Panel hearing summary 2020.0875

Decision of the Psychology Board of Australia

Performance and professional standards panel 

Jurisdiction: Western Australia
Date of Decision: 11 November 2019

Classification of Notification

Clinical care - Inadequate or inappropriate treatment

Summary

The Board referred allegations that the Practitioner failed to meet accepted standards in relation to assessment and case formulation, failed to meet accepted standards in relation to suicide risk assessment, failed to meet accepted standards in providing an evidence based psychological intervention, inappropriately diagnosed a client, inappropriately suggested to a client that he give thought to utilising the service of sex workers to alleviate any heightened emotional tension and provided treatment contrary to the parameters of Medicare’s Better Access Initiative.

The Panel found that the Practitioner had behaved in a way that constituted unsatisfactory professional performance. The Panel cautioned the Practitioner and imposed conditions on her registration requiring supervision in the areas of assessment, clinical case formulation, intervention and record keeping. The Panel noted that the approved supervisor needs to hold practice endorsement in the area of counselling or clinical psychology.