Stephanie Vazzano | Support HB1438

I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor who has worked in New Hampshire for more than 15 years. I support this bill and would highly recommend that, like other mandatory reporting laws in New Hampshire, it be applicable to everyone. It seems like poor form to require only one small portion of people to be mandated reporters and would also highly limit the ability of a reported to maintain confidentiality in the report. Similarly, it seems harmful to have only the Board of Mental Health beholden to this; if someone sees me, I have to make a report, but if someone sees my coworker who is a Clinical Psychologist, she doesn't have to make a report? Or the psychiatrist? Or their primary care provider? Or a teacher? I think the verbiage needs to be updated to refer to anyone governed by the Board, not only someone licensed, so that it would include clinicians who are not yet licensed, but under supervision. I'm concerned that the language herein doesn't reference the RSA for the NH definitions of animal abuse/cruelty/neglect.