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Protecting
the Public and the Profession
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"The
National Register serves the public interest in efficiently
disseminating information to the marketplace with
respect to the training and experience of healthcare
providers."1
The
National Register's mission includes serving the public
interest. Listed below are some of the ways we accomplish
this self-imposed responsibility.
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1.
Public Representation on the Board of Directors
The
National Register (NR) was established in December 1974.
In 1976, three public representatives became an integral
part of the board of directors, making the NR the first
and only, for twenty years, national psychology organization
to require public representation on the policy-making and
governing body. Today that commitment continues. Three of
the eleven directors represent the public.
2.
Actions by the Committee on Professional Practice and Ethics
In
1987, the National Register initiated the review of cases
of misrepresentation or ethical violations. The Committee
on Professional Practice and Ethics (COPPE) reviews disciplinary
actions reported against psychologists credentialed as Health
Service Providers in Psychology (Registrants) to determine
which, if any, of the "Guidelines Concerning Withdrawal
of the National Register Credential Due to Professional
Conduct" have been violated. These "Guidelines"
help protect the public and assist Registrants in complying
with national and jurisdictional professional/ethical standards.
COPPE
does not investigate complaints, other than in cases of
potential misrepresentation in connection with application
for the Health Service Provider in Psychology (HSPP) credential.
COPPE relies on the state, provincial and territorial licensing
boards and APA to investigate, adjudicate and report final
actions to the National Register. The National Register
maintains a comprehensive database of all final disciplinary
actions.
3.
Mandated Reporting by Registrants of Failure to Adhere to
Ethical/Professional Standards
Since
1991 Registrants have been required to advise the National
Register of any final disciplinary actions within 30 days,
and through submission of an annual
ethical attestation form as part of maintaining their
credential. We have been pleased with the response by Registrants
to voluntarily report even potential actions early in the
adjudication process. Now, the American Board of Professional
Psychology requires this attestation statement from their
board certified specialists.
4.
Public Notice on Deletion Actions Taken by the National
Register
The
final decision to discontinue a Registrant's HSPP credential
is posted on the National Register web site (www.nationalregister.org/publicnotices.htm)
for the length of the term of deletion (up to five years
for permanent withdrawal). Citations include reference to
(a) which sections of the Guidelines have been violated,
(b) the period of time the Registrant must wait to apply
for reinstatement of the HSP credential (if the period is
less than 2 years) or to re-apply (if 2 years or more) and
(c) a brief description of the action taken by the jurisdiction,
which is the basis for the finding of the violation. No
other national psychology credentialing organization posts
its disciplinary actions for public inspection. To facilitate
the public obtaining more information from the regulatory
authority, the citation hyperlinks to the licensing board's
web site, if available.
5.
Verification of Disciplinary History
In
addition to requiring the applicant to submit primary source
documentation of education, training and licensing, the
applicant attests to (a) adherence to ethical/professional
conduct statutes, regulation and codes, (b) the absence
of disciplinary action against ANY license to practice,
and (c) the veracity of information provided in the application.
1
MacHovec v. Council for the National Register of Health
Service Providers in Psychology, 616 F. Supp. 258, 272 (E.D.
Va. 1985).
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