(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Board” means the Kentucky Board of Social Work, Kentucky Board of Licensure of Marriage and Family Therapists, Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors, Kentucky Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology, and Kentucky Board of Licensure for Occupational Therapy; and

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 210.366

  • Cabinet: means the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. See Kentucky Statutes 210.005
  • Treatment: when used in a criminal justice context, means targeted interventions
    that focus on criminal risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010

(b) “Training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management” means an empirically supported training program approved by the boards that contains suicide assessment including screening and referral, suicide treatment, and suicide management. A board may approve a training program that excludes one (1) of the elements if the element is inappropriate for the profession in question or inappropriate for the level of licensure or credentialing of that profession based on the profession’s scope of practice. A training program that includes only screening and referral elements shall be at least three (3) hours in length. All other training programs approved under this section shall be at least six (6) hours in length.
(2) Beginning January 1, 2015, each of the following professionals certified or licensed under KRS Title XXVI shall, at least once every six (6) years, complete a training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management that is approved, in administrative regulations, by the respective boards:
(a) A social worker, marriage and family therapist, professional counselor, or pastoral counselor certified or licensed under KRS Chapter 335;
(b) An alcohol and drug counselor licensed or certified under KRS Chapter 309, and an alcohol and drug peer support specialist registered under KRS Chapter
309;
(c) A psychologist licensed or certified under KRS Chapter 319; and
(d) An occupational therapist licensed under KRS Chapter 319A.
(3) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a professional listed in subsection (2) of this section must complete the first training required by this section by July 2016.
(b) A professional listed in subsection (2) of this section applying for initial licensure, registration, or certification on or after June 25, 2013, may delay completion of the first training required by this section for six (6) years after initial licensure, registration, or certification if he or she can demonstrate successful completion of a six (6) hour academic training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management that:
1. Was completed no more than six (6) years prior to the application for initial licensure, registration, or certification; and
2. Is listed on the best practices registry of the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
(4) The hours spent completing a training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management under this section count toward meeting any applicable continuing education requirements for each profession.
(5) A board may, by administrative regulation, specify minimum training and experience that is sufficient to exempt a professional from the training requirements in subsection (2) of this section.
(6) (a) The cabinet shall develop a model list of training programs in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.
(b) When developing the model list, the cabinet shall:
1. Consider suicide assessment, treatment, and management training programs of at least six (6) hours in length listed on the best practices registry of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and
2. Consult with the boards, public and private institutions of higher education, experts in suicide assessment, treatment, and management, and affected professional associations.
(7) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to expand or limit the scope of practice of any profession regulated under KRS Title XXVI.
(8) The cabinet and the boards affected by this section shall adopt any administrative regulations necessary to implement this section.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 25, sec. 19, effective June 29, 2023. — Amended
2015 Ky. Acts ch. 29, sec. 18, effective June 24, 2015. — Amended 2014 Ky. Acts ch. 64, sec. 2, effective July 15, 2014. — Created 2013 Ky. Acts ch. 17, sec. 1, effective June 25, 2013.