Check the Regulations and Know Your Board!

[ClinicalABA]

This seems to be a common response around here lately. I encourage (implore?) you- especially post-doc and early career psychologists to review your state regulations, board of psychology policies and positions, and even board meeting minutes. Google “State Name Board of Psychology.” You should find links to regulations, as well a publications of board position. The latter can be important, as it gives insight into how the board interprets the regs (not always what you’d expect), as well as positions on issues the regs might not directly address (for example, my state board has a position on psychologists making recommendations regarding medications). If you are in that limbo stage between degree conferral and licensure, be particularly mindful of things related to supervision, what you can call yourself, issues related to practicing under any masters credentials you might have, etc. This stuff gets complicated. Also- recognize that the board oversees the practice of psychology, rather than just psychologists. You are always subject to board of psychology, regardless of your degree or current practicing credential. If you are practicing under a masters level credential but also have a doctorate in psychology, you need to be particularly cautious about what you do, how you do it, and-most importantly- what perception the public has about what you are doing. It’s tricky, so inform yourself. Don’t rely on your employers or supervisors to know the regs and policies. They should, and if they don’t it’s a problem, but ultimately it’s your career and your responsibility.

//end old man rant. Now you kids get off of my lawn!

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[PsyDr]

To build on this:

1) Some might say that your board's rules can be cut and pasted directly into your informed consent documents.
2) Some might also say that you can cut and paste relevant portions into your assessment reports, and therapy notes.
3) It is a very good idea to look through who has been sanctioned by the board, for what cause, and what the punishment was. This will help you learn what is a common mistake, what kind of punishment you'd face, and which colleagues to avoid like the plague.

Hint: there's only like 3 things for which you can lose your license (unless you try really hard).
a. Sleeping with patients
b. Lying to the board.
c. Insurance fraud

Double hint: Board fines are adorably low.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

I now can't get myself away from my State Board's website. a lot of offenses involving "moral turpitude"

 

[WisNeuro]

I now can't get myself away from my State Board's website. a lot of offenses involving "moral turpitude"

I fell into that rabbit hole about 6 months ago. always interesting trying to read between the lines

 

[calimich]

I fell into that rabbit hole about 6 months ago. always interesting trying to read between the lines

Agreed. The CA board publishes a newsletter which summarizes relevant legislative actions and the Board's "Administrative Citations" and "Disciplinary Actions." I show the disciplinary section to my classes when we talk about ethics/licensing. They also livestream and archive Board meetings. I've found it interesting to watch appeals of disciplinary cases and spent more time than I'd like to admit with past board meetings running in the background while I (try to) do other work.

 

[WisNeuro]

Agreed. The CA board publishes a newsletter which summarizes relevant legislative actions and the Board's "Administrative Citations" and "Disciplinary Actions." I show the disciplinary section to my classes when we talk about ethics/licensing. They also livestream and archive Board meetings. I've found it interesting to watch appeals of disciplinary cases and spent more time than I'd like to admit with past board meetings running in the background while I (try to) do other work.

Ours are archived, but I imagine most of the juicy stuff gets talked about in the closed-door segments

 

[Grenth]

X

 

[syzergy]

Wow. Just wow. Just spent some time reading through the Disciplinary Actions section of the California Board newsletters. It's fascinating... and extremely alarming. I like that you bring this into the ethics/licensing classes though. It's great to have some real world applications of these rules we hear over and over. Like yeah, don't sleep with your patients but no one ever explicitly told me not to steal a physician's prescription pad and start writing orders for controlled substances under my dead grandmother's name.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

I don't think most states archive their disciplinary actions online.

 

[Groupthink]

As a result of the investigation, the Board finds probable cause that the following facts have been established by clear and convincing evidence: a. Licensee was the therapist for D and B (husband and wife) for therapy related to marital infidelity, sexual addiction and co-addiction and trust. b. When D informed Licensee he was attracted to her sexually, she realized she was exactly the type that fit his sexual arousal template but believed her boundaries were in place. Licensee claims she discussed the transference and counter-transference with her own therapist but did not seek an alternative therapist for D or for the couple. Instead, she prepared 'star charts' to assess D's compatibility with his wife (Licensee's client B) and then his compatibility with the Licensee, informing him that he was romantically compatible with both his wife and Licensee. c. Licensee took a photograph (later deleted) of D's eyeglasses to keep during the time of transition to a different therapist and gave him 'angel cards' as a gift for 'spiritual guidance I grounding tool as his inpatient treatment had awakened new avenues of spirituality in him.'

I am dying from laughter! Who the hell are these practitioners, even?

 

[AbnormalPsych]

1) Some might say that your board's rules can be cut and pasted directly into your informed consent documents.

Revising some informed consent documents. Looking at this great suggestion, but surprised at how length my documents are becoming. @PsyDr how long are your consent documents?

 

[PsyDr]

Revising some informed consent documents. Looking at this great suggestion, but surprised at how length my documents are becoming. @PsyDr how long are your consent documents?

Forensic ones are about 12-15 pages, but two of those are tear aways. I go over it verbally each time. First one is a space for litigants/defendants/ patients to write down any questions they have while I go over the informed consent/assent document. They sign that with an acknowledgement, after all questions have been answered. The second tear away is a document that says something like “I was treated with professional respect”, which they sign at the end of the exam. Never had someone decline either. It did save me on one occasion.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I was just looking through the Mass. Div. Professional Licensure report of sanctions for 2019 for all boards. So far in this year, only 5 sanctions for psychologist. Can you guess what the most highly sanctioned profession was so far this year?

 

[AbnormalPsych]

Hmmmm, can you make this question multiple choice?

 

[ClinicalABA]

Hmmmm, can you make this question multiple choice?

A) social work
B) cosmetology
C) real estate broker
D) massage therapy

 

[AbnormalPsych]

A or B. I very much hope it is not A. So let's go with B.

 

[ClinicalABA]

A or B. I very much hope it is not A. So let's go with B.

Cosmetology is first (660+ sanctions!), followed by Massage Therapy (~130), then Real Estate Broker (~50), and Social Worker (~15).

A lot of the Cosmetology and Massage one's are related to unlicensed shops or practices, whereas you get more stuff related to "failure to adhere to professional standards" and Criminal conviction with the real estate, with lots of operating without a license with the social workers..

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Aside from CA, can others post links to state's disciplinary actions (any mental health field). I am looking to provide more examples for my students.

TIA

 

[bookwormpsych]

Aside from CA, can others post links to state's disciplinary actions (any mental health field). I am looking to provide more examples for my students.

TIA

Here is for Texas. Took me a minute to find it due to them changing stuff up/changing regulatory boards and stuff. Disciplinary actions are listed in the newsletters.

Newsletters – Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council

www.bhec.texas.gov

They used to have a HUGE list of disciplinary actions. It was like a master list. I often spent hours going over it and re-reading it every few months haha

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

I read through my state's archived cases a few months ago. They included actual transcriptions and letters, mainly of sexual affairs and very complicated entanglements. It was... something.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

The more time I am in the mental health field (not just psychology) the more I realize there are people in it that shouldn't be

 

[AbnormalPsych]

A midlevel provider recently attempted to justify to me multiple breaches of state law, because, they know what gets caught and what doesn't, and it was better for the patient anyways.

 

[bookwormpsych]

A midlevel provider recently attempted to justify to me multiple breaches of state law, because, they know what gets caught and what doesn't, and it was better for the patient anyways.

There is a midlevel at my assessment gig/job thing (LPC, specifically) who blatantly told me a couple of weeks ago that they are not supposed to be giving, scoring, or interpreting projective assessments or assessments they've never been trained in (which is accurate and also applies to my field & license - i.e., an psychology/LPA)... then turns around and administers AND scores an assessment after telling me, "I have no idea what this thing is but Dr. X wants me to do it." I did talk to the supervisor about this, for those who might ask lol

 

[Sanman]

A midlevel provider recently attempted to justify to me multiple breaches of state law, because, they know what gets caught and what doesn't, and it was better for the patient anyways.

You should report him/her and see how the board feels about that.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

Unfortunately, my state does not appear to allow this to be done anonymously. And unfortunately, I like my job. It has been escalated in house to their superiors already. Edit: Also addressed face to face with this person directly first.

Board is certainly not off the table moving forward though if it comes down to it.