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HollyS -> RE: Convincing the Pyschologist (6/3/2006 11:24:17 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: sharainks
Sorry Holly but my home state does in fact label people at the Master's level as psychologists.
Sharainks, I did a search on your specific state and found this:
http://www.ksbsrb.org/psychologists.html
Basic licensure requirements:
Good moral character and merit public trust
Doctorate degree in field of psychology 2 years of supervised work experience
Pass a nationally standardized competency examination (EPPP) 70%. The EPPP exam is offered daily once registered with PES. You must have an licensure application on file with the BSRB. Once approved to sit for the exam, you will receive instructions on how to register for the exam.
I also found this: http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep99/pr3.html
"In Oklahoma and Kansas, the state psychological associations have won hard-fought battles to retain the title of "psychologist" for doctoral-level professionals only. The laws permit people with master's degrees in psychology to be licensed for independent practice if they complete a credentialling process more rigorous than currently required. However, these practitioners cannot call themselves psychologists.
Under the Kansas law, master's-level psychology practitioners, marriage and family therapists, and professional counselors who attain a new and more demanding "clinical level" of credentialling will be authorized to diagnose and treat mental disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Master's-level psychology practitioners who earn those credentials will have the title "licensed clinical psychotherapist."
Within your state specifically, Licensed Master's Level Psychologists were eliminated in 1997 with the goal of transitioning all such clinicians over to being "Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist" when they go to renew their licenses. I got this off the same website: http://www.ksbsrb.org
Beyond that, sometimes you'll find people using the term "Psychologist Level I" or "Psychologist Level II" for Masters Level people within the prison systems of many states. This use is allowed because it is considered a job title rather than a professional designation but isn't allowed outside those systems. I didn't bring it up the first time because I was afrait it would confuse the issue.
quote:
In fact there are a whole lot more people doing therapy with master's degrees than doctorate degrees. I think you would find that the vast majority of states do license master's level people as therapists.
I totally agree with this and thought I was clear in my initial post. People of varying degrees and credentials may call themselves "clinicians", "therapists", "psychotherapists", and "counselor." Those titles vary from state to state as to what one must do to use them after one's name. The term "psychologist" has special significance and is reserved for doctoral level practitioners only, aside from the limited use I referred to above.
With all of your current certifications, you would indeed be able to call yourself a psychologist if you received a doctorate in psychology and did the attendent internship that is required for licensure. Some states would also allow it if you got a doctorate in Education, but not all states. If you chose Social Work, Sociology, Child Development or any number of other disciplines or if you got your doctorate in Psychology but didn't do the follow-up supervised internship then you're right, your designation would remain LCPC.
quote:
As far as ethical violations, again you are apparently generalizing from your own state's provisions. My state has no provisions for an ethical component. The procedure starts with whatever ethical board wrote the ethics, APA etc.
A state can make whatever ethics rules it likes to bind practicing psychologists, physicians, or other health care professionals. They are free to consult or use in full the APA guidelines, but no state is required to do so. It's purely a matter of "the state giveth, the state can taketh away." The APA isn't a governing board and can't institute licensure charges against an individual clinician -- they have no authority to restrict or revoke any individual's license to practice. However, the APA code of ethics is EXPLICITLY adopted as part of the rules of license in some states (e.g. Illinois) and surely are considered in all states. So while I agree that state ethical guidelines vary from state to state, and they are set by each state's Department of Professional Regulation (whatever that Dept. is called in each state), there still is some uniformity in regulating psychologist conduct.
~Holly
*edited for a typo*
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