Trained In One State, Licensed In Another. How to get licensed in a state different from where you got your degree.

Trained In One State, Licensed In Another.

How to get licensed in a state different from where you got your degree.

When I moved from Connecticut to California my plan was simple enough. I was going to get my PhD in clinical psychology from an APA accredited school, then move back home and start my career. Things got a little bit more complicated when I changed my mind about my career path less than a year later, and realized that I wanted to be a marriage and family therapist. Yes, things did get more complicated because my preferred educational institution was not COAMFTE accredited. As cited on the AAMFT web site:

The Commission of Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education is a specialized accrediting body that accredits master's degree, doctoral degree, and post-graduate degree clinical training programs in marriage and family therapy throughout the United States and Canada. Since 1978, the COAMFTE has been recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) as the national accrediting body for the field of marriage and family therapy. (AAMFT 2011)

In Connecticut, one needs to have graduated from a COAMFTE accredited school, or from a program that meets COAMFTE criteria (CT CPH). As in many other states, if one has a degree from a non-COAMFTE accredited school, one must provide syllabus and course description documentation sufficient enough to convince board reviewers that the criteria have been met.  This also means that the clinical hours and supervision criteria for pre-graduate practicum must have been met and, subsequently, post graduate internship have to be completed in the licensing state, according to state criteria. 

While I mentioned recently that this made my projected career path more complication, it did not feel this way at the time because, as I enthusiastically started my new training program in advanced standing, feeling proud that I was gong to get a terminal degree which would allow me to have the carer I wanted without 5-7 years of graduate school in a PhD program - I had absolutely no idea whatsoever about how convoluted it would be to get my education approved in another state, not could I have anticipated the intricate labyrinth of state policy and statutes that i would bewilderingly stumble through. 

I believe I was coming to the end of my 2nd year of the 3 year Masters in Counseling Psychology program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Like several other graduate schools in CA at that time, while ITP was not COAMFTE accredited if met criteria for licensure in California. So, knowing how steeped the history of marriage and family therapy is in The Golden State, I thought what many had figured. Indeed, I believed what I was told by teachers and mentors, that if you could get licensed in CA, you could get licensed anywhere. Well one could imagine my surprise when I thought that I would just check things out before registering for the courses of my last year in graduate school.  The first thing that I learned was that one could not make up courses after they had graduated in order to meet Connecticut criteria. So, then I had to compare my course curricula to those specified on the CT DPH web site.  Before even making my assessment, I needed to convert my school’s trimester credits to (more standard) semester credits. I learned that I needed to add a couple of courses to my program of study. Then I learned that while CA only required 500 LMFT supervised hours of pre-graduate practicum,  Connecticut needed 1000. I needed to continue graduate school even thought I had met the criteria to graduate, in order to ensure that I could continue my career in Connecticut. This meant working over-time at multiple practicum placements if I did not want to delay graduation. 

If I in any way led the reader to believe that finding this information was easy, let me take the opportunity to clarify. In an age where we are used to finding out everything we need to know through the Internet, one will swiftly encounter disappointment when attempting to research licensure out of graduate school for a different state. Most state licensing boards refer to state statutes for many critical pieces of information, such as ... what an approved supervisor is, and what the ratio of group to individual supervision is. Moreover, the definition of individual or group supervisor can actually vary, for example, some states refer to individual supervision as 2 or less supervises with one supervisor, but not all states agree on this. 

Also, language can vary. What one state calls a pre-graduate practicum, another may call an internship, and what one state refers to as an internship, another state may call post-graduate practicum. I had to find out through a phone call with CT DPH that courses could not be made up after graduating. This critical piece of information was on available   in the licensing criteria published on the state web site, nor was it anywhere i could find in the several related state statutes that I read in my preparation. 

While this information was cumbersome it’s acquisition, it made my licensure in Connecticut feasible. Moreover, I knew more about the licensure process than my counterparts in the state while I was accruing my post-graduate experience subsequently getting my license. To anyone considering graduate school in a place other than the state where they wish to get licensed for marriage and family therapy, I would suggest the following guidelines. 

1. Research statutes: This means finding your state board’s regulatory web site and looking up the criteria for licensure. I also means looking up the relates state statutes and reading them over for any details that might pertain to your program; One should also call and ask any questions not addressed in the specified criteria or relates statutes. I knew my contact at the DPH by first name. I called her often, and we exchanged emails when I needed clarification several times. It is never too early to start this one, I would recommend doing this before even committing to your graduate program.
2. Customize Your Curriculum: If you completed number 1 early, you might  just pick a COAMFTE accredited program. If, as I did, you want a specialized program and are willing to take extra steps to get licensed, then work closely with you school’s registrar from the start to plan out a custom curriculum. Make sure your school will allow it. Most would would probably not have a problem in your wanting to register for more classes, especially since it may mean having to pay increased or extend tuition. 
3. Be prepared: Save multiple copies of your proof of your pre-graduate practicum forms. Also save a copy of your course catalogues with course descriptions for each year. Save a copy of each course syllabus. Get the forms signed for the state that you will get licensed in. I had them signed in California, asked the chair of the program to keep an extra copy on file, and then kept my copy in a safe for 2 years. Do not be surprised if your state licensing board wants pre-graduate practicum documents, and course curriculum, send directly from your school. 

Becoming an LMFT is an enriching, thrilling, and wonderful endeavor. One should take measures to ensure that the hard work it requires is not done in vain.  This article is an effort to help those planning to get licensed in a state other than that where they receive their graduate training, to do so with as few unwanted surprises as possible. By following these guidelines most people should have an easier, and smoother time planning out their career and path towards MFT licensure.