LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY – ADDITIONAL DETAILS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANTS: SB 1193 (HILL) – CHAPTER 484, STATUTES OF 2016 – HEALING ARTS
Attention Board of Psychology Stakeholders:
Senate Bill 1193 (Hill) Chapter 484, Statutes of 2016, was signed by Governor Brown and becomes effective January 1, 2017. The legislation amends Business and Professions Code Sections 2909.5, 2913, 2914, 2914.1, 2914.2, 2915, 2920, 2933, and adds Sections 2934.1 and 2988.5.
Summary of Changes Related to Psychological Assistants:
The law, as amended, requires psychological assistants to apply themselves for registration with the Board of Psychology (Board) instead of requiring employers to apply to employ the psychological assistants. As before, psychological assistants will be able to provide psychological services under supervision, but now are not limited by employment settings, such as psychology clinics, contract clinics, psychological corporations, or medical corporations.
Changes for psychological assistants:
- As of January 1, 2017, individuals who wish to become psychological assistants will need to apply for a registration using the “Application for Registration as a Psychological Assistant [PSB 100 (10/16)]”.
- Allows for only one (1) registration number.
- Action Required: Psychological assistants who were approved prior to January 1, 2017, and who currently hold multiple registrations will be notified by mail. They should notify the Board of the registration number they wish to maintain and cancel the other registration numbers on the forms enclosed with the notice. They will also have the opportunity to add the primary supervisor(s) from the registration(s) they are cancelling to the registration they are choosing to keep. Forms should be mailed to the Board postmarked by January 31, 2017.
- Renewal notices and all correspondence will be mailed to the psychological assistant's Address of Record (AOR) filed with the Board.
- Action Required: It is the psychological assistant's responsibility to ensure the address on file is up to date. The psychological assistants must notify the Board of any change in address within 30 days after the change. They can submit a Notice of Change of Address to the Board to ensure that their AOR for their registration is current. Psychological assistants can also update their AORs and confidential addresses through BreEZe beginning January 11, 2017.
- Requires the psychological assistant to notify the Board of any change in supervisor and/or location within 30 days using “Notification to Add or Change Supervisor or Service Location for a Psychological Assistant [PSB 101 (11/16)]”
- Information Only: Board approval is required for the addition of a new primary supervisor prior to providing services under the new supervisor. It is considered unlicensed practice if the psychological assistant begins providing services before receiving approval from the Board with any supervisor.
Changes for supervisors
- Psychiatrists who are certified by the American College of Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry are now qualified to become the primary supervisors for psychological assistants.
- Action Required: Primary supervisors who are psychiatrists certified by the American College of Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry should provide a copy of their Official Osteopathic Physician Profile to the Board, or to the applicant to be submitted with their application, for license verification as part of the application process for psychological assistant registration.
- Both licensed psychologists and board certified psychiatrists are allowed to supervise up to three (3) psychological assistants at any given time.
NOTE: To view the legislative advisory for SB 1193, click here. For any upcoming and recent legislative changes, see the Laws and Regulations page.
