Sec. 712. Licensure of mental health professionals in TRICARE program
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/bill/114/hr/1735/rh/section-712·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that a qualified mental health professional described in subsection
(b)is eligible for reimbursement under the TRICARE program as a TRICARE certified mental health counselor. A qualified mental health care professional described in this subsection is an individual who— holds a masters degree or doctoral degree in counseling from a mental health counseling program or clinical mental health counseling program that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; is licensed by a State in mental health counseling at the clinical level or, with respect to a State that has a tiered licensing scheme, at the highest level available; and has passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination. During the period preceding January 1, 2027, for purposes of subsection (a), an individual who meets the following criteria is deemed to be a qualified mental health care professional described in subsection (b): The individual holds a masters degree or doctoral degree in counseling from a program that is accredited by a covered institution. The individual has been licensed by a State as a mental health counselor for a period of not less than five years. In this section: The term covered institution means any of the following: The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC-WASC). The Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE). The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS)Commission on Colleges. The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WASC-SCUC). The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). The Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC). The term State includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and each possession of the United States. The term TRICARE program has the meaning given that term in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.