Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists

Telehealth:  In light of CDC recommendations and state actions regarding social distancing, the Board is receiving a high volume of inquiries regarding the provision of counseling by electronic means.   The short answer is:  Providing counseling services via electronic means in South Dakota is allowed under South Dakota’s laws and administrative rules, if you meet the requirements to do so.

Normally, anyone providing counseling or therapy services from South Dakota or to a client located in South Dakota, is required to be licensed as a counselor or marriage and family therapist by the Board.  This includes counseling and therapy services provided by electronic means.  However, Executive Order 2020-06 has been issued to address COVID-19 in South Dakota.  This Executive Order temporarily recognizes licenses issued by another state authorizing an individual to perform counseling or therapy services through December 30, 2020, unless sooner terminated or extended. Executive Order 2020-34 extends Executive Order 2020-07 through June 30, 2021, unless sooner terminated or extended.

South Dakota does allow for licensure by endorsement if you have been licensed in another state as a counselor or marriage and family therapist for at least 3 years and you have taken one of the national examinations required for licensure in South Dakota.  If you wish to become fully licensed in South Dakota to provide services in South Dakota beyond the effective date of the Executive order, you may do so by completing the appropriate application for licensure by endorsement.  If you would like to explore licensure by endorsement, please review the Application for Licensure by Endorsement under Find Applications.

Counselors or marriage and family therapists providing counseling or therapy services by electronic means in South Dakota are required to meet all the HIPAA requirements to ensure confidentiality of session and meet all the requirements of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics or the American Association from Marriage and Family Therapy Code of Ethics.

Resources:  In an effort to keep informed about the changing circumstances of COVID-19, below are resources that are routinely updated:

• The South Dakota Department of Health Novel Coronavirus (COVID) 19 website.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a COVID-19 website.
• American Counseling Association COVID-19 Related Resources.
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists  Coronavirus Updates.

The Board is working to assist you during this unprecedented time.  Please continue to check this website for additional updates. 

Board of Examiners for Counselor & Marriage and Family Therapists
Jennifer Stalley
Executive Secretary
PO Box 340
1351 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, SD  57501
Phone: 605.224.1721
Fax: 888.425.3032
Email: SDBCE@midwestsolutionssd.com

The mission of the South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors & Marriage and Family Therapists is to protect the South Dakota consumers of counseling and marriage and family therapy services by mandatory licensing of qualified counselor applicants.

• Statute – SDCL 36-32 and 36-33
• Administrative Rule – ARSD 20:68, 20:71 and 20:73

Board Members
Board members are appointed by the Governor to three-year terms. The board consists of nine members, three of whom shall be lay members, one of whom shall be a counselor educator, and five of whom shall be professionals actively engaged in professional counseling or marriage and family therapy and broadly representing a cross section of the licensed disciplines governed by this board. No member may serve more than three consecutive terms.

Lynell Rice Brinkworth, LMFT Therapist - President - Black Hawk
Tiffany Butler, LPC Counselor - Vice President - Lennox
Sherry Bartels, LPC-MH Counselor - Sioux Falls
Bobbi Brown - Lay Member - Rapid City
Cheryl Hartman - Lay Member - Sioux Falls
Roswitha Konz, LPC Counselor - Mitchell
Jay Trenhaile, LPC Counselor Educator - Brookings
Sherwood Schrenk, LPC-MH Counselor - Aberdeen
Jeff Wangen - Lay Member - Rapid City

Additional Information
View upcoming board meetings and meeting minutes on the Boards and Commissions portal.

View archived meeting minutes prior to 2014.