Board of Psychology Seeks to Revoke or Suspend License of Psychologist for Unprofessional Conduct

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2022

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CONTACT: Sandra Monterrubio
Sandra.Monterrubio@dca.ca.gov

Fresno Clinical Psychologist Accused of Communicating Confidential Patient Information on Social Media While with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Board of Psychology (Board) has filed an accusation seeking to revoke or suspend the license of Lauren Nicole Zanutto, Ph.D. #30666, of Fresno, for allegedly accessing a patient’s records without authorization, communicating confidential patient information, unprofessional conduct, and acts of negligence.

According to the Accusation, Zanutto is accused of posting confidential information about a patient publicly on social media, revealing that the perpetrator of an assault that led to the deaths of two inmates was once her patient. She is also accused of disclosing the patient’s mental health level of care, including posting prior threats documented in the patient’s records.

The Board alleges Zanutto engaged in unprofessional conduct and acts of negligence by accessing the patient’s records after learning the patient was no longer assigned to her, and willfully and without authorization, communicating confidential patient information by disclosing the patient was once assigned to her, had made threats that were “documented for many months,” and had moved from a higher level of care to a lower level of care in the mental health system.

The Accusation is available on Zanutto’s licensing detail page at https://search.dca.ca.gov/.

For information on how to file a complaint or for information about the Board of Psychology, visit www.psychology.ca.gov.

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ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGY: The Board of Psychology’s mission is to advance quality psychological services for Californians by ensuring ethical and legal practice and supporting the evolution of the profession. For information on how to file a complaint, or for information about the Board of Psychology, visit us at www.psychology.ca.gov.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS: The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) protects consumers through oversight, enforcement, and licensure of professions, and helps consumers learn how to protect themselves from unscrupulous and unqualified individuals. Consumers can verify a license and file a complaint against a licensee online at www.dca.ca.gov or by phone at (800) 952-5210.