Board hears petition to end probation for Dr. Steven R. Mason; record closed and decision deferred

Newport Beach, Aug. 21, 2025

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences heard oral argument Aug. 21 on a petition from Dr. Steven Richard Mason seeking early termination of probation imposed in a prior disciplinary matter. The hearing was conducted by Administrative Law Judge Abraham Levy; Deputy Attorney General Blair MacGregor presented the state's exhibits; Mason was represented by attorney Scott Harris.

Mr. McGregor identified six exhibits admitted into the record, including Mason's license certificate, the stipulated settlement and disciplinary order, a probation analyst report and the petition packet; counsel for the petitioner offered no objection. Mason testified under oath and described his rehabilitation, employment and continuing treatment. "I've been entirely sober since 2017," Mason said. He told the board he completed a doctoral program after being placed on probation and received a psychologist license in 2023. He said he has complied with all probation terms, including random biological testing, and has had no positive tests.

Mason acknowledged two prior DUI convictions that appear in the record: one in Maryland around February 2008 and another in March 2017 before beginning graduate school. He said the 2017 arrest led to the licensing denial when he first applied for registration, and that he later accepted disciplinary terms and probation. Mason said he has been employed as an MFT-level clinician at Bloom Behavioral Health, an inpatient facility for teens and adolescents, and maintains a private practice. He told the board he had been accepted to a psychoanalytic training program in Los Angeles that would include four days per week of personal analysis for four to five years.

Board members asked detailed questions about Mason's sobriety supports and timeline. Vice Chair Nicholas Boyd and others pressed Mason about AA attendance and sponsorship; Mason said he regularly attends AA and therapy but has not maintained a long-term sponsor and that sponsorship was something he intended to pursue when circumstances permitted. Several members raised questions about the period between his last DUI and documented engagement in AA and specialized therapy; Mason said his participation evolved through graduate programs, pre-doctoral training and therapeutic relationships.

Deputy Attorney General Blair MacGregor noted the probation analyst report shows Mason to be fully compliant and commended his demonstrated compliance but did not recommend a specific outcome. "There have been no positive tests," McGregor told the board, while also flagging that a sponsorship relationship in AA had not been established as a continuing support in the record.

Mason's attorney, Scott Harris, said the petitioner has "expunged his past DUI conviction, remains sober, and has fully complied with the board's probationary terms over the last four years" and asked the board to grant early termination so Mason could pursue supervisory duties now unavailable while on probation.

Board members asked about career impacts even though Mason holds a psychologist license unaffected by the board's probation in this case. Mason told the panel that the board's probation limited his ability to take supervisory roles at his employer.

At the hearing's close Judge Levy admitted the record and deemed the matter submitted. The board did not vote at the hearing; members will issue a written decision later.

Why this matters: The board must weigh public protection against evidence of rehabilitation before terminating a licensee's probation early. Mason's case raises typical issues the board considers: documented sobriety, compliance with monitoring and any continuing supports that reduce the risk of future impairment.

What's next: The record is closed and the board will circulate a written determination at a later date.