Postdoctoral Trainee, Phone Supervision, and Inflated Logs
Dr. Priya S. is a newly licensed Ohio psychologist at a group practice. She supervises Ben, a postdoctoral trainee who has completed his doctoral degree but not his Ohio license. Ben sees 25 clients per week, including complex trauma cases, and bills under Priya's license. Priya is planning a three-week international trip; she proposes that Ben continue all client care and that they conduct supervision by phone once per week while she is away. Ben asks Priya to sign his supervision log for 40 hours per week, including 10 hours of "case management" and 5 hours of "peer consultation" he provides to interns. He also asks whether he can start advertising as a "licensed psychologist" because his application is pending. The practice owner wants Ben to keep seeing clients because canceling would lose revenue.
1. Can Priya allow Ben to continue all client care during her three-week absence with only weekly phone supervision? What must she do before leaving?
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Probably not as proposed. Ben is an unlicensed postdoctoral trainee who may provide psychological services only under the supervision required by Ohio Board rules. Three weeks with one phone contact per week may not meet the regularity, documentation, or availability requirements for supervision, especially with 25 clients and complex trauma cases. Priya must either arrange a qualified backup supervisor who is licensed in Ohio and approved as required, reduce Ben's caseload to what can be safely covered, or have another licensed psychologist provide direct coverage. She must ensure emergency coverage, client notification if the supervisor changes, and a supervision plan that satisfies Board requirements. The practice owner's revenue concern is not a lawful reason to leave clients unsupervised. If no qualified backup is available, Ben should not see clients independently during the absence; sessions should be rescheduled or covered by a licensed clinician.
2. What should Priya do about Ben's request to sign a 40-hour weekly log that includes case management and peer consultation?
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Priya must not sign an inaccurate log. Supervision logs document actual supervised professional experience, and signing for hours that were not supervised or that do not qualify can be misrepresentation to the Board. Case management may count only if the Board's rules treat it as qualifying psychological experience and if it was actually supervised; peer consultation that Ben provides to interns is not his own supervised experience and may itself raise issues about supervising without authority. Priya should review the Board's supervision requirements, reconstruct only the actual qualifying hours, and correct the log before signing. If she is unsure whether certain activities count, she should contact the Board or a knowledgeable consultant rather than guess. Backdating or inflating hours can expose both Priya and Ben to discipline and can undermine Ben's licensure application.
3. How should Priya respond to Ben's plan to advertise as a licensed psychologist and to the practice owner's billing request?
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Ben may not advertise as a licensed psychologist while his application is pending. He must use an accurate title such as postdoctoral psychology trainee and disclose his supervised status to clients. Billing under Priya's license is permissible only when she is actually providing the required supervision and the payer's incident-to or supervision rules are met; it is not permissible during a period when she has left him without adequate supervision. Priya should tell the practice owner that the billing arrangement cannot continue without qualified coverage and should document her instructions. If Ben is practicing beyond his competence or is impaired, Priya must intervene and may need to report or terminate the supervision. Her obligation is to protect clients and comply with Board rules, not to maximize practice revenue.