Certified addictions practitioners-certification amendments.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Requirements for Certified Addictions Practitioners

This law changes the educational requirements needed to become a certified addictions practitioner, including new degree and work experience options.

What This Bill Does

• Requires applicants to have either a bachelor's degree in a human behavioral discipline that meets national standards for addiction therapy or an equivalent level of education in addiction therapy.
• Allows people with degrees in other fields to become certified if they complete at least 2,000 hours of supervised work experience as a certified addictions practitioner assistant.
• Requires the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board to consult professional training and experience standards set by national associations or federal agencies when reviewing applications.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to become certified addictions practitioners
• The Mental Health Professions Licensing Board

Terms To Know

Certified Addictions Practitioner (CAP)

A professional who helps people with addiction issues and must meet certain education or work experience requirements.

Baccalaureate Degree

An undergraduate degree from a college or university, typically requiring four years of study.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law does not specify what happens to people who do not meet the new requirements.
• It is unclear how many current certified addictions practitioners will need to update their qualifications under these changes.

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 21LSO-0186
Bill No.:

HB0003

Effective:

7/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

LSO No.:

21LSO-0186

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0001

Chapter No.:

4

Prime Sponsor:

Joint Labor, Health & Social Services Interim Committee

Catch Title:

Certified addictions practitioners-certification amendments.

Subject:

Certified additions practitioners-certification amendments.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act amends the educational requirements to practice as a certified addictions practitioner under the Mental Health Professions Practice Act.

Through the act, applicants must either have a baccalaureate degree in a human

behavioral

discipline that meets

national standards for accreditation in the field of addiction therapy, as accepted

by the Mental Health Professions Licensing Board or

have received

a baccalaureate level equivalency in addiction therapy.

In reviewing an applicant's educational background, the Board is required to consult the professional training and experience standards of the appropriate national professional associations or the standards of an appropriate federal agency.

The act provides for an exception to specified education requirements for applicants that have received a baccalaureate degree in a human behavioral discipline, other than a degree in addiction therapy, and have demonstrated receiving not less than two thousand (2,000) hours of supervised work experience as a certified addictions practitioner assistant or equivalent in the field of addiction therapy.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

21LSO-0186

ORIGINAL House

Bill No
.
HB0003

ENROLLED ACT NO. 1,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2021 General Session

AN ACT relating to mental health professions licensing and certification; amending qualifications to practice as a certified addictions practitioner; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 33
‑
38
‑
106(c)(iii) and by creating a new paragraph (vii) is amended to read:

33
‑
38
‑
106.

Requirements for licensure and certification.

(c)

Certification under this subsection shall allow practice as a certified addictions practitioner only under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor and subject to any other restrictions which may be specified by the board. The board shall grant certification as a certified addictions practitioner to any applicant who files an application upon a form and in the manner prescribed by the board, accompanied by the appropriate fee and who furnishes satisfactory evidence to the board of the following:

(iii)

The applicant has received a baccalaureate degree in a human
resource
behavioral
discipline from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, which is professional in content and which meets
the academic and training content standards established
national standards for accreditation in the field of addiction therapy as accepted
by the board, or
has received
a baccalaureate level equivalency in addiction therapy.
In performing its duties under this paragraph, t
he board shall
use
consult
the professional training and experience
standards of
the
appropriate
national
professional associations
as established by the rules and regulations
or the standards of an appropriate federal agency
;

(vii)

Notwithstanding paragraphs (iii) and (vi) of this subsection, a person who has received a baccalaureate degree in a human behavioral discipline, other than a degree in addiction therapy, may be granted certification under this subsection after providing to the board satisfactory proof of completion of two thousand (2,000) hours of supervised work experience as a certified addictions practitioner assistant or equivalent in the field of addiction therapy.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1