Arizona § 32-2086 - Treatment and rehabilitation program

§ 32-2086. Treatment and rehabilitation program

A. The board may establish a confidential program for the treatment and rehabilitation of psychologists who are impaired. The treatment and rehabilitation may include education, intervention, therapeutic treatment and posttreatment monitoring and support. The licensee is responsible for the costs associated with the treatment and rehabilitation, including monitoring.

B. The board may contract with other organizations to operate the program established pursuant to subsection A of this section. A contract with a private organization shall include the following requirements:

1. Periodic reports to the board regarding treatment program activity.

2. Release to the board on demand of all treatment records.

3. Quarterly reports to the board regarding each psychologist's diagnosis, prognosis and recommendations for continuing care, treatment and supervision.

4. Immediate reporting to the board of the name of an impaired psychologist whom the treating organization believes to be a danger to the public or to the psychologist.

5. Reports to the board, as soon as possible, of the name of a psychologist who refuses to submit to treatment or whose impairment is not substantially alleviated through treatment.

C. The board may allocate an amount of not more than twenty dollars from each fee it collects from the biennial renewal of active licenses pursuant to section 32-2067 for the operation of the program established by this section.

D. A psychologist who is impaired and who does not agree to enter into a stipulated order with the board shall be placed on probation or shall be subject to other action as provided by law.

E. In order to determine that a psychologist who has been placed on a probation order or who has entered into a stipulation order pursuant to this section is not impaired by alcohol or illegal substances after that order is no longer in effect, the board or its designee may require the psychologist to submit to bodily fluid examinations and other examinations known to detect the presence of alcohol or illegal substances at any time within the five consecutive years following termination of the probationary or stipulated order.

F. A psychologist who is impaired by alcohol or illegal substances and who was under a board stipulation or probationary order that is no longer in effect must ask the board to place the psychologist's license on inactive status with cause.  If the psychologist fails to do this, the board shall summarily suspend the license pursuant to section 32-2081. In order to reactivate the license the psychologist must successfully complete a board approved long-term care residential treatment program, an inpatient hospital treatment program or an intensive outpatient treatment program and shall meet the requirements of section 32-2074. After the psychologist completes treatment the board shall determine if it should reactivate the license without restrictions or refer the matter to a formal hearing for the purpose of suspending or revoking the license or to place the psychologist on probation with restrictions necessary to ensure the public's safety.

G. The board may revoke the license of a psychologist if that psychologist is impaired by alcohol or illegal substances and was previously placed on probation pursuant to subsection F of this section. If the licensee is no longer on probation, the board may accept the surrender of the license if the psychologist admits in writing to being impaired by alcohol or illegal substances.

H. An evaluator, treatment provider, teacher, supervisor or volunteer in the board's substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation program who acts in good faith within the scope of that program is not subject to civil liability, including malpractice liability, for the actions of a psychologist who is attending the program pursuant to board action.