Mental health; rules and standards for certification of behavioral health case managers; uniformity in rules and standards for certification for behavioral health case managers; certification as peer recovery support specialist; uniformity in rules and standards for certification for peer recovery support specialist; effective date.
HB4275 updates Oklahoma law governing certification of two behavioral health support roles: behavioral health case managers and peer recovery support specialists. The bill directs the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to promulgate rules and standards for certification and renewal, including education, examination, supervision, continuing education, and professional conduct requirements. It also authorizes the Board to certify individuals for two-year periods, collect application and renewal fees of up to $100, and revoke, suspend, or decline renewal for noncompliance.
The bill narrows and clarifies who may use the protected titles “certified behavioral health case manager” and “certified peer recovery support specialist.” In both sections, title use is limited to people employed by state, county, or municipal government; qualifying behavioral health providers; tribal facilities; or Oklahoma or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. The measure also makes clear that these certifications do not authorize a person to practice as a licensed physician, psychologist, social worker, counselor, marriage and family therapist, behavioral practitioner, or alcohol and drug counselor unless separately licensed or accredited. The act becomes effective November 1, 2026.
HB4275 amends 43A O.S. 2021, Sections 3-318 and 3-326, to create more uniform certification rules for behavioral health case managers and peer recovery support specialists. It standardizes the Board’s authority over certification criteria, renewal, fees, and discipline, while reinforcing title protection and limiting the scope of practice for these credentialed roles. The bill affects the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, employers in the behavioral health system, tribal and veterans’ facilities, and individuals seeking or holding these certifications.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed House committees unanimously, cleared the House floor 88-5, and passed the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and Senate floor unanimously. The available committee discussion suggests the measure was treated as a routine update to current law rather than a major policy change.
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the record provided. The only notable point of possible concern is the bill’s restriction on who may use the certified titles and its explicit statement that certification does not authorize practice in other licensed professions. Those provisions appear designed to prevent scope-of-practice confusion and protect professional titles, but they also limit how the credentials may be used by workers outside the listed employment settings. The floor vote in the House included five nays, indicating some limited dissent, though no specific objections are included in the materials.