455.02 License required to practice; use of titles.

(1m) License required to practice. Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person may engage in the practice of psychology or the private practice of school psychology, or attempt to do so or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a license issued by the examining board.

(2m) Exceptions. A license under this chapter is not required for any of the following:

(a) A person lawfully practicing within the scope of a license, permit, registration, certificate or certification granted by this state.

(b) A person providing psychological services as directed, supervised and inspected by a psychologist who has the power to direct, decide and oversee the implementation of the services provided.

(c) The performance of official duties by personnel of any of the armed services or federal health services of the United States.

(d) A person employed in a position as a psychologist or psychological assistant by an accredited college, junior college or university or other academic or research institution, if the person is performing activities that are a part of the duties for which he or she is employed, is performing those activities solely within the confines of or under the jurisdictions of the institution in which he or she is employed and does not render or offer to render psychological services to the public for a fee over and above the salary that he or she receives for the performance of the official duties with the institution with which he or she is employed. An individual acting under this paragraph may, without obtaining a license under s. 455.04 (1) or (4), disseminate research findings and scientific information to others, such as accredited academic institutions or governmental agencies, or may offer lecture services for a fee.

(e) A person pursuing a course of study leading to a graduate degree in medicine, social work, marriage and family therapy or professional counseling at an accredited college or university while working in a training program, if the person's activities and services constitute a part of his or her supervised course of study and the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates the training status appropriate to the person's level of training.

(f) A graduate student or psychological intern in psychology pursuing a course of study leading to a graduate degree in psychology at an accredited college or university while working in a training program, if his or her activities and services constitute a part of the supervised course of study and he or she is designated by a title such as “psychological intern", “psychological trainee" or other title clearly indicating the training status appropriate to his or her level of training. The term “psychological intern" shall be reserved for persons enrolled in the doctoral program in psychology at an accredited college or university or engaged in a formal psychology internship program.

(g) A person certified by the department of public instruction to provide psychological or counseling services, if the person is performing activities that are a part of the duties for which he or she is employed, is performing those activities solely within the confines of or under the jurisdiction of the school district by which he or she is employed and does not render or offer to render psychological services to the public for a fee over and above the salary that he or she receives for the performance of the official duties with the school district by which he or she is employed.

(h) A person who has a doctoral degree in psychology and who has met the examining board's requirements for predoctoral supervised experience under s. Psy 2.09 (2), Wis. Adm. Code, while employed as a psychology resident by a clinic certified by the department of health services.

NOTE: Section Psy 2.09 (2), Wis. Adm. Code was repealed eff. 7-1-99 by Rule Order CR 98-206 published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register, June, 1999, No. 522.

(i) An ordained member of the clergy of any religious denomination or sect who is associated with a church, synagogue or other religious organization, contributions to which are tax deductible for federal and state income tax purposes, if the member of the clergy is engaged in activities that are within the scope of his or her regular duties as a member of the clergy and that are not rendered to the public for a fee over and above the salary or other compensation that the member of the clergy receives for the performance of his or her official duties as a member of the clergy with the church, synagogue or religious organization with which he or she is associated.

(k) A person engaged in employment counseling or testing for other than therapeutic purposes.

(L) A mental health professional who has met all of the qualifications under s. DHS 61.96, Wis. Adm. Code, for employment as a mental health professional in an outpatient psychotherapy clinic certified by the department of health services under s. DHS 61.95, Wis. Adm. Code, if the person is performing activities that are a part of the duties for which he or she is employed by such a certified outpatient psychotherapy clinic and is performing those activities solely within the confines of or under the jurisdiction of the clinic by which he or she is employed.

(m) A person providing psychological services as an employee of a federal, state or local governmental agency, if the person is providing the psychological services as a part of the duties for which he or she is employed, is providing the psychological services solely within the confines of or under the jurisdiction of the agency by which he or she is employed and does not provide or offer to provide psychological services to the public for a fee over and above the salary that he or she receives for the performance of the official duties with the agency by which he or she is employed.

(n) A person coordinating or participating in the activities of a nonprofit peer support group, if the person performs those activities solely within the confines of the peer support group and does not render or offer to render psychological services to the public for a fee.

(3m) Use of titles. Except as provided in s. 257.03, only an individual licensed under s. 455.04 (1) may use the title “psychologist" or any similar title or state or imply that he or she is licensed to practice psychology, and only an individual licensed under s. 455.04 (4) may use the title “private practice school psychologist" or any similar title or state or imply that he or she is licensed to engage in the private practice of school psychology. Except as provided in s. 257.03, only an individual licensed under s. 455.04 (1) or (4) may represent himself or herself to the public by any description of services incorporating the word “psychological" or “psychology".

History: 1979 c. 162 ss. 30, 38 (7); 1989 a. 243; 1995 a. 27 ss. 9126 (19), 9145 (1); 1995 a. 188; 1995 a. 225 s. 466; 1997 a. 35, 261; 2001 a. 38, 104; 2005 a. 96; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2009 a. 42, 180.