Panel hearing summary 2020.0881

Decision of the Psychology Board of Australia

Performance and professional standards panel 

Jurisdiction: South Australia
Date of Decision: 20 February 2020

Classification of Notification

Clinical Care - Inadequate or inappropriate treatment / Billing - Inappropriate fees or billing practices / Inappropriate communication / Failure to provide adequate or accurate information / Health record - inadequate 

Summary

The Board referred allegations that the Practitioner inadequately managed the provision of psychological services to a married couple, made inappropriate billing arrangements, disclosed confidential information, failed to maintain adequate clinical records, failed to make arrangements for continuity of care and made inappropriate comments to a client.

The Panel decided that the Practitioner had behaved in a way that constituted unsatisfactory professional performance. The Panel cautioned the Practitioner. In addition, the Panel imposed conditions on the Practitioner’s registration requiring:

1. supervision in relation to record-keeping, clinical case formulation, treatment planning and treatment evaluation and accessing appropriate continuing professional development; and
2. education on ethical decision-making, suicide prevention and responding to suicide risk.