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Renewing Your License This Year Is As Easy As 1-2-3 ............................... 2Billing for Services Provided by Trainees ............................................... 3 Board Position Statement on Unsupervised Practice by Behavior Analysts ..........................4-5Helping People in a Different Way .. 5 Continuing Education Reference Guide ................................................6-7Scammers Targeting Licensees ..... 7Performance of Graduates of North Carolina Institutions .............. 8A Friendly, Familiar Face .................. 9CE Broker FAQ ............................ 10-12Board Actions ..................................13FROM THE CHAIRThe North Carolina Psychology Board (NCPB) is aware of the increased complexity of licensure renewal for licensees this year.The addition of three new requirements for this renewal cycle (completing the Ethics Refresher, increased Continuing Education (CE) hour requirements, and uploading CE documentation to CE Broker) has made the renewal process more challenging and time consuming for all of us. These new requirements were enacted to further the NCPB mission of protecting the public and helping to protect psychologists from human errors in recording and maintaining CE records. The NCPB sincerely appreciates all your compliance and cooperation with new requirements and processes and requests that everyone show patience (perhaps even grace) to all parties involved as we all work through the learning curve of the new processes. Board members, who are psychologists, must comply with the same requirements and wish to express our empathy to all our colleagues as we too nd challenges as we learn the new processes. Thank you, Helen T. Brantley, Ph.D., NCPB Chair INSIDEFall 2022 | A publication of the North Carolina Psychology Board
2 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022Once licensees have completed steps 1 and 2 above, you can renew your licenses. To renew your license, licensees must access the licensee system at https://app.ncpsychologyboard.org/licensee and select the option to renew a license. The $5 convenience fee for online renewals has been waived for this renewal. All license renewals must be done online. Paper forms will not be made available nor accepted to renew a license. If you are a Licensed Psychological Associate or a provisionally Licensed Psychologist, please note that Supervision Reports are required to be submitted to renew your license. Supervision Reports required to renew your license must be led online as part of your renewal and can be done by accessing the licensee system at https://app.ncpsychologyboard.org/licensee and selecting the Supervision Report option. IMPORTANT NOTE: Given the additional requirements for this renewal and the delayed opening of the renewal system, NCPB has decided to waive late renewal fee for this renewal. As a result, licensees will have until November 30 to renew their licenses without paying a late fee or having the status of their licenses affected. Licenses not renewed by November 30 will be suspended. Licensees need to complete the following three steps to renew their license:All licensees are required to complete the online Ethics Refresher before being able to renew their license.. The Ethics Refresher is an educational, no-fail review with an unlimited number of attempts to correctly answer 50 questions. Licensees will only be charged the Ethics Refresher fee of $50 once per renewal cycle, regardless of the number of attempts needed to complete it. The Ethics Refresher will include topics covered by the North Carolina Psychology Practice Act, the North Carolina Psychology Board’s rules, and the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics. To access the Ethics Refresher, visit the Board’s licensee system at https://app.ncpsychologyboard.org/licensee. Licensees must submit certicates of completion online for all Category A and Category B Continuing Education (CE) activities before being able to renew their license. Online submission of the CE documentation is required. Mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered documentation to the Board oce will NOT be accepted as meeting the CE submission requirement and the documentation will be returned. The Board has designated CE Broker as the ocial submission system to comply with the CE documentation submission requirements. No other submission system or process will be accepted by the Board. Failure to submit all the required CE documentation online through CE Broker will prevent you from being able to renew your license. To submit your CE documentation, licensees will need to activate a free CE Broker account at https://cebroker.com/nc/account/basic/. Questions about the CE Broker system, including establishing your account, should be directed to CE Broker and not the Board oce. CE Broker’s support center is staffed with experts who have been thoroughly trained on the CE Broker system as well as the CE rules and requirements. Open 8 a.m.—8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, they can be reached at 877-434-6323 or support@cebroker.com. For additional information and helpful guides, please visithttps://help.cebroker.com/en/.Additional information may also be found at http://www.ncpsychologyboard.org/continuing-education/CEBrokerSubmission.html. STEPRENEW YOUR LICENSERENEWING YOUR LICENSE THIS YEAR IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3STEPSUBMIT YOUR CE DOCUMENTATION ONLINESTEPCOMPLETE THE ETHICS REFRESHER
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 3Training sites are essential for graduate trainees and postdoctoral interns to obtain the necessary experience in the eld and to prepare for licensure and professional practice. However, there are important issues to be considered before deciding when or how to bill for the services of trainees and interns. Many training sites and practices that take on trainees simply do not bill for these services. Others have a system where trainees’ services are pro bono or paid in cash. Many training sites have trainees who provide services that are not billable. Recently a situation has emerged in complaint investigations in which psychologists licensed by the Board have billed under their own name and/or NPI number for psychological services provided by their trainees. This is not allowed by most private insurance companies and other reimbursement sources. The Board has found that this is currently the case for the following payors: Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Aetna. To bill for such “supervised services” by a trainee could be unethical as well as fraudulent, due to the misrepresentation of the actual service provider.Some insurance providers, such as Medicare, allow for “incident to” billing, in which a licensed provider can bill for services provided by an unlicensed individual in which these services are “incident to” those services provided by the licensed provider. The most common example of this would be a psychometrist who is an ancillary services provider and performs test administration as part of a psychologist’s psychological evaluation. This is not allowed by all insurance providers and typically does not allow these “incident to” billing to occur for any services by trainees, even if they meet the other “incident to” requirements. If a licensee is considering billing for services rendered by a trainee or intern, it is strongly recommended that they rst check with the client’s insurance company to determine whether this is in any way allowed. It is also recommended that the psychologist obtain this information in writing from the insurance company and/or have the language added to their contract with the reimbursement source. Complying with the requirements of these reimbursement sources and documenting accordingly will not only possibly reduce the risk of action by the Board, but it could also help psychologists avoid audits from insurance companies and costly paybacks. ■If a licensee is considering billing for services rendered by a trainee or intern, it is strongly recommended that they rst check with the client’s insurance company to determine whether this is in any way allowed.BILLING FOR SERVICES PROVIDED BY TRAINEESNORTH CAROLINA PSYCHOLOGY BOARDMEMBERSHelen Brantley, Ph.D.Psychologist Member and Board ChairStacie MacDonald Jones, M.A.Psychological Associate Member and Board Vice ChairSusan Hurt, Ph.D.Psychologist Member G. Gail Nenger, Ph.D., ABPPPsychologist Member Alexis Brightman, M.A.Psychological Associate Member Lisa M. Duck, MPHPublic MemberKatrina BrentPublic MemberSTAFFDaniel P. Collins, J.D.Executive Director Rebecca OsborneDeputy DirectorMarc B. Davis, M.A., LPAStaff PsychologistKayla GreeneAdministrative OcerVanessa PoeOce ManagerAriel GouldOce AdministratorSondra C. PanicoSpecial Deputy Attorney General and Counsel to the BoardInterested in serving on the NCPB? Send your letter of interest and CV to the North Carolina Psychological Association 9660 Falls of Neuse Road Suite 138, PMB #176 Raleigh, NC 27615
4 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022House Bill 102, the 2022 Appropriations Act, signed by Governor Roy Cooper on July 11, 2022, included a provision regarding temporary authorization of behavior analysts to practice without supervision.The temporary statutory provision specically applies to the supervision of the individuals outlined in the provision under the Board’s ancillary services statute (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.154) and rules (21 NCAC 54 .2801-.2806). The temporary provision states that the specied individuals are not required to receive supervision by a licensed psychologist under the NC Psychology Board’s ancillary services statute and ancillary services rules during this temporary period. It does BOARD POSITION STATEMENT ON UNSUPERVISED PRACTICE BY BEHAVIOR ANALYSTSpsychologist by the NC Psychology Board or by another board in North Carolina that authorizes the practice. The temporary statutory provision did not exempt any individuals from the licensure requirements of the NC Psychology Board or of any other board in North Carolina. It only exempts specic individuals from the supervision requirements of ancillary services providers outlined in the NC Psychology Practice Act and rules.The only activity this temporary statutory provision authorizes is those activities that may be performed without licensure by the NC Psychology Board or any other Board in North Carolina that regulates the practice of behavior analysis. Those activities are as an ancillary services provider, which does not require licensure by the NC Psychology Board.N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.154. sets forth that: Ancillary services. A psychologist licensed under this Article may employ or supervise unlicensed individuals who assist in the provision of psychological services to clients, patients, and their families. The Board may adopt rules specifying the titles used by such individuals, the numbers employed or supervised by any particular psychologist, the activities in which they may engage, the nature and extent of supervision which must be provided, the qualications of such individuals, and the nature of the responsibility assumed by the employing or supervising psychologist.As outlined in the Board adopted rule, 21 NCAC 54 .2805, Services appropriate for ancillary services personnel include: “(b) Tasks requiring technical skills, training, and judgment during execution are appropriate activities in which unlicensed individuals may engage. SECTION 9K.3.(a) Notwithstanding G.S. 90-270.154 and 21 NCAC 54 .2801 through .2806, individuals who reside in this State and meet one of the following criteria may engage in the practice of behavior analysis, as dened in G.S. 90-732(8), without the supervision of a licensed psychologist: (1) The individual is licensed or certied in another state or jurisdiction as a behavior analyst, assistant behavior analyst, or behavior technician, as dened in G.S. 90-732, respectively. (2) The individual is nationally accredited by the Behavior Analyst Certication Board, or its successor, as a board-certied behavior analyst, board-certied assistant behavior analyst, or registered behavior technician. (3) The individual is nationally accredited by the Qualied Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board or its successor, as a qualied behavior analyst, qualied autism services practitioner supervisor, or applied behavior analysis technician. SECTION 9K.3.(b) Assistant behavior analysts, behavior technicians, or their nationally accredited equivalents authorized to practice under this section shall be supervised by a behavior analyst in accordance with Article 43 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. SECTION 9K.3.(c) This section is effective when this act becomes law. SECTION 9K.3.(d) This section expires 60 calendar days from the date the North Carolina Behavior Analysis Board accepts licensure applications for behavior analysts, assistant behavior analysts, and behavior technicians.not address supervision by licensed psychological associates (LPAs), so the exemption does not appear to apply to supervision by an LPA. Therefore, if supervision is being provided to any of the specied individuals by an LPA it would need to continue since there is no exemption. Signicantly, however, this temporary provision has no impact on the requirement for licensure by the NC Psychology Board or any other board in North Carolina that authorizes the practice of behavior analysis. Behavior analysis falls under the practice of psychology, as outlined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.136. As a result, the practice of behavior analysis requires licensure as a
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 5Examples of these activities include obtaining demographic histories; implementing biofeedback techniques; administering and scoring specic parts of psychological tests, including neuropsychological tests, which are scored on a pass/fail, multiple choice, or true/false basis, or for which scores are based on speed or quantity of performance; administering intelligence tests and other psychological tests to an individual in which the patient or client’s performance may alter the length of the protocol, require adjustment of the number of items administered, or require that a decision be made to probe a response of the patient or client provided that ancillary services personnel have been deemed by the licensee to have met the training requirements of the test publisher; and implementing specic behavioral interventions that are part of a treatment plan.”Therefore, the only activities that individuals who are unlicensed in North Carolina to practice behavior analysis may participate in as ancillary services personnel are implementing specic behavioral interventions that are part of a treatment plan. Under the temporary provision, they may engage in these tasks without the supervision of a licensed psychologist. They are not authorized to engage in the practice of behavior analysis, which includes creating treatment plans, behavioral assessments, diagnoses, or any other clinical judgments unless they are licensed by this Board or another board in North Carolina that authorizes the practice of behavior analysis. ■Marc Davis, MA, LPAHELPING PEOPLE IN A DIFFERENT WAYMarc Davis has been the staff psychologist/investigator for the North Carolina Psychology Board for more than ve years. Before joining the Board, Davis worked primarily in community mental health where he provided mental health crisis services, psychotherapy, and psychological evaluations for an eight-county area.This experience helps Davis in his investigative role. “It’s a challenging role, but it’s something I really enjoy,” he said. “I’m helping people in a different way—going from a practicing psychologist to helping other psychologists. I’m a psychologist rst, but the change in that has been really satisfying. I’m still in a helping role.”As an investigator, Davis’ main job is to gather facts. He says the easiest way to do that is for licensees to be open and honest. “A big part of my job is completing investigations into complaints,” he said. “There have been some pretty complex cases and one of my goals is to be a resource and an advocate for licensees.” “The goal is to protect the public and elevate the practice of psychology, so people don’t get hurt,” Davis said. “And to make sure the practice of psychology is happening appropriately.”Aside from protecting the public, Davis believes strongly that his role is also to advocate for licensees, support them, and help ensure they follow Board rules and ethical practices. It’s not only his mission but the Board’s mission to provide good customer service to licensees and to challenge the perception that the Board is here to go after people.Being an investigator is also a big change for Davis. “As an investigator, you have to take a different approach to things,” he said. “Gathering information and answering the Board’s questions takes a different set of skills that I’ve had to develop to a degree. It’s been a challenge, but a rewarding challenge.”If Davis could share two things with licensees, it’s that the Board is here to help and it’s small. “We try to respond to people as quickly as possible, but there are a handful of us and thousands of licensees.” The goal is to protect the public and elevate the practice of psychology, so people don’t get hurt.
6 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022All licensees must now complete 24 total hours of Continuing Education (CE) for every two-year license renewal cycle. A minimum of 15 hours must be completed in Category A CE and a maximum of nine hours may be completed in Category B CE. All 24 CE hours may be completed in Category A, if preferred.CATEGORY A REQUIREMENTS An activity counts as Category A CE if it meets all the requirements listed below. You must be able to check “yes” for all of items 1-4 below for a CE activity to qualify as Category A CE.1. Is the activity sponsored or co-sponsored by one of the approved Category A program sponsors listed below?• The North Carolina Psychology Board (NCPB)• American Psychological Association (APA)• American Psychological Association approved sponsors• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)• National Association of School Psychologists approved sponsors• North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NCAHEC)• North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA)2. Does the sponsor specify contact hours for psychologists?3. Does the course cover one of the topic areas listed below?• Training in empirically supported assessment or treatment• The application of research to the practice of psychology• Legal issues in psychology• Ethics in the professional practice of psychology• Training in how to properly supervise in accordance with Board rules regarding supervision requirements, as described in Board Rule .2001(c)• Training in best practice standards and guidelines4. Does the sponsor award a certicate and does it include the required information below?• Name of sponsor and any co-sponsor of program• Number of contact hours credited for psychologists• Title of program• Date of program• In the case of an APA or NASP approved sponsor, a statement that the entity is APA or NASP approved to provide the program as continuing education to psychologistsCategory A Ethics RequirementIncluded in the 15 hours of Category A CE, you must complete a minimum of three hours in ethics in the professional practice of psychology. To be credited as fulllment of this requirement, the word ethics or a derivative of the word ethics must be in the title of the program, and the program must include such content.CATEGORY B REQUIREMENTSUp to nine hours of CE may be in Category B CE. There are no sponsorship requirements for Category B activities, but you must be able to show that any Category B activities cover topic areas listed above in Item 3.CONTINUING EDUCATION REFERENCE GUIDE
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 7REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH CATEGORY A AND CATEGORY BExcept as noted in (I) through (IV) below, each licensee must now submit: (i) an attestation form documenting completion of the required minimum CE hours; and (ii) copies of certificates of completion to renew their license. The Board has provided an online method to submit the attestation form and the certificates of completion in spring/summer 2022. In addition, except as noted in (I) through (IV) below, all CE hours, whether Category A or B, must now be obtained through: (A) in-person attendance at programs; (B) presentations at programs; or (C) completion of online or correspondence courses and certificates of completion must be submitted for all Category A and Category B CE activities.I. Credit for Supervision—A maximum of three Category B CE hours may be credited in each two-year renewal period for any licensee who has received Board-required supervision, except when the supervision is required under a Board Consent Order or Final Decision.II. Credit for Graduate Course Work—A maximum of nine Category B CE hours may be credited in each two-year renewal period for graduate course work completed on a pass/fail or graded basis in a doctoral psychology program that is approved by the APA. These hours must be documented on an official transcript sentto the Board by the institution of higher education at which the applicant completed the courses.III. Credit for Ethics Renewal Refresher—A maximum of one Category A CE hour may be credited in each biennial renewal period for completion in each renewal cycle of the Board-developed ethics renewal refresher.IV. Credit for Completing Supervisor Training—A licensee who completes the training and passes the examination shall be permitted one timeto count three hours toward the Category A CE requirements for the renewal period for when the training was completed.If you have questions about the Continuing Education requirements, please email the Board oce at info@ncpsychologyboard.org. ■ SCAMMERS TARGETING LICENSEESPlease be aware that scam phone calls are being made to NC Psychology Board licensees by individuals who say they are from the Board. In these calls, the scammers are indicating that the licensees are being investigated and requesting additional personal information from the licensees. These calls may show on your caller ID as coming from the Board oce phone number, 828-262-2258, because they are spoong this number. In many of these calls, the scammers have referenced an investigation due to events that occurred in Texas. If you have any concerns that a phone call you receive is not genuine, you may contact the Board directly at info@ncpsychologyboard.org or contact the Board’s investigator Marc Davis at 828-262-2258 ext. 13 or mdavis@ncpsychologyboard.org. Please report all scam incidents to the North Carolina Psychology Board and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
8 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022Performance of Graduates of North Carolina Institutions on the Examination of Professional Practice in Psychology07/01/21-06/30/22Psychological Associate - Master’s Level OnlyPerformance of Graduates of North Carolina Institutions on the State Examination(NOTE: as of 03/15/2022 the NEW State Exam process became available - so there will not be a failing option beyond that date)07/01/21-06/30/22 Psychological Associate - Master’s Level OnlyThe following two tables show the number of applicants for licensure from the listed North Carolina programs who either passed or failed the EPPP and the North Carolina state exam during the indicated period.
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 9Rebecca OsborneFRIENDLY, FAMILIAR FACERebecca Osborne was promoted to deputy director of the NCPB earlier this year. In this role, she primarily works with new applicants, processes applications, and completes the rst review of applications. “I’m usually the rst staff member people communicate with at the Board since so many people have so many initial questions about being a psychologist in North Carolina,” Osborne said. Osborne takes pride in the fact that new applicants comment about how helpful and responsive the NCPB is especially when compared to other state boards that were slow to respond or rude. Licensees may know Osborne’s face and name since she’s worked for the Board since 2009, longer than any other current staff member.“When I rst started working for the Board all the other staff members had worked here for like 15-30 years,” she said. “I was the only one who didn’t know the answers to routine questions or the rules regarding the practice of psychology in N.C. Everyone else was so experienced so I had to work extra hard in those rst few years to play catch up and get up to speed on how the Board oce operates as well as understand the rules and laws regarding the practice of psychology in N.C.”Osbourne is from western North Carolina and graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University in Boone. Before joining the Board, she worked for both a real estate company and an IT software company where she helped the organizations with their newsletters. That experience gave her a foot in the door with the Board as it needed help with its new newsletter and administrative help with supervision and continuing education. The NCPB is a small staff, so nding the most ecient ways to help applicants is a must. To streamline the process, Osborne helped develop an online application system where applicants can check their status online instead of having to call or email the Board for an update. The system provides automatic updates about the applicant and noties them of approaching deadlines. “When I started working for the Board, we kept application information handwritten in a notebook,” Osborne said. “It is so nice that we are working on developing our technology to become more advanced.”One of the most recent challenges for Osborne was dealing with COVID and learning new Board rules. In 2020 the Board, naturally, started getting COVID and telehealth-related questions. It also saw a considerable uptick in applicants and temporary licenses.“Before COVID we’d get 20-30 temporary license applications a year,” Osborne said. “In 2020 and 2021 we received several hundred temporary license applications. Also, in 2020 new Board Rules to the NC Psychology Practice Act were implemented. This was the rst major set of rules changes since I started working with the Board.”Despite those challenges, Osborne enjoys her job. “Every day is different. You never know what psychologists are going to ask or need. I also love the staff; I can’t say enough good things about my co-workers and Board members. Everyone works so hard, and it can be a dicult job.”
10 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022Need information on your Continuing Education (CE) Broker account and how to use it? We’ve pulled together this quick list of frequently asked questions for your convenience.Q: Do I have to pay for a CE Broker account? A: No, all licensees can use the free CE Broker account to complete the requirements for the NC Psychology Board license renewal. Go to the Plans page and select the free basic account option. Q: How do I setup my CE Broker account? A: Visit How to Create a CE Broker Account for easy, step-by-step instructions on setting up your CE Broker account.Q: How do I report my Continuing Education hours to CE Broker? A: Visit How to report completed CE/CME for easy, step-by-step instructions on how to report your CE hours.Q: When I try to set up an account in CE Broker it states it can’t verify my license even though I’m putting in my license number, what am I doing wrong? A: To create an account you need to enter your four- or six-digit license number as well as a two-letter license type abbreviation prior to the license number. Examples below. • Psychological Associate: PA1111 • Licensed Psychologist: PP1111 • Provisional Psychologist PP111111Q: How do I contact CE Broker? A: All questions about the CE Broker system, including establishing your account, should be directed to CE Broker and not the Board oce. CE Broker’s support center is staffed with experts who have been thoroughly trained on the CE Broker system as well as the CE rules and requirements. You can reach them at 877-434-6323 or support@cebroker.com or though live chat M-F, 8 a.m-8 p.m. ET. You can also visit the CE Broker support center online. If you contact the Board oce, you will be redirected to CE Broker. CE BROKER FAQQ: I just completed the Ethics Refresher. Why doesn’t it show completed in my CE Broker account? A: The linked system between the Ethics Refresher and CE Broker takes at least 24 hours to update. Please allow 24 hours after you complete the Ethics Refresher for it to display in your CE Broker account. Q: How do I know if my CE hours with CE Broker will count towards licensure renewal? A: As the ocial CE system of the Board, the CE Broker system can verify and track your hours to ensure you’re in compliance with the NCPB’s CE requirements. If you receive conrmation from CE Broker that your CE hours have been accepted, then that is all you need to do to conrm your hours. You don’t need to check with the Board to verify your CE hours.Q: May I mail or email the Board my CE documentation?A: No, your CE documentation may not be sent directly to the Board and will be returned to you. Licensees must use the CE Broker system to submit their CE documentation.Q: I haven’t completed or documented my CE hours with CE Broker. May I still go ahead and renew my license? A: No, your CE hours must be completed, and documentation submitted to CE Broker for you to renew your license with the NCPB.Q: This is my rst license renewal; how many CE hours are required? A: None. According to NCPB Rule 21 NCAC 54 .2104(j), an individual licensed after October 1, 2020, shall attest on the second license renewal application following licensure, and on each subsequent biennial renewal application, to having met the mandatory Continuing Education requirements. So, if you were licensed after October 1, 2020, you are not required to obtain any CE credits for the upcoming renewal period this fall. You must; however, complete the Ethics Refresher to renew your license. Q: How many CE hours are required in each category? A: All licensees must now complete 24 total CE hours for every two-year license renewal cycle. A minimum of 15 hours must be completed in Category A CE
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 11and a maximum of nine hours may be completed in Category B CE. All 24 CE hours may be completed in Category A, if preferred.Q: Can all my Continuing Education hours be in Category A?A: Yes. You are required to have a minimum of 15 hours of Category A Continuing Education hours, but all 24 hours of your required Continuing Education may be in Category A.Q: How many hours of Continuing Education must be in ethics?A: A minimum of three hours in Category A Continuing Education must be in ethics. Q: Must a CE course have the word “ethics” in the title for the hours to count towards my three-hour Category A requirement in ethics? A: Yes. To fulll the Category A ethics requirement, the word “ethics” or a derivative of the word “ethics” must be in the title of the program, and the program must include such content. Q: Do I still have to complete the Ethics Refresher if I have already completed three hours of Category A Ethics Continuing Education? A: Yes, completion of the Ethics Refresher is required to renew your license with the NCPB.Q: Will the Ethics Refresher count towards my required three hours of Category A ethics? A: Yes. Completion of the Ethics Refresher will count for one hour of Category A Continuing Education in ethics.Q: Are certicates required for Category B CE activities? A: Yes. Other than the four exceptions below, certicates of completion are required for both Category A and Category B CE activities. • Credit for Supervision—A maximum of three Category B CE hours may be credited in each year renewal period for any licensee who has received NCPB-required supervision, except when the supervision is required under a Board Consent Order or Final Decision. • Credit for Ethics Renewal Refresher (Ethics Refresher)—A maximum of one Category A CE may be credited in each two-year renewal period for completion in each renewal cycle of the Board’s Ethics Refresher. • Credit for Completing Supervisor Training—A licensee who completes the supervisor training and passes the examination (within the training) shall be permitted to count three hours toward the Category A CE requirements for the renewal period during which the training was completed. • Credit for Graduate Course Work—A maximum of nine Category B CE hours may be credited in each two-year renewal period for graduate course work completed on a pass/ fail or graded basis in a doctoral psychology program that is approved by the American Psychological Association. These hours must be documented on an ocial transcript sent to the NCPB by the institution of higher education at which the licensee completed the courses.Q: What activities count for continuing education hours?A: Except as noted above, all Continuing Education hours, whether in Category A or B, must be obtained through: in-person attendance at programs; presentations at programs; or completion of online or correspondence courses, and certicates of completion must be submitted for all Category A and Category B CE activities. Self-study activities such as reading a book or research do not count for Category B CE.Q: How do I know if an activity qualies for Category A CE?A: Activity counts as Category A CE if it meets ALL the requirements listed below: 1. Is the activity sponsored or co-sponsored by one of the approved Category A program sponsors listed below? • The North Carolina Psychology Board (NCPB) • American Psychological Association (APA) • American Psychological Association approved sponsors
12 THE Bulletin Board Fall 2022 • National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) • National Association of School Psychologists approved sponsors • North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NCAHEC) • North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA) 2. Does the sponsor specify contact hours for psychologists? 3. Does the course cover one of the topic areas listed below? • Training in empirically supported assessment or treatment • The application of research to the practice of psychology • Legal issues in psychology • Ethics in the professional practice of psychology • Training in how to properly supervise in accordance with Board rules regarding supervision requirements, as described in Board Rule .2001(c) • Training in best practice standards and guidelines4. Does the sponsor award a certicate and does it include the required information below? • Name of sponsor and any co-sponsor of program • Number of contact hours credited for psychologists • Title of program • Date of program • In the case of an APA or NASP approved sponsor, a statement that the entity is APA or NASP approved to provide the program as continuing education to psychologistsQ: Do online or correspondence courses count as Category A CE, or must all my Category A CE hours be completed via live or in person presentation activities?A: Online or correspondence courses count as Category A CE if all the Category A CE requirements are met. There is no requirement that your Category A Continuing Education hours must be live and in person. Q: What is the difference between Category A and Category B Continuing Education hours? A: Category A CE must be taken through an approved sponsor, listed below: • The North Carolina Psychology Board (NCPB) • American Psychological Association (APA) • American Psychological Association approved sponsors • National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) • National Association of School Psychologists approved sponsors • North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NCAHEC) • North Carolina Psychological Association (NCPA) There are no sponsorship requirements for Category B CE activities; however, you must be able to show that any Category B activities cover the appropriate topic areas listed in Board Rule .2104(d)(3)(A-F), as set forth below: You also need a certicate of completion for Category B hours. All continuing education hours, whether Category A or B, must be in the maintenance and enrichment of professional skills and competencies within the licensee’s scope of practice in psychology, including, but not limited to: • Training in empirically supported assessment or treatment • The application of research to the practice of psychology • Legal issues in psychology • Ethics in the professional practice of psychology • Training in how to properly supervise in accordance with Board rules regarding supervision requirements, as described in Board .2001(c) • Training in best practice standards and guidelinesQ: I have completed extra CE hours; can these extra hours carry over to the next renewal period? A: No. Only CE hours taken between 10/01/20-10/01/22 during the two years prior to the renewal date will count for that renewal. Continuing Education hours do not carry over between renewal cycles. ■
Fall 2022 THE Bulletin Board 13The following actions were recently taken by the Board pursuant to G.S. §90-270.148 and G.S. §90-270-149:Muhammad, Malik, Ph.D. –FINAL DECISION was approved and signed on July 29, 2022. On February 2, 2022, Respondent was convicted of felony conspiracy to commit health care fraud and felony aggravated identity theft and he was sentenced to 52 months imprisonment. Once released from imprisonment, Respondent shall be on supervised release for three years and is required to pay restitution. Respondent defrauded the Virginia Medicaid program of at least $544,067, and the North Carolina Medicaid Program of at least $73,386, by creating false diagnoses and medical records and falsely representing to the Medicaid program that he was providing mental health services. Respondent’s conduct violates N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 90-270.148(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(4), (a)(10) & (a)(11) of the North Carolina Psychology Practice Act and Standards 3.04(a), 6.04 (b) & (c), and 6.06(a) of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2017). Respondent’s license to practice psychology is REVOKED. He shall transfer all his patient/client records to another psychologist licensed in North Carolina and he shall turn in his license, HSP-P certicate, renewal certicate, and wallet card to the Board oce.Pulley, Carol, M.A. –CONSENT ORDER was approved and signed on July 29, 2022. It was agreed to by the Board and Respondent that there were issues with Respondent’s administration and interpretation of psychological testing that she conducted and with her psychological evaluation report. Some of the issues with Respondent’s conduct included Respondent’s psychological evaluation report did not specify the modications that she made to the administration of psychological testing to accommodate for the remote administration or any potential limitations of the remote administration on the psychological testing results. In addition, there was no discussion in the psychological evaluation report regarding how Respondent determined Client X’s diagnoses and the psychological tests administered were not sucient to address the referral question. Respondent produced three additional psychological evaluation reports for other clients which were also administered remotely. None of these three reports included any statements regarding the potential limitations of the remote administration of the psychological testing measures. In addition, Respondent did not provide information about how she obtained the diagnoses given to each of the clients. The conduct set forth in the Consent Order constitutes violations of N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 90-270.148(a)(10), (a)(11), (a)(14), (a)(15), (a)(17) & (a)(18) of the North Carolina Psychology Practice Act and constitutes violations of Standards 6.01 & 9.01 of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Respondent’s license shall be on PROBATION for at least one year during which Respondent shall meet the following conditions: Respondent shall successfully complete a minimum of eight to ten hours of tutorials. For a period of one year consisting of the completion of at least 50 psychological evaluations, whichever takes longer to occur, Respondent’s Board designated supervisor shall submit quarterly reports to the Board, together with written narrative descriptions of Respondent’s practice and response to supervision. For the rst three months of this supervision, Respondent shall receive a minimum of one hour of individual face to face supervision during any week in which she practices psychology. For the remainder of the supervision, Respondent shall receive one hour of individual face to face supervision every two weeks. ■BOARD ACTIONSUPCOMING NCPB MEETINGS• November 3-4, 2022• February 9-10, 2023• May 18-19, 2023• August 10-11, 2023Have a suggested article topic for The Bulletin Board? Email info@ncpsychologyboard.org using Suggested Newsletter Topic in the subject line of the email.895 State Farm Road, Suite 101, Boone, NC 28607828-262-2258 // info@ncpsychologyboard.org // www.ncpsychologyboard.org