Welcome to another edition of our Pre-Licensed Newsletter!

My name is Rebecca Hines and I sit on CAMFT’s Board of Directors as the Pre-Licensed Director-at-Large. My role is to represent and support you – one of more than 10,000 pre-licensed members of CAMFT.

BBS Wait Times: I’ve been hearing from Pre-Licensed members that long wait times at the BBS are creating financial hardship, a delay in accruing important hours, and interruptions in client care. It appears that the delays are affecting Post-Graduate applicants waiting for their Associate number, as well as Associates waiting to be approved to sit for the Clinical exam. Here’s what we know so far…

The BBS reports having received a significant increase in all types of applications compared to the previous calendar year. They also encountered unexpected staff vacancies during their busy season. Fortunately, the Board is now fully staffed and their team has undergone comprehensive training to handle the increased workload efficiently.

To enhance productivity and minimize future delays, the BBS is currently working on several initiatives:

1. Creating an Online Associate Registration Application: The BBS is in the process of improving their online registration application to streamline the submission process and reduce manual handling, ensuring a smoother experience for applicants.
2. Cross-Training Staff: The BBS is investing in cross-training their staff to enhance their skills and capabilities. This will allow for better flexibility and improved response times.
3. Allowing Overtime: To address the backlog and ensure timely processing, the BBS is now offering overtime to their staff, allowing for more applications to be processed during peak periods.

CAMFT recognizes how frustrating and challenging application delays can be. We will continue to stay abreast of any changes at the BBS and will continue to advocate for our Pre-Licensed members on this important issue.

Update to the LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Effective January 1, 2024
An Occupational Analysis for each profession regulated by the BBS is conducted every five years to ensure that examination content reflects the competencies required for current practice. The Analysis for the Law and Ethics exam helps ensure that any new law changes applicable to a profession have been incorporated. As such, there will be updates to the LMFT Law and Ethics Exam effective January 1, 2024. To access the outline, click here: California Board of Behavioral Sciences: Pearson VUE. The BBS plans to add Sample Questions to the Candidate Handbook in the future.

But that’s not all. The Pre-Licensed Committee has been hard at work to bring you information on the following important topics:

• The Developmental Stages from Trainee to Licensure
• The Importance of a Great Supervisor, and How to Know if You Have One!
• Thriving Financially as an AMFT
• Working with Suicide: Important Things for Pre-Licensed Therapists to Know

We hope you find these articles interesting, relevant, and helpful.

Meet the Pre-Licensed Committee:
It takes a lot of work to put this newsletter together, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without the work and dedication of the Pre-Licensed Committee. Please take a moment to click here and learn a little about the volunteers who give up their time to make this newsletter possible.

Future Newsletters
Do you have thoughts about what you’d like to see in an upcoming newsletter? Questions that you’d like us to answer? Interest in writing an article for the newsletter yourself? Please send an e-mail to ckederian@camft.org and let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

With warmth,

Rebecca Hines, AMFT
CAMFT Pre-Licensed Director-at-Large