10.36.07 Psychology Associates (actually 14 cards) Flashcards
What are the 5 qualifications for the Board to approve a Psychology Associate application?
The applicant must:
1) meet the qualifications for exempt status under 18.301(b)(3).
2) be of good moral character.
3) pay an application fee = 50% of the fee set for the psychologist license application in the year when the application is made.
4) complete an application form approved by the Board.
5) present all required supporting documentation of the applicant’s education, training, and experience.
What is a Psychology Associate?
An individual with a Master’s degree in Psychology or its equivalent (for those in doctoral programs that do not confer the Master’s degree) who has applied to the Board to be a Psychology Associate under the direct supervision of a specified licensed psychologist, and both the Psychology Associate and the specified supervisor have been approved by the Board. This is one of the exemptions from the requirement to be licensed before practicing psychology.
What is the education requirement for a psychology associate?
An applicant shall have graduated from an accredited college or university with at least a master’s degree based on a program of studies whose content was primarily psychological.
OR: a program judged by the Board to be substantially equivalent in subject matter and extent of training to a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology.
Which areas should supervisors limit their supervision to when supervising a psychology associate? May a supervisor delegate some supervisory responsibility to another licensed psychologist?
A supervisor of a psychology associate shall supervise only in the areas within the supervisor’s competence as determined by education, training, and experience.
A psychologist may delegate to ensure competent supervision of a psychology associate in areas outside the area of expertise of the supervisor OR to provide temporary supervision when the supervisor is unavailable. The supervisor shall document the delegated supervision and continue to assume full responsibility for the psychological services and activities performed by the psychology associate during the period in which supervisory responsibilities have been delegated.
What 3 factors determine adequate and appropriate supervision of a psychology associate?
1) education, training, and experience of the psychology associate.
2) nature and extent of the services performed by the psychology associate.
3) setting in which the services are performed.
(Kind of how much they need!)
What is considered adequate and appropriate supervision for full-time psychology associates? (Number of hours.)
–1 hour per week for a psychology associate (PA) who has earned a doctoral degree in psychology.
–2 hours per week for an ABD PA who has completed all academic work, except the thesis or dissertation, required for a doctoral degree.
–3 hours per week for all other PAs.
–1 hour or more for a comprehensive evaluation of 5 or more hours of interview and testing of a client.
Note: these #s may be reduced by half for PAs who have had 3 years FT (= 26 or more hours of direct client contact per week) experience as a PA AND may be reduced proportionately for a PA who provides less than FT services BUT shall be doubled for a PA who has not completed all the relevant education, training, and experience to provide the psychological services being offered.
What are the supervision guidelines for adequate and appropriate supervision of a PA (logistics-wise)?
Supervision must be provided in-person, one-on-one and routinely. It should be provided in the setting where services are provided (unless an exception has been approved by the Board prior to the supervision being offered). It needs to be exclusive of supervision on administrative issues. Phone consultations and group therapy do not count.
What are the first 3 responsibilities of a PA supervisor?
1) a sup shall be available for emergency consultation and direction of a PA.
2) a sup may supervise a maximum of 7 PAs at one time.
3) a sup shall ensure that a PA is practicing within the scope of the PA’s competencies as demonstrated by the PA’s documented education, training, and experience in the particular practice area.
In order to maintain appropriate documentation of the nature and extent of the supervision provided to a PA or delegated, what must documentation include?
1) dates and duration of supervisory sessions.
2) client names or other identification for all cases reviewed.
3) outcome of each case reviewed.
4) reason for any delegation of supervisory responsibility.
What are 4 other standards/guidelines for supervisors of PAs? (What SHALL they do?)
A supervisor shall:
1) provide documentation of supervision of PAs upon demand by an individual authorized by the Board.
2) immediately report to the Board, by certified mail, the date of termination of the supervisory relationship with a PA.
3) ensure that a PA has read and is knowledgeable about Title 18 and COMAR 10.36.01.
4) take full responsibility for all services provided by a PA whom they supervise and shall require that the PA inform the supervisor of all complaints, formal or informal, about the services provided by the PA.
What are the final 2 “don’t” rules re: standards for supervision of PAs?
A supervisor may not:
1) engage in supervision that would constitute a dual relationship including (but not limited to) the supervision of a close friend or relative. A supervisor may supervise an employee.
2) supervise a PA known by the supervisor to have committed any of the violations listed in Title 18.
How must a PA make personal reference to themselves in written communications related to the provision of psychological services?
“PA under the supervision of (name and license number of supervisor).” Repetitive references to this may be omitted after an initial entry in the client file or medical record. May not call themselves a “psychologist” orally or in writing.
What are 6 other standards for PAs’ representation to the public?
1) may use the title of “PA” only if s/he has met the PA requirements. May only use the title of PA in all contact with the public and not ever represent or suggest being in independent practice.
2) a supervisor or PA shall inform all clients of the supervision arrangement (and its possible implications for insurance reimbursement and confidentiality) at the outset of the professional relationship.
3) a PA and supervisor shall ensure that those who are billed for services provided by the PA are informed that the PA provided the services and that the supervisor has full responsibility for the services provided.
4) if a signature is required on a document that describes the psychological services provided by the PA, a supervisor and PA shall co-sign it.
5) routine entries made by a PA do not have to be co-signed by a supervisor, unless a failure to do so would result in a misrepresentation of services.
6) a supervisor shall take full responsibility for all entries made by a PA in a client file, medical record, or billing statement.
What are rules re: Board review, reporting requirements, and administrative fees for PAs? (Hint: there are 4 bullets.)
1) the Board can review the supervisory relationship at the Board’s discretion.
2) when the supervisor must renew their license, s/he shall submit to the Board a list of all PAs supervised during the previous RP, on a form approved by the Board that includes the beginning and ending dates of supervision for each PA supervised during the previous licensure period and for each PA currently being supervised.
3) the supervisor shall pay an administrative fee for each PA the supervisor is approved to supervise every 2 years from the initial date of the Board’s approval of the supervisory relationship.
4) failure to pay the administrative fee shall result in termination of the supervisory relationship.
