A Complaint is filed when unprofessional conduct is alleged against a psychologist, behavior analyst, or applicant for licensure. However, in cases where unprofessional conducted is alleged against a psychologist who provided services that were ordered by the Court, a Claim, rather than a Complaint, should be filed.
It is also important to note that Arizona Revised Statutes § 32-2081(B) states: "The Board shall not consider a complaint against a psychologist arising out of a judicially ordered evaluation, treatment or psychoeducation of a person charged with violating any provision of title 13, chapter 14 [Sexual Offenses] to present a charge of unprofessional conduct unless the court ordering the evaluation has found a substantial basis to refer the complaint for consideration by the board. Complaints filed under A.R.S. §32-2081(B) will be returned to the Complainant with instructions that those Complaints must be filed with the Court that heard the original court case."
A Complaint may be filed when unprofessional conduct is alleged against a psychologist (except as noted above for Court-ordered services), behavior analyst, or applicant for licensure.
To file a complaint against a licensed psychologist, licensed behavior analyst, or applicant for licensure, please complete the Complaint form, which may be downloaded from this page (see below) or under the "FORMS" tab (see "General Forms"). The complaint form must be filed out. You may submit any supporting documentation with the complaint. The Board accepts complaints by mail, via fax to 602-542-8279, or by email to: [email protected] . If you intend submit a complaint by email, the completed complaint form and any other documentation must be submitted in one file/attachment.
Complaints are reviewed by Board staff to determined whether the Board has jurisdiction. Those Complaints for which the Board has jurisdiction are logged, assigned a number, and the Complainant is notify of the Agency's receipt of the Complaint. The Respondent (psychologist, behavior analyst, or applicant) is sent a copy of the Complaint and provided the opportunity to respond. Once a Complaint is opened, it must go through the entire Complaint process and cannot be withdrawn or rescinded. Materials related to a Complaint are confidential. If the Complainant submits any additional complaint information or documents, the Board is required by law to provide copies of that additional information to the Respondent for a response.
The Complaint will first be investigated by Board staff. For Complaints filed against a licensed psychologist or psychologist applicant, all related materials, such as the original Complaint, response, and and other pertinent materials will be provided to the Board's Complaint Screening Committee (CSC), which consists of one public member and two psychologist members of the Board. The CSC meets virtually and provides the first level of review for Complaints against psychologists. The CSC may dismiss the Complaint, refer the Complaint to the full Board for further consideration, or request additional information. For Complaints filed against a licensed behavior analyst or behavior analyst applicant, they are reviewed by the Board's Committee on Behavior Analysts (CBA), which is comprised of five licensed behavior analysts. The CBA meets virtually and provides the first level of review for Complaints against behavior analysts. The CBA makes a recommendation to the Board regarding complaint disposition, which the Board may accept or reject.
Before filing a Complaint or Claim, please verify that the individual is licensed by the Board through verification of their license on the Board's directory. If you cannot locate their information on the directory, please contact Board staff for direction and provide the professional's first and last name.
To file a claim against a psychologist who has provided services ordered by a Court, please complete the Claim form, which may be downloaded from this page (see below) or under the "FORMS" tab (see "General Forms"). You may submit any supporting documentation with the Claim. At a minimum, please include a copy of the court order appointing the psychologist and any reports/letters authored by the psychologist. The Board accepts Claims by mail, via fax to 602-542-8279, or by email to: [email protected] . If you intend submit a claim by email, the completed claim form and any other documentation must be submitted in one file/attachment.
Pursuant to A.R.S. 32-2081(C), the claim will be independently reviewed by three members of the Board (“Reviewers”), including one public member. The Board office may contact the Claimant with follow up questions or to request additional documentation. Each Reviewer will review the Claim and will independently make a recommendation to the Board’s Executive Director regarding whether there is merit to open a Complaint. If the three Reviewers independently recommend not opening a Complaint, a Complaint will not be opened. If, however, one or more Reviewer(s) recommend opening a complaint, a complaint will be opened and an investigation will follow. You will be notified of the outcome of the review. The psychologist will be notified of the Claim pursuant to A.R.S. 32-2081(E).
Please note that the Board cannot remove a psychologist from a particular case, overturn opinions or decisions made by a psychologist, or influence a court of law or judge to disregard the opinion of a psychologist.
This document outlines the misdemeanor charges that must be reported by a licensee to the Board in writing within 10 working days after the charge has been filed, pursuant to A.R.S. 32-3208 (Criminal charges; mandatory reporting requirements; civil penalty).
All state and federal felony charges are reportable under A.R.S. § 32-3208.
Self-reports can be submitted by mail, fax, or email to [email protected] . A self-report shall include a signed written statement that specifies what the licensee has been charged with, the circumstances leading to the charge(s), the status of the criminal charge(s), and the name of the arresting agency and court where the case is being reviewed. You may include any other pertinent information in your statement and supply any supporting documentation.
Tell us how we're doing! The Board would appreciate it you would take a moment to complete this optional survey regarding investigations and your contact with Board staff and/or the Complaint Screening Committee. The survey can be accessed by clicking on this Link.
