Alabama Administrative Code › Title 536 - ALABAMA BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY › Chapter 536-X-5 - BOARD COURSE REQUIREMENTS › Section 536-X-5-.01 - Board Course Requirements

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
A master's degree in marriage and family therapy consisting of
				a minimum of forty-eight (48) graduate semester hours or seventy-two (72)
				graduate quarter hours at a regionally accredited college or university.
All applicants shall have a master's degree from a COAMFTE
				(Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education) or
				CACREP Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling accredit program (Council for
				Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs), or the content
				equivalent of COAMFTE or CACREP MCFC. Content equivalent is minimally defined
				as graduate course work in the six designated areas and other clinical
				treatment areas (e.g., assessment, abnormal psychology, group therapy,
				play-therapy, and sex-therapy) equaling 48 semester hours.
Graduate coursework will consist of the six areas deemed
				essential educational training for the practice of marriage and family therapy.
				This coursework will embrace a family systems perspective of human and family
				development and of treatment of individuals, couples, and families, either
				alone or in a group. This coursework will address the practice of marriage and
				family therapy through utilization of established principles that recognize the
				interrelated nature of the individual problems and dysfunctions in family
				members in order to assess and treat emotional, mental, and behavioral
				disorders.
Course equivalents: one (1) course = three (3) semester credits
				or four (4) quarter credits from a recognized educational institution; or
				forty-two (42) didactic contact hours (lecture hours)
(1)
Marriage and Family
			 Studies
(one (1) course minimum, with two (2) course minimum in
			 Human Development or two (2) courses, minimum with one (1) course minimum in
			 Human Development). Courses in this area should present a fundamental
			 introduction to systems theory. The student should learn to think in systems
			 terms across a wide variety of family and other social structures and a diverse
			 range of presenting issues (i.e., gender, culture, substance abuse). Topic
			 areas include: systems theory, family development, subsystems, blended
			 families, gender issues in families, cultural issues in families, etc. All
			 courses in this area must have a major focus from a systems theory orientation.
			 Survey or overview courses in which systems is one of several theories covered
			 do not qualify for this area. Courses in which systems theory is the major
			 focus and other theories are studies in relation to systems theory are
			 acceptable.
(2)
Marriage and Family Therapy
(three (3) courses,
			 minimum). Courses in this area should have a major focus on advanced family
			 systems theories and systemic therapeutic interventions. This area is intended
			 to provide a substantive understanding of the major theories of systems change
			 and the applied practices evolving from each theoretical orientation. Major
			 theoretical approaches might include: strategic, structural, object relations
			 family therapy, behavioral family therapy, communications family therapy,
			 intergenerational family therapy, and systemic sex therapy. Survey or overview
			 courses in which family therapy is one of several types of theories covered do
			 not qualify for this area.
(3)
Human Development
(one (1) course minimum, with two
			 (2) course minimum in Marriage and Family Studies or two (2) courses, minimum
			 with one (1) course minimum in Marriage and Family Studies). Courses in this
			 area should provide knowledge of individual personality development and its
			 normal and abnormal manifestations. The student should have relevant coursework
			 in human development across the life span which includes special issues that
			 affect an individual's development (i.e., culture, gender, and human
			 sexuality). The material should be integrated with systems concepts. Topic
			 areas may include human development, child/adolescent development,
			 psychopathology, personality, theory, human sexuality, etc. Test and
			 measurements courses do not qualify for this area.
(4)
Professional
			 Ethics
(one (1) course, minimum). Courses in this area are
			 intended to contribute to the professional development of the therapist. Areas
			 of study should include the therapist's legal responsibilities and liabilities,
			 professional issues and ethics as a marriage and family therapist, professional
			 socialization, and the role of the professional organization, licensure or
			 certification legislation, independent practice and interprofessional
			 cooperation. Religious ethics courses and moral theology courses do not qualify
			 for this area.
(5)
Research
(one (1) course, minimum). Courses in this
			 area should assist in understanding and performing research. Topic areas may
			 include: research methodology, quantitative methods, and statistics. Individual
			 personality, test and measurement and library research courses do not qualify
			 for this area.
(6) Mental Health
			 Diagnosis (one (1) course, minimum). The course in this area should assist in
			 understanding and treating psychological diagnosis related to the International
			 Classification of Diseases and/or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
			 Mental Disorders. Topic areas may include: major mental disorders and learning
			 disorders, personality disorders, neuro-biological disorders, intellectual
			 disabilities, acute medical conditions, addictions, sexual disorders, and
			 psycho-developmental and environmental factors contributing to disorders.
Note:
Graduates of programs, which at the time of
				the applicant's graduation were COAMFTE MCFC
accredited or
				candidate
programs, are deemed to have met the Board course
				requirements.
Chapter 536-X-4 was renumbered to Chapter 536-X-5 as per
				  certification filed July 10, 2006; effective August 14, 2 006.
Author:
The Alabama Board of Examiners in
				  Marriage and Family Therapy
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §§34-17A-1 thru 34-17A-26.
Author:
The Alabama Board of Examiners in
				  Marriage and Family Therapy
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §§
										34-17A-1 thru
				  34-17A-26.