Senate Bill 119 addresses licensure of counselors

A bill signed into law May 17 by Gov. Roy Barnes will impact not only the state’s mental health care system but also Augusta State University. Senate Bill 119 addresses licensure of professional counselors and ends an eight-year battle led by the Georgia Association of Masters in Psychology and by Steve Hobbs, professor of psychology and former department chair. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Charles Walker.

Under the provisions of SB 119, graduates of the five applied masters programs in psychology in the University System of Georgia, including ASU, are now eligible to apply for licensure as LPCs and to have all of their required pre-license supervision provided by psychologists.

The other USG schools include Valdosta State University, State University of West Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and Georgia College and State University.

“This bill is the result of a number of years of effort to provide a viable professional license for persons with applied master’s degrees in psychology, and it addresses the issue of quality mental health services in the state, especially in institutional settings,” said Walker.

“One of the passions that I possess as a legislator is to ensure that persons with mental challenges have access to quality health care. This law is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Hobbs concurred, noting that there had been a trend for those persons with master’s degrees in psychology, although educated with Georgia taxpayer’s assistance, to relocate to other states where a more supportive professional environment existed. “The real winner here,” he
said, “is the state’s mental health delivery system.”

“I’m very happy to know that this bill is now a reality,” said Dr. William A. Bloodworth Jr., “because it means that ASU’s graduate program in psychology will continue to produce high-quality professionals in the field of mental health, for this community and elsewhere in Georgia.”

According to Hobbs, the master’s degree programs in applied psychology were authorized at ASU and four other University System of Georgia institutions to help meet the state’s mental health needs.

Over time, changes in the state’s mental health system and in managed care made it increasingly important for graduates of these programs to hold a professional license in order to be hired, perform their duties, and advance in their profession. SB 119 ensures that the counseling license will now be available for this purpose. Additionally, the bill makes it possible for counselors and
marriage and family therapists to provide services outside of traditional institutional settings under the state’s new rehabilitation option.