Amendment #10 to H3944

Cutler amendment - Expand access to mental health services for LMHCs

Representatives Cutler of Duxbury, Calter of Kingston, Cantwell of Marshfield, Ashe of Longmeadow, DeCoste of Norwell, Garry of Dracut, Pignatelli of Lenox, Walsh of Framingham and Vieira of Falmouth move to amend the bill by adding the following 6 sections:

“SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 123 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Likelihood of serious harm” the following definition:-

“Mental health counselor”, a person licensed or eligible for licensure under section 165 of chapter 112.

SECTION 2. Section 12 of said chapter 123, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the figure “112”, in line 7, the following words:- , or a mental health counselor licensed pursuant to section 165 of chapter 112.

SECTION 3. Said section 12 of said chapter 123, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “specialist”, in line 16 and in line 21, in each instance, the following words:- , or licensed mental health counselor.

SECTION 4. Section 22 of said chapter 123, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “specialists”, in line 2, the following words:- , licensed mental health counselors.

SECTION 5. Said section 22 of said chapter 123, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “specialist”, in line 7, the following words:- , licensed mental health counselor.

SECTION 6. Section 35 of said chapter 123, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “physician”, in line 10, the following words:- , licensed independent clinical social worker or licensed mental health counselor.