This petition is in response to the KY Board of Licensure for Marriage and Family Therapists’ board meeting on 3/19/2020. In this meeting the Board passed a motion to allow Telehealth for all MFTs but ONLY IF therapists take a 15 hour Telehealth course. This is a barrier to practicing by our Governor’s orders. Not only is there only ONE approved provider of such training in KY, the training itself is cost prohibitive (similar courses that are offered online in other states are less than $200).

Many Marriage and Family Therapists and Associates can not afford to pay such high fees for a training, but especially cannot do so on such a short notice and during a time of potential economic crisis due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 we are facing.

As it stands, if MFTs are prohibited to practice Teletherapy without spending over $300 in training, and is currently the only licensed Mental Health professional required to do so in the state.

This leaves MFTs with two choices:

1. Discontinue all clinical practice and either abandon their clients or refer out to a different provider (having a potentially negative emotional impact on the client and a financial hardship to therapist).

2. Continue practicing face to face despite the danger of doing so, and violate the Governors direct orders to socially distance.

We ask that Governor Beshear waive this training requirement during the state of emergency so that MFTs can continue to practice safely in accordance with his orders and continue to meet the mental and emotional needs of the public at large during this difficult and uncertain time.