The Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling hereby gives notice:
of the issuance of an Order regarding the Petition for Waiver or Variance, which was filed on September 7, 2011, by Valerie Hoelscher Garoutte. The Notice of Petition for Waiver or Variance was published in Vol. 37, No. 38, of the September 23, 2011, Florida Administrative Weekly. The Petitioner was seeking a waiver or variance of paragraph 64B4-3.003(3)(c), F.A.C., entitled, “Examination for Licensure,” which requires for Marriage and Family Therapists that the minimum passing score is the recommended cut-off score provided by the national vendor and established according to the Angoff procedure. The Board considered the instant Petition at a duly-noticed meeting, held October 13, 2011, in Tampa, Florida.
The Board’s Order, filed on October 26, 2011, denied the petition finding that Petitioner had failed to establish that the purpose of the underlying statute would be met by granting a variance or waiver from paragraph 64B4-3.003(3)(c), F.A.C. The Board further finds that Petitioner failed to establish that applying the requirements of the aforementioned rule to her circumstances would violate principles of fairness and impose substantial hardship.
A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting:
Sue Foster, Executive Director, Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C08, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3258.