The Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists, pursuant to 24 Del.C. §3506(a)(1), proposes to revise its regulations. The proposed additions to the regulations seek to add rules regarding inactive status of a psychology license and the requirements to reactive a license from inactive status. A prior proposed amendment was published in the October 1, 2013 volume of the
Register of Regulations including the same amendments with one small exception. The previously published amendment stated at 5.4.1.4.2 that the number of ethics credits required to return from more than one year of inactive status was six credits, not three. The proposed amendment has been changed to comply with the Board's current continuing education ethics requirements of three credits.
The Board of Examiners of Psychologists has been established under the 24 Del.C. Ch. 35, and current amendments to that Law. Within the framework of the Law, the Board has the responsibility for interpreting and implementing the legal provisions and requirements of the Law through the establishment of operating Rules and Regulations. The Board and the public may propose changes in the Rules and Regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act,
29 Del.C. Ch. 101.
5.2.1 An applicant who is applying for licensure as a psychologist by reciprocity shall submit evidence that he/she meets the requirements of 24 Del.C. §3511. An application for licensure, by reciprocity shall include the following information, or alternatively, the information required by Rule 5.2.2:
6.1.1 Have received a doctoral degree based on a program of studies which is psychological in content and specifically designed to train and prepare psychologists. The doctoral degree must be from a college or university, accredited as required by 24 Del.C. §3508(a)(1) having a graduate program which states its purpose to be the training and preparation of psychologists Graduates of non-United States (U.S.) degree programs will be required to have their credentials evaluated by a credential evaluation service approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, to determine equivalency to the accreditation requirements of
§3508(a)(1) and equivalency of psychological content and training. The Board will consider programs to be psychological in content by the criteria established by the joint designation project of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards and the Council for the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology, as follows:
7.2 Supervised postdoctoral experience is required for initial licensure. Postdoctoral experience must consist of 1,500 hours of actual work experience. This experience must be completed in not less than one calendar year and not more than three calendar years, save for those covered under 24 Del.C. §3519(e). For those individuals the accrual of 1,500 hours of supervised postdoctoral experience must take place within six calendar years from the time of hire. At least 25% of the 1500 hours of experience shall be devoted to direct service in the area of the applicant's academic training. "Direct service" consists of any activity defined as the practice of psychology or the supervision of graduate students engaging in activities defined as the practice of psychology. There must be one hour of face-to-face supervision for every one to 10 hours of clinical work. The Board will consider requests to substitute group supervision for some portion of the one-to-one, face-to-face supervision requirement. A supervising psychologist must petition the Board and show good cause for this substitution. If the supervising psychologist's request is granted, no more than five (5) postdoctoral applicants may meet with the supervising psychologist at one time and there must be two (2) hours of group supervision in place of every one (1) hour of individual supervision. All postdoctoral applicants must have at least one (1) hour of individual supervision per week. The Board reserves the right to withdraw their permission for the substitution at any time. Not more than 25% of this supervision can be done by other licensed mental health professionals besides psychologists.
9.1 A psychological assistant is an individual who meets the requirements of 24 Del.C. §
3509(2a-2e). This individual may be registered as a psychological assistant in order to receive supervision to be eligible for later licensure to practice independently as a psychologist and/or for any other reason as recognized by law.
10.1.4 A "continuing education hour" is defined as one sixty-minute period, unless otherwise specified.
12.1 Complaints against psychologists and psychological assistants will be investigated as provided by 29 Del.C. §8807 and all hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act,
29 Del.C. Ch. 101.