# Health Occupations (GHO)

## Title 17. Professional Counselors and Therapists

### Subtitle 4. Certification

#### Section 17-401

(a) This section does not apply to an individual authorized to practice alcohol and drug counseling, marriage and family therapy, professional art therapy, or professional counseling in the State under Sec.Sec. 10-14A-03 and 10-14B-03 of the State Government Article.

(b)

  (1) This subsection only applies to individuals certified by the Board as a certified professional counselor or certified professional counselor-marriage and family therapist on or before September 30, 2008.

  (2)

    (i) An individual shall be certified as a professional counselor by the Board before the individual may:

      (1) Use the title "certified professional counselor";

      (2) Use the initials "C.P.C." after the name of the individual; or

      (3) Represent to the public that the individual is certified as a professional counselor.

    (ii) A certificate to practice professional counseling issued by the Board authorizes the certificate holder to practice professional counseling while the certificate is effective.

  (3)

    (i) An individual shall be certified as a professional counselor-marriage and family therapist by the Board before the individual may:

      (1) Use the title "certified professional counselor-marriage and family therapist";

      (2) Use the initials "C.P.C.-M.F.T." after the name of the individual; or

      (3) Represent to the public that the individual is certified as a certified professional counselor-marriage and family therapist.

    (ii) A certificate to practice marriage and family therapy issued by the Board authorizes the certificate holder to practice marriage and family therapy while the certificate is effective.

(c)

  (1) An individual shall be certified as a certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug by the Board before the individual may:

    (i) Use the title "certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug";

    (ii) Use the initials "C.P.C.-A.D." after the name of the individual; or

    (iii) Represent to the public that the individual is certified as a certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug.

  (2) An individual shall be certified as a certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug by the Board before the individual may:

    (i) Use the title "certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug";

    (ii) Use the initials "C.A.C.-A.D." after the name of the individual; or

    (iii) Represent to the public that the individual is certified as a certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug.

  (3) An individual shall be certified as a certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug by the Board before the individual may:

    (i) Use the title "certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug";

    (ii) Use the initials "C.S.C.-A.D." after the name of the individual; or

    (iii) Represent to the public that the individual is certified as a certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug.

  (4) A certificate to practice alcohol and drug counseling issued by the Board authorizes the certificate holder to practice alcohol and drug counseling while the certificate is effective.

#### Section 17-403

(a) Except as provided in Sec. 17-405 of this subtitle, to qualify as a certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug, an applicant shall:

  (1) Be of good moral character;

  (2) At a minimum:

    (i) Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited educational institution approved by the Board in a health and human services counseling field; or

    (ii) Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited educational institution and have completed a program of studies judged by the Board to be substantially equivalent in subject matter as may be required by the Board in regulation;

  (3) Have completed not less than 1 year with a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinically supervised experience in alcohol and drug counseling approved by the Board; and

  (4) Have completed any additional educational requirements established by the Board in regulation.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this title, the applicant shall pass:

  (1) An examination approved by the Board under this title; and

  (2) The law examination on this title administered by the Board.

(c) A certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug shall practice alcohol and drug counseling under the supervision of a Board-approved alcohol and drug supervisor who is:

  (1) A licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor;

  (2) A certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug;

  (3) A licensed clinical professional counselor;

  (4) A licensed clinical marriage and family therapist;

  (5) A licensed clinical professional art therapist; or

  (6) A health care provider licensed under this article with documented expertise in alcohol and drug counseling.

(d) A certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug:

  (1) May provide only:

    (i) Alcohol and drug counseling as an employee of an agency or a facility that is certified or licensed by the State;

    (ii) Alcohol and drug counseling under the supervision of a Board-approved supervisor as specified in subsection (c) of this section; and

    (iii) Supervision with approval by the Board; and

  (2) May not practice independently.

#### Section 17-404

(a) To qualify as a certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug, an applicant shall:

  (1) Be of good moral character;

  (2) At a minimum:

    (i) Hold an associate's degree from a regionally accredited educational institution in a health and human services counseling field; or

    (ii) Hold an associate's degree from a regionally accredited educational institution and have completed a program of studies judged by the Board to be substantially equivalent in subject matter as may be required by the Board in regulation; and

  (3) Have completed any additional educational requirements established by the Board in regulation.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this title, the applicant shall pass:

  (1) An examination approved by the Board under this title; and

  (2) The law examination on this title administered by the Board.

(c) A certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug shall practice alcohol and drug counseling under the supervision of a Board-approved alcohol and drug supervisor who is:

  (1) A licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor;

  (2) A certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug;

  (3) A certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug;

  (4) A licensed clinical professional counselor;

  (5) A licensed clinical marriage and family therapist;

  (6) A licensed clinical professional art therapist; or

  (7) A health care provider licensed under this article with documented expertise in alcohol and drug counseling.

(d) A certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug:

  (1) May provide only:

    (i) Alcohol and drug counseling as an employee of an agency or facility that is certified or licensed by the State; and

    (ii) Alcohol and drug counseling under the supervision of a Board-approved supervisor as specified in subsection (c) of this section; and

  (2) May not:

    (i) Provide supervision; or

    (ii) Practice independently.

#### Section 17-405

(a) The Board shall waive the requirements for certification for an applicant to practice alcohol and drug counseling if the applicant meets the requirements of this section.

(b) If the applicant is licensed or certified to practice as an associate counselor-alcohol and drug, the Board shall grant a waiver under this section only if the applicant:

  (1) Holds a license or certificate in another state, territory, or jurisdiction that is equivalent to the certificate the applicant is applying for under this subtitle;

  (2) Submits an application to the Board on a form that the Board requires;

  (3) Pays to the Board an application fee set by the Board; and

  (4) Satisfies any other educational and experience requirements established by the Board.

(c) The Board may waive educational and experience requirements established under subsection (b)(4) of this section:

  (1) Under circumstances determined by the Board; and

  (2) For applicants who petition the Board for waiver.

(d) If the applicant is licensed or certified to practice as a supervised counselor-alcohol and drug, the Board shall grant a waiver under this section only if the applicant:

  (1) Holds a license or certificate in another state, territory, or jurisdiction that is equivalent to the certificate the applicant is applying for under this subtitle;

  (2) Submits an application to the Board on a form that the Board requires;

  (3) Pays to the Board an application fee set by the Board; and

  (4) Satisfies any other educational and experience requirements established by the Board.

(e) The Board may waive educational and experience requirements established under subsection (d)(4) of this section:

  (1) Under circumstances determined by the Board; and

  (2) For applicants who petition the Board for waiver.

(f) The Board shall adopt regulations to carry out this section.

#### Section 17-406

(a)

  (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

  (2) "Approved alcohol and drug supervisor" means:

    (i) A certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug;

    (ii) A licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor; or

    (iii) A health care provider licensed or certified under this article with documented expertise in alcohol and drug counseling, as approved by the Board.

  (3) "Under the supervision of an approved alcohol and drug supervisor" means engaging in an ongoing process that includes direct, on-site, face-to-face, individual or group meetings with an approved alcohol and drug supervisor focused on quality of delivery of alcohol and drug counseling services and improvement of counseling skills for a minimum of 1 documented hour for each 40-hour workweek but not less than 2 documented hours per month for less than a 40-hour workweek.

(b)

  (1) An individual may practice clinical alcohol and drug counseling, including through telehealth, without a license for a limited period of time, as determined by the Board, if the individual is working as a trainee under the supervision of an approved alcohol and drug supervisor while fulfilling the experiential or course of study requirements under Sec. 17-302 of this title or Sec. 17-403 or Sec. 17-404 of this subtitle.

  (2) An individual may practice alcohol and drug counseling, including through telehealth, without certification for a limited period of time, as determined by the Board, if the individual is working as a trainee under the supervision of an approved alcohol and drug supervisor while fulfilling the experiential or course of study requirements under Sec. 17-302 of this title or Sec. 17-403 or Sec. 17-404 of this subtitle.

#### Section 17-407

The Board may waive the requirement that an applicant under Sec. 17-403 or Sec. 17-404 of this subtitle complete the requisite amount of clinically supervised experience in alcohol and drug counseling after the award of the applicant's required degree if the applicant, prior to the award of the required degree, obtained a minimum of 5 years of clinically supervised experience in alcohol and drug counseling approved by the Board.

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Md. Code Ann., Health Occ. (as displayed at mgaleg.maryland.gov, October 16, 2026)