Miscellaneous

Licensure by endorsement (a) (2).

(2) Demonstrates competency by one of the following: (i) Experience in the practice of psychology by demonstrating, at a minimum, that the applicant has actively engaged in the practice of psychology in the jurisdiction that issued the license, certificate, registration or permit for 2 of the last 5 years immediately preceding the filing of the application with the Board. (ii) Completion of 30 hours of continuing education that meets the requirements of § 41.59 (relating to continuing education) during the 24 months immediately preceding the date of the application.

Licensure by endorsement (a) (3 - 7).

(3) Has not committed any act that constitutes grounds for refusal, suspension or revocation of a license to practice psychology under section 8 of the act (63 P.S. § 1208) regarding refusal, suspension or revocation of license. (4) Has not been disciplined by the jurisdiction that issued the license, certificate, registration or permit. (5) Has paid the initial application fee as set forth in § 41.12 (relating to fees). (6) Satisfies application requirements as required by the act and this chapter, including § 41.30(b)(2) and (3) (relating to qualifications and documentation necessary for licensure). (7) Completes 3 hours of training in child abuse recognition and reporting from a provider approved by the Department of Human Services as required under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6383(b)(3)(i) (relating to education and training).

Persons licensed in other states (a).

(a) A person who holds a current license or certificate to practice psychology issued by a statutory board of psychologist examiners of a state with requirements for licensure which are deemed by the Board to be equivalent to those of the Commonwealth may be exempt from examination. Application for licensure under these circumstances shall be made on forms supplied by the Board and shall be accompanied by the initial application fees specified in § 41.12 (relating to fees).

Continuing education (a)

(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: Biennium—The period from December 1 of an odd-numbered year to November 30 of the next odd-numbered year. CEU—Continuing Education Unit—A unit for measuring contact hours of continuing education. One CEU equals 10 contact hours. Contact hour—A unit of measure equaling 50 to 60 minutes of participation in an approved continuing education course or program.

Provisional endorsement license (a) (b).

(a) Provisional endorsement license. The Board may, in its discretion, issue a provisional endorsement license to an applicant while the applicant is satisfying remaining requirements for licensure by endorsement under 63 Pa.C.S. § 3111 (relating to licensure by endorsement) and § 41.52a(a) (relating to licensure by endorsement). (b) Expiration of a provisional endorsement license. (1) An individual holding a provisional endorsement license may practice for up to 1 year after issuance of the provisional endorsement license. The Board, in its discretion, may determine that an expiration date of less than 1 year is appropriate. (2) Upon a written request and a showing of good cause, the Board may grant an extension of no longer than 1 year from the expiration date of the provisional endorsement license.

Licensure by endorsement (a) (1).

(a) Requirements for issuance. To be issued a license by endorsement under 63 Pa.C.S. § 3111 (relating to licensure by endorsement), an applicant must satisfy all of the following requirements: (1) Has a current license, certification, registration or permit in good standing to practice psychology in another jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed those established by the Board under section 6 of the act (63 P.S. § 1206) and § § 41.31 and 41.32 (relating to educational qualifications; and experience qualifications). (i) An applicant must submit a copy of the current applicable law, regulation or other rule governing licensure, certification, registration or permit requirements and scope of practice in the jurisdiction that issued the license, certification, registration or permit. (ii) If the applicable law, regulation or other rule is in a language other than English, at the applicant's expense, the applicable law, regulation or other rule shall be translated by a professional translation service and verified to be complete and accurate. (iii) The copy of the applicable law, regulation or other rule must include the enactment date.

Standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons with graduate training in psychology (a).

(a) Statutory authority and purpose. Under section 3(12) of the act (63 P. S. § 1203(12)), psychologists licensed by the Board may employ ''professional employes with graduate training in psychology,'' who ''shall perform their duties under the full direction, control and supervision of a licensed psychologist.'' Section 41.58 sets standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons who come within the statutory language. Section 41.58 does not apply to persons completing the experience requirement for licensure, to employes who are licensed and regulated by other Boards in the Bureau, or to employes of psychologists practicing in settings exempted from the licensure requirement under section 3(4), (6), (8) and (10) of the act.

Professional records (a) (b).

(a) This section sets out the Board's minimum requirements for the maintenance of professional records by psychologists. These requirements express the Board's belief that a psychologist's commitment to the welfare of a client/patient includes the duty to record accurately that person's progress through the evaluation and intervention process. Compliance with this section does not excuse psychologists from complying with stricter standards otherwise imposed by State or Federal law or regulation or by institutional requirements. (b) A psychologist shall maintain a legible record for each client/patient which includes, at a minimum: (1) The name and address of the client/patient and, if the client/patient is a minor, the names of the parents or the name of the legal guardian. If a minor's parents are separated, notation of legal custodial arrangements is required. (2) The presenting problem or purpose or diagnosis. (3) The fee arrangement. (4) The date and substance of each service contact. (5) Test results or other evaluative results obtained and basic test data from which they were derived. (6) Notation and results of formal consults with other providers. (7) A copy of all test or other evaluative reports prepared as part of the professional relationship. (8) Authorizations, if any, by the client/patient for release of records or information. (c) A psychologist shall store and dispose of written, electronic and other records in a manner which insures their confidentiality. (d) To meet the requirements of this section, so as to provide a formal record for review, but not necessarily for other legal purposes, a psychologist shall assure that all data entries in professional records are maintained for at least 5 years after the last date that service was rendered. A psychologist shall also abide by othe

Persons licensed in other states (b).

(b) An applicant who has passed the National portion of the examination with a score equivalent to or higher than the passing score then prevailing in this Commonwealth will not be required to repeat this portion of the examination.

Continuing education (b)

(b) Continuing education requirement for biennial renewal. As a condition of biennial license renewal, a psychologist shall have completed during the preceding biennium a minimum of 30 contact hours (3 CEUs) of continuing education in acceptable courses, programs or activities which shall include at least 3 contact hours per biennium in ethical issues. Up to 10 contact hours in excess of 30 from the immediately preceding biennium may be carried over from one biennium to the next. Excess hours in ethical issues may not be used to satisfy the ethics requirement for the succeeding biennium but may be credited toward the total requirement.

Licensure by endorsement (b)

(b) Interview and additional information. An applicant may be required to appear before the Board for a personal interview and may be requested to submit additional information, including supporting documentation relating to competency and experience. The applicant may request the interview to be conducted by video teleconference for good cause shown.

Standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons with graduate training in psychology (b).

(b) Responsibilities of employing psychologists and supervising psychologists. The employing psychologist shall ensure that the employe has satisfied the education requirement set out in the definition of ''graduate training in psychology'' in § 41.1 (relating to definitions) and shall bear full professional responsibility for the welfare of every client/patient served by the employe. The employing psychologist shall supervise the employe as set out in subsection (c) or shall assign the supervisory function to another licensed psychologist affiliated with the employment setting. A supervising psychologist shall be qualified to render competently every psychological service which the employe undertakes, except that clearly defined areas of the employe's supervision may be delegated to other professionals affiliated with the employment setting whose competence in the delegated areas has been demonstrated by previous education, training and experience. Although the employing psychologist shall continue to bear the ultimate responsibility for services rendered by the employe, a psychologist who supervises an unlicensed person under this section shall be individually responsible for activities of that person performed under the psychologist's supervision or pursuant to the psychologist's delegation.

Persons licensed in other states (c).

(c) In accordance with section 3(7) of the act (63 P. S. § 1203(7)), a psychologist licensed for independent practice by a statutory board of psychologist examiners of another state or a province of Canada, whose license is current and in good standing, may practice psychology on temporary assignment in this Commonwealth for up to 6 months, after written notification to the Board and receipt from the Board, in writing, of temporary permission to practice. The Board will grant no more than one extension of the 6-month period, the extension not to exceed an additional 6 months. Requests for extensions shall be made to the Board in writing. A psychologist on temporary assignment in this Commonwealth for an aggregate of no more than 14 days is exempted from the notification requirement.

Licensure by endorsement (c)

(c) Prohibited acts. Notwithstanding subsection (a)(3) and (4), the Board may, in its discretion, determine that an act prohibited under section 8 of the act or disciplinary action by a jurisdiction are not impediments to the granting of a license by endorsement under 63 Pa.C.S. § 3111.

Continuing education (c)

(c) Reports to the Board. A psychologist shall certify to compliance with the contact hours requirement at the time of biennial renewal. A psychologist shall retain for at least two bienniums, certificates, transcripts or other documentation showing completion of the prescribed number of contact hours. These records are subject to audit by the Board.

Standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons with graduate training in psychology (c).

(c) Supervision requirements. The Board recognizes that variations in the training of unlicensed employes will require individually tailored supervision. The following are the minimum supervisory requirements acceptable to the Board: (1) The supervisor shall ensure that the employe possesses skills commensurate with the work assigned. (2) The supervisor shall plan all service delivery procedures in consultation with the employe. The supervisor shall acquire knowledge of clients/patients, through face-to-face contact when necessary, sufficient to carry out this duty effectively. (3) The supervisor shall establish and maintain a level of supervisory contact consistent with professional standards. These standards require regular face-to-face consultation with the employe, either individually or in a group. In particular, the supervisor shall acquaint the employe with the Code of Ethics found in § 41.61 (relating to Code of Ethics) and shall, under that section, be accountable for ethical violations by the employe. (4) The supervisor shall be available for emergency consultation and intervention. (5) The supervisor shall maintain an ongoing record detailing the activities in which the employe is engaged, the level of competence in each, and the outcome of all procedures. (6) The supervisor shall ensure that the employe signs all reports, records and other communications prepared by the employe for distribution or maintenance within the employment setting. Written communications prepared by the employe for distribution outside the employment setting shall be signed by the employe and countersigned as ''reviewed and approved by'' the supervisor. (7) The supervisor shall ensure that the employe's supervised status is made known to clients/patients and that the employe's title clearly indicates this status.

Provisional endorsement license (c) (d).

(c) Termination of a provisional endorsement license. A provisional endorsement license terminates as follows: (1) The provisional endorsement license terminates when the Board denies or grants the license. (2) Failure to comply with the terms of a provisional endorsement license will result in termination of the provisional endorsement license. (d) Reapplication. An individual may reapply for licensure by endorsement under § 41.52a after expiration or termination of a provisional endorsement license; however, the individual may not be issued a subsequent provisional endorsement license.

Continuing education (d)

(d) Approved sponsors; acceptable courses and programs. (1) Courses and programs approved by Board-approved sponsors will be accepted as satisfying all or part of the continuing education requirement. It is the responsibility of the psychologist to ascertain the approval status of the sponsor before undertaking a continuing education activity. (2) Irrespective of the sponsor, the Board reserves the right to reject a continuing education course/program submitted by a psychologist if it is outside the scope of practice of psychology or is otherwise unacceptable because of presentation or content. The Board will not accept courses/programs which are unrelated to the actual practice of psychology—for example, instruction in office management or practice building. A psychologist will be notified of a rejected course/program in writing, along with the reason for the rejection. (3) The Board has approved the following sponsors: (i) Accredited colleges or universities as long as the course/program corresponds to the scope of practice of psychology and generates semester/quarter hour credit. (ii) The American Psychological Association (APA) and APA-approved sponsors. (iii) Sponsors approved by the American Medical Association who meet the criteria of paragraph (4). Programs offered by these sponsors shall relate to the practice of psychology. (4) The Board will consider for approval, on a biennial basis, National and regional professional associations which offer courses and programs for psychologists, and sponsors approved by these associations. An association seeking Board approval for itself or its sponsors shall submit an application to the Board. The applicant will be notified of approval or disapproval in writing. Notifications of disapproval will set forth reasons. The Board will not approve a sponsor unless it:

Standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons with graduate training in psychology (d) (e).

(d) Billing and public announcements. The employing psychologist shall disclose the unlicensed, supervised status of the employe when billing for psychological services of the employe and in public announcements of services and fees involving the employe. (e) Noncompliance. Noncompliance with this section will be considered unprofessional conduct and will subject the noncomplying psychologist to disciplinary action under section 8(b) of the act (63 P. S. § 1208(b)).

Continuing education (e)

(e) Home study. A psychologist may accrue up to 15 of the required contact hours in home study courses offered by approved sponsors as long as the course has specific learning objectives and the sponsor evaluates the extent of learning that has taken place.

Continuing education (f)

(f) Instruction. (1) A psychologist may accrue up to 15 of the required contact hours by offering one of the following: (i) A course in psychology for a regionally accredited college or university if the course generates semester/quarter hour credit. (ii) A workshop for an approved sponsor. (2) A clock hour of instruction equals 1 contact hour. An individual course or workshop may be credited to the instructor only once every 4 years. The hours of continuing education granted to a psychologist who participates as a workshop instructor will be determined by dividing the number of continuing education hours granted for the workshop by the number of instructors participating in the workshop.

Continuing education (g)

(g) Professional writing. (1) A psychologist may accrue the equivalent of up to 10 of the required contact hours by writing one of the following: (i) An article published in a journal abstracted in PSYCHLIT. (ii) A chapter, or more, in a text or trade book for psychologists published by a commercial publisher or a state or National psychological association. (2) No more than 10 contact hour equivalents of professional writing may be granted for one article or chapter published during the preceding biennium. Ten hours per publication, divided by the number of authors, will result in the number of contact hours granted per person per publication.

Continuing education (h)

(h) Exemptions and prorations. (1) The Board will exempt from the continuing education requirement a psychologist who received a license within 2 years of the psychologist's first application for biennial renewal. (2) A psychologist who is licensed under § 41.52 (relating to persons licensed in other states) shall comply with the continuing education requirement, but the psychologist's contact hours will be prorated on a quarterly basis from the date of licensure in this Commonwealth to the next biennial renewal date. Each quarter will consist of 3 months. Beginning with the quarter immediately following licensure in this Commonwealth, at least 3.75 contact hours (.375 CEU) shall be earned for each quarter.

Continuing education (i)

(i) Reinstatement of licensure. Reinstatement of licensure shall be subject to the following conditions: (1) A person whose license has lapsed or been inactive shall show compliance with the continuing education requirement during the biennium immediately preceding the request for reinstatement. (2) A person whose license has been suspended or restricted shall show compliance with the continuing education requirement during the period of suspension or restriction.

Continuing education (j) (k)

(j) Waivers. A psychologist who cannot meet the continuing education requirement may apply to the Board in writing for a waiver. The request shall include a description of circumstances sufficient to show why compliance is impossible. Waiver requests will be evaluated by the Board on a case-by-case basis and will be approved or disapproved at its discretion. (k) Curing deficiencies. A psychologist with a deficiency in contact hours may apply to the Board in writing for leave to make up the contact hours in arrears. The request shall include an explanation of why the deficiency occurred and a plan, along with the estimated time needed, for curing it. Requests will be evaluated by the Board on a case-by-case basis and will be approved or disapproved at its discretion.

Areas of acceptable practice.

The Board requires psychology trainees and licensees to limit their practices to areas of demonstrated competence, as expounded in Principle 2 of § 41.61 (relating to Code of Ethics).

Communications to and from the Board.

The Board will give official consideration only to communications which are made in writing and which are directed to the Board office. Communications from the Board will not be deemed official unless they are authorized by the Board or are generated in writing by an officer of the Board. Unilateral communications from individual Board members are not official Board communications.

Private practice by certified school psychologists.

Under section 3(10) of the act (63 P. S. § 1203(10)), school psychologists certified by the Department of Education may perform in private practice those acts which they are permitted to perform in the public and private schools of this Commonwealth. A person engaged in the private practice of school psychology under this section shall satisfy the following criteria: (1) The person shall hold a current certificate as an Educational Specialist I or II in school psychology issued by the Department of Education. (2) Concurrently with engaging in private practice, the person shall be employed in a school in this Commonwealth as a school psychologist in good standing.