Rule 91.08 - Custody Evaluator Licensure and Pre-Appointment Education Requirements(A) Licensure requirementA court of common pleas shall appoint an individual as a custody evaluator only if the individual is one of the following:
(1) An Ohio licensed psychologist or a psychologist licensed in another jurisdiction and authorized by the Ohio Board of Psychology to practice psychology in this state on a temporary basis;(2) An Ohio licensed social worker, professional clinical counselor, or marriage and family therapist or a professional with an equivalent level of licensure issued by another jurisdiction and authorized by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board to practice in this state on a temporary basis;(3) A physician licensed in any state and board-certified in psychiatry or who has completed a psychiatry residency accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or a successor to that Council;(4) A court-connected evaluator who has a minimum of a master's degree in a mental health field that includes formal education and training in the legal, social, familial, and cultural issues involved in custody decisions.(B) Pre-appointment training(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this rule, a court of common pleas shall appoint an individual as a custody evaluator only if, at the time of appointment, the individual has completed an initial training program of forty hours to qualify for appointment. The initial training course shall be provided by the Supreme Court or other provider that has received prior approval of the Supreme Court. Approved topics for the initial training are detailed in the Supreme Court of Ohio's Custody Evaluator Training Guidelines.(2) An individual serving as a custody evaluator on September 1, 2022, shall have until February 1, 2024, to complete the training required under division (B)(1) of this rule.Ohio. R. Superi. Ct. 91.08
Adopted May 11, 2021, effective 9/1/2022.