OH Psych Juris cheat sheet

Practice of psychology in Ohio is defined in Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Chapter 4732; the State Board of Psychology adopts implementing rules in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Chapter 4732.

"Practice of psychology" requires applying psychological principles to diagnose, treat, or counsel persons or groups, or to render opinions on behavior, for compensation or without it.

The Board licenses three titles: psychologist, school psychologist, and independent school psychologist; each title carries a distinct scope and supervision requirement.

Confidentiality may be broken without consent only where law requires or permits disclosure, such as suspected child abuse reporting under ORC 2151.421 or court order.

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect applies to psychologists as persons rendering services to children; report to the county children services agency or law enforcement.

Continuing education: licensed psychologists renew annually and must complete the CE hours set by Board rule, including any required ethics hours, and retain documentation for audit.

A psychologist must not practice under a title or offer services outside the scope established by license type; school psychologists are limited to school settings unless separately licensed.

Informed consent must be obtained before services; for minors or persons unable to consent, consent from a parent, guardian, or authorized representative is required.

Multiple relationships are prohibited when they could impair objectivity or exploit the client; not every incidental contact is unethical, but the burden is on the psychologist to document rationale.

Sexual or romantic contact with current clients, their close relatives, or former clients within two years is prohibited; beyond two years, the psychologist must demonstrate no exploitation.

Confidentiality extends to records, test data, and consultation; release requires written authorization or a legal mandate, and minimum necessary disclosure is the rule.

Informed consent for research and therapy must disclose nature, risks, benefits, alternatives, fees, and limits of confidentiality in language the client understands.

Fees must be agreed in advance; bartering is permitted only if not clinically contraindicated and the exchange is fairly valued and documented.

Psychologists must avoid abandoning clients: provide notice, facilitate referral, and document termination decisions; abandonment is a common disciplinary charge.

Test security: psychologists must not release psychological test materials to unqualified persons and must protect copyrighted instruments from unauthorized reproduction.

Advertising and public statements must be accurate, not misleading, and must not use client testimonials that could exploit or mislead; correction of errors is required.

Doctoral licensure requires a doctoral degree in psychology from a program acceptable to the Board, supervised postdoctoral experience, and passing the required examinations.

Applicants must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the Ohio jurisprudence examination, plus any Board-required oral or additional review.

Supervised experience hours, the ratio of supervision to practice hours, and supervisor qualifications are set by Board rule; supervisors must be licensed psychologists.

Supervision must be documented: the supervisor is responsible for the supervisee's work, reviews cases, and signs off on the record of experience submitted to the Board.

A licensed psychologist may delegate tasks to unlicensed assistants only if the assistant is supervised, trained, and the psychologist retains responsibility for the outcome.

School psychologists' scope is limited to educational settings; independent practice or private client services require the appropriate license and supervision.

License renewal requires timely fee payment and completion of continuing education; lapsed licenses cannot be used to practice, and reinstatement may require additional review.

Psychologists must practice within their competence; practicing in a new specialty requires relevant education, training, supervised experience, or consultation.

The State Board of Psychology receives complaints, investigates allegations, and may dismiss, mediate, or issue a notice of opportunity for hearing.

Due process: the licensee receives notice of charges and an opportunity for an administrative hearing under ORC Chapter 119 before sanctions are imposed.

Sanctions range from reprimand and civil penalty to suspension, revocation, or permanent surrender of license; terms may include probation, CE, or supervision.

Grounds for discipline include fraud in obtaining a license, gross negligence, incompetence, unethical conduct, and practicing while impaired.

The Board may act on a conviction, a finding of professional misconduct in another jurisdiction, or a failure to cooperate with an investigation.

Hearings are conducted by a hearing examiner; the Board issues a final order, which may be appealed to the common pleas court under ORC 119.12.

Licensees must respond to Board inquiries; failure to cooperate or providing false information can itself be a separate disciplinary violation.

Public records: Board disciplinary actions are public, and license status can be verified through the Board's online licensee lookup.