 LEGISLATIVE ALERT
American Mental Health Counselors Association
801 N. Fairfax Street, Ste. 304
Alexandria, VA 22314
Major Advance for the Profession!TRICARE Rules Released Authorizing Independent Practice for “CMHCs”
Washington, DC – December 27, 2011 – Long-awaited TRICARE rules authorizing independent practice for “Certified Mental Health Counselors” (CMHCs) were released in today’s Federal Register, December 27, 2011, 32 CFR Part 199. The new rules advance mental health counselor provider participation requirements from working under the supervision and referral of a physician to autonomous practice and third-party reimbursement.
The rule, released in interim final form, establishes a transition period to phase out the requirement for physician referral and supervision for mental health counselors and creates a new category of allied health professional known as “certified mental health counselors” (CMHCs). Once phased in, CMHCs will be the only authorized mental health counselors to participate under TRICARE. The provider standards will be fully in force on January 1, 2015, meaning that all CMHCs that want to serve TRICARE beneficiaries must qualify under the new rules by December 31, 2014. The new rules include a critical grandfather provision for current practitioners, and also rapidly accelerate national movement toward CACREP accreditation for clinical mental health counseling programs.
During a transition period from today’s release date until December 31, 2014, mental health counselors who do not meet the requirements for independent practice as established in the rule may continue to provide services to TRICARE beneficiaries under the requirements of physician referral and ongoing supervision. When the transition period ends on December 31, 2014, all CMHCs who seek to continue providing services under the TRICARE program must have met the independent practice requirements outlined in the rule. After that date, professionals who do not meet the requirements for CMHC participation will no longer be recognized by TRICARE and payment for their services will not be allowed even if they work under the supervision of a physician.
New Provider Participation Standard
Grandfather Provision: To practice independently, CMHCs must meet one of the following two quality standards on or before December 31, 2014:
- Possess a master’s or higher-level degree from a mental health counseling program of education and training accredited by CACREP and must have passed the National Counselor Examination (NCE); or
- Possess a master’s or higher-level degree from a mental health counseling program of education and training from either a CACREP or regionally accredited institution and have passed the NCMHCE.
Required CACREP accreditation and NCMHCE passage after December 31, 2014: A CMHC entering the program on or after January 1, 2015:
- Must pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) or its successor as determined by TRICARE; and
- Must possess a master’s or higher level degree from a mental health counseling program of education and training accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
A CMHC must also be licensed for independent practice in mental health counseling by the jurisdiction where practicing. In jurisdictions with two or more licenses allowing for differing scopes of independent practice, the licensed mental health counselor may only practice within the scope of the license he or she possesses. The rules also permit TRICARE to amend or modify their requirements, qualifications or criteria in the future to accommodate professional quality and licensing standards as they may change over time.
AMHCA Supervision Standards Incorporated
CMHCs must have a minimum of two (2) years of post-master’s degree supervised mental health counseling practice, which includes a minimum of 3,000 hours of supervised clinical practice and 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. Required supervision must be provided by a mental health counselor who is licensed for independent practice in mental health counseling in the jurisdiction where practicing and must be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the guidelines for supervision of the “American Mental Health Counselors Association.”
Background
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that independent practice of mental health counselors under TRICARE should occur under certain circumstances. Their recommended provider participation criteria included, “A master’s or higher level degree in counseling from a program in mental health counseling or clinical mental health counseling that is accredited by CACREP; a state license in mental health counseling at the clinical or the higher or highest level available in states that have tiered licensing schemes; passage of the NCMHCE; and a well-defined scope of practice for practitioners.” The TRICARE rule will implement these standards over time while preserving the requirement for 3,000 hours of supervised clinical practice and 100 hours of face-to-face supervision. The rule also expressed TRICARE’s commitment to ensuring that the quality standards recommended by the IOM are adopted by program, but the agency understands that the availability of CACREP accredited mental health counseling training programs and the use of the NCMHCE as a quality standard are not yet widespread in the field.
AMHCA plans to release further analysis and guidance to its members on this important new rule.
Useful Links
CACREP Accreditation
NCMHCE and NCE (NBCC)
AMHCA Standards for the Practice of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Contact James K. Finley, AMHCA Director of Public Policy, at 800-326-2642, X-105, or via e-mail.
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