Sec. 7.5. "Practice of mental health counseling" means a specialty that:

(1) uses counseling and psychotherapeutic techniques based on principles, methods, and procedures of counseling that assist people in identifying and resolving personal, social, vocational, intrapersonal, and interpersonal concerns;

(2) uses counseling to evaluate and treat emotional and mental problems and conditions in a variety of settings, including mental and physical health facilities, child and family service agencies, or private practice, and including the use of accepted evaluation classifications, including classifications from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as amended and supplemented, but only to the extent of the counselor's education, training, experience, and scope of practice as established by this article;

(3) administers and interprets appraisal instruments that the mental health counselor is qualified to employ by virtue of the counselor’s education, training, and experience;

(4) uses information and community resources for personal, social, or vocational development;

(5) uses individual and group techniques for facilitating problem solving, decision making, and behavioral change;

(6) uses functional assessment and vocational planning guidance for persons requesting assistance in adjustment to a disability or disabling condition;

(7) uses referrals for individuals who request counseling services; and

(8) uses and interprets counseling research.

The term does not include diagnosis (as defined in IC 25-22.5-1-1.1(c)).

As added by P.L.147-1997, SEC.24.