(a) A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall only perform mental health and related services as an employee or volunteer, and not as an independent contractor. The requirements of this chapter regarding hours of experience and supervision shall apply equally to employees and volunteers. A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall not perform any services or gain any experience within the scope of practice of the profession, as defined in Section 4999.20, as an independent contractor. While an associate may be either a paid employee or a volunteer, employers are encouraged to provide fair remuneration.

(1) If employed, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with copies of the corresponding W-2 tax forms for each year of experience claimed.

(2) If volunteering, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with a letter from their employer verifying the associate’s status as a volunteer during the dates the experience was gained.

(b) A clinical counselor trainee shall not perform services in a private practice or professional corporation.

(c) A trainee shall complete the required predegree supervised practicum or field study experience in a setting that meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Is not a private practice or a professional corporation.

(2) Lawfully and regularly provides mental health counseling or psychotherapy.

(3) Provides oversight to ensure that the clinical counselor trainee’s work at the setting meets the experience and supervision requirements in this chapter and is within the scope of practice of the profession, as defined in Section 4999.20.

(4) Only experience gained in the position for which the clinical counselor trainee volunteers or is employed shall qualify as supervised practicum or field study experience.

(d) (1) An associate may be credited with supervised experience completed in any setting that meets both of the following:

(A) Lawfully and regularly provides mental health counseling or psychotherapy.

(B) Provides oversight to ensure that the associate’s work at the setting meets the experience and supervision requirements in this chapter and is within the scope of practice for the profession, as defined in Section 4999.20.

(2) Only experience gained in the position for which the associate volunteers or is employed shall qualify as supervised experience.

(3) An applicant for registration as an associate shall not be employed or volunteer in a private practice or professional corporation until they have been issued an associate registration by the board.

(e) Any experience obtained under the supervision of a spouse, relative, or domestic partner shall not be credited toward the required hours of supervised experience. Any experience obtained under the supervision of a supervisor with whom the applicant has had or currently has a personal, professional, or business relationship that undermines the authority or effectiveness of the supervision shall not be credited toward the required hours of supervised experience.

(f) A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall not receive any remuneration from patients or clients and shall only be paid by their employer, if an employee.

(g) A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall have no proprietary interest in their employer’s business and shall not lease or rent space, pay for furnishings, equipment, or supplies, or in any other way pay for the obligations of their employer.

(h) A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure who provides voluntary services in any lawful work setting and who only receives reimbursement for expenses actually incurred shall be considered an employee. The board may audit an applicant for licensure who receives reimbursement for expenses and the applicant for licensure shall have the burden of demonstrating that the payments received were for reimbursement of expenses actually incurred.

(i) A clinical counselor trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure who receives a stipend or educational loan repayment from a program designed to encourage demographically underrepresented groups to enter the profession or to improve recruitment and retention in underserved regions or settings shall be considered an employee. The board may audit an applicant who receives a stipend or educational loan repayment and the applicant shall have the burden of demonstrating that the payments were for the specified purposes.

(j) A clinical counselor trainee or associate may provide services via telehealth that are in the scope of practice outlined in this chapter.

(k) Each educational institution preparing applicants pursuant to this chapter shall consider requiring, and shall encourage, its students to undergo individual, marital, conjoint, family, or group counseling or psychotherapy, as appropriate. Each supervisor shall consider, advise, and encourage their associates and trainees regarding the advisability of undertaking individual, marital, conjoint, family, or group counseling or psychotherapy, as appropriate. Insofar as it is deemed appropriate and is desired by the applicant, educational institutions and supervisors are encouraged to assist the applicant to locate that counseling or psychotherapy at a reasonable cost.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 520, Sec. 12. (AB 1759) Effective January 1, 2023.)