Chapter Psy 4

Psy 4.01   Biennial renewal.

Psy 4.015   Definitions.

Psy 4.017   Renewal and reinstatement.

Psy 4.025   Continuing education.

Psy 4.035   Approved continuing education.

Psy 4.04   Postponement, waiver, and exemptions.

Psy 4.05   Record keeping and audits.

Psy 4.01 Psy 4.01 Biennial renewal. On or before September 30 of the odd-numbered year following issuance of the license, the licensee shall apply for renewal to the department and submit the fee specified in s. 440.08 (2) (a), Stats., and shall meet the continuing education requirements specified in s. Psy 4.025.

Psy 4.01 History History: Cr. Register, September, 1991, No. 429, eff. 10-1-91; am. Register, June, 1999, No. 522, eff. 7-1-99; correction made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2015 No. 720.

Psy 4.015 Psy 4.015 Definitions. In this chapter:

Psy 4.015(1) (1) “Board” means Wisconsin Psychology Examining Board.

Psy 4.015(2) (2) “Continuing education hour” means continuing education consisting of not less than 50 minutes.

Psy 4.015(3) (3) “Ethics” means content consistent with one or more of the American Psychological Association’s ethical principles of psychologists.

Psy 4.015(4) (4) “Jurisprudence” means content relating to laws and regulations affecting the practice of psychology.

Psy 4.015(5) (5) “Professional activity” means any of the following:

Psy 4.015(5)(a) (a) Serving on the American Psychological Association or its affiliated state psychological association committee or board.

Psy 4.015(5)(b) (b) Serving on a state Psychology Examining Board.

Psy 4.015(5)(c) (c) Serving on the National Association of School Psychologists or its affiliated state association committee or board.

Psy 4.015(5)(d) (d) Serving on the American Board of Professional Psychology committee or board.

Psy 4.015(5)(e) (e) Serving on the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral Internship Centers committee or board.

Psy 4.015(5)(f) (f) Serving on the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards committee or board.

Psy 4.015(6) (6) “Risk management” means content relating to the reduction of probability of incurring legal, regulatory or malpractice actions in the practice of psychology.

Psy 4.015(7) (7) “Trainee” means a person who is obtaining appropriate experience in psychological work under supervision pursuant to s. 455.04 (1) (d), Stats.

Psy 4.015 History History: CR 13-103: cr. Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16.

Psy 4.017 Psy 4.017 Renewal and reinstatement.

Psy 4.017(1) (1) General. A person renewing an expired license may not reapply for a license using the initial application process.

Psy 4.017(2) (2) Renewal within 5 years. A person renewing the license within 5 years shall do all of the following:

Psy 4.017(2)(a) (a) Pay the renewal fee as determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9) (a), Stats., and any applicable late renewal fee.

Psy 4.017(2)(b) (b) Certify the completion of 40 hours of continuing education during the last biennium.

Psy 4.017(3) (3) Renewal after 5 years. This subsection does not apply to license holders who have unmet disciplinary requirements. A person renewing the license after 5 years shall do all of the following:

Psy 4.017(3)(a) (a) Pay the renewal fee as determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9) (a), Stats., and the renewal late fee.

Psy 4.017(3)(b) (b) Evidence of one of the following:

Psy 4.017(3)(b)1. 1. An active credential in good standing in another state.

Psy 4.017(3)(b)2. 2. Completion of 80 hours of approved continuing education, including 12 hours of ethics, risk management, or jurisprudence, within the preceding 2 years.

Psy 4.017(4) (4) Reinstatement. A person who has unmet disciplinary requirements and failed to renew the license within 5 years or whose license has been surrendered or revoked may apply to have the license reinstated in accordance with all of the following:

Psy 4.017(4)(a) (a) Evidence of completion of the requirements in sub. (3) if the license has not been active within 5 years.

Psy 4.017(4)(b) (b) Evidence of completion of the disciplinary requirements, if applicable.

Psy 4.017(4)(c) (c) Evidence of rehabilitation or change in circumstances warranting reinstatement.

Psy 4.017(5) (5) Reinstatement after revocation. A revoked license may not be renewed. Except as provided in s. 440.12, Stats., an individual may, no sooner than one year after the date of revocation, apply for reinstatement of a license. The board may accept or reject an application for reinstatement.

Psy 4.017(6) (6) Interim psychologist license. The board may renew at its discretion an interim psychologist license upon a showing of hardship by the applicant.

Psy 4.017(6)(a) (a) An applicant for a hardship renewal must demonstrate to the board that one of the following circumstances applies to the applicant:

Psy 4.017(6)(a)1. 1. The sickness of the applicant or a member of the applicant’s immediate family substantiated by a doctor’s certificate.

Psy 4.017(6)(a)2. 2. A death in the applicant’s immediate family substantiated by proof of death.

Psy 4.017(6)(a)3. 3. Temporary military service.

Psy 4.017(6)(a)4. 4. Other good reason deemed acceptable by the board.

Psy 4.017(6)(b) (b) If a hardship is established under par. (a), the board may request additional documentation from the applicant for its consideration in determining whether a renewal of the interim license is appropriate, including:

Psy 4.017(6)(b)1. 1. Attestation that the applicant has a qualified supervisor as provided by s. 455.04 (2), Stats.

Psy 4.017(6)(b)2. 2. Documentation of any relevant training, education, or supervised experience the applicant has completed since obtaining the interim psychologist license.

Psy 4.017(6)(b)3. 3. Any other relevant documentation requested by the board.

Psy 4.017(7) (7) Private practice school psychologist. An applicant for renewal of a private practice school psychologist issued under s. 455.04 (4), 2019 Stats., prior to June 1, 2021, shall include with the renewal application proof of completion of hours of continuing education required under s. Psy 4.025.

Psy 4.017 History History: CR 19-117: cr. Register December 2020 No. 780, eff. 1-1-21; EmR2101: emerg. am. (2) (b), eff. 1-1-21; CR 21-015: am. (2) (b) Register September 2021 No. 789, eff. 10-1-21; EmR2127: emerg. am. (title), cr. (5) to (7), eff. 11-2-21; CR 21-080: am. (title), cr. (5) to (7) Register June 2023 No. 810, eff. 7-1-23.

Psy 4.025 Psy 4.025 Continuing education.

Psy 4.025(1) (1) Unless granted a postponement or waiver under s. Psy 4.04, every licensee except for those licensed under s. Psy 2.012 shall complete at least 40 board approved continuing education hours in each biennial registration period, as specified in s. 455.06, Stats.

Psy 4.025(1)(a) (a) A minimum of 6 hours of the required 40 continuing education hours shall be in ethics, risk management or jurisprudence.

Psy 4.025(1)(b) (b) Continuing education hours completed in the topics of supervision or suicide prevention shall be calculated as 1.5 times the numbers of continuing education hours obtained.

Psy 4.025(2) (2) Continuing education hours may apply only to the registration period in which the hours are acquired. If a license has been allowed to lapse, the board may grant permission to apply continuing education hours acquired after lapse of the license to a previous biennial period of licensure during which required continuing education was not acquired. In no case may continuing education hours be applied to more than one biennial period.

Psy 4.025(3) (3) During the time between initial Wisconsin licensure and commencement of a full 2-year licensure period, licensees shall not be required to meet continuing education requirements.

Psy 4.025 History History: CR 13-103: cr. Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16; CR 21-084: r. (4) Register February 2022 No. 794, eff. 3-1-22; EmR2127: emerg. am. (1) (intro.), eff. 11-2-21; CR 21-080: am. (1) (intro.) Register June 2023 No. 810, eff. 7-1-23.

Psy 4.035 Psy 4.035 Approved continuing education.

Psy 4.035(1) (1) The board shall approve all of the following programs and courses, if relevant to the professional practice of psychology:

Psy 4.035(1)(a) (a) Continuing education programs and courses sponsored by an organization approved by one of the following:

Psy 4.035(1)(a)1. 1. American Psychological Association.

Psy 4.035(1)(a)2. 2. National Association of School Psychologists.

Psy 4.035(1)(a)3. 3. Canadian Psychological Association.

Psy 4.035(1)(b) (b) Continuing education programs and courses sponsored by one of the following:

Psy 4.035(1)(b)1. 1. Wisconsin Psychological Association.

Psy 4.035(1)(b)2. 2. Wisconsin School Psychologists Association.

Psy 4.035(1)(c) (c) Educational programs recognized as approved at the time of attendance as “category I” continuing medical education programs by the council on medical education of the American Medical Association or the American Osteopathic Association.

Psy 4.035(1)(d) (d) Continuing education courses approved by the psychology licensing board in another state where the psychologist is also licensed.

Psy 4.035(1)(e) (e) Graduate level courses of two semester or three quarter credits, or more, relevant to the professional practice of psychology offered by a regionally accredited college or university in which a person receives a passing grade shall be granted 20 continuing education hours.

Psy 4.035(2) (2) No more than eight hours of continuing education hours may be credited per day for courses and programs in sub. (1) (a) through (d).

Psy 4.035(3) (3) Continuing education hours shall be granted for teaching or presenting any of the programs or courses in sub. (1) but no credit will be granted for any subsequent presentations of the same program or course. A teacher or presenter shall receive 2 continuing education hours for each hour of presentation with a maximum of 20 continuing education hours per biennium.

Psy 4.035(4) (4) Continuing education hours shall be granted for professional activity consisting of 1 year of service with a minimum of 6 total contact hours. A licensee shall receive 6 hours of continuing education for each professional activity, with a maximum of 12 continuing education hours per biennium.

Psy 4.035(5) (5) Continuing education hours shall be granted for serving as a reviewer for a peer reviewed publication. A licensee shall receive 3 hours per publication, with a maximum of 12 continuing education hours per biennium.

Psy 4.035(6) (6) Continuing education hours shall be granted for first or second authorship of a publication relevant to psychology if the publication is contained in an academic or professional book or book chapter or peer-reviewed journal article. A licensee shall receive 10 continuing education hours per authorship, with a maximum of 20 continuing education hours per biennium.

Psy 4.035(7) (7) Continuing education hours shall be granted for earning board certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology. A licensee who successfully completes board certification shall receive 40 continuing education hours. The ethics, risk management, or jurisprudence requirement may not be met unless the board certification process included at least six hours on those topics.

Psy 4.035(8) (8) Continuing education hours shall be granted for completion of a master’s or doctoral degree in psychopharmacology from a regionally accredited college or university. Licensees who complete a master’s or doctoral degree in psychopharmacology shall receive 40 continuing education hours. The ethics, risk management or jurisprudence requirement may not be met unless the coursework included those topics.

Psy 4.035(9) (9) Continuing education hours shall be granted for providing supervision to one or more psychological trainees. The supervisor shall receive 1 continuing education hour for every 4 hours of supervision, with a maximum of 20 continuing education hours.

Psy 4.035(10) (10) 

Psy 4.035(10)(a) (a) Continuing education hours shall be granted for the evaluation of a community mental health program, as defined in s. 51.01 (3n), Stats., and approved by the department of health services according to rules promulgated under s. 51.42 (7) (b), Stats. Four hours of assistance, including hours in training required by the department of health services, are equal to one continuing education hour for the purposes of this section.

Psy 4.035(10)(b) (b) A licensee wishing to apply for continuing education credit under this subsection shall register in advance with the board, and shall notify the board on a form provided by the board of the dates and the total number of hours in any biennium for which the applicant will be available to provide assistance. The board shall make referrals to the department of health services in the order applicants are received.

Psy 4.035 History History: CR 13-103: cr. Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16; correction in (2) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register December 2015 No. 720.

Psy 4.04 Psy 4.04 Postponement, waiver, and exemptions.

Psy 4.04(1) (1) A licensee may apply to the board for a postponement or waiver of the requirements of this chapter on grounds of prolonged illness or disability, or on other grounds constituting extreme hardship. The board shall consider each application individually on its merits, and the board may grant a postponement, partial waiver, or total waiver as deemed appropriate.

Psy 4.04(2) (2) The board may grant an exemption from the requirements of this chapter to a licensee who certifies to the board that the licensee has permanently retired from the practice of psychology or the private practice of school psychology.

Psy 4.04(3) (3) A licensee who has been granted an exemption from the requirements of this chapter based on retirement from the practice of psychology or the private practice of school psychology may not return to active practice without submitting evidence satisfactory to the board of having completed 40 credits of continuing education hours obtained within 2 years prior to the return to the practice of psychology.

Psy 4.04 History History: CR 13-103: cr. Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16.

Psy 4.05 Psy 4.05 Record keeping and audits.