(A) Notwithstanding any provision in sections 4757.22 and 4757.23 of the Revised Code to the contrary, the counselors professional standards committee of the counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board may, by endorsement, issue a license to practice as a licensed professional clinical counselor or a licensed professional counselor to a person who is authorized to practice in another state even though the person does not hold a graduate degree in counseling if the person meets all of the following requirements:

(1) The person has a graduate degree in a field of study that demonstrates an education in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

(2) The person has continuously engaged in the practice of professional counseling in the other state for a period of five years or more immediately preceding the date the application is submitted.

(3) The person's scope of practice in the other state is comparable to the scope of practice associated with the license the person is requesting.

(4) The person's license, certificate, registration, or other authorization to practice in the other state is in good standing at the time the person submits the application.

(5) The person has not been disciplined by the regulatory authority of the other state that issued the license, certificate, registration, or other authorization for a period of five years or more preceding the date the application is submitted.

(6) The person has achieved a passing score on the examination required by the board for licensure as a licensed professional clinical counselor or a licensed professional counselor, as applicable.

(B) To meet the requirement of division (A)(1) of this section, the coursework the person completed to obtain the graduate degree must be comparable to the coursework required to obtain a degree in clinical mental health counseling from a program accredited by the council for accreditation of counseling and related educational programs.

(C) Before issuing a license to practice as a licensed professional clinical counselor by endorsement under this section, the committee shall require an applicant to complete not less than seven hundred fifty hours of supervised experience that is of a type approved by the committee.

Added by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.