HCS HB 555 -- COMPLAINTS BY INMATES AGAINST PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELORS AND LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS

SPONSOR:  Cooper (155)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Health
Care Policy by a vote of 10 to 0.

This substitute revises the complaint procedure and document
retention requirements when an inmate files a complaint against a
licensed professional counselor or licensed clinical social
worker.  When a complaint by an inmate is found to be lacking
merit, no further disciplinary action will take place, no
documentation will appear on file, and no notification will be
given to the Committee for Professional Counselors or the State
Committee for Social Workers within the Department of Insurance,
Financial Institutions, and Professional Registration unless
there are grounds for disciplinary action to be taken against a
counselor's license.  Licensees subject to claims without merit
prior to the effective date of the substitute may request the
committees to destroy documents pertaining to the claim, to
notify other state licensing boards that the claim was
unsubstantiated, and to supply him or her with a letter stating
that the claim was unsubstantiated.  Licensees will not be
required to disclose the existence of unsubstantiated claims.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2008, FY 2009, and
FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill removes complaints
without merit from a licensed professional counselor's license
and makes sure those complaints won't be held against the
licensee.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Cooper (155);
Missouri Mental Health Counselors Association; Correctional
Medical Services; National Association of Social Workers; and
Missouri Psychological Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill say that the bill removes
frivolous claims from a licensee's record.

Testifying on the bill was Lorree Kessler, Committee for
Professional Counselors.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:19 am