Resolve, To Change the Educational Requirements of Behavioral Health Professionals Providing Services for Children
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1424
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: SALISBURY, MADIGAN, CLAXTON

Legislative Document
No. 1424
H.P. 1040
House of Representatives, April 12, 2021
Resolve, To Change the Educational Requirements of Behavioral 
Health Professionals Providing Services for Children
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 8, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on Health 
and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 
401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook.
Cosponsored by Representative: MADIGAN of Waterville, Senator: CLAXTON of 
Androscoggin.
Sec. 1.  Department of Health and Human Services to amend rules 
governing educational requirements for behavioral health professionals 
providing services for children.  Resolved:  That, no later than October 1, 2021, the 
Department of Health and Human Services shall amend its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare 
Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 28 and Section 65 to change the educational 
requirements for all behavioral health professionals providing services for children, 
regardless of the setting in which the service is provided, and for such behavioral health 
professionals to receive training to provide specialized services to allow the following 
educational requirements:
1. A minimum of 60 higher education credit hours in a related field of social services, 
human services, health or education;
2.  A minimum of 90 higher education credit hours in an unrelated field; or
3.  A high school diploma or equivalent with the provider agency required to have a 
specific plan for supervision and training documented in the personnel file of the employee.
The changes to educational requirements required by this resolve do not affect the 
requirements for behavioral health professional training and the prescribed time frames.
Sec. 2.  Training within existing resources.  Resolved:  That the Department of 
Health and Human Services shall amend or establish contracts to train any number of 
additional individuals to become behavioral health professionals providing services for 
children pursuant to section 1, regardless of the setting in which the service is provided, 
within existing resources.  The department may make any changes necessary, including 
choosing to charge individuals or their employers fees for training, in order to offer training 
within existing resources.
SUMMARY
This resolve changes the educational requirements for behavioral health professionals 
providing services for children, regardless of the setting in which the service is provided, 
to a minimum of 60 credit hours in a related field, 90 credit hours in an unrelated field or a 
high school diploma with a plan for supervision and training.  The same changes to the 
educational requirements apply for a behavioral health professional to be eligible to receive 
training to provide specialized services.  It also requires the Department of Health and 
Human Services to amend or establish contracts for training behavioral health professionals 
to train any number of additional individuals within existing resources, and authorizes the 
department to opt to charge individuals or their employers fees for training.