Section 25.260  Endorsement for School Marriage and Family Therapists

a)         The marriage and family therapist endorsement shall be affixed to a PEL. 

b)         Each individual seeking a PEL endorsed for marriage and family therapist shall complete the requirements set forth in Section 25.25.

c)         Each individual seeking a school family therapist personnel endorsement for school marriage and family therapist shall hold a master's or higher degree in marriage and family therapy awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

d)         Each individual shall:

1)         complete an Illinois program approved for the preparation of school marriage and family therapists pursuant to Subpart C or a comparable out-of-state program (including an internship); or

2)         hold a comparable certificate or license issued by another state or country (see Section 25.425).

e)         If completing an Illinois approved program, each individual must complete a supervised marriage and family therapist practicum of at least 100 clock hours that provided interaction with individuals and groups of school age and included at least 40 hours of direct service work. Except as provided in this subsection (e), each applicant must complete a structured and supervised internship, as part of an approved program.

1)         The internship must occur in a school setting and include at least 600 clock hours and last no less than one semester, during which the individual shall engage in the performance of various aspects of the marriage and family therapist role and shall be gradually introduced to the full range of responsibilities associated with that role. However, the internship for an individual with at least two years of teaching experience may, at the discretion of the institution offering the approved program, consist of no fewer than 400 hours. In each case, at least 240 hours of the internship shall involve direct service work with individuals and groups of school age and may include students' families.

2)         The internship shall occur in a school setting, except that, at the discretion of the institution, a maximum of one-third of the hours required may be credited for experiences in related settings outside the schools that, in the judgment of the institution, expose the individual to the needs of school-aged children and prepare the individual to function as a marriage and family therapist.

f)         The following experience shall be honored in lieu of an internship:

1)         one year of professional experience in PK-12 schools as a marriage and family therapist on a valid, comparable out-of-state certificate or license that allows the holder to work as a marriage and family therapist in that state's public schools; or

2)         one year of full-time experience working as a marriage and family therapist on a short-term approval and an proficient or higher evaluation rating.

g)         Each individual must pass the applicable content-area test (see Section 25.710) subject to the provisions of Section 25.720.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 7269, effective June 3, 2021)