Missouri Code of State Regulations › Title 20 - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE › Division 2233 - State Committee of Marital and Family Therapists › Chapter 3 - Ethical Standards › Section 20 CSR 2233-3.010 - General Principles

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 14, July 15, 2024
PURPOSE: This amendment rescinds unnecessary
				  regulatory language.
(1) The
				ethical standards (hereinafter standards) shall apply to the professional
				conduct of licensed marital and family therapists (LMFTs), supervisors,
				provisional licensed marital and family therapists (PLMFTs), supervised-marital
				and family therapists (S-MFTs), and applicants for licensure and supervision
				(hereinafter therapist or therapists). Professional practice includes, but is
				not limited to, the practice of marital and family therapy as defined in
				section
				337.700(7),
				RSMo, research, teaching and the supervision
				of students, supervisors, PLMFTs, and S-MFTs. A violation of these standards
				constitutes unprofessional conduct and is sufficient cause for the state
				committee to deny an application for licensure or for supervision and is
				sufficient cause for the state committee to discipline a license.
(2) Client or patient (hereinafter client) is
				a person, group, or any other recipient of marital and family therapy as
				defined in section
				337.700(7),
				RSMo, or the client's legal guardian. A
				corporate entity or other organization can be a client when the professional
				contract is to provide services that benefit the organization as well as the
				individual or group.
(3) The
				therapist shall limit the practice and the supervision of others to the areas
				in which competence has been gained through formal education, training derived
				through an organized and integrated sequence of study, and supervised
				professional experience in marital and family therapy. If important aspects of
				a client's issues fall outside the boundaries of the therapist's competency,
				the therapist shall assist the client in obtaining additional professional
				consultation. A licensed marital and family therapist shall not permit a PLMFT,
				S-MFT, or a supervisor receiving supervision to represent him/herself as
				capable of providing or to provide services that are beyond his/her level of
				training.
(4) The therapist shall
				maintain competency in the practice of marital and family therapy through
				continuing education, consultation, training, or any combination of these, in
				conformance with current standards of scientific and professional knowledge
				relative to the field of marital and family therapy.
(5) When developing competency in a new
				service or technique, the marital and family therapist shall engage in ongoing
				consultation with other therapists or relevant professionals and seek
				appropriate education and/or training in the new area, service, or technique.
				The therapist shall inform any client whose treatment will involve a newly
				developing service or technique of its innovative nature; the known risks
				associated with the new service or technique and the client's right to freedom
				of choice concerning services received.
(6) The therapist shall make or recommend
				referral to other professional, technical, or administrative resources when
				that referral is clearly in the best interest of the client. The well-being of
				the client shall be the primary consideration in the referral process. Referral
				for the purposes of financial gain shall be in violation of the ethical
				standards.
(7) The therapist
				providing marital and family therapy as defined in section
				337.700(7),
				RSMo, shall maintain client records that
				include:
(A) The presenting issue(s);
				and
(B) Any evaluative results and
				any test data from which the results were derived; and
(C) The date and description of each contact
				or service provided or pertaining to the client; and
(D) The nature, type and goals of any
				interventions; and
(E) The fee
				arrangement; and
(F) A copy of
				evaluative reports or correspondence prepared as part of the client-therapist
				relationship; and
(G) Notation and
				results of consultation with other providers; and
(H) Notation of referrals given or
				recommended to the client; and
(I)
				Informed consent as defined in
				20 CSR
				2233-3.020(1)(A)-(H).