HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1465        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kathleen R. LaNatra

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to further enhance behavioral health workforce development.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1465        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act to further enhance behavioral health workforce development.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) shall direct the Commissioners of the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Department of Youth Services (DYS), the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Public Health (DPH), and the Department of Personnel Administration, to update the official Job Classification Specifications to include Licensed Mental Health Counselors(LMHCs) and Licensed Supervised Mental Health Counselors (LSMHCs) to the full extent of their scopes’ of practice.

SECTION 2. Said revisions to the Job Classification Specifications must be completed by September 1, 2023. All relevant behavioral health job postings for positions in the aforementioned Departments under the jurisdiction of EEOHS will reflect these revisions by September 1, 2023.