Psychology board highlights telehealth growth, PSYPACT use and oversight program expansion
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Summary
The Minnesota Board of Psychology reported rising telehealth use among psychologists, significant PSYPACT activity into Minnesota, and the board’s new role administering the Health Professional Services Program (HPSP), which monitors clinicians with illness affecting practice.
Sam Sands, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Psychology, told the Health Finance and Policy Committee on March 3 that telehealth and interstate compact participation have expanded access to psychological services in Minnesota and that the board recently assumed administration of the Health Professional Services Program (HPSP).
Nut graf: The board said about 457 out-of-state providers used PSYPACT to provide services into Minnesota in the last year (roughly 14% of the psychology licensee population). Sands said PSYPACT providers helped reach rural communities: PSYPACT reported about 25% of its interstate services reached rural areas. Sands also described HPSP’s role: the program monitors licensed health professionals with conditions (substance use, anxiety, depression, PTSD) that may affect safe practice; the program currently monitors roughly 1.5% of licensed professionals (about 520 people).
Details: The board noted that 6 in 10 psychologists reported at least 25% of their services are provided by telehealth and about 40% reported 50% or more of practice is telehealth. Psychology licenses and behavior-analyst licensing (added July 1) together account for several thousand licensees; the board has licensed nearly 600 behavior analysts since assuming the new license type.
Ending: Sands said the HPSP program allows boards to monitor clinicians’ health conditions while enabling continued safe practice where appropriate. He offered to answer questions about telehealth, PSYPACT and monitoring operations.
