§ 3271 — Unprofessional conduct

(a) Unprofessional conduct means the following conduct and conduct set forth in 3 V.S.A. § 129a:
(1) using dishonest or misleading advertising;
(2) misusing a title in professional activity;
(3) conduct that evidences unfitness to practice clinical mental health counseling;
(4) engaging in any sexual conduct with a client, or with the immediate family member of a client, with whom the licensee has had a professional relationship within the previous five years;
(5) harassing, intimidating, or abusing a client;
(6) entering into an additional relationship with a client, supervisee, research participant, or student that might impair the licensed clinical mental health counselor’s objectivity or otherwise interfere with the clinical mental health counselor’s professional obligations;
(7) independently practicing outside or beyond a clinical mental health counselor’s area of training, experience, or competence without appropriate supervision; or
(8) using conversion therapy as defined in 18 V.S.A. § 8351 on a client younger than 18 years of age.
(b) After hearing, and upon a finding of unprofessional conduct, the Board may take disciplinary action against a licensed clinical mental health counselor or applicant. (Added 1987, No. 245 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1993, No. 98, § 17; 1993, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 10; 1997, No. 40, § 57; 1997, No. 145 (Adj. Sess.), § 53; 2007, No. 29, § 45; 2015, No. 138 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)