(a) The practice of educational psychology is the performance of any of the following professional functions pertaining to academic learning processes or the educational system or both:

(1) Educational evaluation.

(2) Diagnosis of psychological disorders related to academic learning processes.

(3) Administration of diagnostic tests related to academic learning processes including tests of academic ability, learning patterns, achievement, motivation, and personality factors.

(4) Interpretation of diagnostic tests related to academic learning processes including tests of academic ability, learning patterns, achievement, motivation, and personality factors.

(5) Providing psychological counseling for individuals, groups, and families.

(6) Consultation with other educators and parents on issues of social development and behavioral and academic difficulties.

(7) Conducting psychoeducational assessments for the purposes of identifying special needs.

(8) Developing treatment programs and strategies to address problems of adjustment.

(9) Coordinating intervention strategies for management of individual crises.

(b) For purposes of supervising an associate marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist trainee pursuant to Section 4980.03, an associate clinical social worker pursuant to Section 4996.20, or an associate professional clinical counselor pursuant to Section 4999.12, “educationally related mental health services” are mental health services provided to clients who have social, emotional, or behavioral issues that interfere with their educational progress. These services include all of the following:

(1) Educationally related counseling services to clients qualified for special education that are necessary to receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment pursuant to the federal requirements of Section 1412 of Title 20 of the United States Code.

(2) Intensive counseling services on a continuum that may reflect an increase in frequency, duration, or staff specialization to address the client’s emotional and behavioral needs.

(3) Counseling services provided by qualified practitioners.

(4) Parent counseling and training.

(5) Psychological services that include consulting with staff members in planning school programs to meet the client’s educational needs and assisting in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies for the client.

(6) Social work services such as preparing a social or developmental history on a client with a disability.

(7) Group and individualized counseling with the client and family.

(8) Mobilizing school and community resources to enable the client to learn as effectively as possible in their educational program, as outlined in Section 300.34 of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 510, Sec. 59. (SB 887) Effective January 1, 2024.)