Senator Harper Angel, who represents the 35th District, has served in the State Senate since 2005.
FRANKFORT —Senator Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, had legislation approved this week by the Senate Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulation Committee that would provide a needed upgrade for the third oldest psychology licensing law in the nation.
“Kentucky’s psychology licensing law has been in effect since 1948 and it is long overdue for an update,” said Sen. Harper Angel. “It is imperative that this law be modernized so that we can be competitive in attracting and retaining qualified psychologists.”
Senate Bill 175 would make it easier for agencies like the Department of Corrections, Juvenile Justice and community mental health centers to hire doctoral level psychologists by moving forward the point at which doctoral-level psychologists can be fully licensed while maintaining the same high level of requirements for education and supervision. SB 175 is a direct response to the American Psychological Association’s recommendation that states make this change in licensure sequence.
Sheila Schuster, Ph.D., psychologist and long-time mental health advocate, noted, “SB 175 will help address the shortage of psychological services across Kentucky, particularly in the public sector, by making licensure possible at an earlier point in time, while maintaining high standards for education and experience.”
This change allows students who have completed their education and clinical internship to be hired and to have the capacity to earn money to pay back student loans earlier. Kentucky would be the fourth state to implement the change, increasing retention and recruitment of psychologists in the state, said Sen. Harper Angel.
The bill strengthens professional standards by allowing the Board of Psychology to define how examinations will be conducted for both doctorally-trained psychologists and masters-trained psychological practitioners and by providing a reasonable increase in the number of continuing education hours required for licensure from 30 to 39 in a three-year period. It also gives greater uniformity to credentialing out-of-state psychologists temporarily practicing in and makes it easier for them to practice in the Commonwealth for a short time.
Out-of-state psychologists would be allowed to practice in Kentucky for 30 days every two years as long as they have an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. Currently, they must register separately with the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology.
SB 175 clarifies that psychologists who do not provide direct psychological services may teach, conduct research and provide consultation to organizations, and call themselves psychologists without being licensed. The practice of school psychologists and school guidance counselors remains unchanged and these professionals would stay under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education. The bill does not limit the use of symptomatic and behavioral assessments by a licensed clinical social worker.
The bill also spells out that ethics and the law will be included in the examination that all licensed psychologists must pass.
Most provisions of the bill would take effect in 2012.
“We are very appreciative of Senator Harper Angel’s sponsorship of this important legislation at the request of the Kentucky Psychological Association. It was developed with the input of faculty and students in the graduate training programs as well as public-sector agencies and we believe that it will make Kentucky very competitive with other states in recruiting and retaining doctoral-level psychologists,” said Dr. Robin Sublett, KPA President.
SB 175 now moves to the State Senate Floor for a vote. If it gains final approval in the Senate, it will move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
