Tziahanas v. Department of Licensing & Regulation

371 N.W.2d 477, 143 Mich. App. 75, 1985 Mich. App. LEXIS 2638
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 20, 1985
DocketDocket No. 76571
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 371 N.W.2d 477 (Tziahanas v. Department of Licensing & Regulation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tziahanas v. Department of Licensing & Regulation, 371 N.W.2d 477, 143 Mich. App. 75, 1985 Mich. App. LEXIS 2638 (Mich. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinions

Shepherd, P.J.

Petitioner appeals as of right [77]*77from a circuit court order affirming the denial by respondent of petitioner’s application for a license to practice psychology. We reverse.

Petitioner applied for a license on July 30, 1979. A hearing was held on November 24, 1980. In an opinion dated August 19, 1981, the hearing examiner concluded that petitioner had failed to meet the "training” or internship requirements contained in 1979 AC, R 338.2506 (Rule 6):

"(b) Training. An applicant shall have participated in an internship program which complies with the following:
"(i) The internship provides the applicant with substantial opportunities to carry out major professional functions in the context of appropriate supervisory support.
"(ii) The internship should be an integrated part of the doctoral degree program; however, a postdoctoral internship may be recognized by the board if it meets the other requirements set forth in this subdivision.
"(iii) The internship takes place in an organized health care setting, as definded in R 338.2501(l)(b), or other arrangement receiving approval of the board.
"(iv) The internship requires the applicant to work not less than 20 hours per week in the internship program.
"(v) The internship requires not less than 2,000 clock hours of psychological work.
"(vi) The applicant is supervised by a psychologist who is licensed in Michigan or who meets the qualifications for licensure in Michigan.
"(vii) The internship is separate and distinct from the applicant’s required experience in the practice of psychology.”1

1979 AC, R 338.2501(l)(b) defines "organized health care setting” as follows:_

[78]*78" 'Organized health care setting’ means an organized governmental entity, nonprofit organization, or private agency, institution, or organization engaged in the delivery of health care services which provides an opportunity for continuous professional interaction and collaboration with other disciplines, an opportunity to utilize a variety of theories, and an opportunity to work with a broad range of populations and techniques.”

In the summers of 1962 and 1963, petitioner worked a total of 560 hours at the University of Michigan Medical Center under the supervision of psychologist Dr. Ralph Gibson. During the summer of 1965, petitioner worked an additional 320 hours at the University of Michigan High School under the supervision of Dr. Warren A. Ketcham. During the school term, petitioner was employed by the Ann Arbor school system as a teacher of emotionally disturbed children. Petitioner continues to work for the Ann Arbor school system as a learning-disability consultant and school psychologist.

Petitioner submitted evidence of other experiences during the 1965-1970 school years to fulfill the internship requirement. Dr. William C. Morse, Chairman of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Michigan, testified that during those years petitioner worked on a new type of program to deliver mental health services to disturbed children and their families. However, the board’s expert witness, herself a member of the defendant board, stated that work performed in the public school system did not fulfill the internship requirements. The hearing examiner accepted the 880 hours of work performed with Drs. Gibson and Ketcham as part of the internship, and acknowledged that petitioner met the separate educational and work experience requirements for licensure. R 338.2506. The hearing examiner concluded that petitioner’s work [79]*79during the 1965-1970 school years failed "to meet any of the requirements of Rule 6(b)(i) through (vii)”, (emphasis in original). The Board of Psychology adopted the hearing examiner’s opinion. The circuit court affirmed. This appeal followed.

Petitioner argues that he presented uncontroverted evidence of compliance with each of the board’s internship requirements as stated in Rule 6. He further argues that the board’s expert witness did not provide any testimonial evidence, but merely propounded a policy view of what sort of training meets the internship requirements. Thus, petitioner urges, the board did not give his application the individualized consideration it deserved. We agree with petitioner’s argument.

The Legislature has empowered the board to promulgate rules for licensure of psychologists:

"The board shall promulgate rules requiring that an individual granted a license under this part * * * shall have been granted a doctoral degree in psychology, or a doctoral degree in a closely related field, from a regionally accredited or other college, university, or institution approved by the board, which included education and training appropriate to the practice of psychology, and shall have not less than 2 years postdoctoral experience in the practice of psychology in an organized health care setting or other arrangement, as established by the board.” MCL 333.18223(1); MSA 14.15(18223X1).

It was pursuant to this statutory mandate that the board promulgated the internship requirements contained in Rule 6. This case presents no issue as to the validity of these requirements. Rather, the sole issue is whether the record contains "competent, material and substantial evidence” that petitioner did not fulfill these requirements. MCL 24.306(l)(d); MSA 3.560(206)(l)(d).

The hearing examiner concluded that petitioner [80]*80had not met "any” of the seven requirements. We disagree. Petitioner submitted evidence as to each of the seven requirements:

(i) Petitioner testified that he worked from 1965 to 1970 under the supervision of Dr. Morse. Dr. Morse testified regarding the nature of petitioner’s work during this period. There was no evidence that petitioner’s work did not encompass "major professional functions”, R 338.2506(b)(i), and from Dr. Morse’s testimony, there appears to be no doubt that it did. See, also, MCL 333.18201(l)(b); MSA 14.15(18201)(l)(b).
(ii) Petitioner’s work in the school system related closely to his doctoral degree program. Petitioner was awarded his doctorate in 1971 in educational psychology, with a specialty in emotionally disturbed children. His doctoral supervisor was the same Dr. Morse who supervised petitioner at work.
(iii) A school system, to the extent that psychological services are rendered there, meets the broad definition of "organized health care setting”. R 338.2501(l)(b). The record contains a letter from an Ann Arbor school official, describing the school system as "a health care agency for diagnosis and treatment of children with learning and behavioral problems”. Petitioner testified that he interacted and collaborated with members of other disciplines, including social workers and speech therapists.
(iv) Petitioner worked the requisite 20 hours per week.
(v) During the period in question, petitioner worked far in excess of the 2,000-hour requirement.
(vi) Petitioner’s supervisor, Dr. Morse, is and was a licensed psychologist.

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Bluebook (online)
371 N.W.2d 477, 143 Mich. App. 75, 1985 Mich. App. LEXIS 2638, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tziahanas-v-department-of-licensing-regulation-michctapp-1985.