{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-3518.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-3518.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-3518.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-3518.html"}],"law_id":69407,"edition_id":1,"section_id":69407,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3518","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of registered behavioral health technicians","history":"2024, c. 595.","full_text":"A\n\nA registered behavioral health technician shall be (i) qualified to perform, under Board-approved supervision, collaborative behavioral health services, training on prevention of mental health and substance use disorders, and mental health literacy and the supportive functions of screening, intake, orientation, care coordination, client education, and recordkeeping and (ii) after three years of practicing as a behavioral health technician in good standing and completion of the required behavioral health technician supervisor training set forth by the Board, qualified to supervise, as part of a collaborative team, behavioral health technicians and behavioral health technician assistants. A registered behavioral health technician shall not engage in independent or autonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health services.B\n\nSuch registered behavioral health technician shall be supervised by a mental health professional licensed by the Department of Health Professions, a person under supervision that has been approved by the Board of Counseling, Board of Psychology, or Board of Social Work as a prerequisite for licensure who has completed the required supervisor training, or a registered qualified mental health professional who has practiced for three years and completed the required supervisor training.C\n\nPursuant to regulations adopted by the Board, an applicant for registration as a behavioral health technician shall submit evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has (i) completed a specified number of hours of didactic education in a program or programs recognized or approved by the Board and (ii) received, at a minimum, an associate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board. A bachelor’s degree shall not be a requirement for registration as a behavioral health technician.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":251022,"text":"A registered behavioral health technician shall be (i) qualified to perform, under Board-approved supervision, collaborative behavioral health services, training on prevention of mental health and substance use disorders, and mental health literacy and the supportive functions of screening, intake, orientation, care coordination, client education, and recordkeeping and (ii) after three years of practicing as a behavioral health technician in good standing and completion of the required behavioral health technician supervisor training set forth by the Board, qualified to supervise, as part of a collaborative team, behavioral health technicians and behavioral health technician assistants. A registered behavioral health technician shall not engage in independent or autonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health services.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":251023,"text":"Such registered behavioral health technician shall be supervised by a mental health professional licensed by the Department of Health Professions, a person under supervision that has been approved by the Board of Counseling, Board of Psychology, or Board of Social Work as a prerequisite for licensure who has completed the required supervisor training, or a registered qualified mental health professional who has practiced for three years and completed the required supervisor training.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":251024,"text":"Pursuant to regulations adopted by the Board, an applicant for registration as a behavioral health technician shall submit evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant has (i) completed a specified number of hours of didactic education in a program or programs recognized or approved by the Board and (ii) received, at a minimum, an associate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board. A bachelor’s degree shall not be a requirement for registration as a behavioral health technician.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15536,"edition_id":1,"name":"Behavioral Health Technicians and Qualified Mental Health Professionals","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13599,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:07","permalink":{"id":243969,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15536,"identifier":"4","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4","url":"\/54.1\/III\/35\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13599,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professional Counseling","identifier":"35","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:21","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:21","permalink":{"id":243863,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13599,"identifier":"35","token":"54.1\/III\/35","url":"\/54.1\/III\/35\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":69407,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3518","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of registered behavioral health technicians","url":"\/54.1-3518\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3518","metadata":false},{"id":69128,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3519","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of registered behavioral health technician assistants","url":"\/54.1-3519\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3519","metadata":false},{"id":59267,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3520","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of qualified mental health professionals","url":"\/54.1-3520\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3520","metadata":false},{"id":73615,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3521","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of qualified mental health professional-trainees","url":"\/54.1-3521\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3521","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":69128,"structure_id":15536,"section_number":"54.1-3519","catch_line":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of registered behavioral health technician assistants","url":"\/54.1-3519\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3519","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-3518\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2024. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 595<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":54880,"section_number":"54.1-3500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3500\/"},{"id":55659,"section_number":"54.1-3505","catch_line":"Specific powers and duties of the Board","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3505\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":243971,"object_type":"law","relational_id":69407,"identifier":"54.1-3518","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3518","url":"\/54.1-3518\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-3518\/","token":"54.1\/III\/35\/4\/54.1-3518","dublin_core":{"Title":"Scope of practice, supervision, and qualifications of registered behavioral health technicians","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-3518","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A registered behavioral health technician<\/span> shall be (i) qualified to perform, under Board<\/span>-approved supervision<\/span>, collaborative behavioral health services<\/span>, training on prevention of mental health and substance use disorders, and mental health literacy and the supportive functions of screening, intake, orientation, care coordination, client education, and recordkeeping and (ii) after three years of practicing as a behavioral health technician<\/span> in good standing and completion of the required behavioral health technician<\/span> supervisor training set forth by the Board<\/span>, qualified to supervise, as part of a collaborative team, behavioral health technicians<\/span> and behavioral health technician<\/span> assistants<\/span>. A registered behavioral health technician<\/span> shall not engage in independent or autonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health services<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> Such registered behavioral health technician<\/span> shall be supervised by a mental health professional licensed by the Department of Health Professions, a person under supervision<\/span> that has been approved by the Board<\/span> of Counseling<\/span>, Board<\/span> of Psychology, or Board<\/span> of Social Work as a prerequisite for licensure who has completed the required supervisor training, or a registered qualified mental health professional<\/span> who has practiced for three years and completed the required supervisor training. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Pursuant to regulations adopted by the Board<\/span>, an applicant for registration as a behavioral health technician<\/span> shall submit evidence<\/span> satisfactory to the Board<\/span> that the applicant has (i) completed a specified number of hours of didactic education in a program or programs recognized or approved by the Board<\/span> and (ii) received, at a minimum, an associate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board<\/span>. A bachelor’s degree shall not be a requirement for registration as a behavioral health technician<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSCOPE OF PRACTICE, SUPERVISION, AND QUALIFICATIONS OF REGISTERED BEHAVIORAL\nHEALTH TECHNICIANS (\u00a7 54.1-3518)\n\nA. A registered behavioral health technician shall be (i) qualified to perform,\nunder Board-approved supervision, collaborative behavioral health services,\ntraining on prevention of mental health and substance use disorders, and mental\nhealth literacy and the supportive functions of screening, intake, orientation,\ncare coordination, client education, and recordkeeping and (ii) after three\nyears of practicing as a behavioral health technician in good standing and\ncompletion of the required behavioral health technician supervisor training set\nforth by the Board, qualified to supervise, as part of a collaborative team,\nbehavioral health technicians and behavioral health technician assistants. A\nregistered behavioral health technician shall not engage in independent or\nautonomous practice and shall only perform collaborative behavioral health\nservices.\n\nB. Such registered behavioral health technician shall be supervised by a mental\nhealth professional licensed by the Department of Health Professions, a person\nunder supervision that has been approved by the Board of Counseling, Board of\nPsychology, or Board of Social Work as a prerequisite for licensure who has\ncompleted the required supervisor training, or a registered qualified mental\nhealth professional who has practiced for three years and completed the required\nsupervisor training.\n\nC. Pursuant to regulations adopted by the Board, an applicant for registration\nas a behavioral health technician shall submit evidence satisfactory to the\nBoard that the applicant has (i) completed a specified number of hours of\ndidactic education in a program or programs recognized or approved by the Board\nand (ii) received, at a minimum, an associate degree from an institution of\nhigher education accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board. A\nbachelor’s degree shall not be a requirement for registration as a\nbehavioral health technician.\n\nHISTORY: 2024, c. 595.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}