38-2123. Provisional mental health practitioner license; qualifications; application; expiration; disclosure required.

(1) A person who needs to obtain the required three thousand hours of supervised experience in mental health practice as specified in section 38-2122 to qualify for a mental health practitioner license shall obtain a provisional mental health practitioner license. To qualify for a provisional mental health practitioner license, such person shall:

(a) Have a master's degree, a doctoral degree, or the equivalent of a master's degree, as determined by the board, that consists of course work and training which was primarily therapeutic mental health in content and included a practicum or internship and was from a mental health program as specified in section 38-2122;

(b) Apply prior to earning the three thousand hours of supervised experience;

(c) Pay the provisional mental health practitioner license fee; and

(d) Beginning September 1, 2027, obtain three hours of training relating to domestic abuse, which shall include: (i) Appropriate screening tools for victims of domestic abuse; (ii) indicators of high lethality or risk; (iii) documentation standards; (iv) appropriate referrals to domestic abuse specific services, advocacy, and systems navigation professionals; (v) impact on children; (vi) ethical practice and boundaries; and (vii) trauma-informed, victim-centered care and safety planning. For purposes of this subdivision (1)(d), domestic abuse means abuse as defined in section 42-903.

(2) An individual or organization providing the training described in subdivision (1)(d) of this section shall submit all training materials to the board for approval.

(3) The rules and regulations approved by the board and adopted and promulgated by the department shall not require that the applicant have a supervisor in place at the time of application for a provisional mental health practitioner license.

(4) A provisional mental health practitioner license shall expire upon receipt of licensure as a mental health practitioner or five years after the date of issuance, whichever comes first.

(5) A person who holds a provisional mental health practitioner license shall inform all clients that he or she holds a provisional license and is practicing mental health under supervision and shall identify the supervisor. Failure to make such disclosure is a ground for discipline as set forth in section 38-2139.

Source:Laws 1997, LB 622, § 81; Laws 2003, LB 242, § 73; R.S.1943, (2003), § 71-1,314.01; Laws 2007, LB463, § 741; Laws 2018, LB1034, § 37; Laws 2026, LB912, § 15.
Operative Date: January 1, 2027