Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 609-3-.04 - Paid Clinical Experience/Required Professional Experience
In order to meet the requirements for paid clinical experience/required professional experience, an individual must submit the required application, pay applicable fees and satisfy the following requirements:
(a)
Paid Clinical
Experience (PCE)/Required Professional Experience (RPE) Fellow.
In order to be eligible to become a Paid Clinical Fellow Experience/Required Professional Experience Fellow, the applicant must have met the academic and clinical experience requirements set out in Board Rules. The applicant must have been issued an official transcript showing degree earned and date of issue.
1. Paid Clinical
Experience/Required Professional Experience (RPE) Duration - Speech-Language
Pathology or Masters Degree Audiology. The speech-language pathology or
master's degree audiology applicant for licensure must submit evidence of
satisfactory completion of no less than 36 weeks of full-time professional
employment. A minimum of 30 hours of work per week constitutes full-time
employment. At least 80% of the clinical fellowship work week must be in direct
client contact (assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, screening, habilitation, or
rehabilitation) related to the management process. Thus, in a 30-hour work
week, at least 24 hours must be devoted to direct clinical activities. The
PCE/RPE must be completed no more than 12 months after the initial application.
The PCE/RPE requirement can also be met by less than full-time employment, but
must be completed no more than 24 months after initial application. For
example, if the PCE/RPE Fellow works:
(i)
25-29 hours per week, the length of the PCE/RPE must be at least 48
weeks.
(ii) 20-24 hours per week,
the length of the PCE/RPE must be at least 60 weeks.
(iii) 15-19 hours per week, the length of the
PCE/RPE must be at least 72 weeks. Professional employment of less than 15
hours per week may not be used to fulfill any part of the PCE/RPE.
2. Paid Clinical Experience
(PCE)/Required Professional Experience (RPE) Duration -Doctoral Degree
Audiology.
(i) The applicant who has
completed a clinical externship as outlined in the Board Rule
609-3-.03 has satisfied the Required
Professional Experience.
(ii) The
applicant who did not complete the clinical externship as outlined in Board
Rule
609-3-.03 shall follow the required
professional experience as outlined for the master's degree audiology
applicant.
(b)
Required Supervision During the
PCE/RPE.
1. At all times during the
period of PCE/RPE, the PCE/RPE Fellow shall be under the direction of one or
more supervisors.
2. Supervision of
the PCE/RPE Fellow must entail the personal and direct monitoring of the
Fellow's work.
3. Personal and
direct monitoring activities shall include but not be limited to observations,
evaluations of written reports, evaluation by professional colleagues and
discussions of clinical work.
4.
Personal and direct monitoring activities shall be conducted at a minimum of
one per month in order to evaluate the progress of the PCE/RPE
Fellow.
(c)
Qualifications and Responsibilities of the PCE/RPE Supervisor.
1. The PCE/RPE must be obtained under a
supervisor who is either:
(i) a Georgia
licensed Speech-Language Pathologist or Audiologist who is licensed in the
area(s) for which the PCE/RPE Fellow seeks clinical professional experience and
who is ultimately liable for the quality of services provided;
(ii) The supervisor shall supervise no more
than two (2) PCE/RPE Fellows under the provisions of this rule; and
(iii) A family member or individual related
in any way to the PCE/RPE Fellow may not serve as a PCE/RPE
supervisor.
(d)
Application for PCE/RPE Fellow
Provisional License.
1. The PCE/RPE
Fellow applicant and supervisor must submit to the Board an application and all
required information for provisional license. The Board must receive official
undergraduate and graduate transcripts indicating degree(s) earned and date of
issue.
2. The PCE/RPE applicant may
not begin the PCE/RPE until Board approval is received and provisional license
number issued. The Board may, at its discretion, approve the plan for PCE/RPE
and grant a provisional license to the application as a PCE/RPE Fellow for the
purpose of practicing during the PCE/RPE.
3. The provisional license shall be valid for
a period of one year from the beginning date of the PCE/RPE period.
(i) The provisional license may be renewed
for one additional year if the approved PCE/RPE period is for part time
experience and the period extends beyond one year, but may not be renewed
solely for the purposes of the applicant's completion of other license
requirements.
(ii) If the PCE/RPE
Fellow has been approved for permanent license, the provisional license shall
be superceded. If the PCE/RPE Fellow is not approved for permanent license, the
provisional license may be voided or continued through the remaining period of
validity of the license.
(e)
Grounds for
denial/suspension/revocation of PCE/RPE.
The Board shall have the authority to refuse to grant a provisional license to, suspend or revoke a provisional license pursuant to O.C.G.A. ยง 43-1-19.
(f)
Documentation of Completion of the
PCE/RPE.
1. After completing the
approved PCE/RPE period, the PCE/RPE Fellow and supervisor shall complete and
provide to the Board the appropriate notarized forms to document completion of
the PCE/RPE.
2. The documentation
shall provide information on the approximate hours per calendar week engaged in
diagnostic evaluations, therapy, recordkeeping, staff meetings and in-service
training.
3. Any calendar week in
which the PCE/RPE Fellow has not worked a minimum of 30 hours for full-time or
15 hours for part-time shall not be counted toward the PCE/RPE.
4. The supervisor and PCE/RPE Fellow shall
provide the documentation of the monitoring activities as provided for in Board
Rules.
5. The documentation shall
include a statement on the supervisor's assessment of the PCE/RPE Fellow's
clinical competency as demonstrated by performance during the
PCE/RPE.
(g)
Change(s) to the PCE/RPE.
1. The
PCE/RPE Fellow shall notify the Board within 14 calendar days of any changes in
the PCE/RPE during the approved period, including but not limited to:
(i) the dates and duration of any breaks in
service,
(ii) change in PCE/RPE
supervisor,
(iii) change in the
place of employment, or
(iv) change
of employer.
2. The
Board may approve the changes in its discretion, and specify allowable
adjustments in the PCE/RPE.
(h)
Failure to Obtain a Provisional
License for the PCE/RPE.
1. A person
who practices speech-language pathology and/or Audiology and who fails to apply
for and be approved for a provisional license shall be considered practicing
without a license and may be subject to sanction of Title 43 of the Official
Code of Georgia Annotated.
2. A
supervisor who allows a person to practice without a provisional license for
the PCE/RPE may be subject to sanction of Title 43 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated.
Notes
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