Subd. 1. Prohibited conduct.

The committee may impose disciplinary action as described in section 148B.69 against any unlicensed mental health practitioner. The following conduct is prohibited and is grounds for disciplinary action:

1. (a) Conviction of a crime, including a finding or verdict of guilt, an admission of guilt, or a no contest plea, in any court in Minnesota or any other jurisdiction in the United States, reasonably related to the provision of mental health services. Conviction, as used in this subdivision, includes a conviction of an offense which, if committed in this state, would be deemed a felony or gross misdemeanor without regard to its designation elsewhere, or a criminal proceeding where a finding or verdict of guilty is made or returned but the adjudication of guilt is either withheld or not entered.
2. (b) Conviction of crimes against persons. For purposes of this chapter, a crime against a person means violations of the following: sections 609.185; 609.19; 609.195; 609.20; 609.205; 609.21; 609.215; 609.221; 609.222; 609.223; 609.224; 609.2242; 609.23; 609.231; 609.2325; 609.233; 609.2335; 609.235; 609.24; 609.245; 609.25; 609.255; 609.26, subdivision 1, clause (1) or (2); 609.265; 609.342; 609.343; 609.344; 609.345; 609.365; 609.498, subdivision 1; 609.50, clause (1); 609.561; 609.562; 609.595; and 609.72, subdivision 3.
3. (c) Failure to comply with the self-reporting requirements of section 148B.63, subdivision 7.
4. (d) Engaging in sexual contact with a client or former client as defined in section 148A.01, or engaging in contact that may be reasonably interpreted by a client as sexual, or engaging in any verbal behavior that is seductive or sexually demeaning to the patient, or engaging in sexual exploitation of a client or former client.
5. (e) Advertising that is false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading.
6. (f) Conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public; or demonstrating a willful or careless disregard for the health, welfare, or safety of a client; or any other practice that may create unnecessary danger to any client's life, health, or safety, in any of which cases, proof of actual injury need not be established.
7. (g) Adjudication as mentally incompetent, or as a person who is dangerous to self, or adjudication pursuant to chapter 253B, as chemically dependent, mentally ill, mentally retarded, mentally ill and dangerous to the public, or as a sexual psychopathic personality or sexually dangerous person.
8. (h) Inability to provide mental health services with reasonable safety to clients.
9. (i) The habitual overindulgence in the use of or the dependence on intoxicating liquors.
10. (j) Improper or unauthorized personal or other use of any legend drugs as defined in chapter 151, any chemicals as defined in chapter 151, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 152.
11. (k) Revealing a communication from, or relating to, a client except when otherwise required or permitted by law.
12. (l) Failure to comply with a client's request made under section 144.335, or to furnish a client record or report required by law.
13. (m) Splitting fees or promising to pay a portion of a fee to any other professional other than for services rendered by the other professional to the client.
14. (n) Engaging in abusive or fraudulent billing practices, including violations of the federal Medicare and Medicaid laws or state medical assistance laws.
15. (o) Failure to make reports as required by section 148B.63, or cooperate with an investigation of the office.
16. (p) Obtaining money, property, or services from a client, other than reasonable fees for services provided to the client, through the use of undue influence, harassment, duress, deception, or fraud.
17. (q) Undertaking or continuing a professional relationship with a client in which the objectivity of the professional would be impaired.
18. (r) Failure to provide the client with a copy of the client bill of rights or violation of any provision of the client bill of rights.
19. (s) Violating any order issued by the committee.
20. (t) Failure to comply with sections 148B.60 to 148B.71, and the rules adopted under those sections.
21. (u) Failure to comply with any additional disciplinary grounds established by the commissioner by rule.
22. (v) Revocation, suspension, restriction, limitation, or other disciplinary action against the mental health practitioner's license, certificate, registration, or right of practice in this or another state or jurisdiction, for offenses that would be subject to disciplinary action in this state, or failure to report to the Office of Mental Health Practice that charges regarding the practitioner's license, certificate, registration, or right of practice have been brought in this or another state or jurisdiction.
23. (w) Bartering for services with a client.

Subd. 2. Evidence.

In disciplinary actions alleging a violation of subdivision 1, paragraph (a), (b), (c), or (g), a copy of the judgment or proceeding under the seal of the court administrator or of the administrative agency that entered the same is admissible into evidence without further authentication and constitutes prima facie evidence of its contents.

Subd. 3. Examination; access to medical data.

1. (a) If the committee has probable cause to believe that an unlicensed mental health practitioner has engaged in conduct prohibited by subdivision 1, paragraph (g), (h), (i), or (j), the committee may issue an order directing the practitioner to submit to a mental or physical examination or chemical dependency evaluation. For the purpose of this subdivision, every unlicensed mental health practitioner is deemed to have consented to submit to a mental or physical examination or chemical dependency evaluation when ordered to do so in writing by the committee and further to have waived all objections to the admissibility of the testimony or examination reports of the health care provider performing the examination or evaluation on the grounds that the same constitute a privileged communication. Failure of an unlicensed mental health practitioner to submit to an examination or evaluation when ordered, unless the failure was due to circumstances beyond the practitioner's control, constitutes an admission that the unlicensed mental health practitioner violated subdivision 1, paragraph (g), (h), (i), or (j), based on the factual specifications in the examination or evaluation order and may result in a default and final disciplinary order being entered after a contested case hearing. An unlicensed mental health practitioner affected under this paragraph shall at reasonable intervals be given an opportunity to demonstrate that the practitioner can resume the provision of mental health services with reasonable safety to clients. In any proceeding under this paragraph, neither the record of proceedings nor the orders entered by the committee shall be used against a mental health practitioner in any other proceeding.

2. (b) In addition to ordering a physical or mental examination or chemical dependency evaluation, the committee may, notwithstanding section 13.384, 144.651, 595.02, or any other law limiting access to medical or other health data, obtain medical data and health records relating to an unlicensed mental health practitioner without the practitioner's consent if the committee has probable cause to believe that a practitioner has engaged in conduct prohibited by subdivision 1, paragraph (g), (h), (i), or (j). The medical data may be requested from a health care professional, as defined in section 144.335, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), an insurance company, or a government agency, including the Department of Human Services. A health care professional, insurance company, or government agency shall comply with any written request of the committee under this subdivision and is not liable in any action for damages for releasing the data requested by the committee if the data are released pursuant to a written request under this subdivision, unless the information is false and the person or organization giving the information knew, or had reason to believe, the information was false. Information obtained under this subdivision is private data under section 13.41.

   * NOTE: This section is repealed by Laws 2003, chapter 118, *section 29, paragraph (a), as amended by Laws 2004, chapter 279, *article 5, section 10, and Laws 2005, chapter 147, article 8, *section 3, effective July 1, 2009. Laws 2003, chapter 118, *section 29, paragraph (a), the effective date, as amended by *Laws 2004, chapter 279, article 5, section 10, and Laws 2005, *chapter 147, article 8, section 3.