ARC 9402C

ARC 9402C

Rulemaking related to discipline

Notice of Intended Action for this rulemaking was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin on February 19, 2025, as ARC 8875C. A public hearing was held on the following date(s):

●March 11, 2025

No one attended the public hearing. No public comments were received. No changes from the Notice have been made.

ITEM 1.Adopt the following new481—Chapter 882:

CHAPTER 882

DISCIPLINE FOR MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPISTS, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS, BEHAVIOR ANALYSTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS

481—882.1(154D,272C) Mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and behavioral analysts—grounds for discipline. The board may impose any of the disciplinary sanctions provided in Iowa Code section 272C.3 when the board determines that the licensee is guilty of any of the following acts or offenses or those listed in 481—Chapter 504:

882.1(1) Failure to comply with the national association’s code of ethics.

a.Marital and family therapists. Failure to comply with the current American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Code of Ethics revised January 2015, which is hereby adopted by reference. Copies of the Code of Ethics may be obtained from the AAMFT’s website.

b.Mental health counselors. Failure to comply with the current Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA) published 2014, which is hereby adopted by reference. Copies of the Code of Ethics may be obtained from the ACA website.

c.Behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts. Failure to comply with the current Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts published January 2023, which is hereby adopted by reference. Copies of the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code may be obtained from the BACB website.

882.1(2) Sexual relationships.

a.Current clients. A licensee shall not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with a client, regardless of whether such contact is consensual or nonconsensual.

b.Former clients. A licensee shall not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with a former client within the five years following termination of the client relationship. A licensee shall not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with a former client, regardless of the length of time elapsed since termination of the client relationship, if the client has a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or if the client has ever been diagnosed with any form of psychosis or personality disorder or if the client is likely to remain in need of therapy due to the intensity or chronicity of a problem.

c.A licensee shall not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with a client’s or former client’s spouse or significant other.

d.A licensee shall not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with a client’s or former client’s relative within the second degree of consanguinity (client’s parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling) when there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to a client or former client.

e.A licensee shall not provide clinical services to an individual with whom the licensee has had prior sexual contact.

882.1(3) Physical contact. A licensee shall not engage in physical contact with a client when there is a possibility of psychological harm to the client as a result of the contact. A licensee who engages in appropriate physical contact with a client is responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally and age-sensitive boundaries that govern such contact.

481—882.2(147,272C) Psychologists—grounds for discipline. The board may impose any of the disciplinary sanctions provided in Iowa Code section 272C.3 when the board determines that the licensee is guilty of the following offense or those listed in 481—Chapter 504: failure to comply with the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association, as published in the December 2002 edition of American Psychologist and including amendments effective January 1, 2017, hereby adopted by reference. Copies of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct may be obtained from the American Psychological Association’s website at www.apa.org.

481—882.3(272C) Social workers—grounds for discipline. The board may impose any of the disciplinary sanctions provided in Iowa Code section 272C.3 when the board determines that the licensee is guilty of the following offense or those listed in 481—Chapter 504: violation of a regulation, rule, or law of this state, another state, or the United States that relates to the practice of social work, including but not limited to the rules of conduct found in rule 481—884.4(154C).

These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapters 147, 154B, 154C, 154D and 272C.

ITEM 2.Rescind and reserve 481—Chapter 887.

ITEM 3.Rescind and reserve 481—Chapter 893.

ITEM 4.Rescind and reserve 481—Chapter 898.

[Filed 6/17/25, effective 8/13/25]

[Published 7/9/25]

EDITOR’S NOTE: For replacement pages for IAC, see IAC Supplement 7/9/25.