{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-518.1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-518.1","heading":"Allied Professional Peer Assistance Program – Committees","body":"- Records.\n\nA. There is hereby established the Allied Professional Peer\n\nAssistance Program to rehabilitate allied medical professionals\n\nwhose competency may be compromised because of the abuse of drugs or\n\nalcohol, so that such allied medical professionals can be treated\n\nand can return to or continue the practice of allied medical\n\npractice in a manner which will benefit the public. The program\n\nshall be under the supervision and control of the State Board of\n\nMedical Licensure and Supervision.\n\nB. The Board may appoint one or more peer assistance evaluation\n\nadvisory committees, hereinafter called “allied peer assistance\n\ncommittees”. Each of these committees shall be composed of members,\n\nthe majority of which shall be licensed allied medical professionals\n\nwith expertise in chemical dependency. The allied peer assistance\n\ncommittees shall function under the authority of the State Board of\n\nMedical Licensure and Supervision in accordance with the rules of\n\nthe Board. The program may be one hundred percent (100%) outsourced\n\nto professional groups specialized in this arena. The committee\n\nmembers shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for the\n\nexpenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties in\n\naccordance with the State Travel Reimbursement Act.\n\nC. The Board may employ or contract with a qualified person or\n\npersons to serve as program coordinators and shall fix such person’s\n\ncompensation. The program may employ or contract with a director\n\nfor purposes of ongoing nonclerical administrative duties and shall\n\nfix the director’s compensation.\n\nD. The Board is authorized to adopt and revise rules, not\n\ninconsistent with the Oklahoma Allopathic Medical and Surgical\n\nLicensure and Supervision Act, as may be necessary to enable it to\n\ncarry into effect the provisions of this section.\n\nE. A portion of licensing fees for each allied profession, not\n\nto exceed Ten Dollars ($10.00), may be used to implement and\n\nmaintain the Allied Professional Peer Assistance Program.\n\nF. All monies paid pursuant to subsection E of this section\n\nshall be deposited in an agency special account revolving fund under\n\nthe State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, and shall be\n\nused for the general operating expenses of the Allied Professional\n\nPeer Assistance Program, including payment of personal services.\n\nG. The records and management information system of the\n\nprofessionals enrolled in the Allied Professional Peer Assistance\n\nProgram and reports shall be maintained in the program office in a\n\nplace separate and apart from the records of the Board. The records\n\nshall be made public only by subpoena and court order; provided\n\nhowever, confidential treatment shall be canceled upon default by\n\nthe professional in complying with the requirements of the program.\n\nH. Any person making a report to the Board or to an allied peer\n\nassistance committee regarding a professional suspected of\n\npracticing allied medical practice while habitually intemperate or\n\naddicted to the use of habit-forming drugs, or a professional’s\n\nprogress or lack of progress in rehabilitation, shall be immune from\n\nany civil or criminal action resulting from such reports, provided\n\nsuch reports are made in good faith.\n\nI. A professional’s participation in the Allied Professional\n\nPeer Assistance Program in no way precludes additional proceedings\n\nby the Board for acts or omissions of acts not specifically related\n\nto the circumstances resulting in the professional’s entry into the\n\nprogram. However, in the event the professional defaults from the\n\nprogram, the Board may discipline the professional for those acts\n\nwhich led to the professional entering the program.\n\nJ. The Board may suspend the license immediately upon\n\nnotification that the licensee has defaulted from the Allied\n\nProfessional Peer Assistance Program, and shall assign a hearing\nprofessional’s entry into the\n\nprogram. However, in the event the professional defaults from the\n\nprogram, the Board may discipline the professional for those acts\n\nwhich led to the professional entering the program.\n\nJ. The Board may suspend the license immediately upon\n\nnotification that the licensee has defaulted from the Allied\n\nProfessional Peer Assistance Program, and shall assign a hearing\n\ndate for the matter to be presented to the Board.\n\nK. All treatment information, whether or not recorded, and all\n\ncommunications between a professional and therapist are both\n\nprivileged and confidential. In addition, the identity of all\n\npersons who have received or are receiving treatment services shall\n\nbe considered confidential and privileged.\n\nL. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise\n\nrequires:\n\n1. “Board” means the State Board of Medical Licensure and\n\nSupervision; and\n\n2. “Allied peer assistance committee” means the peer assistance\n\nevaluation advisory committee created in this section, which is\n\nappointed by the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision to\n\ncarry out specified duties.\n\nM. The Allied Professional Peer Assistance Program may contract\n\nwith outside entities for services that are not available to it or\n\ncan be obtained for a lesser cost through such a contract. The\n\ncontract shall be ratified by the Board.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"1cf35673bdc8000f93d7a4e6d81669bf46df922042ea62a7e9ac55b05483be47","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-518","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-519.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}