In Wyoming, mental health professionals provide essential care and support to clients who may be experiencing emotional or mental distress. For individuals navigating grief, anxiety, depression, addiction, or other mental health conditions, you and your colleagues offer a confidential space in which they can discuss, identify, and evaluate their feelings, circumstances, and needs.
From Cheyenne and Casper to Laramie and Gillette and in smaller communities, your clients know that the therapeutic care you provide supports their health, relationships, education, careers, and every other aspect of their lives.
Your education, training, and clinical experience inform your practice and the support, guidance, and treatment you offer your clients. You do important work. Because of your commitment to your clients, you may be surprised to discover that a misconduct complaint has been filed against you.
If you are a therapist, counselor, or social worker targeted by a license disciplinary investigation in Wyoming, you are not alone. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team is ready to help. Our experienced attorneys can fight to protect you and your professional license from any allegation made against you. To partner with us, contact the Lento Law Firm by telephone at 888-535-3686 or complete an online consultation form.
Mental Health Professional Licensing, Certifications, and Discipline in Wyoming
The Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board (the Board) oversees license applications and renewals investigates complaints, and takes disciplinary action against mental health providers in Wyoming, including:
- Licensed Professional Counselors.
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists.
- Licensed Addictions Therapists.
- Certified Social Workers.
- Certified Addictions Practitioners.
- Certified Addictions Practitioners Assistants.
- Certified Mental Health Workers.
Mental health professionals who are credentialed as licensed professional counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and licensed addiction therapists are licensed to provide mental health care and use their professional titles.
Certified addiction practitioners, certified social workers, and certified mental health workers are individuals who are authorized to provide care under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor.
The board consists of six members: one licensed professional counselor, one licensed marriage and family therapist, one licensed addictions therapist, one licensed clinical social worker, and two members of the public at large.
In Wyoming, a misconduct allegation against you can disrupt every aspect of your life and jeopardize your career, your financial security, and your future. We understand the stakes are high. The Lento Law Firm Professional License Defense Team helps licensed and certified mental health providers defend their credentials in Wyoming.
Professional Misconduct in Wyoming
The Mental Health Professional Practice Act prescribes the professional conduct of licensed and certified mental health practitioners and social workers. The Board is authorized to deny, suspend, revoke, refuse to renew, or restrict a license or certification based on prohibited behavior, including misconduct demonstrated by:
- Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor that relates adversely to the practice of counseling, marriage and family therapy, clinical social work, or addiction therapy.
- Gross incompetence and malpractice.
- Mental incompetency.
- Submission of false or misleading information to the Board in any application for examination, licensure, or certification.
- Habitual intemperate alcohol or controlled substance use.
- Violation and conviction of a charge under the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act.
- Sexual exploitation of a patient is defined as the verbal offer to exchange professional services for some form of sexual gratification or unlawful or unprofessional sexual conduct with a client.
- Failure to apply for a license, certification, or renewal or to meet continuing education requirements on time.
- Unprofessional or unethical conduct.
The Board has incorporated into its regulations the ethical standards of professional organizations in the mental health and social work field, including the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the American Counseling Association. If a conflict is found between Wyoming law or regulation and the standards set by these professional organizations, the state's law and rules control.
In Wyoming, license and certification holders must practice in a manner consistent with the public's best interest and uphold standards of competency, collegiality, professionalism and transparency, and ethical relationships, including those enumerated below:
Competency
- Practice only within their areas of competency.
- Seek advice and counsel from colleagues and supervisors when it is in the best interest of the client.
Collegiality
- Treat colleagues with respect.
- Represent the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues in an accurate and fair manner.
- Avoid unwarranted criticism of colleagues in communication with others, including clients and other professionals.
Professionalism and Transparency
- Provide only services necessary for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
- Ensure clients are aware of fees and billing arrangements before providing care.
- Provide accurate and complete information regarding the extent and nature of service or treatment to clients.
- Obtain proper consent before providing services.
- Maintain accurate documentation of all professional services.
- Terminate services when treatment or services are no longer needed and no longer serve client needs.
Confidentiality
- Respect the privacy of clients and keep all information obtained in the course of professional service confidential.
- Keep the existence of professional relationships with clients confidential.
- Inform clients about the limits of confidentiality.
Ethical Relationships
- Avoid dual relationships with clients and their family members that might negatively impact the client's well-being or impair the objectivity and professional judgment of the credential holder.
- Avoid romantic or sexual intimacies with a client or former client and refrain from engaging in a therapeutic relationship with anyone with whom the client has been sexually or romantically involved.
Additionally, licensed and certified mental health professionals must avoid discriminating on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual or gender orientation, or mental or physical disability.
In Wyoming, the Board takes misconduct complaints seriously and actively pursues disciplinary sanctions against licensed and certified mental health practitioners and social workers who violate the state's professional conduct laws and regulations. Any misconduct allegation should be considered a threat to your license. To protect your license and best interest, contact the experienced professional license defense attorneys with the Lento Law Firm. We can help you challenge any complaint filed against you.
Professional License Discipline in Wyoming
The Lento Law Firm defends therapists, counselors, and social workers facing disciplinary investigations, hearings, and sanctions throughout Wyoming. We know that your license is the foundation of your professional practice, financial security, and future.
In Wyoming, the professional license disciplinary process for mental health professionals includes:
Complaint
Anyone can file a complaint against a license or certificate holder. Complaints are often filed by clients and former clients, family members of clients, colleagues, and co-workers. The Board does not accept anonymous complaints. The license or certificate holder will be informed of the complaint and allowed to address and defend the allegations.
Investigation
A member of the Board is assigned the role of investigative member. The investigative member will guide the investigation and review all information gathered. The Board's professional investigator may contact the complainant or their witnesses for additional information.
The investigative member will review all information gathered and make a recommendation to the Board on how to proceed. The investigative member, with the agreement of the Attorney General, may:
- Dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction.
- Dismiss the complaint if there is no clear and convincing evidence of a violation.
- Dismiss the complaint with an advisory letter (private communication).
- Issue a letter of reprimand.
- Settlement by conditional licensure with stipulations.
- Suspension.
- Revocation.
Contested Case
If the license or certification holder wishes, they can pursue a contested case hearing.
Throughout the disciplinary investigation and hearing, parties will be encouraged to agree on a settlement, consent order, or similar agreement. An agreement with the Board usually requires the license or certification holder to accept responsibility for misconduct in return for an agreed-upon sanction. Settlement and consent orders can be an important tool in avoiding the uncertainty of a hearing and the most severe sanctions. It can be extremely difficult for individuals who do not believe that they have committed misconduct to agree to a settlement. You must understand all the terms of any agreement before consenting.
If an agreement cannot be reached, a contested hearing is scheduled. In contested cases, deposition and discovery are allowed, and all parties are allowed to present and respond to evidence.
The decision in a contested case can be appealed to the district court.
It is never too early to contact the Lento Law Firm. Our experienced license defense attorneys can partner with you and navigate Wyoming's professional license disciplinary process, including a contested case hearing and district court appeal.
Let the Lento Law Firm Help Defend Your Professional License or Certification
In Wyoming, license and certification disciplinary investigations are adversarial. You are the only person looking out for your license.
If you are the target of a disciplinary complaint, your first step must be building a defense team to challenge the allegations against you. The Lento Law Firm is ready to collaborate with you to develop a defense strategy to refute any complaint made against you.
At the Lento Law Firm, our experienced license defense attorneys can defend you and your license through any investigation or hearing by:
- Ensuring Wyoming meets its notice and due process requirements.
- Preparing you for an interview or interaction with the investigator.
- Performing our own investigation to identify mitigating evidence and exonerating witnesses.
- Negotiating a settlement, consent order, or other agreement on your behalf and ensuring you fully understand the terms of any agreement before signing.
- Representing you before, during, and after a contested case hearing.
- Developing a strategy for an appeal to the district court, if necessary.
In Wyoming, the disciplinary investigation and hearing process can be long and arduous. An accused mental health practitioner, counselor, or therapist must be prepared to spend months challenging the complaint against them and defending their license.
You don't have to do it alone.
When you are ready, the Lento Law Firm Team can partner with you. We are committed to you and your best interests.
Collateral Consequences of Disciplinary Investigations and Sanctions
Many mental health providers find that simply an allegation of misconduct can undermine their professional reputation. The possibility of losing a license or being otherwise sanctioned can create a stigma and undermine your practice.
An adverse determination by the Board can undermine your life and career by making it difficult, if not impossible, to work in your chosen profession. Disciplinary sanctions, such as having your license suspended or revoked, may end your current employment and limit future employment opportunities. Without a license, your financial security may be at risk.
Furthermore, the uncertainty of the professional discipline process can cause considerable stress and be very isolating for the accused. It is important to remain connected with your friends and family. While you lean on a partner, spouse, friend, or colleague for support, the Lento Law Firm can fight the allegations against you.
At the Lento Law Firm, we protect therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals, as well as their licenses. We know the importance of your work to you, your clients, and your community. The Professional License Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm can help you throughout any license disciplinary procedure.
Protecting Your License and Certifications in Wyoming
The Lento Law Firm understands that as a counselor, therapist, or social worker, your work is profoundly challenging and rewarding. You assist your clients in building safe and satisfying lives. When you need help protecting your reputation and your livelihood, let us help. If you are under investigation in Wyoming, the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can partner with you and fight on your behalf.
Across Wyoming, we've helped counselors, therapists, and other mental health professionals navigate license investigations, hearings, and sanctions. We can help you, too. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to discuss your case.
