201 KAR 26:190. Requirements for supervised professional experience

      Section 1. Supervisory Requirements for an Applicant for Licensure as a Psychologist.

      (1) The applicant for licensure as a psychologist with the authorization to provide psychological health care services shall have completed the equivalent of two (2) years of supervised professional experience in accordance with this administrative regulation.

      (2) One (1) year of the supervised professional experience shall be a predoctoral internship of 1,800 hours with at least 100 hours of supervisory sessions.

      (3) The other 1,800 hours of supervised experience may be predoctoral, postdoctoral, or a combination of pre- and post-doctoral supervised professional experience acceptable to the board.

      (4) Supervised experience earned in the doctoral training program shall consist of practica, field placement, or other professional experiences not including the beginning courses and accompanying practica in assessment and treatment techniques.

      (5) At least fifty (50) percent of the supervised professional experience shall be in service-related activities, such as treatment, assessment, interviews, report-writing, case presentations, and consultations.

      (6) For the 1,800 hours of supervised experience earned in the doctoral training program, there shall be a minimum of 100 hours of supervisory sessions. At least seventy-five (75) percent of these supervisory sessions (seventy-five (75) hours) shall be done with a licensed psychologist supervisor, at least one-third (1/3) of which (twenty-five (25) hours) shall be conducted in an individual, face-to-face format. The other twenty-five (25) percent of the supervisory sessions (twenty-five (25) hours) may be done with a licensed mental health professional. Of the total supervision hours, no more than fifty (50) percent (fifty (50) hours) shall be done via secure interactive videoconferencing.

      (7) If the supervised experience earned in the doctoral training program does not meet the 1,800 hour requirement, additional supervised professional experience satisfactory to the board may be earned with supervision by a board-approved licensed psychologist of a minimum of one (1) hour individual, face-to-face supervision on a weekly basis.

 

      Section 2. For a person applying for licensure as a psychologist to provide psychological health care services the predoctoral internship shall meet the following criteria:

      (1) The experience shall occur within an organized training program, in contrast to supervised experience or on-the-job training and have a planned, programmed sequence of training experiences;

      (2) The training program shall have a clearly designated staff psychologist who shall be:

      (a) Responsible for the integrity and quality of the training program;

      (b) Actively licensed by the Board of Examiners in Psychology; or

      (c) Licensed at the doctoral level by the State Board of Examiners in the state in which the training program exists or otherwise meets the standards of applicable state law; and

      (d) For school psychology doctoral internships, the responsible psychologist director may be from an affiliate agency or from the university training program.

      (3) Internship supervision shall be provided by a staff member of the internship agency or by an affiliate of that agency who has clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised. At least half of the internship supervision shall be provided by one (1) or more psychologists with an appropriate doctorate degree;

      (4) The internship shall provide training in a range of assessment and treatment activities conducted directly with clients seeking psychological services;

      (5) At least twenty-five (25) percent of the trainee's time shall be in direct client contact;

      (6) The internship shall include a minimum of two (2) hours per week of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face individual supervision. There shall also be at least two (2) additional hours per week in learning activities such as case conferences, seminars dealing with clinical issues, and group supervision;

      (7) Training shall be postclerkship, postpracticum, and postexternship level;

      (8) The internship shall have a written statement or brochure that describes the goals and content of the internship, stated clear expectations for quality and quantity the of trainee's work and shall be made available to prospective interns;

      (9) The internship experience shall be completed within twenty-four (24) months;

      (10) The trainee has a title such as "intern", "resident," "fellow," or other designation of trainee status; and

      (11) The internship agency, preparing institution, and intern have a written agreement that describes the goals and content of the internship including clearly stated expectations for the nature of experiences offered in the agency and for the quantity and quality of the work.

 

      Section 3. Additional Required Supervisory Experience. (1) For a person applying for licensure as a psychologist to provide psychological health care services, the 1,800 hours of supervised professional experience in addition to the internship required by KRS 319.050(2)(d) shall be a training-oriented professional experience that may include course-related field experience and practica, not to include the beginning courses and practica in assessment and treatment techniques.

      (2) In addition to training in a range of diagnostic and treatment activities conducted directly with clients seeking psychological services, the supervised professional experience shall include a planned and organized sequence of activities that includes explicit training and supervision in the following areas:

      (a) Clinical skill development;

      (b) Legal and regulatory issues;

      (c) Ethical dilemmas and issues; and

      (d) Supervisory skill development.

      (3) During the 1,800 hours of supervised professional experience in addition to the internship, the candidate shall:

      (a) Be under supervision as required by 201 KAR 26:171; and

      (b) Be providing psychological health care services under the supervision of a licensed psychologist or other licensed mental health professional approved by the doctoral training program who is affiliated with the training program or with the practice setting:

      1. In a:

      a. Health care facility or agency;

      b. Regional mental health or mental retardation board;

      c. School, college, or university;

      d. Government agency;

      e. Independent practice; or

      (f) In a formalized postdoctoral internship program.

      (4) The applicant and the supervisor of record shall design and describe the proposed experience, including the areas listed in subsection (2) of this section.

      (5) If the supervised professional experience in addition to the internship is in an independent practice, a special application letter shall affirm:

      (a) The identity of the applicant, supervisor, and employer; and

      (b) That the supervising licensed psychologist is not hired, employed, or engaged under contract by the applicant and shall not be terminated by the applicant;

      (c) That the applicant is not one (1) of the owners of the independent practice or organization, but rather serves as an employee; and

      (d) That the applicant has both administrative and clinical supervision that shall be provided by the independent practice or employer.

      (6) If the supervised experience is in a university setting, the application shall also:

      (a) Be proffered by a full-time faculty member;

      (b) Include a plan that contains each of the areas established in subsection (2) of this section; and

      (c) Include a minimum of 400 hours of direct and indirect client involvement that:

      1. Is supervised by a licensed psychologist; and

      2. Includes:

      a. Supervising student clinical work;

      b. Diagnostic and interviewing activity that occurs within clinical research projects; or

      c. Clinical work in the context of teaching psychotherapy, interviewing, or psychological testing.

      (7) The board shall not grant a request for temporary licensure if the request does not contain an explicit and acceptable plan for the supervised experience as required by this section.

 

      Section 4. A licensed psychologist applying for health service provider designation shall complete, in addition to the supervised professional experience requirement for licensure as a licensed psychologist, 1,800 hours of supervised experience within one (1) or more health care settings in which the psychologist delivered direct psychological health care services. Supervision shall be provided by a licensed psychologist approved by the board and shall consist of one (1) hour of individual supervision each week.

 

      Section 5. An applicant for licensure as a psychological associate shall complete supervised experience consisting of course-related field experience, practica, and formal internships adding up to a minimum of 600 supervised hours that shall meet the following criteria:

      (1) The experience shall occur within an organized training program, and consist of a planned, programmed sequence of training experiences;

      (2) The preparing institution’s psychology training program shall have a clearly-designated placement director who shall be responsible for the integrity and quality of the experiential component of the training program;

      (3) Weekly practicum and internship supervision shall be provided by a staff member of the placement agency, by an affiliate of that agency, or by a university faculty member. At least half of the supervision shall be provided by one (1) or more psychologists with an appropriate doctorate degree and license;

      (4) Field experiences, practica, and internships shall provide training in a range of diagnostic and treatment activities conducted directly with clients seeking psychological services;

      (5) At least twenty-five (25) percent of the trainee's time shall be in direct client contact;

      (6) The preparing institution shall maintain a written statement or brochure describing the goals and content of the required field experiences, practica, and internships.

      (7) Students participating in university-sanctioned supervised experience shall be clearly identified to clients and payors as trainees.

 

      Section 6. An applicant for licensure as a psychological practitioner shall complete the equivalent of five (5) full-time years of psychological practice under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist approved by the board, consistent with the requirements of 201 KAR 26:171.

      (1) For purposes of this requirement, a candidate shall complete the equivalent of five (5) full-time years of supervised experience from the date of initial credentialing as a psychological associate, with a full-time year comprising at least 1800 hours of supervised professional experience.

      (2) A school psychologist who is employed in a Kentucky school system, credentialed by the Professional Standards Board, and also credentialed as a psychological associate by this board, may contract for on-going clinical supervision in the school setting with a board-approved licensed psychologist who is neither an employee nor a contractor of the school system.

      (a) The supervised professional experience shall meet the conditions of this administrative regulation and may be used by the licensed psychological associate employed by the school system to meet the requirements for application to become a licensed psychological practitioner.

      (b) To fulfill the requirements of 201 KAR 26:171, there shall be an explicit written plan approved by the board between the school system, the school psychologist, and the board-approved supervisor that delineates roles and responsibilities, not restricting the ability of the school district to direct or control the activities of its employee;

      (c) A person trained in school psychology, if employed by an agency other than a public school or engaged in practice outside of the school setting, shall obtain clinical supervision in the manner specified by 201 KAR 26:171. (13 Ky.R. 2166; eff. 7-2-87; Am. 15 Ky.R. 1681; eff. 3-10-89; 20 Ky.R. 588; 942; eff. 10-21-93; 28 Ky.R. 1476; 1814; eff. 2-7-2002; 31 Ky.R. 1010; 1512; eff. 3-8-05; 37 Ky.R. 1529; 1983; eff. 3-4-11.)

Notation

      RELATES TO: KRS 319.050, 319.053, 319.056, 319.064

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 319.032, 319.050(2)(d)

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 319.050(2)(d) requires an applicant for licensure as a psychologist to have at least two (2) years of supervised professional experience. This administrative regulation establishes those requirements.