Alabama Administrative Code › Title 536 - ALABAMA BOARD OF EXAMINERS IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY › Chapter 536-X-7 - GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINE AND ETHICAL STANDARDS › Section 536-X-7-.01 - Grounds For Discipline And Ethical Standards

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
The Board may deny, revoke, or suspend a license granted
				pursuant to the Marriage and Family Therapy Act on any of the following
				grounds:
(1) Conviction of a crime
			 which the Board determines to be of a nature as to render the person convicted
			 unfit to practice marriage and family therapy. The Board shall compile,
			 maintain, and publish a list of the crimes.
(2) Violation of ethical standards of a
			 nature as to render the person found by the board to be unfit to practice
			 marriage and family therapy. The Board shall publish and maintain the ethical
			 standards. Either as an alternative to, or as an additional disciplinary
			 action, the Board may levy an administrative fine of up to five hundred dollars
			 ($500) for an ethical violation.
(3) Fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a
			 license.
(4) Other just and
			 sufficient cause which renders a person unfit to practice marriage and family
			 therapy, such as, but not limited to the following:
(a) Violations of rules, regulations, and
			 standards set forth by the Board.
(b) Violations of the ethical standards for
			 marriage and family therapists.
(c)
			 Professional incompetency.
(d)
			 Knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations in
			 the practice of the profession or engaging in unethical conduct or practice
			 harmful or detrimental to the public. Proof of actual injury need not be
			 established.
(e) Habitual
			 intoxication or addiction to the use of drugs.
(f) Conviction of a felony related to the
			 profession or occupation of the licensee or the conviction of any felony that
			 would affect the licensee's ability to practice within a profession. A copy of
			 the record of conviction or plea of guilty shall be conclusive
			 evidence.
(g) Fraud in
			 representations as to skill or ability.
(h) Use of untruthful or improbable
			 statements in advertisements.
(i)
			 Willful or repeated violations of the provisions of the Marriage and Family
			 Therapy Licensure Act and the Rules and Regulations of the Alabama Board of
			 Examiners in Marriage and Family Therapy.
(j) Personal disqualifications:
1. Mental or physical inability reasonably
			 related to and adversely affecting the licensee's ability to practice in a safe
			 and competent manner.
2.
			 Involuntary commitment for treatment of mental illness, drug addiction or
			 alcoholism.
(k) Holding
			 oneself out as a licensee when the license has expired, been suspended or
			 revoked or no license has been granted.
(l) Revocation, suspension, or other
			 disciplinary action taken by a mental health licensing authority of any state,
			 territory, or country; or failure by the licensee to report in writing to the
			 Board a revocation, suspension, or other disciplinary action taken by a mental
			 health licensing authority of any sate, territory, or county.
(m) Negligence by the licensee in the
			 practice of the profession, which is a failure to exercise due care including
			 negligent delegation to or supervision of employees or other individuals,
			 whether or not injury results; or any conduct, practice or conditions which
			 impair the ability to safely and skillfully practice the profession.
(n) Prohibited acts consisting of the
			 following:
1. Permitting another person to use
			 the license for any purpose.
2.
			 Practice outside the scope of the license.
3. Obtaining, possession, or attempting to
			 obtain or possess a controlled substance without lawful authority; or selling,
			 prescribing, giving away, or administering controlled substances.
4. Verbally or physically abusing
			 clients.
5. Any sexual intimidation
			 or sexual relationship between a licensee and a client.
(o) Unethical business practices, consisting
			 of any of the following:
1. False or
			 misleading advertising.
2. Betrayal
			 of a professional confidence.
3.
			 Falsifying client's records.
(p) Failure to report to the Board a change
			 of name or address within sixty (60 days after it occurs.
(q) Failure to comply with a subpoena issued
			 by the Board, or to otherwise fail to cooperate with an investigation conducted
			 by the Board.
Author:
The Alabama Board of Examiners in Marriage
				and Family Therapy