The Access MFTs initiative strives to enhance the licensure portability process for MFTs across the country by breaking down unnecessary and exclusionary provisions that prevent qualified MFTs from obtaining a license in another state. The most common barriers that are targeted by the initiative are substantially equivalent language, years of experience requirements, and duplicative paperwork verification.
Because the language to enhance the portability process varies slightly from state to state, there are opportunities for states to establish qualifications that are important to protect residents in the state. One such method is requiring a jurisprudence examination.
Jurisprudence examinations test an applicant for licensure on the statutes and regulations of the state to which the applicant is applying. This helps ensure that the applicant is familiar with potential differences in the law between states. The Access MFTs initiative supports the inclusion of a jurisprudence examination in the portability law if the state wishes to include one.
A jurisprudence examination is different from the clinical examination that must be taken to obtain initial licensure. A jurisprudence examination does not have a clinical aspect and is focused exclusively on state law.
In addition to being an option in the Access MFTs model, licensure compacts also allow for a state to include a jurisprudence examination in its requirements for a privilege to practice.
If you have any questions about what a jurisprudence examination is, please reach out to portability@aamft.org.