Section 448.415 - Qualifications of Professional and Paraprofessional Staff Members Authorized to Render Billable Community Behavioral Health Center ServicesA center may only bill for medically necessary services provided by a professional or paraprofessional staff member qualified as follows.
(A)Psychiatrists and Medical Professionals.(1) At least one staff psychiatrist must meet the requirements set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2) Additional psychiatrists must be licensed physicians in at least their second year of a psychiatric residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.(3) Psychiatrists and prescribers will have the appropriate Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Public Health (DPH) registrations for the prescribing of controlled substances.(B)Nursing Staff. (1) All nurse practitioners, registered nurses, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatric nurse specialists must be licensed by the Board of Registration in Nursing and meet the requirements, as applicable, pursuant to 130 CMR 448.413.(2)Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialists. All psychiatric clinical nurse specialists in the center who are engaged in prescriptive practice with FDA approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorders must have completed specialized training and be qualified to prescribe buprenorphine as pharmacotherapy for substance use disorder under state and federal law.(C)Psychologists. (1) Psychologists must be licensed, as set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2) Unlicensed psychology trainees must meet the following requirements.(a)Post-doctoral Fellows. Post-doctoral Fellows must have a minimum of a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology or a closely related specialty from an accredited educational institution and must meet the professional experience and supervisory requirements set forth in 251 CMR 3.00: Registration of Psychologists.(b)Psychology Interns. Psychology interns must be enrolled in a structured, clinical, or counseling American Psychological Association (APA)-approved doctoral program.(D)Social Workers. (1) Social Workers may be independently licensed, as set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2) Social Workers without independent licensure must meet the following requirements. (a)Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW). LCSWs must have received a master's degree in social work and completed two years of full-time supervised clinical work in an organized graduate internship program.(b)Post-graduate, Unlicensed Social Workers. Unlicensed social workers must have received a master's degree in social work from a college or university accredited by the Council on Social Work education.(c)Social Work Interns. Social work interns must be a second-year, clinical-track student in a structured field practicum that is a component of a Masters of Social Work program, fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.(E)Mental Health Counselors.(1) Mental health counselors may be licensed as set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2) Additional mental health counselors must meet the following requirements.(a)Post-master's Mental Health Counselors. Post-master's Mental Health Counselors must have a master's degree or above in a mental health field from an accredited educational institution, and must have completed one year of supervised clinical work in an organized graduate internship program.(b)Mental Health Counselor Interns. Interns must be in a second-year, clinical-track structured field placement that is a component of a master's degree in mental health counseling or counseling psychology that is accepted by the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions.(F)Alcohol and Drug Counselors.(1)Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC). LADCs may be licensed as a LADC I, as set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2)LADC II or LADC Assistants. LADC IIs or LADC Assistants must be licensed and shall support LADC Is in the delivery of services, but may not provide direct services.(G)Marriage and Family Therapists. (1) Marriage and family therapists may be licensed, as set forth in 130 CMR 448.413.(2) Additional marriage and family therapists must meet the following requirements.(a) Post-master's marriage and family therapists must have a master's degree or above in a mental health field from an accredited educational institution, and must have completed one year of supervised clinical work in an organized graduate internship program.(b) Marriage and family therapy interns must be in a second-year, clinical-track structured field placement that is a component of a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field that is accepted by the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions.(H)Other Staff. (1) Billing providers of Structured Outpatient Addiction Programs (SOAP) and Enhanced Structured Outpatient Addiction Programs (E-SOAP) services must comply with the requirements of 130 CMR 448.000 and all applicable sections of 130 CMR 418.000: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services.(2) Billing peer and paraprofessional providers of certified peer specialist services, peer recovery coach services, and recovery support navigator services must comply with the requirements of 130 CMR 448.000. Further, centers must staff peer recovery coaches and recovery support navigators in conformance with the requirements of all applicable sections of 130 CMR 418.000: Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services.Adopted by Mass Register Issue 1485, eff. 1/1/2023.