Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
For additional information regarding safety and practice-related issues regarding coronavirus (COVID-19), please see the following links:
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina
https://www.apa.org/practice/programs/dmhi/research-information/pandemics
If you have additional questions, please contact the Board office at: info@ncpsychologyboard.org.
1. My practice/agency/university is moving services to telehealth only. Am I allowed to provide psychological services by telehealth to clients located within North Carolina?
Yes. The practice of psychology may be provided in North Carolina by North Carolina-licensed psychologists or by those exempt from licensure in North Carolina (i.e. students, qualifying postdoctoral interns, applicants, etc.) through electronic means such as telehealth. Please find the Board’s advisory statement on the topic at: http://www.ncpsychologyboard.org/office/ElectronicServices.htm.
US DHHS Statement on telehealth and HIPPA compliance during public health emergency :
2. My practice/agency/university is moving services to telehealth only, but many of my clients reside out of state. Am I allowed to provide telehealth services to individuals outside of North Carolina?
The Board considers the practice of psychology to occur both where the psychologist who is providing psychological services is located and where the individual (patient/client) who is receiving the services is located. Therefore, if you are licensed in North Carolina (or exempt from licensure), you can practice psychology through electronic means to someone located in another state; however, you would need to first contact the state licensing board in the state where your client is located to determine if licensure is required to provide psychological services through telehealth to someone located in that state.
ASPPB Summary of Temporary Interjurisdictional Telepsychological Practice & COVID19
3. My practice/agency/university is moving services to telehealth only. My clients reside in North Carolina, but I reside out of state. Am I allowed to provide telehealth services to individuals from outside of North Carolina to my clients within North Carolina?
If you are licensed to practice psychology in North Carolina, you can provide psychological services to someone located in North Carolina; however, you would need to contact the state where you reside to determine if licensure is required to provide psychological services from the state where you reside into another state such as North Carolina.
4. I am a North Carolina licensed psychologist, do I still have to complete my required continuing education in order to renew my license by October 1st?
Yes. As the deadline to complete the required continuing education is several months away and there are numerous online providers of continuing education, all required continuing education must be completed in order to renew your license by October 1st. If you plan to take online continuing education, please make sure it complies with the Board’s requirements under Rule .2104. A quick reference guide to those requirements can be found at the following link - http://www.ncpsychologyboard.org/Office/PDFiles/CE101.pdf
5. The testing centers where I was scheduled to take the EPPP and the North Carolina state exam have closed because of COVID-19. What happens if I miss my deadlines to take the exams?
As Pearson still has a lot of its testing centers closed and some PSI testing centers still closed, the Board will extended licensing examination deadlines if applicants are unable to take the EPPP or the North Carolina state exam by their deadline(s) due to the closure of the testing center where an applicant was scheduled to take the exam. However, applicants must notify the Board at info@ncpsychologyboard.org if s/he will be unable to meet licensing examination deadline due to the closure of the testing center, so that your application file can be updated to reflect the extension. EXTENSION WILL BE UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2020.
Please note that this is a temporary extension. The length of the extension will be extended to December 31st at this time. The issue will be readdressed at that time, to determine if the extension needs to be longer. Any new information regarding examination deadlines will be posted here.
Additional information regarding the status of testing enters can be found at:
EPPP Exam testing center updates: https://home.pearsonvue.com/coronavirus-update
State Exam testing center updates: https://www.psionline.com/important-notice-update-concerning-covid-19-coronavirus/
6. My practice/agency/university is moving services to telehealth only. Does the Board allow the administration and provision of psychological testing instruments via telehealth?
The Board does not have specific rules regarding the administration of testing instruments remotely; however, the Board expects any psychologist to follow the guidelines of the specific test as well as those set up by the particular test publisher to ensure the validity of such tests. It would be within the psychologist’s clinical judgment to use a particular instrument suitable to answer the referral question and it would be the psychologist’s responsibility to administer instruments conforming to the instructions, guidance of the publisher, and in a manner supported by data. Pearson currently has numerous resources regarding using testing instruments during COVID-19 and via telehealth, including a list of their instruments which may, under certain conditions, be administered over telehealth devices, available here: https://www.pearsonassessments.com/professional-assessments/digital-solutions/telepractice.html
7. For what length of time am I required to retain client/patient records? What parts of the record must be maintained? Do I have to keep the paper record or can it be retained electronically?
Except when prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond their control, a psychologist must retain securely and confidentially the complete case record for at least seven years from the date of the last provision of psychological services for adults. For individuals who were minors when services were provided, the complete case record must be retained until three years after the date of attainment of majority age by the client/patient or for seven years from the date of the last provision of psychological services, whichever is longer. A psychologist is required to retain the record past the requisite time periods if there are pending legal or ethical matters. A psychologist must retain the entire client/patient record for the minimum time periods, but may decide to maintain records for longer for professional or clinical reasons. The complete record would include intake documentation, consents, all notes, reports, and evaluations with summary content documented for each session of the services provided. The complete record would also include informed consents, billing information (including fees, dates of services, and itemized charges), all raw test data, emails, texts, and any other communications between the psychologist and the client/patient or collateral contacts. The Board has no specific rules requiring what form a client/patient record must be maintained, therefore, provided the entire record is retained, it can be in either paper or electronic form. For more information, reference N. C. Gen. Stat. 90-270.15(a)(17) and (18).
