Article archive / September 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 1. Source pages: 4.
In a news release by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), officials announced that it has been selected to receive a Licensure Portability Grant offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in the amount of $349,785.00 each year for three years.
The primary purpose of this grant is to provide support for State professional licensing boards to carry out programs that will reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine. The awarded grant funds will be used to continue the development and implementation of the ASPPB Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS).
The announcement noted that the group would try to expand the number of jurisdictions using the PLUS system, “and later, to develop a specific program or mechanism to address the current cross-jurisdictional barriers to telepsychology.”
According the US Department of Health and Human Services, the HRSA Office for the Advancement of Telehealth promotes “the use of telehealth technologies for health care delivery, education, and health information services.” The focus in on rural, underserved populations, and cost-effective telehealth programs.
The state psychology board published its opinion #014 on telepsychology, in April this year. The opinion said that in order for psychologists to practice telepsychology within Louisiana he or she must hold a valid license from the board or be a supervisee, and abide by all state laws.
The opinion also noted that licensees are not authorized to practice telepsychology with clients living in jurisdictions other than Louisiana, and that telehealth is not appropriate for all psychological problems or clients.
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