§ 41.31. Qualifications for taking licensing examination.

 (a)  Administrative procedures.

   (1)  Applications to take the licensing examination and instructions for applicants, including deadlines for filing, may be secured from the Board. If an applicant, without reasons satisfactory to the Board, fails to report for both the first examination and the one subsequent to it, the applicant’s application will be considered to have been withdrawn. If the applicant wishes to take a future examination, a new application shall be submitted to the Board. The application will be reviewed on the basis of the law and regulations existing at the time.

   (2)  An applicant who has been deemed ineligible to take the examination shall be notified in writing of the reasons for ineligibility, whereupon the applicant may within 30 days of the notice correct the causes for the ineligibility or file a request for reconsideration. A request for reconsideration shall give the reasons for the applicant’s request, shall be accompanied by documentary materials not previously submitted which the applicant wishes the Board to consider, and may include a request for an informal interview before the Board.

 (b)  Education. Before an applicant seeking licensure under section 6 of the act (63 P. S. §  1206) shall be permitted to take the licensing examination, the Board must be satisfied that the applicant has complied with the requirements for a doctoral degree in psychology or a field related to psychology as defined in §  41.1 (relating to definitions). The following documentation evidences compliance:

   (1)  For degree holders from a program in the United States, Canada or United States territories, a Verification of Doctoral Program Approval Status completed by the program’s director reflecting accreditation by the APA or CPA or designation by the ASPPB/National Register Designation Project within 1 year from the award of the doctoral degree, and an official transcript from the registrar.

   (2)  For degree holders from a foreign college or university, an evaluation completed by the National Register evidencing compliance with the educational requirements for degree holders from foreign colleges or universities in §  41.1. The Board will make a determination regarding the applicant’s compliance based upon the evaluation.

   (3)  An applicant who does not meet the criteria in paragraph (2) shall complete supplemental education or training, or both, from a program accredited by the APA or the CPA or designated by ASPPB/National Register Designation Project based upon an evaluation of the deficiency by the program. The program director shall certify that the supplemental coursework or experience, or both, makes the applicant equivalent to a graduate of that program.

   (4)  First-time applicants who enroll in a graduate degree program in psychology on or after July 1, 2008, will be evaluated under this chapter. Applicants enrolled prior to July 1, 2008, will be evaluated under regulations in effect at the time of enrollment. Reapplicants under subsection (a)(1) or §  41.42(b) (relating to reexamination) will be evaluated under regulations in effect at the time of reapplication.

   (5)  First-time applicants who were enrolled in a doctoral degree program prior to March 23, 1991, will have their education credentials evaluated under regulations in effect at that time. Reapplicants under subsection (a)(1) or §  41.42(b) (relating to reexamination) will be evaluated under regulations in effect at the time of reapplication.

 (c)  Experience. To meet the experience requirements for licensure under section 6 of the act (63 P. S. §  1206), an applicant shall submit evidence of having completed 2 years of supervised experience which trained the applicant for the independent practice of psychology. At least 1 year of this supervised experience shall be obtained subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree. For purposes of calculating experience the Board has defined a year as 1500 hours. All supervised experience must be acceptable to the Board. Acceptable predoctoral experience is limited to formal integrated internships—that is, internships which are integrated in terms of both the applicant’s educational background and all aspects of the professional practice in which the applicant intends to engage.

   (1)  Postdoctoral experience.

     (i)   Experience acceptable to the Board means experience as a psychology trainee in a professional setting that is organized to prepare the applicant for the practice of psychology consistent with the applicant’s education and training. At least one-half of the experience shall consist of providing services in one or more of the following areas: diagnosis, assessment, therapy, other interventions, consultation. Acceptable experience does not include the following:

       (A)   Independent private practice as a qualified member of another recognized profession under section 3(3) of the act (63 P. S. §  1203(3)).

       (B)   Independent private practice as a certified school psychologist under section 3(10) of the act.

       (C)   Practice as an independent contractor.

     (ii)   A psychology trainee shall, in every professional setting in which the trainee gains experience, be supervised by a psychologist holding a current license issued by this Board or by a statutory board of psychologist examiners of another state, if, in the opinion of the Board, the requirements for licensure are substantially equivalent to the requirements of the act.

       (A)   The supervisor shall own, be employed by or be in contract status with the professional setting in which the psychology trainee is employed.

       (B)   The supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring that the minimum requirements for acceptable supervised experience are met.

       (C)   Psychological activities of the psychology trainee shall be performed pursuant to the delegation, order and control of the supervisor, who shall accept full professional responsibility for the psychology trainee’s performance. Accordingly, the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of the client/patient shall be in the hands of the supervising licensed psychologist.

         (I)   The supervisor may delegate clearly defined areas of the psychology trainee’s supervision to other professionals affiliated with the professional setting whose competence in the delegated areas has been demonstrated by previous education, training and experience.

         (II)   Although the supervisor shall continue to bear the ultimate responsibility for supervision, those to whom supervisory responsibilities are delegated shall be individually responsible for activities of the psychology trainee performed under their supervision.

       (D)   The supervisor shall ensure that clients/patients of the psychology trainee are aware of the trainee’s status and of the supervisor’s overall responsibility for the services they receive.

       (E)   The supervisor shall meet individually with the psychology trainee for an average of at least 2 hours a week. If the supervisor has delegated supervisory responsibilities to other professionals, 1 hour of this minimum may be allocated, at the direction of the supervisor, between or among them.

       (F)   Reports, records and other communications prepared by the psychology trainee for distribution outside the professional setting shall be signed by the trainee and countersigned as ‘‘reviewed and approved by’’ the supervisor or other delegated professional.

       (G)   A supervisor who is temporarily unable to provide supervision shall designate a qualified substitute and shall ensure that the psychology trainee’s clients/patients are informed of the temporary substitution.

       (H)   A supervisor who wishes to terminate supervision during the training period shall give the trainee notice reasonably calculated to enable the trainee to obtain another qualified supervisor. In no event shall a supervisor terminate supervision when termination would result in abandonment of the trainee’s clients/patients.

       (I)   The supervisor shall observe the standards in §  41.32 (relating to standards for supervisors) and shall ensure that those to whom supervisory responsibilities are delegated comply with these standards.

     (iii)   Supervised work activity will be counted toward satisfying the experience requirement only if it takes place in a single setting for either, first, at least 30 hours per week but no more than 40 hours per week during at least a 3-month period or, second, at least 15 hours per week for a period of at least 6 months. The experience shall have been obtained within the most recent 10 calendar years, at least half within the most recent 5 calendar years.

   (2)  Predoctoral experience. Predoctoral integrated internships shall meet the requirements in paragraph (1) and shall satisfy the following additional criteria:

     (i)   Upon entering the internship the psychology trainee shall have had supervised training for 450 or more hours.

     (ii)   During the internship the psychology trainee shall have a sequence of experiences designed to enhance professional attitudes, responsibilities and technical skills.

     (iii)   The psychology trainee shall participate in learning activities for an average of at least 2 hours per week, in addition to the supervision referred to in paragraph (1)(ii)(E).

     (iv)   The psychology trainee shall interact formally and informally with psychologists, other service providers and other trainees.

     (v)   The internship shall extend for a year and include at least 1500 hours of experience with at least 25% of the time (375 hours) in direct client/patient contact and no more than 25% of the time in research, or the internship shall extend for 2 years half-time and meet the other requirements in this subparagraph.

   (3)  Exception. A psychology trainee who cannot make the supervisory arrangements required by this section may request the Board to approve a detailed written plan for supervision. The granting of such a request shall be at the Board’s discretion. The Board will evaluate each plan submitted and each trainee’s situation on a case-by-case basis.

   (4)  Timing. First-time applicants who commenced postdoctoral supervised experience prior to March 23, 1991, will have their postdoctoral experience credentials evaluated under regulations in effect at that time. Reapplicants under subsection (a)(1) or §  41.42(b) (relating to reexamination) will be evaluated under regulations in effect at the time of reapplication.

   (5)  Continued training. Applicants for admission to the Board’s licensing examination may continue in training in a professional setting consistent with good professional practice until they pass the examination. This continued training shall be supervised by a licensed psychologist, who shall be ultimately responsible for the psychological activities of the applicant. Applicants may also practice in settings exempted from the licensure requirement under section 3(4), (6), (8) and (10) of the act (63 P. S. §  1203(4), (6), (8) and (10)).

   The provisions of this §  41.31 amended under section 812.1 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. §  279.3a); and sections 3.2(1) and (2), 3.3 and 6 of the Professional Psychologists Practice Act (63 P. S. § §  1203.2(1) and (2), 1203.3 and 1206).

   The provisions of this §  41.31 adopted February 6, 1976, effective February 7, 1976, 6 Pa.B. 229; amended March 17, 1978, effective March 18, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 756; amended September 8, 1978, effective September 9, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 2530; amended April 13, 1990, effective April 14, 1990, 20 Pa.B. 2034; corrected April 27, 1990, effective April 14, 1990, 20 Pa.B. 2286; amended March 22, 1991, effective March 23, 1991, 21 Pa.B. 1171; amended November 15, 1991, effective November 16, 1991, 21 Pa.B. 5343; amended January 25, 2002, effective January 26, 2002, 32 Pa.B. 424; amended June 2, 2006, effective June 3, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 2680; amended July 21, 2006, effective July 22, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 3813. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (319675) to (319679).

   This section cited in 49 Pa. Code §  41.1 (relating to definitions); 49 Pa. Code §  41.8 (relating to Department of Health licensing of substance abuse services provided by psychology practices—statement of policy); 49 Pa. Code §  41.11 (relating to licenses); and 49 Pa. Code §  41.32 (relating to standards for supervisors).