65-5812. Construction of act. Nothing in the professional counselors licensure act shall be construed:

(a) To apply to the activities and services of qualified members of other professional groups including, but not limited to, attorneys, physicians, psychologists, masters level psychologists, marriage and family therapists, registered nurses or social workers, others performing counseling not for a fee, or others performing counseling consistent with the laws of this state, their training and any code of ethics of their professions, including school, industrial, financial, vocational, rehabilitation or any similar type counselor so long as they do not represent themselves by any title or description in the manner prescribed in K.S.A. 65-5803, and amendments thereto;

(b) to apply to the activities, services and use of an official title on the part of an individual employed as a counselor by any federal, state, county or municipal agency or public, any private educational institution, so long as such individuals are performing counseling or counseling-related activities within the scope of their employment;

(c) to apply to the activities and services of a rabbi, priest, minister or clergy person of any religious denomination or sect, including a Christian Science practitioner, or any public or private not-for-profit organization, corporation or association, including but not limited to camp counselors, crisis center counselors, community hot-line counselors or suicide hot-line counselors, so long as such activities and services are within the scope of the performance of such individual's regular or specialized ministerial duties;

(d) to authorize a person licensed under such act to diagnose or treat mental illness or disease except that licensed clinical professional counselors may diagnose and treat mental disorders in accordance with this act;

(e) [to] prohibit the activities of persons licensed or otherwise regulated by the state board of education or otherwise licensed, registered, or otherwise regulated by the laws of this state and who are performing services consistent with the laws of this state, their training and any code of ethics of their profession;

(f) to prohibit the activities of students or interns enrolled in an approved academic program while engaged in such academic program;

(g) in any way to restrict any person from carrying on any of the aforesaid activities in the free expression or exchange of ideas concerning the practice of professional counseling, the application of its principles, the teaching of such subject matter, and the conducting of research on problems relating to human behavior if such person does not represent such person or such person's services in any manner prohibited by such act;

(h) to prohibit the activities of persons performing services pursuant to a temporary license issued pursuant to such act;

(i) to apply to the activities of persons working under the supervision of a professional counselor;

(j) to prohibit the activities of any weight control consultants or advisors in recognized, legitimate programs or business environments;

(k) to prevent qualified persons from doing work within the standards and ethics of their respective professions and callings provided they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services as being engaged in the practice of professional counseling.

History: L. 1987, ch. 315, § 12; L. 1996, ch. 153, § 12; L. 1999, ch. 108, § 3; L. 2001, ch. 211, § 16; L. 2007, ch. 13, § 7; July 1.