Section 4757.41 | Exemptions.

• Effective: October 3, 2023
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly

(A) This chapter shall not apply to the following:

(1) A person certified by the state board of education under Chapter 3319. of the Revised Code while performing any services within the person's scope of employment by a board of education or by a private school meeting the standards prescribed by the director of education and workforce under division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code or in a program operated under Chapter 5126. of the Revised Code for training individuals with developmental disabilities;

(2) Psychologists, independent school psychologists, or school psychologists licensed under Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code;

(3) Members of other professions licensed, certified, or registered by this state while performing services within the recognized scope, standards, and ethics of their respective professions;

(4) Rabbis, priests, Christian science practitioners, clergy, or members of religious orders and other individuals participating with them in pastoral counseling when the counseling activities are within the scope of the performance of their regular or specialized ministerial duties and are performed under the auspices or sponsorship of an established and legally cognizable church, denomination, or sect or an integrated auxiliary of a church as defined in federal tax regulations, paragraph (g)(5) of 26 C.F.R. 1.6033-2 (1995), and when the individual rendering the service remains accountable to the established authority of that church, denomination, sect, or integrated auxiliary;

(5) Any person who is not licensed under this chapter as a licensed professional clinical counselor, licensed professional counselor, independent social worker, or social worker and is employed in the civil service as defined in section 124.01 of the Revised Code while engaging in professional counseling or social work as a civil service employee, if on July 10, 2014, the person has at least two years of service in that capacity;

(6) A student in an accredited educational institution while carrying out activities that are part of the student's prescribed course of study if the activities are supervised as required by the educational institution and if the student does not hold herself or himself out as a person licensed or registered under this chapter;

(7) An individual who holds a license or certificate under Chapter 4758. of the Revised Code who is acting within the scope of the individual's license or certificate as a member of the profession of chemical dependency counseling or prevention services;

(8) Any person employed by the American red cross while engaging in activities relating to services for military families and veterans and disaster relief, as described in the "American National Red Cross Act," 33 Stat. 599 (1905), 36 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended;

(9) Members of labor organizations who hold union counselor certificates while performing services in their official capacity as union counselors;

(10) Any person employed in a hospital as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code or in a nursing home as defined in section 3721.01 of the Revised Code while providing as a hospital employee or nursing home employee, respectively, social services other than counseling and the use of psychosocial interventions and social psychotherapy;

(11) A vocational rehabilitation professional who is providing rehabilitation services to individuals under section 3304.17 of the Revised Code, or holds certification by the commission on rehabilitation counselor certification and is providing rehabilitation counseling services consistent with the commission's standards;

(12) A caseworker not licensed under this chapter as an independent social worker or social worker who is employed by a public children services agency under section 5153.112 of the Revised Code;

(13) A person completing supervised experience to qualify for a license as an art therapist or music therapist, provided that experience is completed under the supervision of a licensed art therapist or music therapist, as applicable.

(B) Divisions (A)(5) and (10) of this section do not prevent a person described in those divisions from obtaining a license or certificate of registration under this chapter.

(C) Except as provided in divisions (A) and (D) of this section, no employee in the service of the state, including public employees as defined by Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, shall engage in the practice of professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy without the appropriate license issued by the board. Failure to comply with this division constitutes nonfeasance under section 124.34 of the Revised Code or just cause under a collective bargaining agreement. Nothing in this division restricts the director of administrative services from developing new classifications related to this division or from reassigning affected employees to appropriate classifications based on the employee's duties and qualifications.

(D) Except as provided in division (A) of this section, an employee who was engaged in the practice of professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy in the service of the state prior to July 10, 2014, including public employees as defined by Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, shall comply with division (C) of this section within two years after July 10, 2014. Any such employee who fails to comply shall be removed from employment.

(E) Nothing in this chapter prevents a public children services agency from employing as a caseworker a person not licensed under this chapter as an independent social worker or social worker who has the qualifications specified in section 5153.112 of the Revised Code.

Last updated September 22, 2023 at 3:27 PM

Available Versions of this Section

• July 10, 2014 – House Bill 232 - 130th General Assembly
• October 12, 2016 – House Bill 230, House Bill 158 - 131st General Assembly
• April 6, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 509 - 134th General Assembly
• October 3, 2023 – Amended by House Bill 33 - 135th General Assembly