4757-1-08. Military provisions related to licensure for counselors, social workers and/or marriage and family therapists  


Latest version.
  • (A) Definitions.

    (1) "Armed forces" means:

    (a) The armed forces of the United States, including the army, navy, air force, marine corps, and coast guard;

    (b) A reserve component of the armed forces listed in paragraph (A)(1)(a) of this rule;

    (c) The national guard, including the Ohio national guard or the national guard of any other state;

    (d) The commissioned corps of the United States public health service;

    (e) The merchant marine service during wartime; or

    (f) The Ohio organized militia when engaged in full-time national guard duty for a period of more than thirty days.

    (2) "Member" means any person who is serving in the armed forces.

    (3) "Veteran" means any person who has completed service in the armed forces, who has been discharged under honorable conditions or who has been transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service.

    (B) Eligibility for licensure.

    In accordance with section 5903.03 of the Revised Code, the following military programs of training, military primary specialties, and lengths of service are substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for licensure as an:

    (1) Independent social workers.

    (a) Military programs of training.

    There are no military programs of training that are substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for licensure as a independent social worker. An individual serving in a military primary specialty listed in paragraph (B)(1)(b) of this rule must be a graduate of a master's in social work program accredited by the council for social work education (CSWE) to serve in that specialty.

    (b) Military primary specialties for independent social workers.

    (i) Army: social worker (AOC 73A)

    (ii) Navy: social worker (NOBC none)

    (iii) Air force: clinical social worker (AFSC 42SX)

    (c) Lengths of service.

    There are no minimal lengths of service that would be substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for licensure as a licensed professional clinical counselor, independent social worker or independent marriage and family therapist.

    (2) Social work assistant.

    (a) Military programs of training.

    There are no military programs of training that are substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for registration as a social work assistant. There are no military primary specialties for social work assistant registration.

    Military primary specialties: none.

    (b) Lengths of service.

    There are no minimal lengths of service that would be substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for registration as a social work assistant.

    (3) Licensed professional clinical counselor.

    (a) Military programs of training.

    There are no military programs of training that are substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for licensure as a licensed professional clinical counselor.

    Military primary specialties: none.

    (4) Independent marriage and family therapist.

    (a) Military programs of training.

    There are no military programs of training that are substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for licensure as an independent marriage and family therapist. There are no military primary specialties for licensure as an independent marriage and family therapist.

    Military primary specialties: none.

    (b) Lengths of service.

    There are no minimal lengths of service that would be substantially equivalent to or exceed the educational and experience requirements for registration as a social work assistant.

    (C) License renewal and continuing education.

    (1) Per section 5903.10 of the Revised Code, a licensee or registrant shall be granted a renewal of the license or certificate by the board at the usual fee without a late fee as required by rule 4757-1-05 of the Administrative Code, if not otherwise disqualified because of mental or physical disability, and if either paragraph (C)(1)(a) or (C)(1)(b) of this rule applies:

    (a) The license or registration was not renewed because of the holder's service in the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the Ohio national guard.

    (b) The license or certificate was not renewed because the holder's spouse served in the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the Ohio national guard, and the service resulted in the holder's absence from this state.

    (c) A renewal shall not be granted under this paragraph unless the holder or the holder's spouse, whichever is applicable, has presented satisfactory evidence of the service member's discharge under honorable conditions or release under honorable conditions from active duty or national guard duty within six months after the discharge or release.

    (2) Military members on active duty outside of Ohio may receive a complete or partial waiver of all continuing education hours upon providing proof of orders outside of Ohio. Military members in Ohio may provide proof that they are unable to complete continuing education in order to receive a full or partial waiver of continuing education hours required.

    (3) Per section 5903.12 of the Revised Code, a licensee or registrant upon application that is accompanied by proper documentation certifying that the licensee has been called to active duty as described in paragraph (D)(3)(a) and/or (D)(3) (b) of this rule during the current or a prior reporting period and certifying the length of that active duty, shall have the continuing education response time extended for the current reporting period by an amount of time equal to the total number of months that the licensee spent on active duty during the current reporting period. For purposes of this rule, any portion of a month served on active duty shall be considered one full month.

    (a) The person is a member of the Ohio national guard, the Ohio military reserve, the Ohio naval militia, or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States.

    (b) The person has been called to active duty, whether inside or outside the United States, because of an executive order issued by the president of the United States or an act of congress, or upon the order of the governor, for a period in excess of thirty-one days.

    (D) Waiver of license application fee.

    (1) The application fee shall be waived for an applicant who is a current member of the armed forces.

    (2) Paragraph (D) of this rule applies to the following application fee types:

    (a) Initial licensure by examination, outlined in rules 4757-13-01, 4757-13-03, 4757-19-01, 4757-19-02, 4757-19-03, 4757-25-01 and 4757-25-03 of the Administrative Code.

    (b) Initial licensure by endorsement, outlined in rules 4757-13-06, 4757-19-07 and 4757-25-06 of the Administrative Code.

    (c) Reinstatement of an expired license, outlined in rule 4757-7-01 of the Administrative Code.

    (d) Restoration of a license in an inactive status, outlined in rule 4757-7-03 of the Administrative Code.

    (E) Application process.

    (1) The board's applications shall include a question to identify if the applicant is a member of the armed forces, a veteran, or a spouse or surviving spouse of a member of the armed forces or veteran. This status shall be stored in the licensing system.

    (2) When the board receives an application from an individual identified in paragraph (E)(1) of this rule, the processing of that application shall be prioritized, with a goal of ensuring that a license is issued the same day that the application is complete.


Effective: 3/5/2018
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 11/28/2017 and 02/27/2023
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 5903.04
Rule Amplifies: 5903.01, 5903.121, 5903.12 , 5903.11, 5903.10, 5903.05, 5903.04 , 5903.03
Prior Effective Dates: 12-1-2014