Advisory committee reviews KAR 102-3-14; agrees to add telehealth definition and study exam/coursework changes

The Professional Counselor Advisory Committee reviewed a long-standing regulation, KAR 102-3-14, that references consulting with physicians for determinations of mental-disorder symptoms and discussed possible updates to definitions and education requirements.

Leslie Allen, assistant director, said she saw no recommended substantive changes to KAR 102-3-14 and described the regulation as tied to existing statutory language. Committee members nonetheless raised two practical issues: whether the phrase "face to face" in consultation language needs to be updated to reflect telehealth and whether definitions for in-person versus electronic contact should be placed in the general definitions regulation rather than edited into each rule.

Members agreed there was consensus to add a cross-cutting definition to the definitions regulation clarifying that face-to-face contact includes synchronous electronic communication (for example, videoconference) so that references across regulations interpret telehealth consistently.

Staff also summarized an out-of-state trend: Ohio is moving to allow applicants to obtain the lower-level license by passing either of two national exams, reducing the total number of tests some applicants must pass. Fye suggested the committee consider aligning the Kansas education regulation so CACREP‑accredited program graduates would not require a course‑by‑course review while nonaccredited applicants would continue to be evaluated for substantial equivalency.

The committee did not adopt regulatory language at the Dec. 4 meeting but directed staff to draft a definitions addition and to return with analyses of exam and coursework options in early 2026.