1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to professions; modifying variance from 
  1.3             supervision requirements for psychologists; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 148.925, 
  1.5             subdivision 7. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.8   148.925, subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 7.  [VARIANCE FROM SUPERVISION REQUIREMENTS.] (a) An 
  1.10  applicant for licensure as a licensed psychologist who entered 
  1.11  supervised employment before August 1, 1991, may request a 
  1.12  variance from the board from the supervision requirements in 
  1.13  this section in order to continue supervision under the board 
  1.14  rules in effect before August 1, 1991. 
  1.15     (b) After a licensed psychological practitioner has 
  1.16  completed two full years, or the equivalent, of supervised 
  1.17  post-master's degree employment meeting the requirements of 
  1.18  subdivision 5 as it relates to preparation for licensure as a 
  1.19  licensed psychologist, the board shall grant a variance from the 
  1.20  supervision requirements of subdivision 4 or 5 if the licensed 
  1.21  psychological practitioner presents evidence of: 
  1.22     (1) endorsement for specific areas of competency by the 
  1.23  licensed psychologist who provided the two years of supervision; 
  1.24     (2) employment ~~by a hospital or by a community mental~~ 
  1.25  ~~health center or nonprofit mental health clinic or social~~ 
  2.1   ~~service agency providing services as a part of the mental health~~ 
  2.2   ~~service plan required by the Comprehensive Mental Health~~ 
  2.3   ~~Act~~ that satisfies the requirements of section 148.908, 
  2.4   subdivision 1; 
  2.5      (3) the employer's acceptance of clinical responsibility 
  2.6   for the care provided by the licensed psychological 
  2.7   practitioner; and 
  2.8      (4) a plan for supervision that includes at least one hour 
  2.9   of regularly scheduled individual in-person consultations per 
  2.10  week for full-time employment.  The board may approve an 
  2.11  exception to the weekly supervision requirement for a week when 
  2.12  the supervisor was ill or otherwise unable to provide 
  2.13  supervision. 
  2.14     (c) Following the granting of a variance under paragraph 
  2.15  (b), and completion of two additional full years or the 
  2.16  equivalent of supervision and post-master's degree employment 
  2.17  meeting the requirements of paragraph (b), the board shall grant 
  2.18  a variance to a licensed psychological practitioner who presents 
  2.19  evidence of: 
  2.20     (1) endorsement for specific areas of competency by the 
  2.21  licensed psychologist who provided the two years of supervision 
  2.22  under paragraph (b); 
  2.23     (2) employment ~~by a hospital or by a community mental~~ 
  2.24  ~~health center or nonprofit mental health clinic or social~~ 
  2.25  ~~service agency providing services as a part of the mental health~~ 
  2.26  ~~service plan required by the Comprehensive Mental Health~~ 
  2.27  ~~Act~~ that satisfies the requirements of section 148.908, 
  2.28  subdivision 1; 
  2.29     (3) the employer's acceptance of clinical responsibility 
  2.30  for the care provided by the licensed psychological 
  2.31  practitioner; and 
  2.32     (4) a plan for supervision which includes at least one hour 
  2.33  of regularly scheduled individual in-person supervision per 
  2.34  month.  
  2.35     (d) The variance allowed under this section must be deemed 
  2.36  to have been granted to an individual who previously received a 
  3.1   variance under paragraph (b) or (c) and is seeking a new 
  3.2   variance because of a change of employment to a different 
  3.3   employer or employment setting.  The deemed variance continues 
  3.4   until the board either grants or denies the variance.  An 
  3.5   individual who has been denied a variance under this section is 
  3.6   entitled to seek reconsideration by the board.