La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LXIII-1409

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section LXIII-1409 - Supervision via Telepsychology ("Telesupervision")

A. In-person, face-to-face supervision remains the most appropriate and beneficial format for supervisees to learn effectively from their supervisors as well as the most appropriate format to ensure full professional responsibility for the welfare of the client.

B. Prior to conducting telesupervision, the supervising psychologist shall request pre-approval from the board by completing an application for Authorization to Provide Telesupervision and application fee.

1. The supervising psychologist shall provide an explicit rationale as to why this is an appropriate and effective form of supervision for this supervisee in this particular work setting.

2. The board may deny a request for telesupervision that is found to be inadequate or inappropriate.

C. Telesupervision shall:

1. not be the sole means of communication with a supervisee;

2. only be utilized when in-person supervision in the service delivery setting is not feasible or under other extenuating circumstances (e.g. the supervisor has taken planned medical leave and will be off-site for a month);

3. not account for more than 50 percent of the required supervisory contact for that supervisees' level of training, except under extending circumstances which have been approved by the board;

4. not be permitted for a graduate student completing their first practicum experience.

D. Individuals who are considered assistants to psychologists ATAPs or individuals completing a postdoctoral fellowship require a minimum of one hour a week of individual supervision.

1. For an assistant with lesser experience, they may require more than the minimum of one hour a week of supervision.

2. For individuals currently in training completing a pre-doctoral psychology internship, a minimum of two hours of individual supervision is required. Therefore, if a supervisee engages in telesupervision, telesupervision shall not account for more than 26 hours of the minimum requirement for individual supervision for ATAPS or postdoctoral fellows and 52 hours of the minimum requirement for individual supervision for pre-doctoral interns over the course of a year.

E. It shall be the supervising psychologist's responsibility in providing telesupervision, to:

1. maintain a license to practice psychology in the state of Louisiana;

2. maintain full legal functioning authority and professional responsibility for the welfare of the client and have functional authority over the psychological services provided by the supervisee.

3. establish a clear protocol for managing emergency consultation and be available to the supervisee as needed in the event of an emergency with a client;

4. ensure telesupervision is conducted via two-way video/audio or audio only transmissions simultaneously;

5. take into account the training needs of the supervisee and the service needs of the clients, protecting them from harm;

6. inform the supervisee of the risks and limitations specific to telepsychology supervision, including limits to confidentiality, security and privacy;

7. identify at the onset of each contact the identity of the supervisee, as well as the identity of all individuals who can access any electronically transmitted communication;

8. inform supervisees of procedures to manage technological difficulties or interruptions in service;

9. obtain and maintain competence in the chosen telecommunication technology;

10. ensure that telesupervision is provided in compliance with the supervision requirements of Chapter 7. Supervised Practice Leading towards Licensure of Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 46, Part LXIII as well as those outlined in Chapter 11. Supervision of Assistants to Psychologists.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LXIII-1409

Promulgated by the Department of Health, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 49677 (4/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. R.S. 37:2353.C.(1) and R.S. 40:1223.4