West Virginia Code of State Rules › Agency 17 - Psychologists › Title 17 - LEGISLATIVE RULE WV BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS › Series 17-06 - Code of Conduct › Section 17-6-4 - Competence - Limits on Practice, Maintaining Competency, Accurate Representation, Adding New Services and Techniques, Referral, Sufficient Professional Information, Maintenance and Retention of Records, Continuity of Care, and Providing Supervision

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 28, July 12, 2024
4.1. The
				psychologist shall limit practice and supervision to the areas of competence in
				which proficiency has been gained through education, training, and
				experience
4.2. The psychologist
				shall maintain current competency in the areas in which he/she practices,
				through continuing education, consultation, and/or other procedures, in
				conformance with current standards of scientific and professional
				knowledge.
4.3. A licensee shall
				accurately represent his or her areas of competence, education, training,
				experience, and professional affiliations to the Board, the public, and
				colleagues.
4.4. The psychologist,
				when developing competency in a service or technique that is either new to the
				psychologist or new to the profession, shall engage in ongoing consultation
				with other psychologists or relevant professionals shall seek appropriate
				education and training in the new area, and shall seek and acquire Board
				approval for new services and techniques. The psychologist shall inform clients
				of the innovative nature and the known risks associated with the services, so
				that the client can exercise freedom of choice concerning such
				services.
4.5. The psychologist
				shall make or recommend referral to other professional, technical, or
				administrative resources when such referral is clearly in the best interests of
				the client.
4.6. A psychologist
				rendering a formal professional opinion about a person, for example about the
				fitness of a parent in a custody hearing, shall not do so without direct and
				substantial professional contact with or a formal assessment of that
				person.
4.7. Professional records
				shall be maintained by a psychologist rendering professional services to an
				individual client (or a dependent), or services billed to a third-party payor.
4.7.a. These records shall include (a) the
				name of the client and other identifying information, (b) the presenting
				problem(s) or purpose or diagnosis, (c) the fee arrangement, (d) the date and
				substance of each billed or service-count contractor service, (e) any test
				results or other evaluative results obtained and any basic test data from which
				they were derived, (f) notation and results of formal consults with other
				providers, (g) a copy of all test or other evaluative reports prepared as part
				of the professional relationship, (h) any releases executed by the
				client.
4.7.b. To meet the
				requirements of this rule, to provide a formal record for review, but not
				necessarily for other legal purposes, the psychologist shall assure that all
				data entries in the professional records are maintained for a period of not
				less than five years after the last date that service was rendered or for a
				longer period if required by law.
4.7.c. The psychologist shall store and
				dispose of written, electronic and other records in such a manner as to insure
				their confidentiality. The psychologist shall maintain the confidentiality of
				all psychological records in the psychologist's possession or under the
				psychologist's control except as otherwise provided by law or pursuant to
				written or signed authorization of a client specifically requesting or
				authorizing release or disclosure of the client's psychological
				records.
4.7.d. For each person,
				professionally supervised, the psychologist shall maintain for a period of not
				less than five years after the last date of supervision a record that shall
				include, among other information, the type, place, and general content of the
				supervision.