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Agency 102

Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board

Article 7.—Licensing of Addiction Counselors

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102-7-4. Application for licensure. (a) Each applicant for licensure as an addiction counselor, a masters addiction counselor, or a clinical addiction counselor shall request the appropriate licensure application forms from the executive director of the board.
(b) Each applicant for licensure as an addiction counselor shall submit the completed application materials to the board and perform the following:
(1) Submit the full payment of the licensure application fee as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2;
(2) submit, on board-approved forms, two professional references. Each individual submitting a reference shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant;
(B) be authorized by law to practice addiction counseling or to practice in the behavioral sciences, at the bachelors level or above; and
(C) be able to address the applicants professional conduct, competence, and specify whether the applicant merits the public trust;
(3) if not previously provided to the board, submit, on a board-approved form, a third professional reference from an individual who shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant; and
(B) (i) Have served as the applicants on-site practicum supervisor and be authorized by law to practice addiction counseling; or
(ii) if the supervisor specified in paragraph (b)(3)(B)(i) is unavailable, be the program director or any person who has knowledge of the applicants practicum experience on the basis of the applicants practicum records; and
(4) meet one of the following requirements:
(A) Currently hold a license issued by the board at the masters level or above;
(B) demonstrate that the applicant is licensed by the board as a baccalaureate social worker and has completed the coursework requirements specified in K.A.R. 102-7-3(c)(1), (4), and (9); or
(C) (i) Demonstrate completion of the educational requirements specified in K.A.R. 102-7-3; and
(ii) arrange for the applicants transcripts covering all applicable college or university coursework to be sent directly from each academic institution to the board office. Each applicant who graduated from a college or university outside the United States also shall arrange for the applicants transcript to be translated and evaluated for degree equivalency by a source and in a manner that are acceptable to the board.
(c) Each applicant for licensure as a masters addiction counselor shall submit the completed application materials to the board and perform the following:
(1) Submit the full payment of the licensure application fee as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2;
(2) submit, on board-approved forms, two professional references. Each individual submitting a reference shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant;
(B) be authorized by law to practice addiction counseling or to practice in the behavioral sciences, at the masters level or above; and
(C) be able to address the applicants professional conduct, competence, and specify whether the applicant merits the public trust;
(3) if not previously provided to the board, submit, on a board-approved form, a third professional reference from an individual who shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant; and
(B)(i) Have served as the applicants on-site graduate practicum supervisor and be authorized by law to practice addiction counseling; or
(ii) if the supervisor specified in paragraph (c)(3)(B)(i) is unavailable, be the program director or any person who has knowledge of the applicants graduate practicum experience on the basis of the applicants practicum records; and
(4) meet either of the following requirements:
(A) Currently hold a license issued by the board at the masters level; or
(B)(i) Demonstrate completion of the educational requirements specified in K.A.R. 102-7-3; and
(ii) arrange for the applicants graduate transcripts covering all applicable college or university coursework to be sent directly from each academic institution to the board office. Each applicant who graduated from a college or university outside the United States also shall arrange for the applicants transcript to be translated and evaluated for degree equivalency by a source and in a manner that are acceptable to the board.
(d) Each applicant for licensure as a clinical addiction counselor shall submit the completed application materials to the board and perform the following:
(1) Submit the full payment of the licensure application fee as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2;
(2) demonstrate that the applicant is licensed by the board as a masters addiction counselor or meets all requirements for licensure as a licensed masters addiction counselor;
(3) submit, on board-approved forms, two professional references. Each individual submitting a reference shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant;
(B) be authorized by law to practice clinical addiction counseling or practice in the behavioral sciences, at the clinical level; and
(C) be able to address the applicants professional conduct, and competence and specify whether the applicant merits the public trust;
(4) if not previously provided to the board, submit, on a board-approved form, a third professional reference from an individual who shall meet the following conditions:
(A) Not be related to the applicant; and
(B) (i) have served as the applicants on-site graduate practicum supervisor, and be authorized by law to practice addiction counseling at the masters level or above; or
(ii) if the supervisor specified in paragraph (d)(4)(B)(i) is unavailable, be the program director or any person who has knowledge of the applicants graduate practicum experience on the basis of the applicants practicum records; and
(5) meet one of the following requirements:
(A) Demonstrate that the applicant is licensed by the board as a masters addiction counselor and has completed a masters degree from a college or university approved by the board; or
(B)(i) Demonstrate satisfactory completion of the graduate education requirements specified in K.A.R. 102-7-3; and
(ii) if not previously provided to the board, arrange for the applicants graduate-level transcripts covering all applicable college or university coursework to be sent directly from each academic institution to the board office. Each applicant who graduated from a college or university outside the United States also shall arrange for the applicants transcript to be translated and evaluated for degree equivalency by a source and in a manner that are acceptable to the board; and
(6) submit each supervisors attestation that the applicant has satisfactorily completed the postgraduate supervised professional experience requirements in accordance with a clinical supervision training plan approved by the board as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-6.
(e) Each applicant for licensure as a clinical addiction counselor who currently holds a license as a psychologist or a board-issued clinical license shall submit the completed application materials to the board and perform the following:
(1) Submit the full payment of the licensure application fee as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2; and
(2) submit, on a board-approved form, an attestation that meets the requirements in K.S.A. 65-6610(c)(2)(D), and amendments thereto.
(f) The following provisions shall apply to each applicant for licensure as an addiction counselor a masters addiction counselor, or a clinical addiction counselor:
(1) Upon the boards determination that the applicant has met the applicable educational requirements, each applicant shall pass an appropriate, nationally administered, standardized written examination approved by the board in accordance with K.A.R. 102-7-5.
(2) An applicant shall not be given a judgment on the applicants eligibility for licensure until the board receives all application materials and the applicant completes all application procedures.
(3) Upon notification from the board that all eligibility requirements have been satisfied, the applicant shall submit the fee for the original two-year licensure period as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2.
(A) If either of the following conditions applies to the applicant, the applicants application shall expire one year from the date on which it was submitted to the board or on the date the applicants temporary license expires, whichever date is later, except as provided by paragraph (f)(3)(B):
(i) The applicant has not met the qualifications for licensure.
(ii) The applicant has not submitted a complete application.
(B) Any applicant whose application will expire under paragraph (f)(3)(A) may request that the application be kept open for an additional period of time, not to exceed six months, on the basis of extenuating circumstances. The applicant shall submit a written request to the board with a detailed explanation of the extenuating circumstances that are the basis of the applicants request. The written request shall be submitted no later than 30 days before the application expires. If the request is approved by the board, the application shall remain open for the period of time stipulated by the board in its approval, which shall not exceed six months.
(C) Upon expiration of the application, the applicant may submit a new application, the required fee, and all supporting documents if the applicant wants to reapply.
(g)(1) Any applicant for licensure as an addiction counselor or a masters addiction counselor who is determined by the board to meet the requirements of K.S.A. 65-6610, (a)(1), (2), (4), and (5) or (b)(1)(A), (B), (D), and (E), and amendments thereto, may be granted a temporary license if the applicant submits a written request for a temporary license on a form approved by the board and the temporary license fee as specified in K.A.R. 102-7-2. Except as provided in paragraph (g)(2), the temporary license shall remain in effect for 24 months.
(2) Any applicant whose 24-month temporary license is due to expire may request that the temporary license remain in effect for a period of time not to exceed six months on the basis of extenuating circumstances. The applicant shall submit a written request to the board with a detailed explanation of the extenuating circumstances that are the basis of the applicants request. The written request shall be submitted no later than 30 days before the application expires. If the request is approved by the board, the temporary license shall remain in effect for the period of time stipulated by the board in its approval, which shall not exceed six months.
(h) For purposes of this regulation, the term extenuating circumstances shall mean any condition caused by events beyond a persons control that is sufficiently extreme in nature to result in either of the following:
(1) The persons inability to comply with the requirements of this regulation within the time frames established by this regulation or K.S.A. 65-6611, and amendments thereto; or
(2) the inadvisability of requiring the applicant to comply with the requirements of this regulation within the time frames established by this regulation and K.S.A. 65-6611, and amendments thereto. (Authorized by K.S.A. 74-7507; implementing K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 65-6610, K.S.A. 2023 Supp. 65-6611 and K.S.A. 74-7507; effective, T-102-7-1-11, July 1, 2011; effective, T-102-10-27-11, Oct. 27, 2011; effective Jan. 20, 2012; amended June 21, 2024.)
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