Questions and Answers
for Therapy Volunteer Services

Providers may opt-in to provide therapeutic support for:

• Active guard and reserve service members, veterans, and their loved ones

• Domestic Violence victims, sexual assault victims, child abuse victims, trauma victims, victims with lack of insurance or no insurance.

• Those affected by natural disasters and man-made tragedies such as mass shootings or bombings, hurricanes, COVID, and loss

• Regional and State programs such as EDRT (victims of crime, those involved in the justice system)

Providers may also opt-in to provide non-therapeutic support and resources:

• Sharing expertise on topics such as grief, loss, and trauma

• Participate or lead peer-to-peer support groups

• General presentations to help other mental health providers who have  interns and need supervision

• Career sourcing and education

• Workshops or seminars that include the community and its partners.

The FFT Helping Others commitment for therapy is one hour of your services per week, per the FFT Helping Others client you accept.

FFT Helping Others providers should treat paying, and pro-bono clients in the same manner, offering help until it is clinically appropriate to terminate care.

You may also volunteer at conferences, resource fairs, or other events that are run by partnerships and collaborations with FFT Helping Others will aid in providing you with more clients and advertise for you in all the conferences, seminars, workshops, and events.

Provisional: 

As of 2022, FFT Helping Others welcomes provisional licensed providers in the network. FFT encourages professional autonomy: All licensing board verifications are the responsibility of the license holder and supervisor.  

• You must have graduated from your Master’s Program or Doctorate with state licensing hours and prerequisites. (NO EXCEPTIONS)

• You must have secured your supervisor or professor if you are doing your qualified hours for your license. Your supervision must be through a state-approved license facility and college. FFT Helping Others can only have you volunteer but cannot signoff on hours unless the professor is involved.

• You must be willing to inform FFT Helping Others clients of your provisional status and provide them with your supervisor's information

• You must carry appropriate liability insurance through an employer or state-run college/university.

Independent: 

• You must be in good standing with your licensing board for two consecutive years.

• Social workers must have the highest license the state requires to practice independently. It varies from state to state, but generally, the abbreviation is LICSW, LCSW, or LCSW-C.

• Professional counselors must have the highest license the state requires to practice independently. It varies from state to state, but generally, the abbreviation is LPC, LMHC, or LCPC.

• Pastoral counselors must be licensed as such or a fellowship level member of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.

• Psychologists must have a doctorate and a license to practice.

• Marriage and family providers must have an LMFT.

• Psychiatrists must have an M.D. or a D.O. with proper accreditation in psychiatry.

• Psychiatric nurses, drug and alcohol counselors, and other mental health professionals not covered here must follow their state’s regulations for proper licensing.

• In-person Counseling: We recognize that in-person support is standard within the mental health community. However, we also recognize that this may not be feasible for everyone.

• Video Counseling: We encourage using HIPAA-compliant platforms when an individual cannot meet in person with a provider.

• Telephone Support: We understand providers will rely on their professional judgment to determine if phone support is sufficient to meet the individual’s mental health needs.

• Outreach and Engagement: We provide opportunities for providers to serve their communities by engaging, recruiting, and educating others about your practice and your aid with FFT Helping Others and their partnerships, about the services provided through several of our initiatives.

The answer to this question varies from state to state and is changing rapidly. Please get in touch with the appropriate licensing entities for the most up-to-date information.

It also varies on statutes, limitations, and dual license issues. Please visit the individual state mental health statutes to ensure what you can and cannot do or follow links below.

ASWB State Requirements Database 

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LMFT licensing resource

ASPPB PSY|Book: Psychology Licensing Requirements

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PSYPACT 

When a client requests a referral, the provider receives an email from us notifying them of a request or we will call directly. In addition, due to confidentiality, we do not give information about clients because of confidentiality. We will provide only 1st name who needs aid with expressed approval from the client.