Supervised Professional Experience, Section 337.021, RSMo

PURPOSE: This rule defines the one year of supervised professional experience required of all applicants under section 337.020.2, RSMo. (1) The supervised professional experience requirements for a person applying for licensure as a psychologist pursuant to section 337.021, RSMo shall be governed by this rule in force and effect on August 28, 1989. All applicants for licensure as a psychologist, whether applying on the basis of a master’s degree or a doctorate degree, must have had at least one (1) year of satisfactory supervised professional experience in the general field of psychology as defined in this rule and must demonstrate compliance with this rule in the attestation forms provided by the committee. Attestation forms may be obtained by contacting the office of the State Committee of Psychologists. (2) As applied to periods of supervised professional experience commencing before January 1, 1984, the phrase “satisfactory supervised professional experience in the general field of psychology” as used in section 337.021, RSMo (prior to August 28, 1989, referenced language appeared in section 337.020.2, RSMo) means post-degree training or practice of psychology in an organized health service training program or its psychological equivalent under the supervision of a licensed psychologist who is not a relative of the trainee. Professional experience, which was gained by an applicant before September 28, 1977, will be deemed acceptable if the experience was supervised by a person, not a relative of the trainee, who would have been eligible for licensure at the time the supervision occurred. The psychological activities of the applicant shall be performed pursuant to the supervisor’s order, control and full professional responsibility. Reports prepared by the applicant during the period of the supervised professional experience should be cosigned by the supervisor. The supervisor shall maintain a continuing relationship with the applicant and must meet with the applicant a minimum of one (1) hour per week in face-to-face individual supervision. Group supervision is not acceptable for supervised professional experience under this rule. The supervisor must certify to the department that the applicant has complied with these requirements for supervised professional experience. (3) As applied to periods of supervision commencing on or after January 1, 1984 and on or before December 31, 1988, the phrase “satisfactory supervised professional experience in the general field of psychology” as used in section 337.021, RSMo (prior to August 28, 1989 referenced language ap - peared in section 337.020.2, RSMo) shall mean post-degree training or practice of psychology obtained under the supervision of a licensed psychologist who is not a relative of the trainee. This one (1) year of supervised professional experience must be acquired in an organized health service training program, however, an applicant may obtain, with prior approval by the committee, this experience in a setting other than an organized health service training program. If the applicant desires this special approval, s/he shall have his/her supervisor submit a written detailed description of the proposed program of supervised professional experience. The psychological activities of the applicant must be performed pursuant to the supervisor’s order, control and full professional responsibility. Professional reports prepared by the applicant during the period of the supervised professional experience must be cosigned by the supervisor. The supervisor shall maintain a continuing relationship with the applicant and must meet with the applicant a minimum of one (1) hour per week in face-to-face individual supervision. Group supervision is not acceptable for supervised professional experience under this regulation. The supervisor must certify to the department that the applicant has complied with these requirements for satisfactory professional experience. (4) As applied to periods of supervision commencing on or after January 1, 1989, the phrase “satisfactory supervised professional experience in the general field of psychology” as used in section 337.020.2, RSMo shall mean— (A) Post-degree training or practice of psychology obtained under the supervision of a licensed psychologist who is not a relative of the trainee; (B) Supervised professional experience obtained in an organized training program for the delivery of psychological services. That organized training program shall include providing: 1. Services appropriate to the trainee’s intended area of expertise and practice; 2. Exposure to and interaction with a variety of professionals and disciplines in the delivery of psychological services; 3. Delivery of a wide range of psychological services appropriate to the intended area of practice of the trainee to a diverse clientele population with regard to age, gender, socioeconomic status and other variables as appropriate to the intended area of practice; 4. Delivery of services using a variety of diagnostic and theoretically-based interventions as appropriate to the intended area of practice; and 5. At least eight (8) hours per month of regularly scheduled in-service training or other learning activities which, over the course of the period of the supervised professional experience, must include three (3) of the following categories: A. Seminars, workshops or lectures; B. Readings and structured group discussions; C. Case conferences, consultations and collaborations with other professionals; D. Grand rounds; E. Attendance at psychological-oriented meetings conducted at the local, state, regional or national level; or F. Psychologically-related continuing education credits approved by a recognized professional organization; (C) Psychological activities of the trainee must be performed pursuant to the supervisor’s order, control and full professional responsibility; (D) Reports prepared by the trainee during the period of the supervised professional experience must be cosigned by the supervisor; (E) The supervisor shall maintain a continuing relationship with the trainee and must meet with the trainee a minimum of one (1) hour per week in face-to-face individual supervision. Group supervision is not acceptable for supervised professional experience under this rule; and (F) The supervisor must certify to the department through the committee that the trainee has complied with the requirements for supervised professional experience through the use of the attestation forms provided by the committee. (5) Acceptable supervision occurs only when the supervisor and the applicant are both employed by or affiliated with the same professional setting. (6) For purposes of this rule, the term relative of the trainee shall mean a spouse, parent, child, sibling of the whole- or half-blood, grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle of the trainee or one who has a present relationship to the trainee as stepparent or stepchild. (7) For purposes of this rule, the phrase person, not a relative of the trainee, who would have been eligible for licensing at the time the supervision occurred shall mean a person who, at the time the supervision took place— (A) Was not a relative of the trainee, as defined in section (6) of this rule; (B) Could have satisfied the present educational requirements of section 337.020, RSMo; and (C) Could have satisfied the experience requirements of section 337.020, RSMo and of this rule, except for the requirements of having had a licensable supervisor. (8) Acceptable supervised professional experience shall constitute a minimum of fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of professional experience obtained in no less than a twelve (12) or no more than a twenty-four (24)-consecutive calendar-month period. In no case shall this experience be accumulated at the rate of less than twenty (20) hours per week nor more than fifty (50) hours per week. (9) All supervision must be acquired subsequent to the receipt of the graduate degree. For the purpose of this rule, the date of the receipt of the graduate degree shall be the date the degree was conferred or awarded as set forth on the applicant’s official academic transcript or as verified by the academic registrar or other like school official. (10) The committee will review, upon re - quest, a trainee’s proposed or current plan of post-degree supervision to determine if the supervision is acceptable under this rule. All requests shall be submitted on the forms provided by the committee and accompanied by the prior review fee for post-degree supervision. All requests must be submitted to the committee thirty (30) days prior to a regularly scheduled committee meeting in order to be reviewed at that meeting. (11) An applicant who has been denied licensure as a result of inadequate post-degree supervision who wishes to obtain prior review from the committee of his/her proposed plan for completing the post-degree supervision deficiencies shall submit a request on the forms provided by the committee accompanied with the prior review fee for post-degree supervision. All requests must be submitted to the committee no later than thirty (30) days prior to a regularly scheduled committee meeting in order to be reviewed at that meeting. Upon satisfactory completion of the deficiencies, the applicant shall reapply for licensure, submit the application fee and file with the committee an official attestation form from the supervisor that post-degree supervision deficiencies have been completed. AUTHORITY: sections 337.021 and 337.050.9, RSMo Supp. 1998.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 235-2.020. Original rule filed Aug. 11, 1983, effective Dec. 11, 1983. Amended: Filed May 4, 1987, effective Aug. 13, 1987. Amended: Filed Oct. 4, 1988, effective Dec. 29, 1988. Amended: Filed Feb. 4, 1992, effective Dec. 3, 1992. Amended: Filed July 26, 1999, effective Feb. 29, 2000. Moved to 20 CSR 2235-2.020, effective Aug. 28, 2006. *Original authority: 337.021, RSMo 1989, amended 1997, 1998 and 337.050.9, RSMo 1977, amended 1981, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998.