Arizona Psychology Board Disciplinary Actions | Arizona Psychologist Board Complaints

Arizona Psychology Board disciplinary actions are given to psychologists with a license or certification in Arizona. If the Board determines formal disciplinary action is necessary it will happen after the completion of an investigation. It’s the job of the Board to review any complaint alleging a violation of the Arizona laws and regulations. Chelle Law’s Arizona Psychology Board Attorneys have represented over 1,000 health care professionals before Arizona licensing boards. At Chelle Law, our attorney’s have the experience to help psychologists with all Arizona Psychology Board matters.

Thus, at a Board Meeting the Board will vote to determine the outcome of each investigation and review of complaints.  The Board can vote on a non-disciplinary outcome or vote to offer the psychologist formal discipline.  Disciplinary actions can include:

• Dismissal
• Letter of concern
• Decree of censure
• Probation
• Non-disciplinary order for continuing education
• Suspension
• Revocation

Arizona Psychology Board Non Disciplinary Actions

• CASE DISMISSAL:  The Board may dismiss a complaint if they determine the information indicates there was not a violation of the rules of the Arizona Practice Act.  This outcome is not available to the public.
• NON-DISCIPLINARY ORDER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION: An order that dictates the psychologist must complete a number of hours of continuing education for specific topics.
• LETTER OF CONCERN: A letter from the Board expressing concern the nurse’s conduct wasn’t ideal. However, the conduct doesn’t necessarily violate Arizona law.

Arizona Psychology Unprofessional Conduct

• REVOCATION: If the Board revokes a psychologist’s license the psychologist will be unable to practice or get licensed again for a minimum of five years. After the five year period license revocation the psychologist will need to reapply for their license. If the psychologist reapplies for licensure they must demonstrate the grounds for revocation (substance abuse, mental health problems, criminal convictions) has been rectified through an applicable program. This is a public document.
• VOLUNTARY SURRENDER: The psychologist voluntarily gives up their license. The benefit of this voluntary consent is that the Board is usually willing to reduce the amount of time until a psychologist can reapply. This is usually between two to three years.
• SUSPENSION: A suspension stops the psychologist from practicing. It prohibits any patient contact or services for a period of time until the Board lifts the suspension.
• PROBATION: The Board offers probation through a consent agreement. The consent agreement requires the psychologist do certain things (drug testing, work supervision, counseling, continuing education).  Alternatively, they may need to refrain from doing things (unsupervised Medical like home health, working under the Medical licensure compact, using alcohol, etc.) A request for a removal of probation will be needed.
• DECREE OF CENSURE: A decree of censure is the lowest level of formal discipline. There are no probationary requirements, but the Order will be listed on the website.

Arizona Psychologist Complaints

Who can file an Arizona Psychology Board Complaint against a psychologist? Patients, health care facilities, other professionals, among others. When the Arizona Psychology Board receives a complaint, the Board initiates an investigation into the complaint (if the Board has jurisdiction and the Complaint isn’t dismissed). After this happens, the psychologist receives notice and the board assigns an investigator to the case. Please note, having an attorney during this step can be crucial for psychologists as they must submit a response, interview with the investigator while also possibly appearing at an Arizona Psychology Board.

Responding to Practice Complaints and Investigations

After receiving an Arizona Psychology Board Complaint or self-report, a psychologist receives a notice from the Board requesting additional information as well as a response to allegations found in the complaint. From here, the Psychology Board assigns an investigator to the complaint and they begin to collect evidence. The documents and evidence collected includes:

• Patient medical records
• Employment files from the psychologist’s employer and business
• Criminal records
• Review of the professional’s behavior at work
• Interviews of people associated with the Board Complaint (These interviewees can include the patient, medical director, colleagues, etc.)

Behavior Analyst Rules

Analyst rules effective July 4, 2020 from Arizona statutes can be found on the Statutes and Rules page.

Psychologist Rules Effective July 4, 2020

Psychologist rules effective July 4, 2020 from Arizona statutes can be found on the Statutes and Rules page.

If you’re interested in learning more about our Arizona Psychology Board Attorney services and how to protect your license, set up a consultation with Chelle Law today.