R4-26-211

A.  Under A.R.S. § 32-2071(B), an applicant for licensure whose application is based on graduation from  an institution of higher education located outside the U.S. and its territories shall  demonstrate that the applicant’s formal education is equivalent to a doctoral degree in psychology from a regionally accredited educational institution as described in A.R.S. § 32-2071(A).

B.   The Board shall find that the institution of higher education from which an applicant under subsection (A) graduated is equivalent to a regionally accredited education institution only if the institution of higher education is included in one of the following:

      1.   International Handbook of Universities, published for the International Association of Universities by Stockton Press, 345 Park Avenue South, 10th floor, New York, NY 10010-1708;

      2.   Commonwealth Universities Yearbook, published for the Association of Commonwealth Universities by John Foster House, 36 Gordon Square, London, England, WC1H OPF; or

      3.   Another source the Board determines provides reliable information.

C.  The academic transcript of an applicant under subsection (A) who graduated from an institution included under subsection (B) shall be translated into English and evaluated by a member organization of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The applicant is responsible for paying all expenses incurred to obtain a translation and review of the academic transcript. An applicant can find information about obtaining a professional credential review at www.naces.org.

D.  When the credential review required under subsection (C) is completed, the NACES member organization shall submit the review report to the Board. The Board shall review the report and determine whether the applicant’s education meets the standard in subsection (A).

E.   Upon written request, the Board may waive the credential review required under subsection (C) for an applicant who graduated from a doctoral program that is accredited by the accreditation panel of the Canadian Psychological Association.

F.   After the Board determines that the formal education of an applicant under subsection (A) is equivalent to a doctoral degree in psychology from a regionally accredited educational institution, the applicant shall provide evidence to the Board that the applicant has met all other requirements for licensure.

R4-26-203

A.  An individual who wishes to be licensed as a psychologist shall submit an application packet to the Board that includes an application form, which is available from   the Board office and on its website, with an attestation that is signed and dated by the applicant, and provide the following:

1.   Personal information about the applicant:

      a.   Full name;

      b.   Other names by which the applicant is or ever has been known;

      c.   Residential address and telephone number;

      d.   Business name and address;

      e.   Work telephone and fax numbers;

      f.    E-mail address;

      g.   Gender;

      h.   Date of birth;

      i.    Place of birth; and

      j.    Social Security number;

2.   An indication of the address and telephone number to be listed in the Board’s public directory and used in correspondence;

3.   An indication whether the applicant is active military;

4.   A statement of whether the applicant:

      a.   Holds a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology, a National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology credential, or is a diplomate or specialist of the American Board of Professional Psychology;

      b.   Is or ever has been licensed as a psychologist in another regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction and license number;

      c.   Has applied for and been rejected or denied licensure as a psychologist in   a regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of each regulatory jurisdiction, date of each application, and reason given for the rejection or denial;

      d.   Is or ever has been licensed or certified in a profession or occupation other than psychology and if so, the names of the professions or occupations, regulatory jurisdictions, and license numbers;

      e.   Has ever taken the national examination and if so, the name of each regulatory jurisdiction in which the examination was taken and each date of examination;

      f.    Has ever had an application for a professional license, certification, or registration other than psychology denied or rejected by  a regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction, type of license, certification, or registration denied or rejected, and date of denial or rejection;

      g.   Has ever withdrawn an application for a professional license, certification, or registration in lieu of administrative proceedings and if so, the reason for the withdrawal;

      h.   Has ever had disciplinary action initiated against the applicant’s professional license, certification, or registration, or had a professional license, certification, or registration suspended or revoked by  a regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction, date of the disciplinary action, and license number;

      i.    Has ever entered into a consent agreement or stipulation arising from a complaint against any professional license, certification, or registration and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction, date, and license number;

      j.    Is a member of any professional association in the field of psychology and if so, name of the association;

      k.   Has ever had membership in a professional association in the field of psychology denied or revoked and if so, the name of the professional association and date of denial or revocation;

      l.    Is currently under investigation for or has been found guilty of violating a code of professional ethics of any professional organization and if so, the name of the professional organization and date of investigation;

      m.  Is currently under investigation for or has been found to have violated a professional code of conduct by a regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction and date of investigation;

      n.   Has ever been sanctioned or placed on probation by  a regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction and date of action;

      o.   Is currently awaiting trial, has been convicted of, or pled no contest or guilty to any felony or a misdemeanor other than a minor traffic offense (a DUI is not a minor traffic offense), or ever entered into a diversion program instead of prosecution, including any convictions that have been expunged, deleted, or set aside and if so, the name of the jurisdiction, offense involved, date of offense, status of resolution, expected resolution date, and a narrative explanation;

      p.   Has been sued or prosecuted for an act or omission relating to the applicant’s practice as a psychologist, the applicant’s work under a certificate or license in another profession, or the applicant’s work as a member of a profession in which the applicant was not certified or licensed and if so, the name of the jurisdiction, allegation involved, and date;

      q.   Has ever been involuntarily terminated or resigned instead of termination from any psychological or behavioral health position or related employment and if so, the name of the employer involved and date;

      r.    Currently uses alcohol or  another drug that in any way impairs or limits the applicant’s ability to practice psychology safely and competently; and

      s.    Has a medical, physical, or psychological condition that may  impair or limit the applicant’s ability to practice psychology safely and  competently;

5.   Information about the applicant’s education and training:

      a.   Name and address of each university or college from which the applicant graduated,  dates attended, date of graduation, degree received, name of department, and major subject area of study;

      b.   Name and department of the applicant’s major advisor; 

      c.   Title of the applicant’s dissertation or Psy.D. project for the doctoral degree;

      d.   Official title of the applicant’s doctoral degree program or predoctoral specialty area;

      e.   Whether the doctoral degree program that the applicant attended was accredited by the American Psychological Association at the time of graduation;

      f.    Whether the applicant’s internship training program was an American Psychological Association- accredited program or a member of the Association of Psychology and Postdoctoral Internship Centers;

      g.   Location of each internship training program in which the applicant participated and each supervisor’s name and contact information; and

      h.   Documentation demonstrating that the applicant satisfied the core program requirements in A.R.S. § 32-2071(A)(4) and R4-26-202;

6.   Areas of professional competence;

7.   Intended area of professional practice in psychology;

8.   Name, position, and address of at least two individuals to serve as references who:

a.   Are psychologists licensed or certified to practice psychology in a United States or Canadian regulatory jurisdiction and who are not members of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners;

b.   Are familiar with the applicant’s work experience in the field of psychology or in a postdoctoral program within the three years immediately before the date of application. If more than three years have elapsed since the applicant last engaged in professional activities in the field of psychology or in a postdoctoral program, the references may pertain to the most recent three-year period in which the applicant engaged in professional activities in the field of psychology or in a postdoctoral program; and

c.   Recommend the applicant for licensure;

9.   History of employment for the past 10 years in the field of psychology including, for each position held, the:

      a.    Beginning and ending dates of employment,

      b.   Number of hours worked per week,

      c.   Name and address of employer,

      d.   Name and address of supervisor, and

      e.   Type of employment; and

10. Information demonstrating that the applicant satisfied the core program requirements in A.R.S. § 32-2071(A)(4) and R4-26-202;

11. An attestation by the applicant, that the information on the application  is about the applicant, is true and correct, and  is not being submitted  fraudulently;

B.   Additionally, an applicant shall submit:

1.   An original, un-retouched, passport-quality photograph of the applicant that is no larger than 1.5 X 2 inches and taken no more than 60 days before the date of application;

2.   The results of a self-query from the National Practitioner Data Bank-Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank;

3.   As required under A.R.S. § 41-1080(A), the specified documentation of citizenship or alien status indicating the applicant’s presence in the U.S. is authorized under federal law;

4.   The Board’s Mandatory Confidential Information form;

5.   The fee required under R4-26-108; and

6.   Any other information authorized by statute.

C.  In addition to the requirements in subsections (A) and (B), an applicant shall arrange to have the following directly submitted to the Board:

1.   An official transcript from each university or college from which the applicant attended a graduate program or received a graduate degree that contains the date the degree was conferred;

2.   An official document from the degree-granting institution indicating that the applicant completed a residency that satisfies the requirements of A.R.S. § 32-2071 (K);

3.   For an applicant applying supervised preinternship hours toward licensure, an attestation submitted by the doctoral program training director, faculty supervisor, or other official of the doctoral-granting institution who is knowledgeable of the applicant’s preinternship experience verifying that the applicant’s preinternship experience meets the requirements of A.R.S. § 32-2071(D).

4.   An  attestation from the applicant’s supervisor, if available, or a psychologist knowledgeable of the applicant’s internship training program, verifying that the applicant’s internship training program meets the requirements in A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F). If the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist is not available, the Board shall accept primary source verification received from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. In this subsection, “not available” means the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist is deceased or all reasonable efforts to locate the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist were unsuccessful;

5.   For an applicant applying supervised postdoctoral experience toward licensure, an attestation from the applicant’s postdoctoral supervisor, if available, or a psychologist knowledgeable of the applicant’s postdoctoral experience verifying that the applicant’s postdoctoral experience meets the requirements in A.R.S. § 32-2071 (G). If the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist is not available, the Board shall accept primary source verification received from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. In this subsection, “not available” means the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist is deceased or all reasonable efforts to locate the supervisor or knowledgeable psychologist were unsuccessful;

6.   Verification of all other psychology licenses or certificates ever held in any regulatory jurisdiction; and

      7.   An official notification of the applicant’s score on the national examination. An applicant who  passed the national examination  in accordance with the standard established at A.R.S. § 32-2072(A), shall have the examination score sent directly to the Board by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards or by the regulatory jurisdiction  in which the applicant originally passed the examination.

R4-26-203.01

A.  An applicant for a psychologist license by credential under A.R.S. § 32-2071.01 (D) shall submit an application packet to the Board that includes:

1.   An application form,  which is available from the Board office and on its website, signed and dated by the applicant, that contains the information required by R4-26-203(A)(1) through  (4), (A)(5)(a) through (f), (A)(6), (A)(7), (A)(10), and R4-26-203 (B)(2) through (6);

2.   Verification sent directly to the Board by the credentialing agency that the applicant:

a.   Holds a current Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) issued by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards;

b.   Holds a current National Register of Health Service  Providers in Psychology (NRHSPP) credential and has practiced psychology independently at the doctoral level  for at least five years; or

c.   Is a diplomate or specialist of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP); and

3.   Verification of all other psychology licenses or certificates ever held in any jurisdiction.

B.   An applicant for a psychologist license by credential based on a National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology credential shall have notification that the applicant obtain a passing score on the national examination sent directly to the Board by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards or by the regulatory jurisdiction in which the applicant originally passed the examination.

C.  If the Board determines that an application for licensure by credential requires clarification, the Board may require that an applicant submit or cause the applicant’s credentialing agency to submit directly to the Board any documentation including transcripts, course descriptions, catalogues, brochures, supervised experience verifications, examination scores, application for credential, or any other information that is deemed necessary by the Board. 

R4-26-204

A.  General rules.

1.   Under A.R.S. § 32-2072(C), an applicant who fails the national examination three times in  any  regulatory jurisdiction shall,  before taking  the national examination again, review the applicant’s areas of deficiency and implement a program of study or practical experience designed to remedy the  deficiencies. This remedial program may consist of any combination of course work, self-study, internship experience, and supervision.

2,   An applicant required under subsection (A)(1) to implement a program of study or practical experience may apply anew for licensure. The applicant shall submit a new application packet, as described in R4-26-203, and include information about any actions proposed under subsection (A)(1).

3.   Examination deadline. Unless the Board grants an extension, the Board shall administratively close the file of an applicant authorized by the Board to take an examination specified in subsection (B) or (C) who fails to take the examination within one year from the date of the Board’s authorization. Upon written request to the Board’s Executive Director received by the Board on or before the applicant’s examination deadline, the Board shall grant the applicant one extension of up to six months to  take  the examination. The applicant may request additional extensions for good cause, which includes but is not limited to illness or injury of the licensee or a close family member, death of a close family member, birth or adoption of a child, military service, relocation, natural disaster, financial hardship, or residence in a foreign country for at least 12 months of the license period. The Board shall ensure that an extension is for no more than six months. This Section does not apply to an applicant approved to take the national examination under R4-26-203.02.

4.   The Board shall deny a license if an applicant commits any of the following acts with respect to the examination:

a.   Violates the confidentiality of examination materials;

b.   Removes any examination materials from the examination room;

c.   Reproduces any portion of a licensing examination;

d.   Aids in the reproduction or reconstruction of any portion of a licensing examination;

e.   Pays or uses another person to take a licensing examination for the applicant or to reconstruct any portion of the licensing examination;

f.    Obtains examination material, either before, during, or after an examination, for the purpose of instructing or preparing applicants for examinations;

g.   Sells, distributes, buys, receives, or has possession of any portion of a future, current, or previously administered licensing examination that is not authorized by the Board or its authorized agent for release to the public;

h.   Communicates with any other examinee during the administration of a licensing examination;

i.    Copies answers from another examinee or permits the copying of answers by another examinee;

j.    Possesses during the administration of a licensing examination any books, equipment, notes, written or printed materials, or data of any kind, other than material distributed during the examination; or

k.   Impersonates another examinee.

B.   National examination. Under A.R.S. § 32-2072, the Board shall require that an applicant take and pass the national examination. An applicant authorized by the Board to take the national examination passes the examination if the applicant’s score equals or exceeds the passing score specified in A.R.S. § 32-2072(A).  After the Board receives the examination results, the Board shall notify the applicant in writing of the results.

C.  Additional examination.

1.   The Board shall require an applicant to pass the national examination before allowing the applicant to take an additional examination.

2.   Under A.R.S. § 32-2072(B), the Board may administer an additional examination to an applicant to determine the adequacy of the applicant’s knowledge and application of Arizona law. The additional examination may also cover the practice of psychology, ethical conduct, and psychological assessment and treatment practices.

a.   The Board shall review and approve the additional examination before administration.

b.   The additional examination may be developed and administered by the Board, a committee of the Board, consultants to the Board, or independent contractors.

c.   Applicants, examiners, and consultants to the Board shall execute a security acknowledgment form and agree to maintain examination security.

R4-26-205

A.  A license issued by the Board, whether active or inactive, expires on April 30 of every odd-numbered year unless renewed.

B.   The Board considers a license renewal application packet timely submitted if delivered or mailed to the Board’s office and date stamped or postmarked on or before April 30 of the odd-numbered year in which the license expires.

C.  To renew a license, a licensee shall submit to the Board a renewal application form, which is available from the Board office and on its website, signed and dated by the licensee, and provide the following:

      1.   Personal information about the applicant:

      a.   Full name;

      b.   Other names by which the applicant is or ever has been known;

      c.   License number;

      d.   Home address and telephone number;

      e.   Business name and address;

      f.    Work telephone and fax numbers;

      g.   E-mail address;

      h.   Gender;

      i.    Date of birth;

      j.    Place of birth; and

      k.   Social Security number;

2.   An indication of the address and telephone number to be listed in the Board’s public directory and used in correspondence;

3.   An indication whether the applicant is active military;

4.   A statement of whether the applicant:

      a.   Is in compliance with or exempt from the requirements of A.R.S. § 32-3211 regarding secure storage, transfer, and access to client or patient records and if not, explain;

      b.   Is currently licensed or certified as a psychologist in a regulatory jurisdiction other than Arizona and if so, the name of the regulatory jurisdiction and license number;

      c.   Is a licensed or certified member of another profession and if so, the name of the profession, regulatory jurisdiction, and license number;

      d.   Is a member of a hospital staff or provider panel and if so, the name of the hospital or panel;

      e.   Has completed the required 40 hours of continuing education and if not, an explanation of why the required hours have not been completed;

      f.    Has, during the last license period, been denied a license or certificate to practice any profession by any regulatory jurisdiction and if so, the name of the profession and regulatory jurisdiction and the reason for denial or a copy of the notice of denial;

      g.   Has, during the last license period, relinquished responsibilities, resigned a position, or been terminated while a complaint against the applicant was being investigated or adjudicated and if so, the dates and entity conducting the investigation or adjudication;

h.  Has, during the last license period, resigned or been terminated from a professional organization, hospital staff, the military, or provider panel or surrendered a license while a complaint against the applicant was being investigated or adjudicated and if so, the dates and entity conducting the investigation or adjudication;

      i.    Has, during the last license period, been disciplined by an agency in any regulatory jurisdiction including the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, the military, or a health care institution, provider panel, or ethics panel for acts pertaining to the applicant’s conduct as a psychologist or as a professional in any other field and if so, the name and address of the agency, nature and date of the disciplinary action, and statement of the charges and findings;

      j.    Is currently awaiting trial, has, during the last license period, been convicted of or pled no contest or guilty to  any felony or a misdemeanor, other than a minor traffic offense (a DUI is not a minor traffic offense), or ever entered into a diversion program instead of prosecution, including any conviction that was expunged, deleted, or set aside  in any state or country and if so, the convicting jurisdiction, offense, date of offense, status of resolution, expected resolution, a narrative explanation, and copies of relevant documents;

      k.   Is currently under investigation by any professional organization, the military, health care institution, or provider panel of which the applicant is a member or on staff, or regulatory  agency concerning the ethical propriety or legality of the applicant’s conduct and if so, name of the entity involved and conduct at issue;

      l.    Has, during the last license period, been sued or prosecuted for an act or omission relating to the applicant’s practice as a psychologist, the applicant’s work under a license or certificate in another profession, or the applicant’s work as a member of a profession in which the applicant was not licensed or certified and if so, the name of the jurisdiction, allegation involved, date, and copies of relevant documents;

      m.  Is delinquent in payment of a judgment for child support and if so, the court that issued and date of the support order;

      n.   Has, during the last license period, had an application for membership in any professional organization rejected, or has had any professional organization suspend or revoke the applicant’s membership, place the applicant on probation, or otherwise censure the applicant for unethical or unprofessional conduct or other violation of eligibility or membership requirements and if so, name of the professional organization and date of the action;

      o.   Currently uses alcohol or another drug that in any way impairs or limits the applicant’s ability to practice psychology safely and competently;

      p.   Has a medical, physical, or psychological condition that may impair or limit the applicant’s ability to practice psychology safely and competently; and

      q.   Is submitting the renewal application timely and if not, whether the applicant has practiced psychology in Arizona since the license expired and if so, a complete explanation;

5.   The license status for which application is made;

      a.   Active,

      b.   Inactive due to mental or physical disability,

      c.   Voluntary inactive,

d.   Medical or inactive continuation, or

e.   Retired. If retired status is requested, the applicant shall designate whether retired status is to be achieved by allowing the license to expire or requesting voluntary inactive status;

6.   The following information about the continuing education completed during the previous license period:

      a.   Title of the continuing education;

      b.   Date completed;

      c.   Sponsoring organization, publication, or educational institution;

      d.   Number of hours in the continuing education; and

      e.   Brief description of the continuing education;

7.   A signed attestation of the veracity of the information provided; and

8.   Any other information authorized by statute.

D.  Additionally, to renew a license, a licensee shall submit to the Board:

      1.   The license renewal fee required under R4-26-108;

        2.   If the documentation previously submitted under R4-26-203(B)(3) was a limited form of work authorization issued by the federal government, evidence that the work authorization has not expired; and

      3.   The Board’s Mandatory Confidential Information form.

E.   If a completed application, including the information about continuing education completed, is timely submitted under subsections (C) and (D), the licensee may continue to practice psychology under the active license until notified by the Board that the application for renewal has been approved or denied. If the Board denies license renewal, the licensee may continue to practice psychology until the last day for seeking review of the Board’s decision or a later date fixed by a reviewing court.

F.   Under A.R.S. § 32-2074(B), the license of a licensee who fails to submit a renewal application, including the information about continuing education completed, on or before April 30 of an odd-numbered year expires and the licensee shall immediately stop practicing psychology.

G.  A psychologists whose license expires under subsection (F) may have the license reinstated by submitting the following to the Board on or before June 30 of the year in which the license expired:

      1.   The license renewal application required under subsection (C), including the information about continuing education completed, and the documents required under subsections (D)(2) and (3); and

      2.   The license renewal and reinstatement fees required under R4-26-108.

H.  A psychologist whose license expires under subsection (F) and who fails to have the license reinstated under subsection (G) may have the license reinstated by:

1.   Complying with subsections (G)(1) through (2) on or before the following April 30th, and

2.   Paying the delinquent compliance fee in R4-26-108.

I.    A psychologist whose license expires under subsection (F) and who fails to have the license reinstated under subsection (G) or (H) may be licensed again only by complying with R4-26-203.

J.   If the Board audits the continuing education records of a licensee and determines that some of the hours do not conform to the standards listed in R4-26-207, the Board shall disallow the non-conforming hours.  If the remaining hours are less than the number required, the Board shall deem the licensee as failing to satisfy the continuing education requirements and provide notice of the disallowance to the licensee. The licensee has 90 days from the mailing date of the Board’s notification of disallowance to complete the continuing education requirements for the past reporting period and shall provide the Board with an affidavit documenting completion. If the Board does not receive an affidavit within 90 days of the mailing date of notification of disallowance or the Board deems the affidavit insufficient, the Board may take disciplinary action under A.R.S. § 32-2081.

R4-26-206

A.  Except as provided in subsection (C), when considering reinstatement of a psychologist from inactive to active status, the Board shall presume that the psychologist has maintained and updated the psychologist’s professional knowledge and capability to practice as a psychologist if the psychologist presents to the Board documentation of completion of a prorated amount of continuing education, calculated under subsection (B).

B.   A psychologist who is on inactive status may reinstate the license to active status by presenting to the Board documentation of completion of   at least 40 hours of continuing education that meets the standards in R4-26-207.

C.  A psychologist may request that the Board cancel the psychologist’s license if the psychologist is not under investigation by any regulatory jurisdiction. Fees paid to obtain a license are not refundable when the license is cancelled. If an individual whose request for license cancellation is approved by the Board subsequently decides to practice psychology, the individual shall submit a new application under R4-26-203 and meet the requirements in A.R.S. § 32-2071.

R4-26-207

A.  A licensee shall complete at least 40 hours of continuing education during each license period.  Unless specified otherwise, one clock hour of instruction, training, or making a presentation equals one hour of continuing education.

B.   During the license period in which an individual is initially licensed, the Board shall pro-rate the number of continuing education hours  , including a pro-rated number of hours addressing ethics, domestic violence, intimate partner abuse, abuse of vulnerable adults, child abuse, and bullying that the new licensee must complete during the initial license period. To calculate the number of continuing education hours that a new licensee must obtain, the Board shall divide the 40 hours of continuing education required in a license period by 24 and multiply the quotient by the number of whole months from the date of initial licensure until the end of the license period. To determine the number of ethics hours required during the first license period, the license shall complete one hour of ethics for every six months from the month of license issuance to the end of the license period.

C.  A licensee shall  ensure that the continuing education hours obtained include at least four hours in each of the following:

1.   Professional ethics; and

2.   Domestic violence, intimate partner abuse, child abuse, or abuse of vulnerable adults. The topic of bullying satisfies the requirement for child abuse.

D.  If the standards in subsection (F) are met, the Board shall accept the following for continuing education hours. In completing the continuing education requirement, a licensee shall ensure that hours are obtained from participating in at least two of the following:

1.   Post-doctoral study sponsored by a university or college that is regionally accredited under A.R.S. § 32-2071(A)(1)  and provides a graduate-level degree program ;

2.   A course, seminar, workshop, or home study for which a certificate of completion is provided; 

3.   A continuing education program offered by a national, international, regional, or state association, society, board, or continuing education provider;

4.   Teaching a graduate-level course in applied psychology at a university or college that is regionally accredited under A.R.S. § 32-2071(A)(1). A licensee who teaches a graduate-level course in applied psychology receives the same number of continuing education hours as number of classroom hours for those who take the graduate-level course;

5.   Organizing and presenting a continuing education activity. A licensee who organizes and presents a continuing education activity receives the same number of continuing education hours as those who attend the continuing education activity;

6.   Attending a Board meeting or serving as a member of the Board. A licensee receives up to six continuing education hours in professional ethics for attending both morning and afternoon sessions of a Board meeting and three continuing education hours for attending either the morning or afternoon session or at least four hours of a Board meeting. A licensee shall complete documentation provided by the Board at the time the licensee attends a Board meeting.  During a license period, the Board shall not accept from a licensee more than 10 continuing education hours obtained by attending a Board meeting;

7.   Serving as a complaint consultant.  During a license period, a licensee who serves as a Board complaint consultant to review Board complaints and provide a written report to the Board may receive continuing education hours equal to the actual number of hours served as a complaint consultant  to a maximum of 20 hours;

8.   Having an authored or co-authored psychology book, psychology book chapter, or article in a peer-reviewed psychology journal published. A licensee who has an authored or co-authored psychology book, psychology book chapter, or article in a peer-reviewed psychology journal published receives 10 continuing education hours in the year of publication;

9.   Participating in a study group for professional growth and development as a psychologist. A licensee receives one hour of continuing education for each hour of participation to a maximum of 10 continuing education hours for participating in a study group. The Board shall allow continuing education hours for participating in a study group only if the licensee maintains the documentation required under subsection (G)(5);

10. Presenting a symposium or paper at a state, regional, national, or international psychology meeting. A licensee who presents a symposium or paper receives the same number of continuing education hours as hours of the session, as published in the agenda of the meeting, at which the symposium or paper is presented to a maximum of 10 continuing education hours in a license period;

11. Presenting a poster during a poster session at a state, regional, national, or international psychology meeting. A licensee who presents a poster receives an hour of continuing education for each hour the licensee is physically present with the poster during the poster session, as published in the agenda of the meeting, to a maximum of 10 continuing education hours in a license period; and

12. Serving as an elected officer of an international, national, regional, or state psychological association or society. A licensee who serves as an elected officer may receive continuing education hours equal to the actual number of hours served to a maximum of 10 continuing education hours in a license period.

E.   The Board shall not allow continuing education credit more than once in a license period for:

      1.     Teaching the same graduate-level course,

      2.     Organizing and presenting a continuing education activity on the same topic or content area, or

      3.   Presenting the same symposium or paper at a state, regional, national, or international psychology meeting.

F.   Standards for continuing education. To be acceptable for continuing education credit, an activity identified in subsections (D)(1) through (4) shall:   

      1.   Focus on the practice of psychology, as defined at A.R.S. § 32-2061(8), for at least 75 percent of the program hours; and

      2.   Be taught by an instructor who is:

a.  Currently licensed or certified in the instructor’s profession or works at least 20 hours each week as a faculty member at a regionally accredited college or university;

      b.    A fellow   diplomate, or specialist; or

      c.   Readily identifiable as competent in the subject  of the continuing education by having an advanced degree, teaching experience, work history,  published professional  articles, or previously presented  continuing education on the same subject .

G.  The Board shall accept the following documents as evidence of completion of continuing education hours:

1.   A certificate of attendance;

2.   Statement signed by the provider verifying participation in the activity;

3.   Official transcript;

4.   Documents indicating a licensee’s participation as an elected officer or appointed member as specified in subsection (D)(12); or

5.   An attestation signed by all participants of a study group under subsection (D)(9) that includes a description of the activity,  subject covered,  dates, and  number of hours .

H.  A licensee shall maintain the documents listed in subsection (G) through the license period following the license period in which the documents were obtained.

I.    The Board may audit a licensee’s compliance with continuing education requirements. The Board may deny renewal or take other disciplinary action against a licensee who fails to obtain or document required continuing education hours. The Board may discipline a licensee who commits fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation regarding continuing education hours.

J.   A licensee who cannot meet the continuing education requirement for good cause may seek an extension of time to complete the continuing education requirement by submitting a written request to the Board with the timely submission of the renewal application required under R4-26-205.

1.   Good cause includes but is not limited to illness or injury of the licensee or a close family member, death of a close family member, birth or adoption of a child, military service, relocation, natural disaster, financial hardship, or residence in a foreign country for at least 12 months of the license period.

2.   The Board shall not grant an extension longer than one year.

3.   A licensee who cannot complete the continuing education requirement within the extension may apply to the Board for inactive license status under A.R.S. § 32-2073 (G).

K.  No continuing education hours may be carried over to the next licensing period.

L.   The Board shall not accept for continuing education hours a course, workshop, seminar, or symposium designed to increase income or office efficiency.

R4-26-208

A.  For the purpose of A.R.S. § 41-1073, the Board establishes the time frames listed in Table 1. An applicant or a person requesting an approval from the Board and the Board’s Executive Director may agree in writing to extend the substantive review and overall time frames by no more than 25 percent of the overall time frame.

B.   The administrative completeness review time frame begins when the Board receives an application packet or request for approval. During the administrative completeness review time frame, the Board shall notify the applicant or person requesting approval that the application packet or request for approval is either complete or incomplete. If the application packet or request for approval is incomplete, the Board shall specify in the notice what information is missing.

C.  If an applicant or person requesting approval receives a notice of incompleteness under subsection (B), the applicant or person requesting approval shall submit the missing information to the Board within the time to complete listed in Table 1.  Both the administrative completeness review and overall time frames are suspended from the date of the Board’s notice under subsection (B) until the Board receives all of the missing information.            

D.  Upon receipt of all missing information, the Board shall send a written notice of administrative completeness to the applicant or person requesting approval. The Board shall not send a separate notice of completeness if the Board grants or denies a license or approval within the administrative completeness time frame listed in Table 1.

E.   The substantive review time frame listed in Table 1 begins on the date of the Board’s notice of administrative completeness sent under subsection (D).

F.   If the Board determines during the substantive review that additional information is needed, the Board shall send the applicant or person requesting approval a comprehensive written request for additional information.

G.  An applicant or person requesting approval who receives a request under subsection (F) shall submit the additional information to the Board within the time for response listed in Table 1. Both the substantive review and overall time frames are suspended from the date of the Board’s request until the Board receives the additional information.

H.  An applicant or person requesting approval may receive a 30-day extension of the time provided under subsection (C) or (G) by providing written notice to the Board before the time expires. If an applicant or person requesting approval fails to submit to the Board the missing or additional information within the time provided under Table 1 or the time as extended, the Board shall administratively close the applicant’s or person’s file.

I.    At any time before the overall time frame provided in Table 1 expires, an applicant or person requesting approval may, with approval by the Board, withdraw the application or request.

J.   Within the overall time frame listed in Table 1, the Board shall:

1.   Grant a license or approval if the Board determines that the applicant or person requesting approval meets all criteria required by statute and this Chapter; or

2.   Deny a license or approval if the Board determines that the applicant or person requesting approval does not meet all criteria required by statute and this Chapter.

H.  If the Board denies a license or approval, the Board shall send the applicant or person requesting approval a written notice explaining:

      1.   The reason for denial, with citations to supporting statutes or rules;

      2.   The right to appeal the denial by filing an appeal under A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10;

      3.   The time for appealing the denial; and

      4.   The right to request an informal settlement conference.

I.    If  the last day of a time frame falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or an official state holiday, the  time frame ends on the next business day.

Table 1-Time-frames (in days) for Processing Applications

 

Type of

 Application or Request		Statutory or Rule AuthorityAdministrative Completeness Time-frame
Time to Respond to Notice of Deficiency
Substantive Review Time-frame

Time to Respond to Request for Additional Information

Overall Time-frame
Application for initial  license
A.R.S. §§ 32-2071, 32-2071.01,
32-2072, and R4-26-203
3024090240120
Application for licensure by credential
A.R.S. §§ 32-2071.01, 32-2072; and A.A.C.
R4-26-203.01		3024090240120
Application to Take National Examination before Completing Experience Required for Licensure
A.R.S. §§ 32-2071.01, 32-2072; and A.A.C. R4-26-203.01
3024090240120
Reapplication for Licensure
A.R.S. §§ 32-2067 and A.A.C. R4-26-203.03
3024090240120
Application for license renewal

A.R.S. § 32-2074;

A.A.C. R4-26-205
60N/A90N/A150
Application for reinstatement of expired license

A.R.S. § 32-2074;

A.A.C. R4-26-206
60N/A90N/A150
Request for extension of time to complete  continuing education 
A.R.S. § 32-2074
A.A.C. R4-26-207
60N/A90N/A150

 

R4-26-209

A.  Under A.R.S. § 32-2071(D), an applicant is required to obtain 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience.

B.   A supervising psychologist shall not supervise a member of the psychologist’s immediate family or the psychologist’s employer or business partner.

C.  Payment between a supervisor and supervisee.

      1.   A supervising psychologist may pay a monetary stipend or fee to a supervisee if the amount paid by the supervisor is not based on the supervisee’s productivity or revenue generated by the supervisee;

2.   A supervising psychologist who accepts a fee for providing the supervisory service in Arizona may be subject to disciplinary action by the Board; and

      3.   The Board shall look to the law of the jurisdiction in which the supervision occurred to determine whether to include as part of the 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience required under A.R.S. § 32-2071(D) hours for which an applicant paid the supervisor.

D.  A psychologist who supervises the professional experience of an unlicensed individual is professionally responsible for all work done by the individual during the supervised experience.

E.   The Board shall include in the 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience required under A.R.S. § 32-2071(D), hours obtained through a training program only if the training program provides the supervision required under A.R.S. § 32-2071(F)(2).

R4-26-210

A.  The Board shall use the following criteria to determine whether an applicant’s supervised preinternship professional experience complies with A.R.S. § 32-2071 (E):

      1.   The supervised preinternship professional experience was part of the applicant’s doctoral program from an institution of higher education that meets the standards in A.R.S. § 32-2071(A);

      2.   The applicant completed appropriate academic preparation before beginning the supervised preinternship professional experience. The Board shall not include any assessment or treatment conducted as part of the required academic preparation in the hours of supervised preinternship professional experience; and

      3.   For each supervised preinternship professional experience training site, the applicant has a written training plan with both the training site and the institution of higher education at which the applicant is pursuing a doctoral degree that includes at least the following:

            a.   Training activities included and the amount of time allotted to each activity,

            b.   Goals and objectives of each training activity,

            c.   Methods of evaluating the supervisee and the supervised preinternship professional experiences provided,

            d.   Approval of all individuals providing supervision at sites external to the training site,

            e.   Total number of hours to be accrued during the supervised preinternship professional experience,

      f.    Total number of hours of face-to-face contact hours with clients or patients during the supervised preinternship professional experience,

      g.   Total number of hours of supervision during the supervised preinternship professional experience,

      h.   Qualifications of all individuals who provide supervision during the supervised preinternship professional experience, and

      i.    Acknowledgement that ethics training will be included in all activities.

B.   The Board shall use the following criteria to determine whether an applicant’s internship or training program qualifies as supervised professional experience under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F):

1.   The written statement required under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F)(9):

      a.   Was established no later than the time the applicant entered the internship or training program; and

      b.    Corresponds to the internship or training program the applicant completed;

2.   A supervisor was directly available to the applicant when decisions were made regarding emergency psychological services provided to a client or patient as required under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F)(2);

3.   Course work used to satisfy the requirements of A.R.S. § 32-2071(A) or dissertation time is not credited toward the face-to-face, individual supervision time required by A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F)(6);

4.   The two hours a week of other learning activities required under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F)(6)  include one or more of the following

a.   Case conferences involving a case in which the applicant was actively involved,

b.   Seminars involving clinical issues,

c.   Co-therapy with a professional staff person including discussion,

d.   Group supervision, or

e.   Additional individual supervision;

5.   The training program had the  applicant work with other doctoral level psychology trainees and included in the written statement required  under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F)(9) a description of the program policy specifying the opportunities and resources provided to the  applicant for working or interacting with other doctoral level psychology trainees in the same or other sites; and

6.   Time spent fulfilling academic degree requirements, such as course work applied to the doctoral degree, practicum, field laboratory, dissertation, or thesis credit, is not credited toward the 1,500 hours of  supervised professional experience hours required by A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F). This subsection does not restrict a student from participating in activities designed to fulfill other doctoral degree requirements. However, the Board shall not credit time spent participating in activities to fulfill academic degree requirements toward the hours required under A.R.S. § 32-2071 (F).

C.  Under A.R.S. § 32-2071(G)(5), at least 40 percent of an applicant’s supervised postdoctoral experience shall involve direct client or patient contact. If an applicant’s supervised postdoctoral hours applied toward licensure include less than 40 percent direct contract hours, the applicant shall work additional time to achieve the required percentage of direct contact hours.

R4-26-301

A.  The Board incorporates by reference   standards 1.01 through 10.10 of the “Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct” adopted by the American Psychological Association, effective June 1, 2003.  The incorporated materials do not include any later amendments or editions.  A copy of the standards is available from the American Psychological Association Order Department, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, www.apa.org/ethics/code, or the Board office.

B.  A licensee shall practice psychology in accordance with the standards incorporated under subsection (A).