Pennsylvania Code › Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS › Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 41 - STATE BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY › MISCELLANEOUS › Section 41.58 - Standards for the employment and supervision of unlicensed persons with graduate training in psychology

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Statutory authority and purpose.
Under section 3(12) of the
					 act (63 P. S. §
												1203(12)), psychologists
					 licensed by the Board may employ "professional employes with graduate training
					 in psychology," who "shall perform their duties under the full direction,
					 control and supervision of a licensed psychologist." Section
					 41.58 sets standards for the
					 employment and supervision of unlicensed persons who come within the statutory
					 language. Section
					 41.58 does not apply to persons
					 completing the experience requirement for licensure, to employes who are
					 licensed and regulated by other Boards in the Bureau, or to employes of
					 psychologists practicing in settings exempted from the licensure requirement
					 under section 3(4), (6), (8) and (10) of the act.
(b)
Responsibilities of employing
					 psychologists and supervising psychologists.
The employing
					 psychologist shall ensure that the employe has satisfied the education
					 requirement set out in the definition of "graduate training in psychology" in
					 §
											41.1 (relating to definitions) and
					 shall bear full professional responsibility for the welfare of every
					 client/patient served by the employe. The employing psychologist shall
					 supervise the employe as set out in subsection (c) or shall assign the
					 supervisory function to another licensed psychologist affiliated with the
					 employment setting. A supervising psychologist shall be qualified to render
					 competently every psychological service which the employe undertakes, except
					 that clearly defined areas of the employe's supervision may be delegated to
					 other professionals affiliated with the employment setting whose competence in
					 the delegated areas has been demonstrated by previous education, training and
					 experience. Although the employing psychologist shall continue to bear the
					 ultimate responsibility for services rendered by the employe, a psychologist
					 who supervises an unlicensed person under this section shall be individually
					 responsible for activities of that person performed under the psychologist's
					 supervision or pursuant to the psychologist's delegation.
(c)
Supervision
					 requirements.
The Board recognizes that variations in the training of
					 unlicensed employes will require individually tailored supervision. The
					 following are the minimum supervisory requirements acceptable to the Board:
(1) The supervisor shall ensure that the
					 employe possesses skills commensurate with the work assigned.
(2) The supervisor shall plan all service
					 delivery procedures in consultation with the employe. The supervisor shall
					 acquire knowledge of clients/patients, through face-to-face contact when
					 necessary, sufficient to carry out this duty effectively.
(3) The supervisor shall establish and
					 maintain a level of supervisory contact consistent with professional standards.
					 These standards require regular face-to-face consultation with the employe,
					 either individually or in a group. In particular, the supervisor shall acquaint
					 the employe with the Code of Ethics found in §
												41.61 (relating to Code of Ethics)
					 and shall, under that section, be accountable for ethical violations by the
					 employe.
(4) The supervisor shall
					 be available for emergency consultation and intervention.
(5) The supervisor shall maintain an ongoing
					 record detailing the activities in which the employe is engaged, the level of
					 competence in each, and the outcome of all procedures.
(6) The supervisor shall ensure that the
					 employe signs all reports, records and other communications prepared by the
					 employe for distribution or maintenance within the employment setting. Written
					 communications prepared by the employe for distribution outside the employment
					 setting shall be signed by the employe and countersigned as "reviewed and
					 approved by" the supervisor.
(7)
					 The supervisor shall ensure that the employe's supervised status is made known
					 to clients/patients and that the employe's title clearly indicates this status.
					 The supervisor shall provide clients/patients with specific information
					 regarding the employe's qualifications and functions.
(8) The supervisor shall inform
					 clients/patients of the employe about the possibility of periodic meetings with
					 the supervisor at their or the supervisor's request.
(9) The supervisor shall simultaneously
					 supervise no more than three full-time or their equivalent in part-time
					 employes. Designation of full-time and part-time shall be made in accordance
					 with the employer's own personnel policy.