Washington Administrative Code

To be listed in the licensed counselor supervisor directory, an individual provider shall:(1) Hold a license or retired active license that permits treatment of individuals in the state of Washington without restrictions and have been in good standing for the previous two years, …

To apply to be listed in the licensed counselor supervisor directory, a facility or agency must:(1) Provide mental health, substance use disorder, or co-occurring disorder services to persons with a behavioral health disorder;(2) Operate under the authority of one or more of the …

Licensed counselors licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW and this chapter are eligible to apply for a co-occurring disorder specialist enhancement to their existing license according to the conditions of RCW 18.205.105 and chapter 246-804 WAC.[Statutory Authority: 2019 c 444, 2019 c…

(1) The department shall issue a probationary license to out-of-state applicants seeking licensure in Washington state for an advanced social worker, independent clinical social worker, mental health counselor, or marriage and family therapist according to the conditions and rest…

(1) An applicant for licensure as a mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, or social worker, or associate licensure for one of these professions shall submit to the department:(a) A completed application on forms provided by the department;(b) Official transcript…

(1) Effective October 1, 2025, an individual may practice under a pending associate license for up to 120 days if they submit to the department a completed associate license application on forms provided by the department.(2) During the 120-day period, an associate shall:(a) Prac…

(1) Effective July 1, 2025, the licensed counselor supervisor stipend program is established by the department under RCW 18.225.180.(2) Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, each stipend amount shall be determined by the department and dependent on the…

Persons who submit an application for licensure as a marriage and family therapist by July 1, 2010, and who have held a registered counselor credential issued under chapter 18.19 RCW in good standing for five consecutive years since obtaining their master's degree in an approved …

The definitions in this section apply to the licensure of marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapist associates, in WAC 246-809-100 through 246-809-140 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Approved educational program" means:(a) Any college or …

(1) To meet the education requirement for full licensure or associate licensure an applicant must have a master's or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or a behavioral science master's or doctoral degree with equivalent course work from an approved school. An official…

(1) To meet the program equivalency requirement, an applicant must have course work equivalent to a master's or doctoral degree in each area of study described in subsection (2) of this section.(2) A total of forty-five semester credits or sixty quarter credits are required in th…

(1) The experience requirements for the marriage and family therapist applicant's practice area include successful completion of a supervised experience requirement. An applicant who has held an active marriage and family therapy license for the past year in another state, the Di…

(1) The approved supervisor must hold a license as defined per WAC 246-809-110. The license must be without restrictions and have been in good standing for the previous two years.(2) The approved supervisor must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the licensure cand…

Applicants for full licensure must take and pass the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) examination. The passing score on the examination is established by the testing company in conjunction with the AMFTRB.[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.225.040. W…

Persons who submit an application for licensure as a mental health counselor by July 1, 2010, and who have held a registered counselor credential issued under chapter 18.19 RCW in good standing for five consecutive years since obtaining their master's degree in an approved field,…

The following definitions apply to the licensure of mental health counselors and mental health counselor associates, in WAC 246-809-200 through 246-809-240.(1) "Approved educational program" means any college or university accredited by an accreditation body recognized by the Cou…

(1) To meet the education requirement for licensure as a mental health counselor or mental health counselor associate, an applicant must have a master's or doctoral degree in mental health counseling or a master's or doctoral degree in a behavioral science field relating to menta…

(1) Behavioral science in a field relating to mental health counseling includes a core of study relating to counseling theory and counseling philosophy.(2) Either a counseling practicum, or a counseling internship, or both, must be included in the core of study unless otherwise p…

(1) The experience requirements for the mental health counselor applicant's practice area include successful completion of a supervised experience requirement. An applicant who has held an active mental health counselor license for the past year in another state, the District of …

(1) The approved supervisor must hold a license as defined in WAC 246-809-210. The supervisor must be licensed without restrictions and have been in good standing for the previous two years.(2) The approved supervisor must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the lic…

(1) Applicants for licensure as a mental health counselor must pass an examination administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Applicants who pass the National Certification Examination (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCM…

Persons who submit an application for licensure as an advanced social worker or independent clinical social worker by July 1, 2010, and who have held a registered counselor credential issued under chapter 18.19 RCW in good standing for five consecutive years since obtaining their…

The following definitions apply to the licensure of independent clinical and advanced social workers and independent clinical and advanced social work associates, in WAC 246-809-300 through 246-809-340.(1) "Approved educational program" means a master's or doctoral educational pr…

The following are the education requirements for the social worker applicant's practice area:(1) Licensed advanced social worker or licensed social worker associate-advanced must have graduated from a master's social work educational program accredited by the Council on Social Wo…

(1)(a) Persons who obtained the Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work from the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work (ABECSW) shall be considered to have met the education and postgraduate experience requirements to be eligible for Washington state licen…

(1) Licensed advanced social worker.(a) An applicant who has held an active advanced social worker license for the past year or more in another state, the District of Columbia, or territory, without a disciplinary record or disqualifying criminal history, is deemed to have met th…

(1) The approved supervisor must hold a license as defined in WAC 246-809-310. The license is without restrictions and has been active and in good standing for the previous two years.(2) The approved supervisor must not be a blood or legal relative or cohabitant of the licensure …

(1) Either the American Association of State Social Work Board's advanced or clinical examination is approved for use as the state examination for licensure of social workers.(2) The department accepts the passing scores established by the testing company.[Statutory Authority: RC…

Licensed counselors must complete continuing education as required in WAC 246-809-630 and 246-809-632.[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.225.040. WSR 17-13-082, § 246-809-600, filed 6/16/17, effective 7/17/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.70.442(7). WSR 14-09-102, § 246-809-600, filed 4…

(1) The continuing education (CE) program or course for licensed counselors and associates must:(a) Be relevant to the profession; and(b) Contribute to the advancement, extension and enhancement of their professional competence.(2) Courses or workshops primarily designed to incre…

(1) A licensed counselor must, at least once every six years, complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.(2) A licensed counselor must complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The training must be provided by a single provider an…

Local, state, national, and international organizations that are industry-recognized and institutions of higher learning include, but are not limited to, the following:(1) Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy;(2) Washington State Society for Clinical Social Work…

(1) An associate shall complete 16 hours of continuing education as required in WAC 246-809-632.(2) A licensed social worker associate advanced and licensed social worker associate independent clinical shall complete six hours of suicide assessment, treatment, and management CE a…

(1) All licensed associates shall complete a total of 16 hours of continuing education (CE) every year in order to renew their license. The CEs must be completed in accordance with this chapter. An associate shall attest to completing the CE every year during the renewal.(2) Prof…

A licensed counselor who presents at an eligible continuing education (CE) activity under WAC 246-809-630 may receive the same CE credit hours as a licensee who attends the presentation. The hours for preparing and presenting a specific topic lecture or education may only be used…

Acceptable documentation for all licenses under this chapter shall include transcripts, letters from course instructors, certificate of completion, or other formal certification, as required in chapter 246-12 WAC.[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.225.040, 2021 c 276, 2020 c 76, and 20…

Licensees must provide disclosure information to each client in accordance with chapter 18.225 RCW prior to implementation of a treatment plan. The disclosure information must be specific to the type of treatment service offered; in a language that can be easily understood by the…

(1) The following information shall be provided to each client or patient at the commencement of any program of treatment:(a) Name of firm, agency, business, or licensee's practice;(b) Licensee's business address and telephone number;(c) Washington state license number;(d) The li…

Failure to provide the client disclosure information required under WAC 246-809-700 and 246-809-710, and required under RCW 18.225.100, constitutes an act of unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW 18.130.180(7).[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.225.040. WSR 04-06-011, § 246-809-720,…

(1) To obtain a retired active license a licensed counselor must comply with chapter 246-12 WAC.(2) A licensed counselor with a retired active license may practice no more than 90 days each year in Washington, or practice only in emergency circumstances such as earthquakes, flood…

(1) Except for a probationary license as described in WAC 246-809-095, a license must be renewed every year on the practitioner's birthday as provided in chapter 246-12 WAC.(2) An associate license is valid for one year and must be renewed every year on the date of issuance.(3) T…

The definitions in RCW 18.19.020 and this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Agency" means:(a) An agency or facility operated, licensed, or certified by the state of Washington to provide a specific counseling service or servi…

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to prohibit or restrict the activities and individuals outlined in RCW 18.19.040.[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.19.050, 18.19.090, 18.19.020, 2021 c 170, 2023 c 425, and 2024 c 371. WSR 25-06-010, s 246-810-011, filed 2/20/25, effective 7/1/…

(1) An applicant for an agency affiliated counselor, certified counselor, or certified adviser credential shall submit to the department:(a) An application on forms provided by the department under RCW 18.19.090;(b) Official transcripts to verify completion of any coursework and …

(1) For degree(s) obtained outside the United States and its territories, the applicant must have the transcript translated and evaluated by:(a) An organization that is a current member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES); or(b) An organization t…

(1) An employee of a state agency who is practicing counseling as part of their employment must be credentialed as an agency affiliated counselor unless they are exempt under WAC 246-810-011.(2) A person may not, for a fee or as a part of their employment with a state agency, pra…

(1) As required by chapter 26.44 RCW, all counselors shall immediately report abuse or neglect of a child if the counselor has reasonable cause to believe that an incident has occurred.(2) As required by chapter 74.34 RCW, all counselors must report suspected abandonment, abuse, …

A counselor shall not engage, or attempt to engage, in sexual misconduct with a current or former patient, client, or key party, inside or outside the practice setting. The definitions and prohibitions on sexual misconduct described in WAC 246-16-100 apply to counselors, with the…

An individual credentialed under this chapter and other mandatory reporters under chapter 246-16 WAC must report unprofessional conduct in compliance with the Uniform Disciplinary Act in chapter 18.130 RCW and the standards of professional conduct in chapter 246-16 WAC.[Statutory…

(1) An agency affiliated counselor may only provide counseling services within an agency and as defined in RCW 18.19.215.(2) An applicant shall submit an application to the department within the first 30 days of employment, or student internship placement, at an agency in order t…