Current through the 2024 legislative session
Section 33-27-113 - Definitions(a) As used in this act: (i) "Board" means the Wyoming state board of psychology;(ii) "Institution of higher education" means any regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States, including a professional school, that offers a full-time doctoral course of study in psychology as defined in the rules of the board. For Canadian universities, it means an institution of higher education that holds recognized membership in the association of universities and colleges of Canada. Institutions of higher education outside the United States and Canada will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the board;(iii) "Practice of psychology" means the observation, description, evaluation, interpretation and modification of human behavior by the application of psychological principles, methods and procedures, for the purpose of any one (1) or any combination of the following: (A) Preventing, eliminating, evaluating or assessing symptomatic, maladaptive or undesired behavior;(B) Enhancing interpersonal relationships, work and life adjustment, personal effectiveness, behavioral health and mental health;(C) Consulting in legal decision making;(D) Psychological testing and the evaluation or assessment of personal characteristics such as intelligence, personality, abilities, interests, aptitudes and neuropsychological functioning;(E) Psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, hypnosis, biofeedback and behavior analysis and therapy;(F) Diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorder or disability, alcoholism and substance abuse, disorders of habit or conduct, as well as of psychological aspects of physical illness, accident, injury or disability;(G) Psychoeducational evaluation, therapy, remediation and consultation.(iv) "Practice of school psychology" means rendering or offering to render to individuals, groups, organizations, government agencies or the public any of the following services: (A) Evaluation, diagnosis, or test interpretation limited to assessment of intellectual ability, learning patterns, achievement, motivation, personality or neurological factors directly related to learning problems in an educational setting;(B) Counseling services for children or adults for amelioration or prevention of educationally related learning problems.(v) "Psychologist" means a person licensed to practice psychology;(vi) "Representation as a psychologist or school psychologist" means using any title or description of services incorporating the words psychology, psychological or psychologist;(vii) Repealed By Laws 2009, Ch. 154, § 2.(viii) "Sexual exploitation of a client or patient" means:(A) Any verbal behavior by a psychologist or school psychologist which involves offers of exchange of professional services for some form of sexual gratification; or(B) Unlawful or unprofessional sexual contact with a client or patient.(ix) "Specialist in school psychology" means a person who holds at least a masters degree in school psychology or a degree considered equivalent by the board as described in the rules and regulations and who is certified by the board;(x) "Certifying entity" means the behavior analyst certification board or another entity as specified by rule of the board whose programs to credential practitioners of behavior analysis are accredited by the national commission on certifying agencies, the American national standards institute or a similar successor accrediting organization and which reasonably ensures that persons certified have the qualifications, education and experience necessary to protect public health and safety and to provide services that are customary and professional;(xi) "Licensed assistant behavior analyst" means a person licensed under this act for the practice of behavior analysis and who is supervised in accordance with W.S. 33-27-124(c);(xii) "Licensed behavior analyst" means a person licensed under this act for the practice of behavior analysis;(xiii) "Practice of behavior analysis" means the design, implementation and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications based on scientific research and direct and indirect observation and measurement of behavior and environment to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. The "practice of behavior analysis" includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors. The "practice of behavior analysis" does not include psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, counseling, psychological testing, personality, intellectual or neuropsychological assessments or the diagnosis of psychological disorders;(xiv) "This act" means W.S. 33-27-113 through 33-27-125.(b) A person not otherwise exempt from this act is engaged in the practice of psychology when the person advertises or represents that he is authorized to practice psychology and performs any of the activities enumerated in paragraph (a)(iii) of this section without regard to whether payment is received for services rendered.Amended by Laws 2022 , ch. 47, § 2, eff. 3/9/2022.