Counseling Notes: Must School Psychologists Maintain Detailed Counseling Records?
State and federal laws require appropriate records. Insurance companies involved in reimbursement
may require documentation for reimbursement. Schools securing reimbursement from
third-party payers, including Medicaid, for example, must maintain records consistent with professional
“standards of care” and “professional standards of practice.” The depth and breadth of
documentation, though, can vary. A school psychologist should consider record-keeping practices
appropriate to the task and minimally comparable to those used in neighboring districts. A school
attorney as well as a State Department of Education Legal Department may offer guidance on this
issue. Some form of documentation is required, but the extent is often specified