No matter what: Florida Therapists must report any Driving Under the Influence charges to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling boards.
It doesn't matter if a therapist:
- was convicted or found guilty of DUI,
- regardless of an adjudication of DUI,
- or if he or she entered a plea of nolo contendere to a DUI charge,
She or he still needs to report the outcome of their case to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.
For a therapist's first DUI offense:
The minimum discipline is a $1,000 fine and probation from practicing. The maximum disciple is a $1,000 fine and a permanent revocation from practicing.
For a therapist's second DUI offense:
The fine is the same but the consequences include a one year suspension from practicing.
For a therapist's third offense:
The fine is $2,500 with a two year suspension from practicing or permanent revocation from practicing.
To learn more about how DUI charges tend to affect Florida professional licenses, visit our blog: "How to Protect Your Professional License and Yourself when Charged with DUI in Florida".