Iowa Board of Behavioral Science Meeting Minutes – June 9, 2022

Iowa Board of Behavioral Science

Date and Time: June 9, 2022 – 9:00 a.m.

Location: Access to this meeting is provided both virtually and in person.

In Person: 5th Floor Conference Room 526 Lucas State Office Building 321 E 12th St, Des Moines, IA 50319

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/join

Meeting ID: 821 2498 0190 Passcode: 613526

Or by Phone: 1-312-626-6799

Board Members: Kevin Allemagne, Marital and Family Therapist; Natalia Indrasari, Marital and Family Therapist; Kerry Lust, Public Member; Echo Kent, Marital and Family Therapist; Amy Mooney, Mental Health Counselor; Cody Samec, Mental Health Counselor; Blake Stephenson, Behavior Analyst; David Wolter, Public Member; Ramona Wink, Mental Health Counselor; Nolan Byrnes, Public Member, Maria Valdovinos, Behavior Analyst

AMENDED MEETING AGENDA with MINUTES from IMHCA

Call to Order
1. Roll Call
2. Introductions
3. Announcements
Election of Officers
1. Chair – Kevin Nominated and voted in as chair for the next year
2. Vice-Chair – Amy Mooney was nominated and voted in for the next year
Approval of Open Session Minutes Bureau of Professional Licensure Online Services
Reports
- Board Executive Report – Tony did a presentation with Upper Iowa University on the process for becoming a licensed mental health professional. This type of outreach helps to understand the process. Reduces the interaction that staff in the office has with people calling to ask questions about licensure. Continue with this kind of outreach. Contact Tony to coordinate this type of presentation. – Can IMHCA record Tony in one of these presentations and
- Working on removing the board as the middle man as the exam process. Documents have been made and will be posted on the licensure web page to explain this process in the upcoming weeks – IMHCA should share the documents when they are up.
- 401 LMFT temps at 56
- MHC 1877 and 362 temps
- No good numbers for ABA – one assistant for the program and 190 or so ABA certs – no clue how many are active because they are paper and not in the electronic system. Will make them electronic at the end of 22 and beginning of 23. The software ran off of internet explorer and this will need to be updated first before the electronic system can work.
- July 20^th effective date of new social work rules – mass email notice of the changes and plan on having new supervision plan forms and reports available so everything is consistent.
- Amy asked to get a PowerPoint from Tony
Requests for Waivers
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”d” regarding exam requirements—Carrie Baumgartner.
  - exam was 2006 Rehab counseling exam was taken. She has been LMHC in another state, Wisconsin, as of 2008. Rationale was a hardship for the people in his area and did not address his own hardship. Stephensmeyer noted that these waivers have been granted if the exam was prior to 2017. Approved
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”d” regarding exam requirements – Emre Umucu
  - CRC exam in 2013 and still behind the 2017 date. Been a licensed MHC in Wisconsin since 2018. Approved
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”d” regarding exam requirements – Megan Earp
  - NCE exam was in 2021. Prior to April 30, 2020, they grant the waiver administratively, but has been denied if it was after that date. Echo moved to deny. Amy seconded. Grounds for denial – NCHCME is critical in verifying clinical knowledge. No hardship was there because everyone is required to take this exam. No opposed. No abstained. Denied.
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”d” regarding exam requirements – Brianne Dunkelberger
  - Took the exam May 2020 – professors had not explained this change. Email in April of 2021 was when she became aware. Supervision hours are completed. University of Iowa. Entire class took the NCE. Took the test in May 2020. Signed up in March 2020. This was the start of the pandemic. Passed the deadline of April 1, 2020 by days. Setting up the exam prior to the April 30, 2020 will now be accepted. Based on this decision. Waiver Approved.
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”d” regarding exam requirements – John Mohn
  - Master’s level psychology exam. Psychology exam in lieu of the NCMHCE. License is equivalent to the LMHC according to emails exchanged with the board. CCE review would not indicate that he has equivalent course work. This waiver is not allowing him to have licensure, it is just to have the waive of the exam so he can continue the process. Minnesota’s licensing rules have changed – Amy was looking into this.
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”a” regarding exam requirements – Merrie Lipton
  - California – fewer licensing. Equivalent exam. This person didn’t fill out the waiver form. Pending this case for more information.
- Request to waive rule 645-31.3(1)”a” regarding exam requirements – Tanya Underwood
  - Took the exam in 2019. This person provides mental health therapy to the 65+ population. From California. Thorough application. Approved.
- Request to waive rule 645-31.16(3)”b”(2) regarding continuing education for reactivation—James Burr
  - Cody noted a possible conflict of interest, but this was reviewed and it was determined that he did not need to recuse himself because he does not know the person.
  - Let license lapse with CEs and now wants to practice again. Inactive since 2014 and what he needs to come back is 80 hours of CEs and he is trying to waive the 80 hours of CEs. Allow him to practice and get them within a year perhaps. Many affiliations. Clarification – wanted to waive the timeframe. Wants two years to complete CEs and to practice during those two years. Has a lot of experience. Has NCE.
- Request to backdate supervision approval—Nicole Hamilton-Brahm (no notes)
- Discussed that the hardship question is often getting a response about the public and not their own. The board determined that they will not update the form because it is clear, but that they will ask for additional information as needed.
New Business
- Nominations for delegate for Counseling Regulatory Boards Summit – Inquired about who would be interested in representing the Board at the National Conference, August 3^rd-5^th in Philadelphia.-Kevin and Cody Samec volunteered.
Administrative Rules
- Proposed Notice of Intended Action: Amend Chapter 5 regarding Behavior Analyst licensure fees.
  - Initially Licensure was set at a higher rate, now looking to drop licensure fee to $120 to ensure level field for MFTs and LMHCs. Inquired about increasing the fee from $120 due to the board “operating within the red.” Discussed ways the Board has saved money (i.e. maintained same database, some positions have not been filled). Next year will take a more thorough look at cost savings. Motioned and Seconded and Approved.
Public Comment Members of the public wishing to address the Board may do so at this time. The Board Chair retains the discretion to determine the amount of time allowed for public comment. Anyone who has submitted material for an agenda item will be given an opportunity to address the Board during the particular agenda item.
1. - IMHCA President discussed the best method to schedule a meeting with the Board. Kevin encouraged any visitor to contact the Board member they would like to speak with. Board members can not make any guarantees or vote in these meetings.
Closed Session Agenda Motion to go into closed session pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.5(1)(a), to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential, pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.5(1)(d), to discuss whether to initiate licensee disciplinary investigations or proceedings, and pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.5(1)(f), to discuss the decision to be rendered in a contested case conducted according to the provisions of 17A.
- - Review closed session minutes [21.5(1)(a)] – March 10, 2022
  - Complaints and investigative information [21.5(1)(d)]
  - Combined Statement of Charges, Settlement Agreement, and Final Orders [21.5(1)(d) and 21.5(1)(f)] i. Case 21-0097
Return to Open Session
- Vote on any items discussed in closed session requiring final action.
Future Board Meetings – 9/8/2022

Members of the public wishing to have an item added to the next meeting agenda should submit the agenda item at least 3 weeks in advance of the scheduled Board meeting. Inclusion of items on the agenda is at the discretion of the Board Chair.

12. Adjournment

Accommodations All meetings held by the Iowa Department of Public Health are accessible to everyone. If you need special accommodations to participate, please call (515) 281-0254, TDD: 1(800) 735- 2942, as soon as possible in advance of the meeting to ensure sufficient time to make the appropriate accommodations.