration and license online! BreEZe provides services for applicants, registrants, and licensees that can save you weeks of processing time compared to paper applications. Services available include the ability to:

• Renew a license or registration instantly (up to 90 days in advance).
• Submit an address change (takes effect instantly).
• Request a replacement registration or license (allow two weeks for delivery).
• Verify a license and obtain proof of renewal status.
• New: Obtain a certification of licensure.
• New: Apply for your initial Law and Ethics Exam.
• New: Submit an application to change from Inactive to Active status.
• Pay with a major credit card in a secure environment.

Consumer complaints can also be filed on BreEZe at
www.breeze.ca.gov.

Helpful Tips
If you are new to the Board’s online services, there are tutorial videos available to help you (select “Help Tutorials” on www.breeze.ca.gov). Tutorial videos include:

• An overview of BreEZe services.
• How to search for a license.
• How to register for BreEZe.
• What to do if you forgot your password or user ID.
• How to submit a renewal.
• How to update license information.
• How to make a payment.

If you need additional assistance using BreEZe, call technical support at (855) 227-9633. 

ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
Citation and Fine—An administrative action used for minor violations. Citations and fines are public information but are not considered disciplinary action.

EXPLANATION OF DISCIPLINARY TERMS AND ACTIONS
Accusation—Formal statement of charges against the registrant/licensee.
Statement of Issues—Formal statement of reasons why an application for registration/license should be denied.
Effective Date—The date the disciplinary decision goes
into effect.
Revoked—The registration/license is canceled, voided, rescinded. The right to practice is terminated.
Revoked, Stayed, Probation—“Stayed” means the revocation is postponed. Professional practice may continue so long as the registrant/licensee complies with specific probationary terms and conditions. Violation of probation may result in the revocation that was postponed.
Suspension—The registrant/licensee is prohibited from practicing for a specific period of time.
License Surrender—To resolve a disciplinary action, the registrant/licensee has given up his or her registration/license—subject to acceptance by the board. The right
to practice is terminated.

FORMAL DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS

Thanita Theresa Adams
LCSW 28265
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Mayra Alejandra Aguilar
AMFT 85819
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Arutyun Ambartsumyan
ASW 61707
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Cynthia Lynn Archer
LCSW 24845
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 9/18/2019

Karin Karim Awad
LMFT 102646
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 7/17/2019

Crystal Catherine Darlene Ballejos
APCC 5523
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 7/11/2019

Ninita Shelby Best
ASW 75826
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Carla Jeanne Black
LMFT 44511
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/13/2019

Rigoberto Cambray
AMFT 113643
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/5/2019

Edward Arthur Castro
AMFT 76859
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Probation extended one year.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Shahla Johnson Chapman
LMFT 112173
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Probation extended for one year.
Effective: 6/5/2019

Chevvy C.W. Cheung
LCSW 27845
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered
Effective: 9/4/2019

Sheldon Samuel Cohen
AMFT 115442
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Patrick Jonathan Conod
ASW 90035
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Makayla Marie Davis
ASW 79503
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/5/2019

Terri Jean Decker-Chandler
LMFT 47830
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Anthony Keith Edell
LMFT 32926
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 9/18/2019

Benjamin James Ellis
AMFT 91220
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Leticia Denise Foster-Ross
AMFT 77598 & APCC 708
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: Registrations revoked.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Karen Joelle Fraggi
AMFT 115103
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Dawn Marie Gailen
AMFT 105618
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Diane Inez Garcia-Becker
AMFT 94358
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 5/9/2019

Alexis Lloyd Giermann
ASW 90034
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Geneveve Matundan Godinez Madrid
ASW 91698
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Kristin Michelle Guy
ASW 63698
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/5/2019

Sakeenah Hakim
LCSW 73268
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Shannon M. Helmle
LMFT 84307
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Leah Nichole Henry
AMFT 87843
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Stephanie Laurence Horns
ASW 60873
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Marlena Hunter
AMFT 71077
FRAUD
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Joel Richard Huschle
LCSW 25720
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered
Effective: 8/14/2019

Chandni Jain
AMFT 111007
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Brian LaRoy Jones
AMFT 114731
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of four years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Roger Grant Laird
AMFT 95536
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Jessica Jo Lopez
LMFT 52385
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/13/2019

Eladio Roberto Lorenzo
AMFT 80800
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Ronnie Michelle Lusk
AMFT 113838 & APCC 6488
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registrations revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/13/2019

Samuel C. Martinez
LCSW 20015
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 7/19/2019

Kathryn A. Mastrogiovanni
LMFT 39797
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 9/4/2019

Amber D. McKinney-Morgan
ASW 89316
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 6/5/2019

Rebecca Nelson Miltenberger
LCSW 4212
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Diana Carolina Montes
AMFT 78516
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 7/31/2019

Casey Patrick O’Brian
AMFT 84902
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Steven George O’Rourke
LMFT 32888
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Pascual Jose Ortiz
AMFT 110380
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Lara Ashten Paskey
AMFT 84020
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Amy Pesceone-Brborich
LMFT 39739
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 6/14/2019

Katherine Gwynne Pine
LMFT 49909
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of two years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/31/2019

John Patrick Prack
AMFT 95033
Action: Registration surrendered.
Effective: 9/11/2019

Jada Gradine Reynolds-Wilson
ASW 35222
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Alberto Sahagun
ASW 78504
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of four years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Kathryn Elizabeth Scruggs
AMFT 114339 & APCC 6599
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registrations revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Sylvia Maria Soriano
LCSW 90197
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/12/2019

Eileen Gwen Spoth
LCSW 64851
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 6/13/2019

Andie Nhu Y. Tran
AMFT 114338
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Daryl Preston Tubbs
LMFT 25905
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License surrendered.
Effective: 9/20/2019

Lisa Anne Vancil
LCSW 90923
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: License revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of three years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 7/10/2019

Tavin Vasuntarapiwat
ASW 69836
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Theadora Isles Wipf
AMFT 105413
CRIMINAL CHARGES/CONVICTIONS
Action: Registration revoked, revocation stayed, and placed on probation for a period of five years with terms and conditions.
Effective: 8/21/2019

Lonnie Omer Woodley
LMFT 89707
UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Action: License revoked.
Effective: 7/10/2019

The Census is Happening in 2020

The next Census is in Spring 2020. Let’s ensure all Californians are counted so we can put those resources to good use here at home!

• BUILD BETTER ROADS AND SCHOOLS
• FUND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR SENIORS, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
• CREATE JOBS
• IMPROVE HOUSING

 Starting in mid-March 2020, each household will get a letter in the mail. It will explain the different ways you can fill out the Census. If you don’t receive a letter, you can still go online or call to fill it out. Be sure you include any person living in your household, family or not.

Key Dates

• 3/12–3/20 Invitations to the 2020 Census mailed
• 3/16–3/24 Reminder letters mailed
• 3/26–4/3 Reminder postcard mailed
• April 1 CENSUS DAY!
• 4/8–4/16 Second reminder & hardcopy Census mailed
• 4/20–4/27 Final postcards mailed

Three Ways to Complete the Census
MAIL: Request a paper Census form in English or Spanish that can be mailed back to the U.S. Census Bureau.
PHONE: The Census can be completed by phone in 13 languages.
ONLINE: For the first time, the Census form will be available to complete online in 13 languages.

Your 2020 Census data is safe, protected and confidential. California is committed to ensuring a complete and accurate count of all Californians on April 1, 2020.

census.ca.gov
@CACensus

UPCOMING MEETING DATES
Board Meetings
(Locations to be determined)
March 5–6, 2020
May 14–15, 2020
August 13–14, 2020
November 5–6, 2020
Policy and Advocacy Committee
(All meetings will be held in Sacramento)
February 7, 2020
April 9, 2020
July 31, 2020
October 2020 (date TBD)
Board Disciplinary Hearing Dates
(If needed, the Board will meet on the following dates to conduct discipline hearings)
February 6, 2020
June 5, 2020
July 30, 2020
October/November 2020 (Date TBD)

California Board of Behavioral Sciences
1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-200
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 574-7830