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Happy 2014!!
This is renewal time for many licensed professionals. When submitting your application, answer all questions honestly. Typical questions that you are likely to be asked include:
- Have you been found guilty after trial, pleaded guilty, no contest or nolo contendere to a crime in any court or military tribunal or have you received a deferred adjudication or granted a pre-trial diversion?
- Are you currently the target or subject of a grand jury or governmental agency investigation?
- Have you been arrested or are criminal charges pending against you in any court?
- Have you been placed on community supervision or court-ordered probation?
- Has any disciplinary authority revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation or refused to issue or renew a professional license or certificate held by you now or previously, or fined, censured, reprimanded or otherwise disciplined you?
- Are charges pending against you in any jurisdiction for any sort of professional misconduct?
- Has any employer restricted or terminated your employment or privileges or have you voluntarily or involuntarily resigned to avoid such action?
- Has any educational institution restricted or terminated your professional training or have you voluntarily or involuntarily withdrawn to avoid such action
- Are you under an obligation to pay child or spousal support?
- Have you completed the mandatory continuing education/continuing competency or practice hour requirements?
- Have you defaulted on a student loan?
- Have you been diagnosed with, treated, or hospitalized for schizophrenia and/or psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder
- Have you been addicted or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug?
While it may be tempting to answer No to all of these questions, if the truthful answer is Yes, you must answer the question honestly. Yes answers may result in a delay or a denial of a renewed license. And they may lead to an investigation. It is for that reason that some providers may dishonestly respond No to what are really Yes questions. Keep in mind, however, that misrepresentations or untruthful responses in themselves constitute professional misconduct. Once you have compromised your credibility by lying to the agency that regulates your license to practice, you are much harder to defend.
You may have to explain why any of these answers are Yes. That may be difficult. But it is still easier than explaining why you cannot be trusted to tell the truth. Once your integrity is compromised you will be explaining the underlying issue for what should have been a Yes, and you will also be defending yourself for the moral character lapse raised by your attempted deception. Get legal advice when completing your application if necessary, but don’t sell out. It’s not worth it.
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