Colorado § 12-245-703 - Database of unlicensed psychotherapists - unauthorized practice - penalties - data collection - rules.

§ 12-245-703. Database of unlicensed psychotherapists - unauthorized practice - penalties - data collection - rules.

(1) The board shall maintain a database of all unlicensed psychotherapists. The board shall charge a fee in the same manner as authorized in section 12-20-105 for recording information in the database as required by this section. Information in the database maintained pursuant to this section is open to public inspection at all times.

(2) Repealed.

(3) (a) Before July 14, 2020, a person not otherwise licensed, registered, or certified pursuant to this article 245 who is practicing psychotherapy in this state shall register with the board by submitting the person's name, current address, educational qualifications, disclosure statements, therapeutic orientation or methodology, or both, and years of experience in each specialty area. Upon receipt and review of the required information, the board may approve the psychotherapist for registration in the database required by subsection (1) of this section. An unlicensed psychotherapist shall update this information upon renewal of the practitioner's registration and at other times and under conditions specified by the board by rule. At the time of recording the information required by this section, the unlicensed psychotherapist shall indicate whether the unlicensed psychotherapist has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony or misdemeanor.

(b) A person registered as an unlicensed psychotherapist pursuant to this part 7 before July 14, 2020, and who meets the requirements of this section may renew his or her registration and continue to practice as an unlicensed psychotherapist.

(4) An unlicensed person whose primary practice is psychotherapy or who holds himself or herself out to the public as able to practice psychotherapy for compensation shall not practice psychotherapy unless the person is registered with the board and included in the database required by this section. Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, an unlicensed psychotherapist shall not use the term "licensed", "certified", "clinical", "state-approved", or any other term or abbreviation that would falsely give the impression that the psychotherapist or the service that is being provided is recommended by the state, based solely on inclusion in the database.

(5) The board shall not register a person pursuant to this section unless the person has successfully completed a jurisprudence examination developed and approved by the division.

(6) Any unlicensed person who practices psychotherapy without first complying with the registration requirements of this section is subject to penalties pursuant to section 12-20-407 (1)(a).

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1289, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: (1), (3), and (4) amended and (2) repealed, (HB 20-1206), ch. 304, p. 1537, § 34, effective July 14.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-43-702.5 as it existed prior to 2019.