The 25 Biggest Mistakes Psychologists Make After Being Notified of a Department of Health Complaint

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The investigation of a complaint which could lead to the revocation of a psychologist’s license to practice and the assessment of tens of thousands of dollars in fines, usually starts with a simple letter from the Department of Health (DOH). This is a very serious legal matter and it should be treated as such by the psychologist who receives it. Yet, in many cases, attorneys are consulted by psychologists after the entire investigation is over, and they have attempted to represent themselves throughout the case. Often, the mistakes that have been made severely compromise an attorney’s ability to achieve a favorable result for the psychologist.

These are the 25 biggest mistakes we see in the psychology cases we are called upon to defend after a DOH investigation has been initiated:

1.  Failing to keep a current, valid address on file with the DOH (as required by law), which may seriously delay the receipt of the Uniform Complaint (notice of investigation), letters, and other important correspondence related to the investigation.

2.  Contacting the DOH investigator and providing him/her an oral statement or oral interview. (Note: There is no legal requirement to do this.)

3.  Making a written statement in response to the “invitation” extended by the DOH investigator to do so. (Note: There is no legal requirement to do this.)

4.  Failing to carefully review the complaint to make sure it has been sent to the correct psychologist. (Note: Check name and license number).

5.  Failing to ascertain whether or not the investigation is on the “Fast Track” which may then result in an emergency suspension order (ESO) suspending the psychologist’s license until all proceedings are concluded. (Note: This will usually be the case if there are allegations regarding drug abuse, alcohol abuse, sexual contact with a patient, mental health issues, or failure to comply with PRN instructions.)

6.  Providing a copy of the psychologist’s curriculum vitae (CV) or resume to the investigator because the investigator requested them to do so. (Note: There is no legal requirement to do this.)

7.  Believing that if they “just explain it,” the investigation will be closed and the case dropped.

8.  Failing to submit a timely objection to a DOH subpoena when there are valid grounds to do so.

9.  Failing to forward a complete copy of the patient medical record when subpoenaed by the DOH investigator as part of the investigation, when no objection is going to be filed.

10.  Delegating the task of providing a complete copy of the patient record to office staff, resulting in an incomplete or partial copy being provided.

11.  Failing to keep an exact copy of any medical records, documents, letters or statements provided to the investigator.

12.  Believing that the investigator has knowledge or experience in health care matters or procedures being investigated.

13.  Believing that the investigator is merely attempting to ascertain the truth of the matter and this will result in the matter being dismissed.

14.  Failing to check to see if their medical malpractice insurance carrier will pay the legal fees to defend them in this investigation.

15.Talking to DOH investigators, staff or attorneys, in the mistaken belief that they are capable of doing so without providing information that can and will be used against them.

16.  Believing that because they haven’t heard anything for six months or more the matter has “gone away.” The matter does not ever just go away.

17.  Failing to submit a written request to the investigator at the beginning of the investigation for a copy of the complete investigation report and file and then following up with additional requests until it is received.

18.  Failing to wisely use the time while the investigation is proceeding to interview witnesses, obtain witness statements, conduct research, obtain experts, and perform other tasks that may assist defending the case.

19.  Failing to exercise the right of submitting documents, statements, and expert opinions to rebut the findings made in the investigation report before the case is submitted to the Probable Cause Panel of your licensing board for a decision.

20.  Taking legal advice from their colleagues regarding what they should do (or not do) in defending themselves in the investigation.

21.  Retaining “consultants” or other non-lawyer personnel to represent them.

22.  Believing that the case is indefensible so there is no reason to even try to have it dismissed by the Probable Cause Panel.

23.  Attempting to defend themselves.

24.  Believing that because they know someone with the DOH or a state legislator, that influence can be exerted to have the case dismissed.

25.  Failing to immediately retain the services of a health care attorney who is experienced in such matters to represent them, to communicate with the DOH investigator for them, and to prepare and submit materials to the Probable Cause Panel.

Bonus Point: 26. Communicating with the Department of Health about the pending case.

Not every case will require submission of materials to the Probable Cause Panel after the investigation is received and reviewed. There will be a few where the allegations made are not “legally sufficient” and do not constitute an offense for which the psychologist may be disciplined.

In other cases, an experienced health care attorney may be successful in obtaining a commitment from the DOH attorney to recommend a dismissal to the Probable Cause Panel. In other cases (usually the most serious ones), for tactical reasons, the experienced health care attorney may recommend that you waive your right to have the case submitted to the Probable Cause Panel and that you proceed directly to an administrative hearing. The key to a successful outcome in all of these cases is to obtain the assistance of a health care lawyer who is experienced in appearing before the Board  in such cases and does so on a regular basis.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Department of Health Investigations of Psychologists.
The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to psychologists in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, FBI investigations and other types of investigations of health professionals and providers.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

 

Do Not Voluntarily Relinquish or Give Up Your License or Allow it to Expire While Under Investigation or Pending Disciplinary Action

By Danielle M. Murray, J.D.

Scenario: Psychologist, licensed mental health counselor, or other mental health professional has a license in State 1 where he or she lives and practices and also in State 2. A complaint is filed with the Department of Health, Professional Board, or other licensing authority in State 1.

Rather than incur the legal expenses involved in defending against the complaint in State 1, psychologist, LMHC, or other professional moves to State 2, begins practicing there and voluntarily relinquishes his/her license in State 1.

Unfortunately, in most cases, this is a terrible mistake.

The voluntary relinquishment of the professional license in State 1, while there is a pending complaint, investigation or disciplinary action, will be treated the same as a revocation of the license for disciplinary purposes.

Following are some of the adverse consequences that will follow:

1. State 1 will maintain this action and report it as a disciplinary action. You may not be informed in advance of this fact.

2. The health professional will be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Since the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) was combined into the NPDB, this now includes nurses, psychologists and even facilities.

3. The action will be reported to State 2. State 2 will then commence disciplinary action.

4. In almost all cases, the office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin action to exclude the professional from the Medicare Program. In almost all cases, unless aggressively fought and successfully defended, this will result in the professional’s being excluded from the Medicare Program and placed on the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LIEI). You will not be allowed to work for or contract with (in any capacity) any Medicare provider including physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).

5. If excluded from the Medicare Program and placed on the LIEI, this automatically places the professional on the General Services Administration (GSA) list of persons debarred from contracting with the U.S. government. If on the debarment list, you are not allowed to work for or contract with the federal government or to be a contractor of, owner of, officer of or employee of any person or organization that does contract with the U.S. government. This means, for example, you could not be employed as a construction worker for a company that has government contracts. This also means, for example, you cannot work for a realtor who arranges for government underwritten or guaranteed loans on real estate.

6. If you have a DEA number, most likely the DEA will act to revoke your DEA number.

7. If you have clinical privileges at a hospital or ambulatory surgical center (ASC) you will most probably have these revoked.

8. If you are on the provider panel of any insurance company, it is most likely that you will have your participation terminated by the insurance company.

9. Because of the NPDB report, if you apply for a health professional license in another state, or if you apply for hospital privileges, the report will be provided to the state or hospital and you will most probably have your application denied.

10. If you are a participant as a Medicaid provider in a state’s Medicaid Program, this will be terminated.

11. You will be prohibited from joining or participating as a health care professional in the U.S. military services, the U.S. Public Health Service, or in any federal health care program such as CHAMPUS/TRICARE.

In addition to the above, there are other possible consequences that will come to light only after it is too late to do anything about it.

That is why we urge you to think long and hard before you voluntarily relinquish your license if any complaint has been filed against you or if any investigation has been opened against you. This applies to licenses you may have in other states or which are no longer active.

An investigator or government official may attempt to convince you that it is “in your best interest” to voluntarily relinquish your license. It is not. An investigator or government official may attempt to convince you “it will go easier for you” if you voluntarily give up your professional license. This also is not true. All you are doing is allowing the same effects as a disciplinary revocation to occur without requiring the state to investigate the matter or provide you any due process rights to which you are entitled. You are just making it quick, easy and cheap for the government to take disciplinary action against you, which you are then not even able to appeal.

Consult an Experienced Health Law Attorney.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm are experienced in dealing with DOH investigators, AHCA surveyors, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, FBI agents, police and sheriff’s office investigators, OIG special agents (S/As) and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigators. To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: Danielle M. Murray is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Please, Please, Please Do NOT Talk to the Department of Health (DOH) Investigator

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Whether you are a psychiatrist, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, or another type of mental health professional, I beseech you: please do not talk to a Department of Health (DOH) investigator until you have talked to a health lawyer who is experienced with DOH investigations and board licensing complaints. Do not answer or respond to even the most basic questions about where you work now, what your address is or if you know patient x, until consulting with counsel.

Admitting to the Simplest Facts May Harm You.

We are routinely consulted by mental health professionals and other healthcare providers for representation after they have discussed the case and after it is too late to undo the damage they have caused to themselves. Often they do not understand the seriousness of the matter or the possible consequences, until it is too late. Admitting to even the most basic facts causes damage to any possible defense.

Administrative Licensure Investigations are “Quasi-Criminal.”

The vast majority of mental health professionals and even most attorneys do not realize that DOH investigations concerning complaints against a practitioner’s license are considered to be “penal” or “quasi-criminal” proceedings. This means the same laws and constitutional rights apply to them as apply to criminal investigations. However, since they are also administrative proceedings and not strictly criminal proceedings, investigators do not need to advise you of your Miranda rights or tell you you have the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, etc.

In any criminal investigation a good criminal defense attorney would always tell you “Do not talk to the investigator” and “Tell the investigator you have a lawyer.”

Investigators’ Techniques Try to Get You to not Consult a Lawyer.

DOH investigators, like police investigators, FBI investigators and other law enforcement officers, are well-trained in investigative techniques and how to get information out of suspects. Often the approach used is to catch you by surprise before you even know there is an investigation and the investigation is of you. Another technique used is to lull you into a false sense of security that the investigation is about someone or something else and not you. Another investigative technique is to convince you that you need to “Tell your side of the story” so that the investigation is accurate. Yet another is that “Things will go much better for you if you cooperate.” None of these things are true.

However, if it is truly in your best interest to cooperate or to make a statement, after you consult with your attorney, your legal counsel will surely advise you to do this. The investigator should not mind waiting until you consult your attorney. However, many will go to extremes to convince you that you don’t need an attorney and shouldn’t get an attorney.

Consult an Experienced Health Law Attorney.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm are experienced in dealing with DOH investigators, AHCA surveyors, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents, FBI agents, police and sheriff’s office investigators, OIG special agents (S/As) and Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigators. Call or contact The Health Law Firm for legal advice before you talk to any investigator about any matter.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article represents our opinions based on our many years of practice and experience in this area of health law. You may have a different opinion; you are welcome to it. This one is mine.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only; it is not legal advice.