State charges mental health counselor who failed to disclose conviction involving sexual contact with male teen

May 12, 2010

On February 25, 2010, the Washington State Department of Health (DoH) charged licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT) James F. Jacobs with unprofessional conduct.  The DoH’s Statement of Charges states that the state of WashingtoJacobs a MFT license on July 22, 2001 and that earlier, on July 2^nd, he’d submitted his application for an MFT license.  On the application, he’d answered “no” to the question:

“Have you ever been convicted, entered a plea of guilty, nolo contender or a plea of similar effect, or had prosecution or sentence deferred or suspended, in connection with:

a. the use or distribution of controlled substances or legend drugs?

b. a charge of a sex offense?

c. any other crime, other than minor traffic infractions? (Including driving under the influence and reckless driving)"

On or about August 6, 1998, Jacobs was arrested in Bell County, Texas for indecency with a child by contact, a felony, for sexual contact with a sixteen (16) year old male.  On or about December 22, 1998, Jacobs was convicted of assault with bodily injury, a misdemeanor reduced from the original indecency charge, in Bell County, Texas (Cause No. 2C98-3677).

On or about April 6, 2006, Jacobs’ clinical privileges to practice as a substance abuse counselor for the U.S. Army Medical Department, Kenner Army Health Clinic, Fort Lee, Virginia, were permanently revoked for failure to disclose the above referenced criminal conviction when completing a Department of the Army Malpractice History and Clinical Privileges Questionnaire.

Source: Statement of Charges, In the Matter of James F. Jacobs, Credential No. MFT.LF.00000856, Case No. M2009-999, State of Washington Department of Health.