Psychiatric pharmacists

AN ACT Relating to allowing board-certified psychiatric 1
pharmacists to be licensed as agency-affiliated counselors; and 2
amending RCW 18.19.090. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 18.19.090 and 2023 c 425 s 15 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) Application for agency affiliated counselor, certified 7
counselor, certified adviser, or hypnotherapist must be made on forms 8
approved by the secretary. The secretary may require information 9
necessary to determine whether applicants meet the qualifications for 10
the credential and whether there are any grounds for denial of the 11
credential, or for issuance of a conditional credential, under this 12
chapter or chapter 18.130 RCW. The application for agency affiliated 13
counselor, certified counselor, or certified adviser must include a 14
description of the applicant's orientation, discipline, theory, or 15
technique. Each applicant shall pay a fee determined by the secretary 16
as provided in RCW 43.70.250, which shall accompany the application.17
(2) Applicants for agency affiliated counselor must provide 18
satisfactory documentation that they are employed by an agency, have 19
an offer of employment from an agency, or are a student intern as 20
defined by the department. 21
S-0647.1
SENATE BILL 5452
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Slatter and Nobles
Read first time 01/23/25. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-
Term Care.
p. 1 SB 5452
(3) Applicants for certified agency affiliated counselor must 1
complete the following: 2
(a) A bachelor's degree in counseling or one of the social 3
sciences from an accredited college or university which includes 4
coursework specified in subsection (5) of this section; and5
(b) At least five years of experience in direct treatment of 6
persons with a mental disorder that was gained under the supervision 7
of a mental health professional who is able to independently provide 8
mental health assessments and diagnoses according to the scope of 9
practice of the mental health professional's credential.10
(4) Applicants for licensed agency affiliated counselor must 11
complete the following: 12
(a) An advanced degree in counseling or one of the social 13
sciences from an accredited college or university which includes 14
coursework specified in subsection (5) of this section((;)), and15
(((b) At)) at least two years of experience in direct treatment 16
of persons with a mental disorder that was gained under the 17
supervision of a mental health professional who is able to 18
independently provide mental health assessments and diagnoses 19
according to the scope of practice of the mental health 20
professional's credential; or21
(b) An advanced degree in health care from an accredited college 22
or university which includes coursework specified in subsection (5) 23
of this section, with at least two years of experience in behavioral 24
health care, including board-certified psychiatric pharmacists.25
(5) Applicants for a certified or licensed agency affiliated 26
counselor credential must have ((counseling-specific)) counseling or 27
health care coursework as determined by the department in rule.28
(6)(a) Applicants for licensed agency affiliated counselor are 29
not required to meet the coursework requirements in subsection (5) of 30
this section if, prior to the effective date of the rules adopted 31
under subsection (5) of this section, the applicant held a mental 32
health professional designation based on meeting one of the following 33
criteria: 34
(i) The applicant held an advanced degree in counseling or one of 35
the social sciences from an accredited college or university and had 36
two years of experience in direct treatment of persons with mental 37
illness or emotional disturbance that was gained under the 38
supervision of a mental health professional recognized by the 39
department or attested to by a licensed behavioral health agency;40
p. 2 SB 5452
(ii) The applicant met the waiver criteria of RCW 71.24.260, and 1
the waiver was granted prior to 1986; or 2
(iii) The applicant had an approved waiver to perform the duties 3
of a mental health professional, that was requested by the behavioral 4
health organization and granted by the mental health division prior 5
to July 1, 2001. 6
(b) Applicants for certified agency affiliated counselor are not 7
required to meet the coursework requirements in subsection (5) of 8
this section if, prior to the effective date of the rules adopted 9
under subsection (5) of this section, the applicant met the 10
bachelor's degree and experience requirements in subsection (3) of 11
this section. 12
(c) Applicants for licensed or certified agency affiliated 13
counselors eligible for the legacy provision under this subsection 14
must apply to the department before July 1, 2027. After that date all 15
new applicants must meet the requirements in subsections (3) and (4) 16
of this section. "New applicants" does not include those reinstating 17
a previously issued agency affiliated counselor certification.18
(7) At the time of application for initial certification, 19
applicants for certified counselor prior to July 1, 2010, are 20
required to: 21
(a) Have been registered for no less than five years at the time 22
of application for an initial certification; 23
(b) Have held a valid, active registration that is in good 24
standing and be in compliance with any disciplinary process and 25
orders at the time of application for an initial certification;26
(c) Show evidence of having completed coursework in risk 27
assessment, ethics, appropriate screening and referral, and 28
Washington state law and other subjects identified by the secretary;29
(d) Pass an examination in risk assessment, ethics, appropriate 30
screening and referral, and Washington state law, and other subjects 31
as determined by the secretary; and 32
(e) Have a written consultation agreement with a credential 33
holder who meets the qualifications established by the secretary.34
(8) Unless eligible for certification under subsection (7) of 35
this section, applicants for certified counselor or certified adviser 36
are required to: 37
(a)(i) Have a bachelor's degree in a counseling-related field, if 38
applying for certified counselor; or 39
p. 3 SB 5452
(ii) Have an associate degree in a counseling-related field and a 1
supervised internship, if applying for certified adviser;2
(b) Pass an examination in risk assessment, ethics, appropriate 3
screening and referral, and Washington state law, and other subjects 4
as determined by the secretary; and 5
(c) Have a written supervisory agreement with a supervisor who 6
meets the qualifications established by the secretary.7
(9) Each applicant shall include payment of the fee determined by 8
the secretary as provided in RCW 43.70.250. 9
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p. 4 SB 5452