Idaho MENTAL BEHAVIORAL TELEHEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Idaho’s “Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist” status is not a separate psychologist license with its own training track.

It is a telehealth registration that lets an already‑licensed out‑of‑state mental or behavioral health provider (including psychologists) treat Idaho residents by telehealth, without getting full Idaho licensure. The Idaho Board of Psychologist Examiners administers this registration for psychologists.

Understanding this structure is key, because:

• All clinical hour requirements come from the underlying psychologist license, not from the telehealth registration.
• Idaho uses its own psychologist licensure standards (doctoral degree + two years of supervised experience) as the benchmark for deciding whether another state’s requirements are “substantially similar.” (law.justia.com)

Below is how the pieces fit together, with the exact hour requirements and statutory language where Idaho does specify them.

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1. Idaho’s benchmark: full psychologist licensure and supervised‑experience hours

Even if you never apply for full Idaho licensure, Idaho’s laws and rules define what they consider acceptable training for psychologists. Those standards are used when Idaho decides whether another state has “substantially similar requirements for licensure” for purposes of interstate telehealth. (law.justia.com)

1.1 Required degree

Idaho Code § 54‑2307(2)(a) requires:

“Graduation from an accredited college or university with a doctoral degree in psychology and two (2) years of supervised experience acceptable to the board, one (1) year of which may include a predoctoral practicum or internship and one (1) of which must be postdoctoral.” (law.justia.com)

A related provision allows a doctoral degree in a related field if the training and experience are acceptable to the Board. (law.justia.com)

1.2 Supervised‑experience hours and supervision contact

The Board’s rules in IDAPA 24.12.01.200 define exactly what a “year” of supervised experience means: (law.cornell.edu)

• Hour requirement.
  A year of supervised experience is defined as “a minimum of one thousand (1000) hours of supervised service provision acquired during not less than twelve (12) months and no more than a thirty‑six (36) calendar month period.”

• Timing.
  “The first year of supervised experience must be accredited only after acquiring the equivalent of one (1) year of full‑time graduate study. A second year must be obtained post‑doctorly.”

• Supervisor qualifications.
  “Supervising psychologists must be licensed and in good standing.”

• Amount of supervisory contact.
  The rules set “one (1) hour per week of face‑to‑face individual contact per forty (40) hours of applicable experience” as the minimum amount of supervision.

• Documentation.
  At the conclusion of supervision, “the supervisor will submit a written evaluation on a Board approved form.”

Taken together, Idaho’s psychologist licensure standard is at least two years of supervised experience, with each year defined as at least 1,000 hours of supervised service, and at least one postdoctoral year. There is no further breakdown into “direct” vs. “indirect” hours in the Board’s rules; the key numbers are:

• Minimum supervised‑experience hours:

  • Year 1: 1,000 hours (may be predoctoral practicum/internship)
  • Year 2: 1,000 hours (must be postdoctoral)
  • Total minimum: 2,000 hours of supervised service provision

• Minimum supervision contact:

  • 1 hour of individual face‑to‑face supervision for every 40 hours of experience
  • Over 2,000 hours, that implies at least 50 hours of individual supervision.

The licensure rule cross‑references this, stating that one of the two years may be pre‑doctoral, and the second must be post‑doctoral work under appropriate supervision. (regulations.justia.com)

These are the standards Idaho uses as its own benchmark for psychologist competence.

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2. Legal basis for “Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist” registration

2.1 Virtual Care Access Act and interstate mental/behavioral telehealth

Idaho’s Virtual Care Access Act (Title 54, Chapter 57) includes a specific section on “INTERSTATE TELEHEALTH — MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH” at Idaho Code § 54‑5714. (law.justia.com)

Key points from § 54‑5714:

1. Who qualifies as a “mental or behavioral health provider.”
   For this section, a mental or behavioral health provider is defined as a provider under § 54‑5703(4) who is licensed or registered in another U.S. state/territory to practice mental or behavioral health care. (law.justia.com)
   – This group includes licensed psychologists.

2. Ability to practice telehealth into Idaho without Idaho licensure.
   A mental or behavioral health provider who is not licensed in Idaho may still “provide telehealth services to an Idaho resident or person located in Idaho, notwithstanding any provision of law or rule to the contrary,” if they meet all the requirements of § 54‑5714. (law.justia.com)

3. Core conditions you must meet (summarized from § 54‑5714(3)). (law.justia.com)

   You must:

   • Hold current, valid, unrestricted licensure from an applicable health‑care licensing authority in another state/territory.
   • That jurisdiction must have “substantially similar requirements for licensure as the corresponding Idaho licensing authority.”
     – For psychologists, that means requirements on par with Idaho’s doctoral degree + two years / 2,000 hours of supervised experience.
   • Have no past or pending disciplinary proceedings, except those relating only to nonpayment of fees.
   • Act in full compliance with all applicable Idaho laws, rules, and regulations, including the Virtual Care Access Act and the laws/rules of the Idaho Board of Psychologist Examiners applicable to mental or behavioral health practice.
   • Comply with Idaho requirements on liability insurance, if any.
   • Consent to Idaho jurisdiction (you can be investigated and disciplined by Idaho authorities).
   • Biennially register in Idaho to provide telehealth services.

4. Standard of care.
   The applicable standard is explicitly the “Idaho community standard of care.” (law.justia.com)

5. Discipline and jurisdiction.
   Idaho may investigate and sanction registered telehealth providers, may notify other states of discipline, and telehealth providers remain subject to Idaho courts’ personal jurisdiction. (law.justia.com)

6. Registration is not licensure.
   The statute specifies that the registration “is not equivalent to Idaho licensure for purposes of in‑person services” and does not permit any in‑person practice in Idaho, nor can it be used as a basis for reciprocal or full licensure. (law.justia.com)

7. Fee cap.
   The licensing authority may set a registration application fee “not to exceed thirty‑five dollars ($35.00)”. (law.justia.com)

2.2 How the Board of Psychologist Examiners implements it

On the Board’s website, the fee schedule lists: (dopl.idaho.gov)

• “MENTAL BEHAVIORAL TELEHEALTH PSYCHOLOGIST – REGISTRATION – $35”

This label is simply how DOPL and the Board name the registration type associated with § 54‑5714 for psychologists. It corresponds to the statute’s “interstate telehealth — mental and behavioral health” registration and uses the same $35 maximum fee set in that statute.

There is no additional Idaho‑specific clinical hour requirement attached to this telehealth registration beyond the requirement that your home‑state license comes from a jurisdiction with “substantially similar” standards to Idaho’s own psychologist license standards.

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3. Hour requirements specifically for the Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration

For the telehealth registration itself, Idaho law does not prescribe a new set of clinical hours such as:

• “X hours of telehealth experience,” or
• “Y direct client hours + Z supervised hours.”

Instead, § 54‑5714 works by tying eligibility to your existing, unrestricted license in another state whose standards mirror Idaho’s. (law.justia.com)

Practically, for a psychologist this means:

• Your home‑state license must require at least:

  • A doctoral degree in psychology (or closely related field) from an accredited institution, and
  • Roughly equivalent supervised experience to Idaho’s requirement of two years (minimum 2,000 hours) of supervised service, with at least one year postdoctoral and appropriate supervision. (law.justia.com)

• Idaho then relies on that home‑state licensure plus your good‑standing status, rather than re‑imposing its own separate hour totals for telehealth.

So, to answer the example in your prompt directly:

There is not a requirement like “1,500 hours of direct experience and 1,500 hours of supervised experience” in Idaho law for a Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration.
The controlling numbers are those for full psychologist licensure (2 years, each defined as at least 1,000 hours of supervised service) in whatever state licensed you, and those requirements must be substantially similar to Idaho’s own standards.

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4. Step‑by‑step path to Idaho Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration (out‑of‑state psychologist)

This section assumes you are already a licensed psychologist in another U.S. jurisdiction and want to see Idaho clients via telehealth only.

Step 1 – Confirm your underlying psychologist credentials

Ensure that:

1. You hold a current, valid, unrestricted psychologist license in another state/territory. (law.justia.com)
2. That license was obtained under requirements roughly equivalent to Idaho’s:
   • Doctoral degree in psychology (or closely related field) from an accredited institution. (law.justia.com)
   • At least two years of supervised experience, with at least 1,000 hours per year and one year postdoctoral, or whatever your state uses that would reasonably be considered “substantially similar” to this. (law.justia.com)
   • Passage of the EPPP or equivalent national examination (Idaho requires the EPPP for its own license). (adminrules.idaho.gov)

If your state’s standards are weaker than this, Idaho could decide they are not “substantially similar,” which would block your telehealth registration.

Step 2 – Ensure your record is clean and you meet legal conditions

Under § 54‑5714(3), you must: (law.justia.com)

• Have no past or pending disciplinary proceedings (except those solely about nonpayment of fees).
• Be in compliance with any liability‑insurance requirements.
• Be prepared to comply with all Idaho laws and Board rules that apply to psychologists, including:
  • Idaho’s Virtual Care Access Act (Title 54, Chapter 57),
  • The Psychologist Practice Act (Title 54, Chapter 23),
  • The Board’s rules (IDAPA 24.12.01),
  • The adopted APA Ethics Code.

You must also consent to Idaho jurisdiction and accept that your standard of care is the Idaho community standard. (law.justia.com)

Step 3 – Apply for the interstate mental/behavioral telehealth registration

The Board’s site indicates that mental/behavioral telehealth registrations across boards are handled through Idaho’s DOPL online portal. The Social Work Board page, for example, directs applicants to “apply for the Interstate Mental or Behavioral Telehealth Registration” via this portal, and the Psychologist Board page lists the “Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist – Registration – $35” fee category. (dopl.idaho.gov)

For psychologists, the typical process is:

1. Create or log into your DOPL online profile (edopl.idaho.gov).
2. Under applications, choose the Mental Behavioral Telehealth registration for psychologists.
3. Complete the application form prescribed by the Board, which must demonstrate compliance with § 54‑5714 and include your consent to Idaho jurisdiction. The statute expressly authorizes the licensing authority to require this form and to charge a registration fee up to $35, which the Board has set at $35. (law.justia.com)
4. Provide any required documentation, which may include:
   • Verification of your out‑of‑state psychologist license and its good‑standing status.
   • Attestations about disciplinary history and liability insurance.
   • Agreement to abide by Idaho laws, rules, and the Idaho standard of care.

Step 4 – Maintain your registration and practice within its limits

Once registered:

• Renewal / duration.
  Your telehealth registration must be renewed every two years (“biennially register in Idaho to provide telehealth services”). (law.justia.com)

• Scope.
  The registration:

  • Authorizes you only to provide telehealth services to Idaho residents or people located in Idaho.
  • Does not allow any in‑person services in Idaho.
  • Cannot be used to claim reciprocal or full Idaho licensure. (law.justia.com)

• Compliance.
  You must:

  • Follow all provisions of the Virtual Care Access Act (e.g., standards for evaluation, informed consent, records, continuity of care). (law.justia.com)
  • Comply with Idaho’s psychologist practice laws and rules, including ethical obligations and recordkeeping.
  • Continue to meet your home‑state’s licensure and CE requirements.

Failure to comply can lead to discipline in Idaho and notice to your home‑state licensing board. (law.justia.com)

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5. Alternative telehealth path for Idaho‑licensed psychologists: PSYPACT

For completeness: psychologists who are licensed in Idaho can provide telepsychology into other PSYPACT states via the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which Idaho joined through Idaho Code § 54‑2321. The Board’s site explains that PSYPACT allows Idaho‑licensed psychologists to provide telehealth and temporary in‑person services to patients in other compact states, and vice versa. (dopl.idaho.gov)

This path is different from the Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration, which is targeted at out‑of‑state providers serving Idaho patients.

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Summary of hour requirements and key language

For a psychologist interacting with the Idaho Board of Psychologist Examiners:

• Idaho psychologist licensure benchmark

  • Doctoral degree in psychology (or related field) from an accredited institution. (law.justia.com)
  • Two (2) years of supervised experience, one of which may be predoctoral and one of which must be postdoctoral. (law.justia.com)
  • Each “year of supervised experience” = minimum 1,000 hours of supervised service provision within 12–36 months. (law.cornell.edu)
  • Supervision minimum = 1 hour of face‑to‑face individual contact per 40 hours of applicable experience. (law.cornell.edu)

• Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration (Idaho Virtual Care Access Act, § 54‑5714)

  • For out‑of‑state mental/behavioral health providers (including psychologists) not licensed in Idaho.
  • Requires a current, valid, unrestricted license from another U.S. jurisdiction with substantially similar licensure standards as Idaho’s. (law.justia.com)
  • Requires biennial registration in Idaho to provide telehealth services and compliance with all applicable Idaho laws and Board rules. (law.justia.com)
  • Registration fee set by the Board at $35, consistent with the statutory cap of $35. (law.justia.com)
  • Does not impose new Idaho clinical hour requirements beyond what was required for the underlying psychologist license, and does not allow in‑person practice or serve as a shortcut to Idaho licensure. (law.justia.com)

In other words, your hours and supervised experience are evaluated at the level of your home‑state psychologist license, and Idaho’s role for the Mental Behavioral Telehealth Psychologist registration is to verify that those underlying standards are comparable to Idaho’s own and that you meet the legal and ethical conditions for interstate telehealth.