The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling provide the following information to assist individuals from Puerto Rico who are seeking to work in Florida:
The Board is taking the steps to facilitate the verification of licensure.
- Collaborating with national professional organizations and regulatory organizations to find additional methods of verifying credentials for those who qualify for licensure, but encounter obstacles to obtaining original or official documentation.
- Exploring and educating applicants on alternative pathways to licensure which include: Limited License and Provisional License.
- Educating applicants from Puerto Rico on exempt practice settings that would not require licensure – 491.014 Exemptions:
(4) No person shall be required to be licensed, provisionally licensed, registered, or certified under this chapter who:
(a) Is a salaried employee of a government agency; a developmental disability facility or program; a mental health, alcohol, or drug abuse facility operating under chapter 393, chapter 394, or chapter 397; the statewide child care resource and referral network operating under s. 1002.92; a child-placing or child-caring agency licensed pursuant to chapter 409; a domestic violence center certified pursuant to chapter 39; an accredited academic institution; or a research institution, if such employee is performing duties for which he or she was trained and hired solely within the confines of such agency, facility, or institution, so long as the employee is not held out to the public as a clinical social worker, mental health counselor, or marriage and family therapist.
(b) Is a salaried employee of a private, nonprofit organization providing counseling services to children, youth, and families, if such services are provided for no charge, if such employee is performing duties for which he or she was trained and hired, so long as the employee is not held out to the public as a clinical social worker, mental health counselor, or marriage and family therapist.
(c) Is a student providing services regulated under this chapter who is pursuing a course of study which leads to a degree in a profession regulated by this chapter, is providing services in a training setting, provided such services and associated activities constitute part of a supervised course of study, and is designated by the title “student intern.”
(d) Is not a resident of this state but offers services in this state, provided:
1. Such services are performed for no more than 15 days in any calendar year; and
2. Such nonresident is licensed or certified to practice the services provided by a state or territory of the United States or by a foreign country or province.
