Board plans July stakeholder meeting and survey to clarify roles of psychologists and related professionals

Board staff presented a proposal to convene a stakeholder meeting in July 2026 to improve consumer understanding of the roles of licensed psychologists, licensed educational psychologists and pupil personnel services credential holders. Staff said the meeting would revisit materials from a 2019 presentation and solicited direction on a draft survey intended to gather early input from consumers and credential holders.

The committee discussed shortening the draft survey (staff provided a 12‑question draft; committee members suggested reducing it toward eight questions), potential distribution channels (board listserv, social media and partner organizations), and ethical concerns about soliciting input directly from clients. Staff proposed an informational segment at the July meeting presenting the three professions’ scopes of practice, followed by stakeholder discussion to refine outreach and any consumer materials.

Public commenters, including a representative of the California Psychological Association, urged inclusion in planning and cautioned that consumers rarely identify differences in credentials when seeking care; several recommended FAQs or brochures to present distinctions plainly and avoid duplicating past work. Staff said the board already has an informational brochure and agreed to refine the survey and present recommended distribution and stakeholder invitations at the February board meeting.

What happens next: staff will consolidate the survey, identify and invite stakeholders (the board previously flagged the Regional Centers Association and unions representing school personnel), and return to the full board in February with a recommended plan for the July stakeholder meeting.