of the issuance of an Order regarding the Petition for Waiver or Variance, which was filed on April 10, 2014, by Elizabeth Fuentes-Martinez, M.S.Ed. The Notice of Petition for Waiver or Variance was published in Volume 40, Number 90, of the May 8, ...

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

64B4-31.007Definition of a “Licensed Mental Health Counselor or the Equivalent, Who Is a Qualified Supervisor.”

The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling hereby gives notice of the issuance of an Order regarding the Petition for Waiver or Variance, which was filed on April 10, 2014, by Elizabeth Fuentes-Martinez, M.S. Ed. The Notice of Petition for Waiver or Variance was published in Volume 40, Number 90, of the May 8, 2014, Florida Administrative Register. The Petitioner was seeking a waiver or variance of paragraph 64B4-31.007(2)(a), Florida Administrative Code, entitled, ‘Definition of a “Licensed Mental Health Counselor or the Equivalent, Who Is a Qualified Supervisor,” which requires that qualified supervisors who provide supervision in Florida for interns and trainees must meet the equivalency standards of subsection (1) and have completed five (5) years of clinical experience, two (2) years of which can be earned during a post-masters clinical internship with the remaining three (3) years of experience earned post-licensure. The Board considered the instant Petition at a duly-noticed meeting, held April 24-25, 2014, in Tampa, Florida.

The Board’s Order, filed on May 28, 2014, denied the petition finding that Petitioner had failed to establish that the purpose of the underlying statute would be met by granting a variance or waiver from paragraph 64B4-31.007(2)(a), F.A.C. The Board further finds that Petitioner failed to establish that applying the requirements of the aforementioned Rule to her circumstances would violate principles of fairness and impose substantial hardship.

A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting: Sue Foster, Executive Director, Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C08, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3258.