Source: http://www.txapa.net/adopted_revised_rules.html
Timestamp: 2019-05-25 11:31:38
Document Index: 789195878

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 21', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§463', '§501', '§465', '§463', '§465', '§501', '§463', '§465', '§465']

TAPA TSBEPProposed Rules
PD Approval
Texas Association of Psychological Associates
Representing All Masters-Degreed Psychology Professionals in Texas
Revised Rules Proposed by the TSBEP
T.A.P.A.
P.O. Box 601374
txapa@att.net
Blue titles are Links
The most up-to-date versions of the TSBEP Rules always may be found here.
(The Secretary of State's website is updated weekly.)
The TSBEP has passed rules giving Qualified LPAs Independent Practice!
To be Qualified, if you must have had an active license on August 31, 2017​, and if you have maintained an active license throughout the three years preceding that date, you are considered to have met the requirements and may practice independently. See Rule 463.8(h) below.
The new rules were passed by the TSBEP on November 9, but will not go into effect until 20 days after the adopted rules appear in the Texas Register. (They have NOT been published yet)
The changes affecting LPAs are in RED.
​Remember that deleted language is in brackets [] and is in italics; added language is underlined, and the rest is existing language which has not been changed.
​​​TITLE 22	EXAMINING BOARDS
PART 21	TEXAS STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF PSYCHOLOGISTS
CHAPTER 463	APPLICATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS
RULE §463.1	Types of Licensure
​ (Adopted November 9, 2017)
The Board accepts applications for four types of licenses to practice psychology in the state of Texas:
(1) Licensed Psychological Associate. This is a license for qualified individuals with a graduate degree to practice psychology [under the supervision of a licensed psychologist]. Requirements for the psychological associate license are found in §463.8 of this title (relating to Licensure as a Psychological Associate) and §463.14 of this title (relating to Written Examinations).
(2) Licensed Specialist in School Psychology. This license is required by law for the practice of school psychology in the public schools of Texas. Requirements for the specialist in school psychology license are found in §463.9 of this title (relating to Licensure as a Specialist in School Psychology) and §463.14 of this title.
(3) Provisionally Licensed Psychologist. This is a doctoral level license to practice psychology under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. This license is a prerequisite for licensure as a psychologist. Requirements for provisionally licensed psychologist are found in §463.10 of this title (relating to Provisionally Licensed Psychologist) and §463.14 of this title.
(4) Licensed Psychologist. This is a doctoral level license for the independent practice of psychology. It is obtained by two means:
(A) Obtaining provisional licensure as a psychologist, completing the required two years of supervised experience and taking and passing the required oral exam. Requirements for licensure as a psychologist are found in §463.11 of this title (relating to Licensed Psychologist), §463.14 of this title, and §463.15 of this title (relating to Oral Examination).
(B) Applying from a jurisdiction which holds a reciprocity agreement with Texas, meeting the Board's requirements for licensure by reciprocity, and passing the Board's Jurisprudence Exam. Criteria for reciprocity jurisdictions are listed in §463.29 of this title (relating to Reciprocity Requirements). Requirements for licensure as a psychologist by means of reciprocity are found in §463.12 of this title (relating to Licensed Psychologist by Reciprocity) and §463.14 of this title.
TITLE 22	EXAMINING BOARDS
RULE §463.8	Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA)
​(Adopted November 9, 2017)
(a) Licensure Requirements. An applicant for licensure as a psychological associate must:
(1) hold a graduate degree in psychology from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;
(2) provide documentation of at least six (6) semester credit hours of practicum, internship or other structured experience within the applicant's graduate degree program under the supervision of a licensed psychologist;
(3) pass all examinations required by the board and meet each of the criteria listed in §501.255(a)(2)-(9) of the Occupations Code; and
(4) demonstrate graduate level coursework in each of the following areas:
(A) Psychological Foundations:
(i) the biological bases of behavior;
(ii) the acquired or learned bases of behavior, including learning, thinking, memory, motivation and emotion;
(iii) the social, cultural, and systemic bases of behavior;
(iv) the individual or unique bases of behavior, including personality theory, human development, and abnormal behavior;
(B) Research and Statistics:
(i) the methodology used to investigate questions and acquire knowledge in the practice of psychology;
(ii) coursework in research design and methodology, statistics, critical thinking, and scientific inquiry;
(C) Applied Psychology:
(i) the history, theory, and application of psychological principles;
(ii) the application of psychological theories to individuals, families, and groups;
(D) Assessment:
(i) intellectual, personality, cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities, skills, interests, and aptitudes;
(ii) socio-economic, including behavioral, adaptive, and cultural assessment;
(E) Interventions:
(i) the application of therapeutic techniques;
(ii) the behavior management;
(iii) consultation; and
(F) Scientific and Professional, Legal, and Ethical Issues.
(b) Degree Requirements.
(1) For purposes of this rule:
(A) a graduate degree in psychology means the name of the candidate's major or program of studies contains the term "psychology;"
(B) a specialist degree shall be treated as a graduate degree; and
(C) one semester credit hour equals one and one-half quarter credit hours.
(2) A degree utilized to meet the requirements of this rule must consist of at least sixty (60) semester credit hours, with no more than twelve (12) semester credit hours of practicum, internship, or structured experience being counted toward the total degree hour requirement.
(3) Applicants must demonstrate proof of the graduate level coursework required in subsection (a)(4) of this section by identifying which courses or training listed on their transcripts satisfy the required areas of study. Applicants may be required to provide the board with an official course catalogue or description from their university or training program to verify whether a course meets the requirements of this rule.
(c) Supervision Requirements.
(1) A licensed psychological associate must practice under the supervision of a licensed psychologist and may not practice independently.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (c)(1) and subject to the limitations set out in subsection (c)(3) below, a licensed psychological associate may practice independently if:
(A) the licensee can demonstrate at least 3,000 hours of post-graduate degree experience in the delivery of psychological services under the supervision of one or more licensed psychologists;
(B) the supervised experience was obtained in not less than 24 consecutive months, but not more than 48 consecutive months, and in not more than three placements; and
(C) the licensee submits an application for independent practice evidencing proof of the required supervised experience.
(3) A licensed psychological associate meeting the requirements of subsection (c)(2) shall be approved for independent practice, but remains subject to all board rules, including Board rule §465.9 relating to competency.
(4) Applicants may not utilize any supervised experience obtained from a psychologist with a restricted license or to whom they are related within the second degree of affinity or consanguinity to satisfy the requirements of this rule.
(5) Applicants licensed as specialists in school psychology may utilize experience acquired under that license if the experience was supervised by a licensed psychologist.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (c)(3), an application for independent practice may be denied if a gap of more than two years exists between the completion of the supervised experience required for independent practice and the date of application for independent practice. The rules governing the waiver of gaps related to supervised experience found in Board rule §463.11 shall govern any request for a waiver under this rule.
(e) The correct title for a person licensed under this rule shall be "licensed psychological associate" or "psychological associate."
(f) A licensed psychological associate authorized to practice independently under this rule must inform all patients and clients as part of the informed consent process, whether the licensee holds a masters, specialist or doctoral degree, and provide the patient with a current copy of any informational pamphlet or brochure published by the Board describing the differences between the levels of training and education received in masters, specialist, and doctoral degree programs. In lieu of providing each patient or client with a copy of the required pamphlet or brochure, licensees may publish in a conspicuous manner, the pamphlet or brochure on their website or provide a link to the pamphlet or brochure on the Board's website. [The pamphlet or brochure can be found under Forms on the TSBEP website.] The current version (January, 2018) is here.
(g) Continuation of Prior Law.
(1) Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)(A), a person who begins a graduate program leading to a degree required by subsection (a)(1) before August 31, 2019, will be considered to have met the requirements of that subsection if the individual's degree is primarily psychological in nature. This subsection expires on August 31, 2021.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (b)(2), a person who begins a graduate program leading to a degree required by subsection (a)(1) before August 31, 2019, will be considered to have met the requirements of that subsection if the individual has completed 42 semester credit hours with at least 27 of those hours in psychology. Applicants with degrees consisting of less than 42 semester credit hours may utilize a maximum of 12 semester credit hours from another graduate degree program in psychology to achieve the total of 42 semester credit hours. This subsection expires on August 31, 2021.
(h) Notwithstanding subsections (c)(1)-(3), a licensed psychological associate with an active license as of September 1, 2017 who maintained an active license throughout the three years preceding that date, is considered to have met the requirements of subsection (c)(2) and may practice independently in accordance with subsection (c)(3).
(Adopted November 9, 2017)
(a) Jurisprudence Examination. All applicants for licensure by the Board are required to pass the Jurisprudence Examination prior to licensure.
(b) Examination in School Psychology. Applicants for licensure as a specialist in school psychology must take the National School Psychology Examination administered by the Educational Testing Service and obtain at least the current cut-off score for the National Certified School Psychologist before applying for the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.
(c) Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. All applicants for licensure as a psychological associate, provisional licensure as a psychologist, or licensure as a psychologist are required to pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) prior to the Board granting licenses.
(d) Applicants Having Previously Taken the EPPP [Professional Examination]. An applicant for licensure who has taken the EPPP either in the past or in another jurisdiction will not be required to retake the exam provided that:
(1) the applicant's score satisfies [satisfied] the Board's current minimum acceptable score for licensure; and
(2) the applicant can demonstrate that he/she has remained professionally involved in psychology; i.e., at least half-time professional employment and/or academic enrollment in a regionally accredited educational institution.
[(e) Doctoral Applicants Taking Exam at Master's Level. An applicant for provisional licensure as a psychologist who has taken the EPPP at the master's level will not be required to retake the exam provided that:]
[(1) the applicant's score satisfied the Board's current minimum acceptable score for doctoral level applicants; and]
[(2) the applicant can demonstrate that he or she has remained academically and/or professionally involved in psychology.]
(e)[(f)] Cutoff Scores for the EPPP. The minimum acceptable score for the EPPP is seventy percent (70%) of questions scored [for psychologist licensure applicants and fifty-five percent (55%) of questions scored for psychological associate licensure applicants] on the pencil and paper version of the test. For computer-delivered EPPP examinations, the cutoff scaled score is 500. [are 500 and 350 respectively. Applicants for licensure as a psychological associate must receive a minimum score of eighty percent (80%) of questions scored on the Board's Jurisprudence Examination. All other applications for licensure must receive a minimum score of ninety percent (90%) of questions scored on the Board's Jurisprudence Examination. The exam score of applicants for licensure who have already taken the EPPP must satisfy the requirements of the Board as of the date of application to the Board.]
(f) Cutoff Scores for the Jurisprudence Examination. The minimum acceptable score for the jurisprudence examination for all licensure applicants is ninety percent (90%).
​​TITLE 22	EXAMINING BOARDS
CHAPTER 465	RULES OF PRACTICE
RULE §465.2	Supervision
(a) Supervision in General. The following rules apply to all supervisory relationships.
(1) A licensee is responsible for the supervision of all individuals that the licensee employs or utilizes to provide psychological services of any kind.
(2) Licensees ensure that their supervisees have legal authority to provide psychological services.
(3) Licensees delegate only those responsibilities that supervisees may legally and competently perform.
(4) All individuals who receive psychological services requiring informed consent from an individual under supervision must be informed in writing of the supervisory status of the individual and how the patient or client may contact the supervising licensee directly.
(5) All materials relating to the practice of psychology, upon which the supervisee's name or signature appears, must indicate the supervisory status of the supervisee. Supervisory status must be indicated by one of the following:
(A) Supervised by (name of supervising licensee);
(B) Under the supervision of (name of supervising licensee);
(C) The following persons are under the supervision of (name of supervising licensee); or
(D) Supervisee of (name of supervising licensee).
(6) Licensees provide an adequate level of supervision to all individuals under their supervision according to accepted professional standards given the experience, skill and training of the supervisee, the availability of other qualified licensees for consultation, and the type of psychological services being provided.
(7) Licensees utilize methods of supervision that enable the licensee to monitor all delegated services for legal, competent, and ethical performance. Methods of supervision may include remote or electronic means if:
(A) adequate supervision can be provided through remote or electronic means;
(B) the difficulties in providing full-time in-person supervision place an unreasonable burden on the delivery of psychological services; and
(C) no more than fifty percent of the supervision takes place through remote or electronic means.
(8) Licensees must be competent to perform any psychological services being provided under their supervision.
(9) Licensees shall document their supervision activities in writing, including any remote or electronic supervision provided. Documentation shall include the dates, times, and length of supervision.
(10) Licensees may only supervise the number of supervisees for which they can provide adequate supervision.
(b) Supervision of Students, Interns, Residents, Fellows, and Trainees. The following rules apply to all supervisory relationships involving students, interns, residents, fellows, and trainees.
(1) Unlicensed individuals providing psychological services pursuant to §§501.004(a)(2), 501.252(b)(2), or 501.260(b)(3) of the Act must be under the supervision of a qualified supervising licensee at all times.
(2) Supervision must be provided by a qualified supervising licensee before it will be accepted for licensure purposes.
(3) A licensee practicing under a restricted status license is not qualified to, and shall not provide supervision for a person seeking to fulfill internship or practicum requirements, or a person seeking licensure under the Psychologists' Licensing Act, regardless of the setting in which the supervision takes place, unless authorized to do so by the Board. A licensee shall inform all supervisees of any Board order restricting their license and assist the supervisees with finding appropriate alternate supervision.
(4) A supervisor must document in writing their supervisee's performance during a practicum, internship, or period of supervised experience required for licensure. The supervisor must provide this documentation to the supervisee.
(5) An individual subject to this subsection may allow a supervisee, as part of a required practicum, internship, or period of supervised experience required for licensure with this Board, to supervise others in the delivery of psychological services.
(6) For provisional trainees, a supervisor must provide at least one hour of individual supervision per week and may reduce the amount of weekly supervision on a proportional basis for provisional trainees working less than full-time.
(7) Licensees may not supervise an individual to whom they are related within the second degree of affinity or consanguinity.
(c) Supervision of Provisionally Licensed Psychologists and Licensed Psychological Associates. The following rules apply to all supervisory relationships involving Provisionally Licensed Psychologists and Licensed Psychological Associates.
(1) Provisionally Licensed Psychologists [and Licensed Psychological Associates] must be under the supervision of a Licensed Psychologist and may not engage in independent practice.
(2) A Provisionally Licensed Psychologist who is licensed in another state to independently practice psychology and is in good standing in that state, and who has applied for licensure as a psychologist may during the time that the Board is processing the applicant's application for licensure as a psychologist, practice psychology without supervision. However, upon notification from the Board that an applicant has not met the qualifications for licensure as a psychologist, the provisionally licensed psychologists must obtain supervision within 30 days in order to continue to practice.
(3) A provisionally licensed psychologist may, as part of a period of supervised experience required for full licensure with this Board, supervise others in the delivery of psychological services.
(4) A supervisor must provide at least one hour of individual supervision per week. A supervisor may reduce the amount of weekly supervision on a proportional basis for supervisees working less than full-time.
(d) Supervision of Licensed Specialists in School Psychology interns and trainees. The following rules apply to all supervisory relationships involving Licensed Specialists in School Psychology, as well as all interns and trainees working toward licensure as a specialist in school psychology.
(1) A supervisor must provide an LSSP trainee with at least one hour of supervision per week, with no more than half being group supervision. A supervisor may reduce the amount of weekly supervision on a proportional basis for trainees working less than full-time.
(2) Supervision within the public schools may only be provided by a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology, who has a minimum of three years of experience providing psychological services within the public school system without supervision. To qualify, a licensee must be able to show proof of their license, credential, or authority to provide unsupervised school psychological services in the jurisdiction where those services were provided, along with documentation from the public school(s) evidencing delivery of those services.
(3) Supervisors must sign educational documents completed for students by the supervisee, including student evaluation reports, or similar professional reports to consumers, other professionals, or other audiences. It is not a violation of this rule if supervisors do not sign documents completed by a committee reflecting the deliberations of an educational meeting for an individual student which the supervisee attended and participated in as part of the legal proceedings required by federal and state education laws, unless the supervisor also attended and participated in such meeting.
(4) Supervisors shall document all supervision sessions. This documentation must include information about the duration of sessions, as well as the focus of discussion or training. The documentation must also include information regarding:
(A) any contracts or service agreements between the public school district and university school psychology training program;
(B) any contracts or service agreements between the public school district and the supervisee;
(C) the supervisee's professional liability insurance coverage, if any;
(D) any training logs required by the school psychology training program; and
(E) the supervisee's trainee or licensure status.
(5) Supervisors must ensure that each individual completing any portion of the internship required by Board rule §463.9, [463.9,] is provided with a written agreement that includes a clear statement of the expectations, duties, and responsibilities of each party, including the total hours to be performed by the intern, benefits and support to be provided by the supervisor, and the process by which the intern will be supervised and evaluated.
(6) Supervisors must ensure that supervisees have access to a process for addressing serious concerns regarding a supervisee's performance. The process must protect the rights of clients to receive quality services, assure adequate feedback and opportunities for improvement to the supervisee, and ensure due process protection in cases of possible termination of the supervisory relationship.
(e) The various parts of this rule should be construed, if possible, so that effect is given to each part. However, where a general provision conflicts with a more specific provision, the specific provision shall control.
RULE §465.9	Competency
[This is an existing Rule, which will be undergoing review in the near future.]
(a) Licensees provide only services for which they have the education, skills, and training to perform competently.
(b) Competency includes the ability to provide services concerning a specific individual that takes into account characteristics of that individual including age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, disability, language, and socio-economic status.
(c) Licensees maintain current knowledge of scientific and professional information that ensures competency in every area in which they provide services.
(d) Licensees provide services in an unfamiliar area or involving new techniques only after first undertaking appropriate study and training, including supervision, and/or consultation from a professional competent to provide such services.
(e) In emerging areas in which generally recognized standards for preparatory training do not exist, licensees take reasonable steps to ensure the competence of their work and to protect patients, clients, research participants, and other affected individuals from the potential for harm.
(f) Licensees are responsible for ensuring that all individuals practicing under their supervision are competent to perform those services.
(g) Licensees who delegate performance of certain services such as test scoring are responsible for ensuring that the entity to whom the delegation is made is competent to perform those services.
(h) Licensees who lack the competency to provide particular psychological services to a specific individual must withdraw and refer the individual to a competent appropriate service provider.
(i) Emergency Situations. In emergencies, when licensees are asked to provide services to individuals for whom appropriate mental health services are not available and for which the licensee has not obtained the necessary competence, licensees may provide such services only to the extent necessary to ensure that services are not denied. If ongoing services are provided, licensees must comply with subsection (d) of this section as soon as practicable or refer the patient as per subsection (h) of this section.
(j) Licensees refrain from initiating or continuing to undertake an activity when they know or should know that there is a substantial likelihood that personal problems or conflicts will prevent them from performing their work-related activities or producing a psychological report in a competent and timely manner. When licensees become aware of such conflicts, they must immediately take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance in order to determine whether they should limit, suspend, or terminate the engagement in accordance with Board rule §465.21 of this title (relating to Termination of Services).
465.2. Supervision.
(b) Licensees ensure that their supervisees have legal authority to provide psychological services in adherence to Board rules.
(c) – (i) (Renumbered sections)
Approved November, 2009
469.7. Persons with Criminal Backgrounds.
(b)Criminal History Evaluation Letters:
(1) In compliance with Chapter 53 of the Texas Occupations Code, the Board will provide criminal history evaluation letters.
(2) A person may request the Board to provide a criminal history evaluation letter if the person is planning to enroll or is enrolled in an educational program that prepares the person for a license with this Board and the person has reason to believe that the person is ineligible for licensure due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.
(3)The requestor must submit to the Board a completed Board application form requesting an evaluation letter, the required fee, and certified copies of court documentation about all convictions and resolution to the Board.
(4) Before submitting the application the requestor must obtain a fingerprint criminal history record check and have it mailed directly to the Board.
(5) The Board has the authority to investigate a request for a criminal history evaluation letter and may require that the requestor provide additional information about the convictions and other dispositions if requested by the Board.
(6) The Board will provide a written response to the requestor within 90 days of the Board’s receipt of the request, unless a more extensive investigation is required or the requestor fails to comply with a Board investigation. The Board’s evaluation letter will state the Board’s determination on each ground for potential ineligibility presented by the requestor.
(7)In the absence of new evidence known to but not disclosed by the requestor or not reasonably available to the Board at the time the letter is issued, the Board’s ruling on the request determines the requestor’s eligibility only with respect to the grounds for potential ineligibility set out in the letter.
473.5. Miscellaneous Fees (Not Refundable).
(a) – (i) (No change.)
(j) Preliminary Evaluation for Eligibility for Licensure of Person with Criminal Record--$150.
ALERT! The TSBEP will no longer be printing and mailing a Rule Book.
Instead the Rule Book will be available online, and it will be updated with any new adopted Rules following each TSBEP meeting.