[OBOPeNews] Notice- Proposed Board Rulemaking

[OBOP updates]

Notice: Proposed Board Rulemaking
Please find attached a rulemaking notice document from the Board of Psychology.
Rule Caption: Licensure by endorsement, post-doctoral supervised work experience, and fee reductions.
Rule Summary

  *   Amend OAR 858-010-0017: Reduces the standards to become licensed by endorsement by eliminating the requirement for endorsement references and the file transfer from other state or credentialing body, removing the requirement for an EPPP score verification for psychologists licensed 15 years or more, and reducing the frequency and duration requirements for supervised clinical experience for those that have been licensed 5 years or more.
  *   Amend OAR 858-010-0036: Reduces the standards for supervised clinical experience that is completed out of state by removing the requirement that the supervisor was licensed for at least two years as a psychologist and only requiring 1,500 hours of supervised psychological work and supervision frequency specifications for those who have been licensed for fewer than 5 years in another state.
  *   Amend OAR 858-030-0005: Implements licensure fee reductions as approved in the Agency 2023-25 budget (House Bill 5024).
Need for the Rule(s)
The Board needs to implement changes associated with the passing of House Bill 5024, the Agency's 2023-25 budget, which includes licensing fee reductions.  The Board recognized that reductions were possible due to the continued growth in the volume of applications, permits, and licensees, along with efficiencies created under the new Mental Health Regulatory Agency structure established in 2018. The Diversity Study produced by Keen Independent Research (Keen) in December 2022 noted that higher licensing fees may add a financial barrier for individuals with socioeconomic disadvantages.  The Board determined that reducing licensing fees was an appropriate balance.
The Board determined that some requirements of the licensure by endorsement application method were resulting in delays in approving licensure for psychologists already licensed in other states, and that some rules could be amended without compromising public protection.  Regarding application documentation, some states have become less cooperative in sending the file transfer that is a requisite to endorsement, and the Board found that the endorsement (professional) references very rarely reveal any character and fitness concerns. The frequency and duration requirements for post-doctoral supervised clinical experience sometimes resulted in experienced psychologists who had not yet reached the requisite 15 years of licensure being required to remedy deficiencies by completing additional supervised work, even after five years of independent practice in another state.  The requirement that the psychologist supervisor have been licensed for at least 2 years was also leading to the disqualification of clinical experience completed in other jurisdictions with lesser standards (or that did not enforce their own standards).  The endorsement rules were also reorganized to promote clarity.
Public Comment
The agency requests public comment on whether other options should be considered for achieving the rule's substantive goals while reducing negative economic impact of the rule on business.  Please email your comments to laree.stashek at mhra.oregon.gov<mailto:laree.stashek at mhra.oregon.gov> or mail them to the Board's office at 3218 Pringle Road SE, Ste. 130, Salem, OR 97302.  All comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 25, 2023.
Website
The above documents are also available at the Board's Rulemaking Webpage<https://www.oregon.gov/Psychology/Pages/Rulemaking.aspx>.

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Thank you,

OBOP Staff
Data Classification: Level 1, Published
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