Toughest States for Licensure

[2012PhD]

Avoid these states unless you have no choice:

Florida:

4,000 Post-doctoral hours are required, at least 2 years

Michigan:

6,000 hours, not sure how many are post-doc hours

New Jersey

Oral Exam plus 3500 hours (1700 are post-doc hours, 1000 of these have to be face to face client hours

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

Michigan is easy in other ways though. No state test and no continuing education requirement. I do, however, remember about 3 yrs back when I had a few friends get licensed there that it took about 2 yrs postdoc to get the hours. It is a pain, but in the long run, probably not so awful that you shouldn't live there.

Actually, my Massachusetts friend had it the worst. She had to take an additional graduate class to qualify for licensure. (And she came from a respected APA program). And I hear the California state test is no picnic.

Best,
Dr. E

 

[LETSGONYR]

Michigan is easy in other ways though. No state test and no continuing education requirement. I do, however, remember about 3 yrs back when I had a few friends get licensed there that it took about 2 yrs postdoc to get the hours. It is a pain, but in the long run, probably not so awful that you shouldn't live there.

Actually, my Massachusetts friend had it the worst. She had to take an additional graduate class to qualify for licensure. (And she came from a respected APA program). And I hear the California state test is no picnic.

Best,
Dr. E

I've heard that as a rough estimation, the states where people want to live are the hardest in which to get licensed. That means like... California, New York, the northeast... the ones with the surplus of psychologists don't make it easy on you. .

Not a hard-and-fast rule, of course. I need to graduate before I think about getting licensed in different states.

 

[2012PhD]

Anyone know which states are easiest for licensure?

 

[erg923]

-Kentucky (kinda convoluted as written at present, but actually no post-doc hours requirement as so long as you meet certain specifications predoctorally.

-Alabama

 

[Doctor Eliza]

Anyone know which states are easiest for licensure?

This seems like an odd way to choose a home. Is your plan to get licensed in an "easy" state and then move?

If you get licensed in a state with a lower # of required postdoc hours and you move states shortly thereafter, you will likely need to make up the hours before becoming licensed in the new state. For this reason, a friend in Ohio (which now allows you to complete all hours predoc) is still doing a year of supervised practice before licensure to facilitate licensure should she decide to move.

Just one more hoop among the oh-so-many hoops of this career.

Best,
Dr. E

 

[KKrak002]

Avoid these states unless you have no choice:

Florida:

4,000 Post-doctoral hours are required, at least 2 years

I am recently licensed (2 months ago) in Florida. Florida only requires 2000 postdoctoral hours (900 of which are client contact) over 1 calendar year. The other 2000 can come from internship.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

CA requires a written test CA specific exam (CPSE) in adition to the EPPP. They also have 'extra' training requirements (in Diversity and Child/Elder Abuse?) that need to be completed. Of course interested out of state applicants can now take the required classes online if your program didn't offer them.

MI can be a decent option for VA people because they waived any CE requirements and their fees are reasonable. Their general licensure requirements are pretty standard, though if you are looking to earn your post-doc hours they require a "limited license". It is a hassle up front because you need to submit all of the regular licensure paperwork (minus EPPP score and proof of post-doc hours), but on the backend it is much quicker to get your "limited license" changed over to an unrestricted license.

OH is one of the few states left that requires an oral jurisprudence exam. The exam can only be scheduled once all of the other requirements have been approved, and sometimes there is a wait. They offer a limited # of places and slots/times each month, so applicants often have to drive to other parts of the state to take the exam. Four domain areas are covered, 1 wrong answer is acceptable if you get the alternate question for the domain correct.

NY has a (well-earned) reputation for being more picky about credentials. They require proof of education/training related to child abuse reporting standards and evaluation by the board for first time NY licensure applicants. The most widely accepted EPPP cutoff score I have seen for states is 500, though NY may be higher? They list 75 as their cutoff, though I'm not familiar with how that translates to the 200-800 range most states reference. They do not accept CPQ last I checked.

FL is a popular place to practice, so it isn't surprising the most common complaint I have heard relates to the amount of time it takes from start to finish.

For links to spec. licensing board, Dr. Ken Pope keeps a nice list for both the US and Canadian territories.

 

[Pragma]

CA requires a written test CA specific exam (CPSE) in adition to the EPPP. They also have 'extra' training requirements (in Diversity and Child/Elder Abuse?) that need to be completed. Of course interested out of state applicants can now take the required classes online if your program didn't offer them.

MI can be a decent option for VA people because they waived any CE requirements and their fees are reasonable. Their general licensure requirements are pretty standard, though if you are looking to earn your post-doc hours they require a "limited license". It is a hassle up front because you need to submit all of the regular licensure paperwork (minus EPPP score and proof of post-doc hours), but on the backend it is much quicker to get your "limited license" changed over to an unrestricted license.

OH is one of the few states left that requires an oral jurisprudence exam. The exam can only be scheduled once all of the other requirements have been approved, and sometimes there is a wait. They offer a limited # of places and slots/times each month, so applicants often have to drive to other parts of the state to take the exam. Four domain areas are covered, 1 wrong answer is acceptable if you get the alternate question for the domain correct.

NY has a (well-earned) reputation for being more picky about credentials. They require proof of education/training related to child abuse reporting standards and evaluation by the board for first time NY licensure applicants. The most widely accepted EPPP cutoff score I have seen for states is 500, though NY may be higher? They list 75 as their cutoff, though I'm not familiar with how that translates to the 200-800 range most states reference. They do not accept CPQ last I checked.

FL is a popular place to practice, so it isn't surprising the most common complaint I have heard relates to the amount of time it takes from start to finish.

For links to spec. licensing board, Dr. Ken Pope keeps a nice list for both the US and Canadian territories.

I think NYs 75 might be a percentage correct? Perhaps a 150 instead of 140 on the old raw score scale?

 

[coloradocutter]

Anyone know which states are easiest for licensure?

I think Utah, Alabama, Washington, and Maryland do not have post doc requirement, but I am not 100% sure on some of those. Maryland is recent on that. I hope that more states will go this way. I came to psychology from law and I am amazed at the difference. Psychologists seem to almost want to fall on their sword/shoot themselves in the foot. Lawyers are incredibly talented at securing markets and manipulating them. For example, they usually lobby for increased legislation because they get more business from clients who need help to navigate them. There is also no post doc requirement for law and you learn nothing practical in law school. You *just* have to pass the bar, which is, admittedly, complete hell.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

GA has a reputation for being somewhat stringent licensure-wise.

Conversely, Kansas has been suggested to me as a state that has very manageable requirements and a friendly licensing board staff.

 

[G Costanza]

FYI - Michigan is 2,000 hours post doc for a full license and must be completed in less than two years.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_psyc_full_app_pkt_92012_7.pdf


I'd like to see the source for your information OP...

 

[bmedclinic]

I've heard recently from a graduate of my program that Virginia has changed some of their licensure requirements and now is very easy to get a license. I believe the deal now is no post-doc hours as long as your internship is APPIC or APA..

 

[KillerDiller]

I think Utah, Alabama, Washington, and Maryland do not have post doc requirement, but I am not 100% sure on some of those.

Here is the list of states that do not require post-docs. AFAIK, this is up to date. Not sure about Virginia yet or when changes they may have made would go into effect.

Alabama
Arizona
Indiana
Maryland
North Dakota
Ohio
Utah
Washington State

Edit: I checked on Virginia, and all their materials indicate that they require 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience post-internship. So, yes, a post-doc year is still required there. They also do not have anything included under the proposed legislation section, so I don't think that will be changing anytime soon.

 

[KillerDiller]

Actually, my Massachusetts friend had it the worst. She had to take an additional graduate class to qualify for licensure. (And she came from a respected APA program).

Massachusetts requires a course in racial/ethnic bases of behavior. Good info for those who want to work in Mass but are not enrolled in graduate school there.

I think the California course requirement is actually on spousal/partner violence.

 

[wigflip]

I think the California course requirement is actually on spousal/partner violence.

Thanks goodness. Virtually every social science or mental health person I've met who doesn't specialize in this area is an ignorant mess when it comes to VAW.

 

[bmedclinic]

Here is the list of states that do not require post-docs. AFAIK, this is up to date. Not sure about Virginia yet or when changes they may have made would go into effect.

Alabama
Arizona
Indiana
Maryland
North Dakota
Ohio
Utah
Washington State

Edit: I checked on Virginia, and all their materials indicate that they require 1,500 hours of supervised clinical experience post-internship. So, yes, a post-doc year is still required there. They also do not have anything included under the proposed legislation section, so I don't think that will be changing anytime soon.

Thanks for checking on Virginia- I'll make sure to ask my acquintance who works there what the deal is. Clearly, I wasnt listening that hard.

 

[KillerDiller]

Thanks for checking on Virginia- I'll make sure to ask my acquintance who works there what the deal is. Clearly, I wasnt listening that hard.

Or they were just mistaken. It happens; licensing information isn't the easiest thing to find info on.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I think NYs 75 might be a percentage correct? Perhaps a 150 instead of 140 on the old raw score scale?

That's what I was thinking, though it'd be out of 225 questions now, as they bumped up the # of experimental questions to 50.

 

[2012PhD]

FYI - Michigan is 2,000 hours post doc for a full license and must be completed in less than two years.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_psyc_full_app_pkt_92012_7.pdf


I'd like to see the source for your information OP...

The APA published an article on licensure laws in each state and quoted Michigan as requiring 6,000 hours. I found conflicting reports online, which is why I wrote that I'm not sure how many of those are post-doc hours. It seems that 2,000 post-doc hours are required, which is not so bad.

 

[bmedclinic]

Just heard back. He just finished his internship in August. Stated that as long as you have the correct amount of hours in the appropriate categories, you dont have to do the post doc for licensure. He stated he's getting ready to take the EPPP in 4 weeks, and upon passing, expects to be fully licensed in Virginia.

 

[2012PhD]

Just heard back. He just finished his internship in August. Stated that as long as you have the correct amount of hours in the appropriate categories, you dont have to do the post doc for licensure. He stated he's getting ready to take the EPPP in 4 weeks, and upon passing, expects to be fully licensed in Virginia.

I LOVE the idea of waiving the post-doc year for people who completed APA internships. I don't know about APPIC because It does not seem that they go through the same rigorous standards? Licensing boards need to be more pragmatic and flexible when evaluating applicants. At that point, many of us have had 5,000- 6,000 hours of supervised experience already (if you include 4-5 years of practicum and 1 year internship). These days people need so much more clinical experience to match for internship so it makes sense for the laws to become more relevant and updated.

 

[Pragma]

I LOVE the idea of waiving the post-doc year for people who completed APA internships. I don't know about APPIC because It does not seem that they go through the same rigorous standards? Licensing boards need to be more pragmatic and flexible when evaluating applicants. At that point, many of us have had 5,000- 6,000 hours of supervised experience already (if you include 4-5 years of practicum and 1 year internship). These days people need so much more clinical experience to match for internship so it makes sense for the laws to become more relevant and updated.

Is that really the average? I had 3...I knew a few people that did 4, Beyond that was usually paid work if they hadn't gone on internship yet.

But I'd agree, we have plenty of experience. For me: Practica, 3,000; Internship 2,000; Postdoc 4,000 (total = 9,000).

That's a lot of hours

 

[2012PhD]

Is that really the average? I had 3...I knew a few people that did 4, Beyond that was usually paid work if they hadn't gone on internship yet.

But I'd agree, we have plenty of experience. For me: Practica, 3,000; Internship 2,000; Postdoc 4,000 (total = 9,000).

That's a lot of hours

I would say that its average in competitive parts of the country from my experience (Northeast cities and LA/SF). People from my program and others that I trained with had 4-5 practicums. I've also seen people take on two practicums.

For me: Supervised practicum: 4,000 hours (this is because many hospitals require 20-25 hours per week), Internship (2,000 hours on paper, but we usually put in more hours), Post-doc: will be between 2000-4,000 hours. This is nuts!

 

[Doctor Eliza]

I LOVE the idea of waiving the post-doc year for people who completed APA internships. I don't know about APPIC because It does not seem that they go through the same rigorous standards? Licensing boards need to be more pragmatic and flexible when evaluating applicants. At that point, many of us have had 5,000- 6,000 hours of supervised experience already (if you include 4-5 years of practicum and 1 year internship). These days people need so much more clinical experience to match for internship so it makes sense for the laws to become more relevant and updated.

I agree it is a good idea, but it is also only part of the problem. You still need to get on insurance panels and many of them require 3-5 years of licensed experience before you can join. I wonder if they will raise this amount if people start to get licensed w/o postdoc hrs. I also talked to one hospital-based employer who told me that if his state did away with the postdoc requirement that they would simply raise their employment standard to licensure plus 1 year of post-licensure experience.

Dr. E

 

[Pragma]

I would say that its average in competitive parts of the country from my experience (Northeast cities and LA/SF). People from my program and others that I trained with had 4-5 practicums. I've also seen people take on two practicums.

For me: Supervised practicum: 4,000 hours (this is because many hospitals require 20-25 hours per week), Internship (2,000 hours on paper, but we usually put in more hours), Post-doc: will be between 2000-4,000 hours. This is nuts!

Sounds normal to me. Do people do less than 20 weekly hours for practica?

 

[LETSGONYR]

Sounds normal to me. Do people do less than 20 weekly hours for practica?

Mine were 16 hours/week.

Also, isn't technically practicum experience at a lower level than internship/post-doc? I'm okay with practicum hours not being counted for licensure, as (a) they're not standardized like internship is, and (b) the work is supposed to be at a lower level than I think independent, licensed practitioners should have.

 

[paramour]

Sounds normal to me. Do people do less than 20 weekly hours for practica?

We have a select few "part-time" practica that our 10-hours per week. They're combined with other positions, which may be other practica . . . but not always. Otherwise, most of our positions are 20-hours/week.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Mine were 16 hours/week.

Also, isn't technically practicum experience at a lower level than internship/post-doc? I'm okay with practicum hours not being counted for licensure, as (a) they're not standardized like internship is, and (b) the work is supposed to be at a lower level than I think independent, licensed practitioners should have.

Should be, yes. Practica are generally part-time (16-24 hours/week, give or take) while internship is full-time (hence the ~2000 hours).

Depends on how you're counting the hours and what they're for as well, though. This is why the hours you report on your internship apps (which includes only direct face-to-face contact, and then separate categories for supervision and support activities) won't be anywhere near 4,000 hours.

 

[Psydmiamixd]

Avoid these states unless you have no choice:

Florida:

4,000 Post-doctoral hours are required, at least 2 years

Michigan:

6,000 hours, not sure how many are post-doc hours

New Jersey

Oral Exam plus 3500 hours (1700 are post-doc hours, 1000 of these have to be face to face client hours

I live in Florida and unless you are specializing with a Neuropsych post Doc you need 1500 post doc hours in Florida. Never 2,000!! Please look up the info online

 

[OneNeuroDoctor]

Some States required applicants to complete the ASPPB Credential Bank. This is a time consuming task as they require completion of reference forms by practicum, predoc, and postdoc supervisors with phone verification. The actual State may not require this in their application but ASPPB requires it.

In most States if your program was APA/ NRHSP approved and your internship was APA approved you will be approved for provisional licensure.

I Have licensure in two states now and I am applying in two other states at this time.

My first licensure was the smoothest process and my second application was much longer over a year. My third application required ASPPB banking credentials and this took over four months to complete barely missing the last board deadline.

All four States I am licensed or applying have reciprocity agreements but this doesn't help unless you are fully licensed for five years.

One factor is the licensing board staff member assigned to your application. For my second license the original staff person was expediting my application with no problems. She went on maternity leave and the other staff person lost my file and I had to resend everything. It took over a year before I was approved and I lost the job offer due to the time delay. She would not return phone calls and when I did actually talk to her she was hostile. Eventually I Asked to talk with the Board Director expressing my problems and she reviewed my application file and I was approved that week and took the jurisprudence exam two weeks later.

 

[ClinicalABA]

She would not return phone calls and when I did actually talk to her she was hostile. Eventually I Asked to talk with the Board Director expressing my problems and she reviewed my application file and I was approved that week and took the jurisprudence exam two weeks later.

I had a similar experience, with a similar outcome when I kicked it up to the level of the Licensing Board. Kind of stinks that that kid of thing happens.

 

[HomeworkHelper]

I was licensed in MA this year. They recently changed requirements so that they will accept coursework from APA accredited programs without a course check, which used to lead to people having to retake classes. So it seems a lot easier now. Be aware though, MA does not require a certain percentage of supervision to be individual, which may make it harder to get licensed in some other states.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

Anyone know which states are easiest for licensure?

I’ve heard that Alabama, West Virginia, Utah, Iowa, Washington, Hawaii, Kansas, Idaho, Indiana, and Montana are the easiest states to obtain licensure as a Psychologist. In contrast, it appears that California, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, and Louisiana are among the toughest. The requirements for licensure in other states fall somewhere in between on that spectrum.

States that are smaller and as such, have a lower number of psychologists tend to have very high standards. Louisiana is a strong example as a minimum of 2,000 postdoc hours are required (4,000 combined from internship and postdoc), a jurisprudence exam, and an oral exam in addition to the EPPP. Also, the state licensing board will not allow you to take the EPPP until after you have obtained the 4,000 hours if you opt to complete your postdoc training within another state. Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and New Mexico also seem to have high standards.

New York is not exactly difficult to obtain licensure. There is no jp exam. You simply need to pass the EPPP, obtain 1,750 postdoc hours, and complete a course on child abuse and mandated reporting. The most challenging part of the process is waiting for the board to review your application and issue your license. I’ve heard that it can take anywhere from 6-9 months to receive your license after completing all the requirements and submitting your application to the board.

California seems to be the most challenging. They require 6 additional courses that are typically not part of the curriculum for most APA accredited graduate programs outside of CA. In addition, the state jurisprudence exam is thought to be incredibly difficult. Should a candidate fail the exam, he or she must wait at least 3 months in order to take it again. Also, the board has very high standards for postdoc hours. If you obtain licensure in another state that does not require postdoc hours (e.g., Alabama), it will be virtually impossible to transfer your license to CA. From what I recall, the Board will not count any supervised hours that are accrued post-licensure. I believe the only option for licensed psychologists who do not have sufficient postdoc hours is to obtain ABPP certification. Even in those circumstances, the board requires you to have been practicing under your current license for a minimum of 5 years.

I have always been told that it is worthwhile to obtain licensure in a state with very high standards, as it will be very easy and seamless to transfer your license to another state if you decide to do so in the future.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

For Louisiana, I would add that they are one of only (I think) two states to have a specific carve-out recognition of neuropsychology. Minnesota may be the other...?

 

[cara susanna]

California doesn't seem to be a walk in the park, and I know many smart and competent psychology fellows who did not pass the state exam the first time around.

 

[WisNeuro]

For Louisiana, I would add that they are one of only (I think) two states to have a specific carve-out recognition of neuropsychology. Minnesota may be the other...?

Not any more. There was some stuff a while back about this, and possibly limiting billing neuropsych billing codes, but those initiatives got shelved.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

For Louisiana, I would add that they are one of only (I think) two states to have a specific carve-out recognition of neuropsychology. Minnesota may be the other...?

Yes, that’s true! They also provide a separate license for psychologists to prescribe medications.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

California doesn't seem to be a walk in the park, and I know many smart and competent psychology fellows who did not pass the state exam the first time around.

It’s definitely very difficult to get licensed in the state of California. The standards are extremely high. For that reason, I think it stands out if you are licensed in that state and adds credibility to your reputation.

The state licensing exam is thought to be more difficult than the EPPP. I believe AATBS even offers classes for that exam specifically.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

Not any more. There was some stuff a while back about this, and possibly limiting billing neuropsych billing codes, but those initiatives got shelved.

Wait…I thought only neuropsychologists can bill for those procedures. I was under the impression that any CPT codes related to neuropsych testing and assessment are off limits to general psychologists.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

CA requires a written test CA specific exam (CPSE) in adition to the EPPP. They also have 'extra' training requirements (in Diversity and Child/Elder Abuse?) that need to be completed. Of course interested out of state applicants can now take the required classes online if your program didn't offer them.

MI can be a decent option for VA people because they waived any CE requirements and their fees are reasonable. Their general licensure requirements are pretty standard, though if you are looking to earn your post-doc hours they require a "limited license". It is a hassle up front because you need to submit all of the regular licensure paperwork (minus EPPP score and proof of post-doc hours), but on the backend it is much quicker to get your "limited license" changed over to an unrestricted license.

OH is one of the few states left that requires an oral jurisprudence exam. The exam can only be scheduled once all of the other requirements have been approved, and sometimes there is a wait. They offer a limited # of places and slots/times each month, so applicants often have to drive to other parts of the state to take the exam. Four domain areas are covered, 1 wrong answer is acceptable if you get the alternate question for the domain correct.

NY has a (well-earned) reputation for being more picky about credentials. They require proof of education/training related to child abuse reporting standards and evaluation by the board for first time NY licensure applicants. The most widely accepted EPPP cutoff score I have seen for states is 500, though NY may be higher? They list 75 as their cutoff, though I'm not familiar with how that translates to the 200-800 range most states reference. They do not accept CPQ last I checked.

FL is a popular place to practice, so it isn't surprising the most common complaint I have heard relates to the amount of time it takes from start to finish.

For links to spec. licensing board, Dr. Ken Pope keeps a nice list for both the US and Canadian territories.

I thought only 2,000 postdoc hours are needed for Florida? I’ve never seen a state require more than that…I could be wrong?

 

[mind_over_matter277]

CA requires a written test CA specific exam (CPSE) in adition to the EPPP. They also have 'extra' training requirements (in Diversity and Child/Elder Abuse?) that need to be completed. Of course interested out of state applicants can now take the required classes online if your program didn't offer them.

MI can be a decent option for VA people because they waived any CE requirements and their fees are reasonable. Their general licensure requirements are pretty standard, though if you are looking to earn your post-doc hours they require a "limited license". It is a hassle up front because you need to submit all of the regular licensure paperwork (minus EPPP score and proof of post-doc hours), but on the backend it is much quicker to get your "limited license" changed over to an unrestricted license.

OH is one of the few states left that requires an oral jurisprudence exam. The exam can only be scheduled once all of the other requirements have been approved, and sometimes there is a wait. They offer a limited # of places and slots/times each month, so applicants often have to drive to other parts of the state to take the exam. Four domain areas are covered, 1 wrong answer is acceptable if you get the alternate question for the domain correct.

NY has a (well-earned) reputation for being more picky about credentials. They require proof of education/training related to child abuse reporting standards and evaluation by the board for first time NY licensure applicants. The most widely accepted EPPP cutoff score I have seen for states is 500, though NY may be higher? They list 75 as their cutoff, though I'm not familiar with how that translates to the 200-800 range most states reference. They do not accept CPQ last I checked.

FL is a popular place to practice, so it isn't surprising the most common complaint I have heard relates to the amount of time it takes from start to finish.

For links to spec. licensing board, Dr. Ken Pope keeps a nice list for both the US and Canadian territories.

Umm…West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Jersey require oral exams.

 

[MiniLop]

Umm…West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Jersey require oral exams.

NJ doesn't require an oral exam anymore.

 

[WisNeuro]

Wait…I thought only neuropsychologists can bill for those procedures. I was under the impression that any CPT codes related to neuropsych testing and assessment are off limits to general psychologists.

Nope, they're pretty much open to all licensed psychologists. Though, some payers will require you to prove that you are qualified before they will reimburse you for it. Additionally, if you do not have the training and are doing this, you do open yourself up to board action.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

NJ doesn't require an oral exam anymore.

Ah ok…I know some states have eliminated the oral exam (e.g., Texas). I’m not sure which ones though but many still require it.

 

[mind_over_matter277]

Nope, they're pretty much open to all licensed psychologists. Though, some payers will require you to prove that you are qualified before they will reimburse you for it. Additionally, if you do not have the training and are doing this, you do open yourself up to board action.

Yes, absolutely! Billing for neuropsych procedures without the proper training would be considered practicing outside the boundaries of competence. What would constitute adequate training and experience aside from board certification in NP?

 

[WisNeuro]

Yes, absolutely! Billing for neuropsych procedures without the proper training would be considered practicing outside the boundaries of competence. What would constitute adequate training and experience aside from board certification in NP?

This will vary wildly between states. Some define this explicitly, some really do not care at all. There are a ton of "psychologists who do testing" out there. Those of us who do forensic work love these people.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Umm…West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Jersey require oral exams.

I also don't think AL requires an oral exam, just the EPPP and a multiple-choice laws and rules exam. They also don't have a postdoc hours requirement that I know of.

Yes, absolutely! Billing for neuropsych procedures without the proper training would be considered practicing outside the boundaries of competence. What would constitute adequate training and experience aside from board certification in NP?

Like Wis mentioned, it's probably going to vary from carrier to carrier (for insurance reimbursement), and state to state (for licensure and practice). Most states that I've seen just leave it up to the psychologist to determine on their own what their areas of specialty practice are. They may have to declare them to the state, although I don't know how much the state then vets things.

From a personal perspective, I think the easiest benchmark to use is just board-eligibility.

 

[Mama Bear]

So I’m reading toughest states as the actual requirements, such as how many postdoc hours are required. However, I always like to consider the application process itself as well, so things such as how responsive is the board. I’ve known people who have waited months for their license and who have called and called with no response.

I’ve been licensed in one super responsive state (clear requirements, super responsive, and license issued in a timely manner). I’m also licensed in a state that is not responsive. I’m still waiting on a response to an email I sent years ago. Thankfully, the issue worked out, and I have the license. But yeah, responsiveness is a game changer.

 

[psycho1391]

NY has a (well-earned) reputation for being more picky about credentials. They require proof of education/training related to child abuse reporting standards and evaluation by the board for first time NY licensure applicants. The most widely accepted EPPP cutoff score I have seen for states is 500, though NY may be higher? They list 75 as their cutoff, though I'm not familiar with how that translates to the 200-800 range most states reference. They do not accept CPQ last I checked.

Got licensed in NY last year. It was not that horrible TBH. They are pretty laid back re: what your postdoc hours consist of. The part that annoyed me was the time that it took for them to review my app to take the EPPP .