Clinically Trained Mental Health Professional License & Application Instructions

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility for the Clinically Trained Mental Health Professional license requires an applicant to hold both:

• a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, social work, or a similar field
• a valid license issued by the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board in one of the following:
  • marriage and family therapy
  • clinical professional counselor
  • clinical social worker

In addition, the applicant must:

• Complete a background check with the Department of Public Instruction during the application process. This consists of submitting fingerprints and a Conduct & Competency questionnaire.
• Agree to:
  • store, safeguard, and dispose of client records in ways that maintain confidentiality and comply with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 45 CFR 164.502
  • maintain accurate and adequate clinical and financial records in accordance with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 45 CFR 164.502.

Role and Scope of Work

An individual with this license can work as a mental health professional within the scope of their underlying license issued by the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board. This professional provides clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, or professional counseling Tier 3 supports and interventions in virtual or physical school settings.

Individuals with this license may also:

• Provide mental health care coordination and wrap around supports for students and their families.
• Serve as members of multi-level systems of support intervention teams within school settings to provide mental health knowledge and support.
• Serve on crisis prevention and intervention teams.
• Provide professional development, coaching, and technical assistance to educators, families, and community members on mental health topics that are within the scope of their clinical training, expertise and experience. 
• Provide related services documented in a student’s IEP for which they are trained and qualified to provide.

Outside the Role and Scope of Work

This license is not a pupil services license. This license does not authorize someone to be a teacher, school social worker, school counselor or school psychologist. Individuals who wish to perform work in those roles need to apply for and receive the requisite license to perform those duties. For more information on those licenses:  Teaching License Pathways  or  Pupil Services Pathway

Clinically Trained Mental Health Professionals may NOT perform the following activities:
(This is not an exhaustive list.)

• Conduct or interpret a special education assessment or evaluation.
• Act as the lea representative for an individualized education plan (IEP) team meeting.
• Provide specially designed instruction for students with IEP.
• Lead social developmental histories for special education evaluations.
• Lead functional behavioral assessments or behavioral intervention plans for students.
• Lead a psychosocial educational group without a licensed dpi pupil services professional.
• Lead the development of an individual health plan or 504 plan.
• Determine educational programming decisions (e.g credit determination, class level placement or scheduling).
• Act as the point of contact for federal Every Student Succeeds Act educational stability for students in out-of-home care, act as the homeless liaison under McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act, or lead attendance improvement meetings with individual students and families.
• Coordinate a school-age parent program or provide instruction or services under wis. Stat. (§) 115.92, excepting the provision of mental health therapy to school-age parents.
• Implement ongoing lessons in large group or classroom settings (including, but not limited to health, sel, careers) without a licensed pupil services professional.
• Provide career readiness appraisal, advisement, and post-secondary planning and activities, including academic and career planning (acp) programming and coordination.
• Provide individual student academic planning and goal setting.
• Fulfill the administrative rule PI 8.01(2)(e) requirement that school district boards provide a program of guidance and counseling services for all pupils.
• Provide field supervision for practicum or intern students in school social work, school counseling, or school psychology programs.