MCCA is a
State chapter of the
American
Mental Health Counselors Association
MCCA is a
State chapter of the
American
Mental Health Counselors Association
CHAPTER 8 Section 1 of the Rules of the Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure describes the Professional Disclosure Statement required for all counselors licensed or registered in Maine. This disclosure statement must be made available to all clients, and must be submitted to the Board with any application for licensure or registration, including renewals.
Disclosure materials provided by agencies usually do not include ALL the
requirements of Section 1, for example:
"B. A listing of degrees, credentials, and licenses, including the original date
and expiration date of the license obtained under this title; When a counselor
is licensed conditionally, that condition is stated and explained;"
and
"H. A statement indicating that the practice of counseling is regulated by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, and an address and telephone number for the registration of complaints."
such as:
"The practice of counseling is regulated by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. Complaints may be registered by contacting:
Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure
State House Station #35
Augusta ME 04333
Phone: (207) 624-8500
It is suggested that counselors employed by agencies check the disclosure materials provided by the agency, and then prepare a supplementary page, including any additional information required by Section 1. All of these materials may be submitted to the Board at the appropriate time.
Counselors not currently seeing clients are also required to submit Disclosure Statements, which they may use in future practice. These counselors should indicate that part of Section 1 A (business address and business telephone), and Section 1 G (fee schedule, hours of business, and policy regarding third party payments) do not currently apply to them, since they are not currently working as counselors.
The Disclosure Statement MUST include: "A statement indicating the limits and scope of confidentiality and privileged communication (covering harm, abuse, court ordered and voluntary release)." The lack of such a statement is the most common reason for the Board not accepting a submitted Disclosure Statement.
For example:
"Clients have the right to expect complete confidentiality except as required by law:
This requirement, "A general statement outlining a proposed course of treatment", refers to the counselor’s usual processes of intake, assessment, goal setting, and treatment planning. In other words, what framework can a prospective client expect? What is your usual approach to working with people?