Historical Notes
1986: Founding
AMFTRB began on August 30, 1986 when Carl Johnson invited the existing MFT regulatory Boards (CA, CT, FL, GA, MI, NJ, NC, NV, SC, TN, and UT) to assemble in Orlando, Florida on October 24, 1986.
A Steering Committee, consisting of Terri Asanovich (CA), Tom Clark (NC) and Carl Johnson, Chair (GA), was appointed from among the representatives of CA, FL, GA, NC, NV, SC, and MN, the states in attendance in Orlando. The Steering Committee sent all 11 State Regulatory Boards the rationale for the Association and invited them to participate in drawing up By-Laws on March 21, 1987.
On February 9, 1987 the Steering Committee requested “start-up funds” from AAMFT, which agreed to provide a loan of $2,000. On March 9, 1987 all 11 states received a proposed draft of the By-Laws.
The Washington By-Laws Conference, held on March 21-22, 1987, approved certain revisions to the proposed draft, voted to form an Association, and heard presentations from ASI, ETS, and PES, three test development companies that agreed to fund the cost of developing a National MFT Licensing Examination.
The revised By-Laws and the loan agreement with AAMFT were sent to the 6 states (CA, GA, MI, NC, NJ, and SC) that attended the Washington By-Laws Conference, asking each State Board to approve the By-Laws and loan by August 20, 1987. On August 27, 1987 the By-Laws, an invitation to join AMFTRB, and notice of the first meeting were sent to CT, FL, MN, NV, TN, UT, WA, and WY. On October 10, ballots for the election of a Board of Directors were sent to the 8 states that initially joined the Association: CA, CT, GA, MI, NC, NJ, NV, and SC. And on October 22, 1987 the Association was first incorporated in the District of Columbia.
1987: First Annual Meeting and Exam
The first Annual Association Meeting was held on October 30-31, 1987 in the Chicago Hilton and Towers and was convened by Carl Johnson at 9:00 AM. In addition to the 8 initial members, FL, UT, and TN were potential members, along with MN, WA and WY, which had just passed licensing laws. This made a total of 14 MFT licensing bodies.
A “Request for Proposals” to develop a National MFT Examination was sent to AMP, ASI, CAS, CTB/MH, ETS and PES on March 23, 1988. At its meeting on June 4-5 the AMFTRB Board of Directors approved, with amendments, the proposal from PES, and approved a final contract on September 19, 1988. The first exam was given to applicants from CO, CT, GA, NV, RI, and SC on December 8, 1989. An Angoff Panel to determine the passing point for the exam met on December 15, 1989.
The 2nd Annual Association Meeting, held on October 27, 1988 in New Orleans, was convened by Carl Johnson with 15 states represented. 12 states were members of AMFTRB and 18 states had licensing statutes. The 3rd Annual Meeting was held in San Francisco in 1989 with 20 states that had regulatory boards present. 15 states were members of the Association. AMFTRB reincorporated in Georgia on September 8, 1989. It received a 501-C6 designation from the IRS.
Through annual meetings during the 1990s, the number of member states increased as more states enacted legislation regulating MFTs. In 1998 another Practice Analysis/ Role Delineation Validation Study was conducted, surveying LMFTs in the United States, to update the National MFT Licensing Examination for current practice content.
2001: An Office in Colorado Springs and the Switch to Computerized Testing
In 2001 two significant events occurred. In July, a permanent office for AMFTRB was established in Colorado Springs, Colorado with the hiring of a part time Executive Director. In the fall, the administration of the national examination switched from a paper and pencil format to computer based testing. This allowed for the creation of three testing windows of approximately 21 days in length, as opposed to two fixed dates per year for the examination to be administered. Further, it allowed candidates to test at more sites throughout the United States.
Growth and Activities
By 2002, the association consisted of 44 states. Activities of the association had expanded from the national examination development and maintenance function to include:
- Serving as a clearinghouse for information through a newsletter and a website.
- Providing an annual meeting for regulators to discuss and work on current regulatory issues like continuing competency, distance learning, portability, disciplinary functions, and supervision needs.
- Connecting to other regulatory associations.
- Promoting publications of relevance to the mission of regulation of MFTs.
In 2003, two additional states, Ohio and New York, passed legislation regulating the practice of Marital and Family Therapy. The AMFTRB website, www.amftrb.org, was developed and expanded under the leadership of a new Webmaster to include a News Bulletin section for immediate posting of news and information from states. Additionally, a new Job Analysis Validation Study was launched to insure that the national examination would remain relevant and valid to the clinical practice of MFTs.
By 2004, 46 states regulated marriage and family therapy as members of AMFTRB. Additionally, the District of Columbia passed legislation regulating MFTs. During 2004 the AMFTRB Practice Analysis Validation Study was completed. For the first time, LMFTs from both the United States and Canada were surveyed. The data from the study led to the development of new test specifications for the National MFT Examination. Plans to extend the study to included a survey of MFT practice in Australia.
As of 2005, 48 states and the District of Columbia worked together to regulate the practice of MFTs. West Virginia and Montana were only the two states where there was no MFT licensing law. In June, an Angoff Panel was convened to establish a pass point for the new examination introduced in September. As well in June a Practice Examination was launched on the AMFTRB website. AMFTRB continued to explore ways to generate item development to support a valid, relevant, and reliable national examination. New directions were explored and integrated for expanding AMFTRB through:
- Networking with other mental health groups, which took the form of a presentation at a conference on supervision and attendance at an AFTA-IFTA conference.
- Development of a webpage on licensing for supervision and supervision of disciplined practitioners for training programs and supervisors.
- The research committee incorporating an international component to the research on regulation of MFTs.
- Creation of a portability of license project.
In 2006 work on portability of licenses was a focus for a new committee. The AMFTRB Bylaws under went a revision process. The new test specifications for the MFT National Examination were implemented. Research continued on the practice of marital and family therapy in Canada, Australia, and the United States with preliminary findings shared at the International Family Therapy Association conference.
During 2007 areas identified for increasing focus included supervision for MFTs preparing for licensure and supervision of disciplined practitioners; involvement with other mental health groups working on supervision; endorsement guidelines for qualified licensees across state jurisdictions; development of appropriate relationships with MFT training programs; and work on continuing competency definitions, standards, and guidelines.
In 2008 the delegate body at the 22nd Annual Meeting of State Delegates adopted a ‘Model for Endorsement’ to assist states in addressing the issue of portability of licenses among states. As well, the Board of Directors put forth recommendations for states to consider concerning the MFT National Examination regarding Failed Candidates/Retake Test Candidates and Dishonesty.
The 2009 work for AMFTRB focused on Continued Competence of licensees and beginning research on the possibility of a Certified Supervisor designation. In August, a standard setting Angoff panel was conducted for the MFT National Examination.
In 2010 West Virginia and North Dakota were unanimously accepted by vote into AMFTRB membership. This brought AMFTRB to 49 members. Research continued on collecting information about what states require regarding the continued competence of LMFTs. There was further exploration and collection of data about how to assess continuing competence of licensed therapists. A major literature review on supervision was completed with the recommendation that AMFTRB conduct a role delineation study to identify competencies for supervisors. Initial work was begun on development of a Model MFT Law.
2011 was the 25th anniversary of AMFTRB. This celebration began with the development of an association logo. Montana was accepted into membership, which brought AMFTRB’s composition to include all 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. The MFT National Examination continued to evolve with completion of an online application, an additional testing window added to the schedule with growth planned toward continuous testing, and initial development with California for a Job Analysis in the next year. The 25th Annual Meeting of State Delegates took a ‘green step’ by using the website as the source for the annual meeting book of materials. Two committees continued work, one on the development of a Model Law and the other on an Analysis of Supervisor Competencies study. International collaboration involved a presentation with England at IFTA and collaborative relationships continued with COAMFTE and MFT Training Program Directors. The 25th Annual Meeting of State Delegates was enhanced with the participation of many of the past presidents of the association sharing their work and experiences in the development of the association as well as their vision for AMFTRB and MFT regulation in the next twenty five years..
For 2012, AMFTRB invested in expanded discussions with California as the state reviewed and evaluated use of the MFT National Examination. A Practice Analysis was conducted of MFTs in the United States, Canada, and included a larger sample of California practitioners than had been used in previous studies. Results from the analysis were utilized to develop new test specifications for the MFT National Examination. The study addressing competencies for supervision continued. The Board of Directors decided to incorporate the work of the Modal Law committee into development of a Harmonization of Laws committee. Once again a joint workshop session with England at the 2012 IFTA Conference was presented and focused on disciplinary processes in each country. AMFTRB continued to explore ways of connecting to state delegates unable to attend an annul meeting, by piloting an online meeting format called ‘Connections & Conversations’. Because of the positive evaluation of this format, the Board f Directors planned to expand the use of this technology to several online meetings of targeted groups (training program directors, state board office executives) and about specific topics of regulation.
2013 began with major reorganization within the Professional Examination Services, the testing company with whom AMFTRB has worked since 1987. ProExam created a team of program directors for the MFT program, as they continued to improve their advances in use of technology for examination development and administration. For AMFTRB this meant that several new formats for item development for the MFT National Examination were introduced; that new formats for the surveys connected to the exam were reviewed and developed for beginning use in 2014; and that discussion of the types of data collected and data analysis available can potentially be expanded. Four final forms of the MFT National Examination based on the test specifications developed in the 2012 practice analysis were completed in preparation for use in January of 2014. An Angoff Panel Workshop was conducted in September based on the 2014 test specifications. Research continued to be developed on supervision for licensure and competencies for supervisors. The AMFTRB Board of Directors spent their June board meeting involved in a training workshop on continuing competence. From this workshop a new direction to work on the Consciously Competent LMFT was launched. AMFTRB’s Investment Committee met several times to finalize decisions about changing investment companies.
Of significance for AMFTRB in 2014 was the decision to once again solicit bids from several exam development and administration companies to explore the best future contract option for the MFT National Examination. At the July Board of Directors’ summer meeting, the Board selected the Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) proposal, set to begin in January 2015. Among the changes that this contract incorporated was the ability to provide a monthly testing window that responded to the need articulated by states for more testing access. As well, the technology strength of PTC offered continued improvement for the use of technology both in the application process for state staff and candidates, score and data reporting, and the potential for exploration of best practice in the use of multiple choice test items. A Social Networking Project Proposal, which was to connect state delegates via LinkedIn with emerging regulatory questions, was accepted following state delegate feedback for developing Consciously Competent LMFTs. The project was this year’s practical application of the Boards’ work on competence. The Association of Individual, Marriage, and Family Therapists (IMFTs) of Guam, contacted AMFTRB in August with a request to use the MFT National Examination, as their new law requires that to be an IMFT a candidate must pass the examination.
Beginning January 2015, AMFTRB moved to establish of a fulltime office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and to employ a fulltime Executive Director. The Board of Directors’ decision to take this step was affirmed at the 28th Annual Meeting of State Delegates. Of importance in January as well was the start of AMFTRB’s two-year contract with a new test vendor, Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) of New York. Under the new contract with PTC important changes were started: the MFT National Examination is to be administered one week each month at Prometric testing centers; score reports are sent to each test candidate as well as to state offices; PTC pays for approved ADA accommodations; and the process of approval and monthly reporting between state offices and the test vendor were significantly streamlined. Further interaction with the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA) involved work on the IFTA commission for review of standards for international training programs. The Texas State Licensing Board, state association (TAMFT), and AAMFT asked that AMFTRB file an Amicus Brief in support of their litigation about LMFTs ability to diagnose and treat. The Board of Directors approved this action. Guam applied for membership in AMFTRB and was unanimously accepted. The supervision study committee finalized the supervision survey with data scheduled to be collected late September through late October for analysis in November.
2016 was the 30th year for AMFTRB’s Annual Meeting of State Delegates. All US states, plus the District of Columbia and Guam belong to the association. Work on the MFT National Examination with Professional Testing Corporation (PTC) was successful with the addition of monthly testing windows with monthly state reports. An English Language Learners (ELL) committee was created to develop and implement a process and form for states to approve a Special Arrangement of extra time on the exam for ELL candidates. Each state decided whether or not they would approve the ELL Special Arrangement. Exam security continued to be monitored including the updating of the policies for use of the exam, of the candidate security agreement, of an outline for how breaches of the exam are processed, and of ‘data mining’ on the internet. In 2016 a new Role Delineation study was begun, as was discussion of other potential exams. The Department of Veterans Affairs WEAMS system approval of the MFT National Examination continued. Work with TesTrac (as of 2024, TesTrac has been replaced by PTC) as the vendor for the Practice Exam continued with the expansion of MFT training program vouchers. Two new major initiatives were undertaken by AMFTRB: a Telehealth/Tele-Therapy Committee (TC) and a Working Group on Portability. Both of these initiatives involved and incorporated the research and work of regulatory organizations across disciplines and of many MFT stakeholders, including COAMFTE, AAMFT, IFTA, the California Association of MFTs, and the Citizens Advocacy Center CAC). TC researched and wrote standards of practice guidelines for teletherapy that were recommended to states. A further recommendation was that a teletherapy certification be considered for development by AMFTRB. The Portability Working Group surveyed state offices to assess the needs they had concerning portability of LMFT licenses and presented a discussion at the annual meeting of the barriers states saw to portability; of how to best encourage the adoption of the 2009 AMFTRB guidelines for portability; and of identification of next steps. During the final quarter of 2016, a Website committee began. Throughout the year additional activities included: discussions with AAMFT; quarterly virtual meetings with COAMFTE; participation in IFTA through workshop presentations and training program review; and attendance at CLEAR and CAC conferences and webinars regarding the role of regulators, continuing competence of licensees, disciplinary issues, public protection, and the future of regulation.
In 2017 the 31st Annual Meeting of State Delegates focused on the changing federal view of licensing boards and regulation of professionals. This included presentation and discussion of the Veterans Administration work on a national Credential Engine to increase the work force by reviewing the barriers to licensing that veterans faced in entering the professional work force. Both academic and experience barriers were considered. As well the trend of federal and state pressure increasing on the structure and composition of licensing boards was presented. One specific area that emerged was around quality assurance and discipline of licensed professionals as related to the purpose of regulation to protect the public. During the annual meeting reports from sister organizations, AAMFT, COAMFTE and IFTA, were presented about the work AMFTRB shares with them from academic and training standards and supervision to the impact of AAMFTs reorganization for some state boards. Four principal work areas for the year were: the development and implementation of AMFTRB’s new website, amftrb.org; the completion of a Role Delineation Study to advance the MFT National Examination; development and adoption of suggested guidelines for rules and regulation of Teletherapy for state boards to use; and of foremost significance the adoption of proposed guidelines for state boards on the Mobility of LMFTs which built on the 2009 work by AMFTRB’s Board of Directors.