PA Psych Study Guide - Hypothetical Problems

Question 1

You are a very highly respected and conscientious psychologist who wants to give something back to the profession. You decide you would like to serve on the State Board of Psychology. How would you go about trying to get on the State Board?

Answer 1

You have to be elected by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Question 2

You are a legislator who is concerned about government expenses and needless boards of bureaucracies. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the State Board of Psychology is responsible for its expenses and revenues

Answer 2

The Board has to make an annual report to the Dept. of State with its financial requirements for that year.

You must also make an annual report to the House AND Senate Appropriations Committee concerning your budget for the next year.

Question 3

Governor Wolf and you want to ensure that the licensing boards are working effectively and in the best interests of the citizens of Pennsylvania. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the State Board of Psychology is doing its job?

Answer 3

The Governor has access to all budget info and can review the annual report to the:

Professional Licensure committees of the House and Senate

regarding the number and nature of all adjudications (resolved and pending).

Question 4

You are a psychologist who has become increasingly depressed, to the point that you can no longer fulfill your responsibilities as a psychologist adequately. What mechanisms are in place to help you?

Answer 4

You can suspend and/or terminate your services, and receive the help of a board consultant who can act as a liasion between you, the board, and a treatment program for your recovery.

Question 5

You are a member of the public who was treated unsuccessfully by a psychologist who lured you into treatment by claiming that he will guarantee a cure in 15 days or less. The treatment was a bizarre mishmash of psychobabble and cathartic exercises. What redress do you have?

Answer 5

You can file a complaint with the board.

Question 6

You are lawyer who wants to secure the services of a national expert in forensic psychology from New Jersey to evaluate a client of yours in Pennsylvania. What must you do to make it legal for the New Jersey psychologist to practice in Pennsylvania?

Answer 6

The NJ Psychologist can practice in PA without board notification for up to 14 days.

Question 7

You are a member of the State Board of Psychology who is having difficulty completing all of the credential reviews necessary for processing psychology applicants. What mechanisms are in place to help you?

Answer 7

The board has a hiring credentials specialist who can review all the credentials.

Question 8

You are a member of the State Board of Psychology who learns that a PA licensed psychologist had her Maryland psychology license revoked for seriously unethical practice. What mechanisms are in place to help the Board identify such persons?

Answer 8

Being disciplined in another state can lead to disciplinary action in Pennsylvania

Question 9

You are a psychologist who has taken numerous courses in office management and practice building. Is the State Board of Psychology permitted to credit those courses toward your biennial license renewal requirement?

Answer 9

No

Question 10

You are a legislator who has heard numerous stories about “drunken doctors” who inflict great harm upon their patients, sometimes resulting in death. What mechanisms are in place to help the state reduce the number of “drunken psychologists?”

Answer 10

PA has recovery programs for impaired professionals.

Question 11

You are motivational speaker who is leading a workshop on techniques for selling shoes. Are you in violation of the Professional Psychologists Practice Act?

Answer 11

Simple acts of persuasion are exempted from the licensing law

Question 12

You are an employee of the State Board of Psychology and you notice that some persons continually take the examination and fail repeatedly. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that applicants are not frivolously taking examinations and wasting the time and resources of the Board?

Answer 12

If an applicant has failed the examination, they may take a second examination if they pay an additional fee

Question 13

You are the superintendent of one of Pennsylvania’s state hospitals. One of the persons who was just committed involuntarily to your facility is a licensed psychologist. This person is so mentally disturbed that he cannot take care of himself, let alone practice psychology. What mechanisms are in place to protect the public?

Answer 13

A licensee “shall automatically be suspended upon the legal commitment of a licensee to an institution because of mental competence”

Question 14

You are a prosecutor working for the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. You have noticed several persons who claim to be psychologists, but who have not been licensed in Pennsylvania and do not work in exempt settings. They are poorly trained and probably are doing much harm to the public. What actions can you take to prevent them from misrepresenting their credentials?

Answer 14

It is unlawful to practice psychology unless the individual is licensed or falls within one of the exemptions in the licensing law

Question 15

You are a psychologist who, several years ago, did some very foolish and stupid things which resulted in the revocation of your license to practice. After much hard work and continuing education, you are convinced that you are competent to practice psychology. What mechanisms are in place to allow you to practice again?

Answer 15

The Board has the option of reinstating licenses

Question 16

You are a board member who has become aware of a psychologist who is acting in a reckless and harmful manner that presents an immediate danger to her patients. What mechanisms are in place to allow you to protect the public?

Answer 16

The Board has the authority to “temporarily suspend a license under circumstances as determined by the board to be an immediate and clear danger to the public health and safety

Question 17

You are a psychologist/supervisor and you have acquired firm evidence that one of your supervisees is misusing alcohol and other drugs to the point that he can no longer practice competently. What requirements does the Professional Psychologists Practice Act place upon you?

Answer 17

If the colleague is not in treatment, you would be mandated to report the colleague to the licensing board (

Question 18

You are a board member who received a case where an applicant had falsified his application. What avenues of redress are open to the Board?

Answer 18

“Practicing fraud or deceit in obtaining a license to practice psychology” is grounds for disciplinary action

Question 19

You are the chair of the State Board of Psychology. You are frustrated by one board member who has unexcused absences for 3 straight meetings. What mechanisms are in place to help you ensure proper attendance at Board meetings?

Answer 19

Board members may be removed for failure “to attend three consecutive meetings” unless excused because of illness or death of a family member