LSBEP Pushes Their Legislation Despite Opposition from La Psychological Assn

The Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) continues their
planning to introduce comprehensive legislation in the upcoming April session,
according to sources. This despite a recent vote by the Executive Council of the
Louisiana Psychological Association to oppose the bill.

According to sources, LPA President Dr. Erin Reuther made an announcement to
members last month that the LPA Executive Council had decided not to support the
LSBEP introducing the measure.

In January the LSBEP voted unanimously to begin the search for a legislator to sponsor their changes to the Psychology Practice Act for the 2021 legislative session.

LSBEP’s legislation will make sweeping changes to the psychology law. These changes
include the registering assistants, expanding the board’s charter, expanding legal
authority of employees, adding fees, changing the scope of practice, modifying board
composition, and exempting hearings from Open Meetings Laws. The new law also gives the board the authority to conduct and sell continuing education.

According to a draft copy of the new proposed law psychologists would be required to seek the board’s approval for any assistant who is helping the psychologist provide services to patients or clients. This would include any clinical, family, or organizational setting, including government. The yearly fee is up to $75 per assistant.

Included is the requirement that the assistant initiate a criminal background report from the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information.

The board would approve the assistant’s training, qualifications, and services to be provided. The board can deny or revoke the registration of the assistant at any time that it receives reliable information that the assistant is causing harm to clients or patients, or likely to, or is unethical or unprofessional.

The new law also gives the board authority to collect an array of new fees. These include up to $250 for preapproval of continuing education courses. Also they can charge up to $200 for authorization to conduct tele-supervision, to authorize an inactive status or renewal, or to authorize emeritus status and renewal. The board appears to be intending to provide continuing professional development with a charge of up to $200 per continuing unit.

According to the draft of proposed legislation, the board will be creating new committees that may operate with full authority of the board for complaints procedures and disciplinary actions, to perform tasks such as creating subpoenas and summary suspension authority.

The board will add the ability to restrict a license along with the current law for suspension are revoking. Also added in new language, the board is to communicate violations to the District Attorney.

Under scope of practice the board is adding language for:
• psychological test development;
• provision of direct services to individuals or groups for the purpose of enhancing individual and organizational effectiveness;
• using psychological principles, methods and procedures to assess and evaluate
individuals for the purpose of rendering an expert opinion or diagnosis in a legal
setting; and
• supervision and consultation related to any of the services described in the current
law.

The new language affirms that psychological services may be rendered to persons throughout their life time including families, groups, institutions, organizations, and the public. The board is also creating new language that removes transparency having to do with investigations. “All proceedings in connection with any investigation by the board shall be conducted in closed session, and are exempt from the provisions of the Public
Meetings Law [….]

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