2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 30. Professions and Occupations › Article 21. Psychologists; School Psychologists › §30-21-2. Definitions

Unless the context in which used clearly requires a different meaning, as used in this article:
(a) "Applicant" means any person making application for an original or renewal license or a temporary permit under the provisions of this article.
(b) "Licensee" means any person holding a license or a temporary permit issued under the provisions of this article.
(c) "Board" means the board of examiners of psychologists created by this article.
(d) "Psychology" means the science involving the principles, methods and procedures of understanding, predicting and influencing behavior; the principles pertaining to learning, perception, motivation, thinking, emotions and interpersonal relationships; the methods and procedures of interviewing and counseling; the methods and procedures of psychotherapy, meaning the use of learning, conditioning methods and emotional reactions, in a professional relationship, to assist a person or persons to modify feelings, attitudes and behavior, which are intellectually, socially or emotionally maladjustive or ineffectual; the constructing, administering and interpreting of tests of intelligence, special abilities, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, personality characteristics, emotions and motivation; the psychological evaluation, prevention and improvements of adjustment problems of individuals and groups; and the resolution of interpersonal and social conflicts.
(e) "Practice of psychology" means the rendering or offering to render for a fee, salary or other compensation, monetary or otherwise, any psychological service involving: (i) The application of the principles, methods and procedures of understanding, predicting and influencing behavior; (ii) the application of the principles pertaining to learning, perception, motivation, thinking, emotions and interpersonal relationships; (iii) the application of the methods and procedures of interviewing and counseling; (iv) the application of the methods and procedures of psychotherapy, meaning the use of learning, conditioning methods and emotional reactions, in a professional relationship, to assist a person or persons to modify feelings, attitudes and behavior, which are intellectually, socially or emotionally maladjustive or ineffectual; (v) the constructing, administering and interpreting of tests of intelligence, special abilities, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, personality characteristics, emotions and motivation; (vi) the psychological evaluation, prevention and improvement of adjustment problems of individuals and groups; and (vii) the resolution of interpersonal and social conflicts.
However, for the purpose of this article, the term "practice of psychology" shall not include:
(1) Teaching, lecturing or engaging in research in psychology as part of salaried employment at an institution of higher learning;
(2) The official duties of a person employed as a psychologist by the State of West Virginia or any of its departments, agencies, divisions or bureaus, or local governments, except for the West Virginia Department of Education, a county board of education, or a regional education agency, which duties are performed under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee;
(3) The official duties of a person employed as a psychologist by any department, agency, division or bureau of the United States of America;
(4) The official duties of a person working under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee for the purpose of gaining the experience required for a license hereunder by the provisions of subdivision (4), subsection (a), section seven of this article, which experience is of a type approved by the board;
(5) The use, in good faith, of certain psychological techniques, procedures, methods and principles as an incident to engaging in a recognized occupation or profession, other than the practice of psychology, including, but not limited to, the occupation or profession of a physician, lawyer, dentist, social worker, sociologist, political scientist, economist, probation or parole officer, rehabilitation or marriage counselor, clergyman, audiologist, speech pathologist, teacher, educational or guidance counselor and a placement or personnel director;
(6) The activities of a student of psychology, psychological intern or psychological resident, which activities are a part of and are engaged in pursuant to a course of study at an institution of higher learning; or
(7) The activities of an assistant or technician which are performed under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee.
(f) "Examination" means the examination in psychology required by subdivision (5), subsection (a), section seven of this article.
(g) "School psychological services" means the activities which school psychologists may engage in to promote mental health and to facilitate the education of school age children, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(A) Consultation, which includes collaboration with individuals and groups of school personnel, parents, families and representatives of community agencies;
(B) Psychological and psychoeducational assessment, which includes the gathering, interpreting and communicating of information derived from the assessment process which relates to learning and behavior;
(C) Intervention, which includes individual and group counseling, behavioral intervention and crisis intervention;
(D) Education, which includes parent training, school inservice and community education;
(E) Facilitation, which includes assisting in developing useful communication between diverse groups of people separated by institutional, bureaucratic, educational or other barriers;
(F) Research, which includes designing, reporting and utilizing the results of research of a psychological nature;
(G) Program planning and evaluation, which includes program development, program implementation, program evaluation and problem solving for organizational decision making;
(H) Supervision, which includes the supervision of intern school psychologists, other school psychologists and personnel contracted to provide either psychological or psychoeducational assessment data;
However, for the purpose of this article, the term "practice of school psychology" shall not include:
(1) The activities of clinical, counseling, child, industrial, health, and other types of psychology which the board determines to be outside the scope of school psychology activities;
(2) Teaching, lecturing or engaging in research in school psychology as part of salaried employment at an institution of higher learning;
(3) The official duties of a person employed as a school psychologist by the State of West Virginia or any of its departments, agencies, divisions or bureaus, or local governments, except for the West Virginia Department of Education, a county board of education, or a regional education service agency, which duties are performed under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee;
(4) The official duties of a person employed as a school psychologist by any department, agency, division or bureau of the United States of America;
(5) The official duties of a school psychologist working under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee for the purpose of gaining the experience required for a license hereunder by the provisions of subdivision (4), subsection (a), section seven of this article, which experience is of a type approved by the board;
(6) The use, in good faith, of certain psychological techniques, procedures, methods and principles as an incident to engaging in a recognized occupation or profession, other than the practice of school psychology, including, but not limited to, the occupation or profession of a physician, lawyer, dentist, social worker, sociologist, political scientist, economist, probation or parole officer, rehabilitation or marriage counselor, clergyman, audiologist, speech pathologist, teacher, educational or guidance counselor and placement or personnel director;
(7) The activities of a student of school psychology, school psychological intern or extern, which activities are a part of and are engaged in pursuant to a course of study at an institution of higher learning;
(8) The activities of an assistant or technician which are performed under the direct and regular supervision of a licensee.
(h) "Practice of school psychology" means the rendering or offering to render for a fee, salary or other compensation to an individual or to the public school psychological services as defined in this article;
(i) "School psychologist" means any person who proposes to provide school psychological services as defined herein, to the public and in so doing claims to have the knowledge, training, expertise and ethical standards necessary to engage in such practice;
(j) "School board" means a West Virginia county school board and also means the West Virginia Department of Education, or a regional educational service agency;
(k) "School board employee" means any person who provides services for the school board and is reimbursed via a salary and benefits and who has met the educational requirements under the state law and regulations of the West Virginia Board of Education to be certified or otherwise empowered by the State Superintendent of Schools to provide school psychological services for school boards;
(l) "School board contractee" means any person who provides services for one or more school boards and is reimbursed on a per evaluation, per unit of service, or some other contract basis;
(m) "School psychologist resident" means a school psychologist who provides school psychology services on a school board property and is a school board employee;
(n) "Licensed school psychologist" means a school psychologist who provides school psychology services on school board property and is a school board employee or contractee;
(o) "Licensed school psychologist independent practitioners" means a school psychologist who provides school psychology services to an individual or the public on school board or nonschool board property, and provide such services for a fee or other compensation, or as a school board employee or contractee.