(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 or under the supervision of an individual
that holds a license as a specialist in school psychology;
(3)pass all examinations required by the Council and
meet each of the criteria listed in §501.2525(a)(3) - (9) [
§501.2525(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)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)(2) and [(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 Council 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 paragraph (1) of this subsection
and subject to the limitations set out in paragraph (3) of this subsection,
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 paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be approved
for independent practice, but remains subject to all Council rules,
including [Council] §465.9 of this title. [
(relating to Competency).]
(4)Applicants shall 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
or as a provisionally licensed psychologist may utilize experience
acquired under that license if the experience was supervised by a
licensed psychologist.
[(d)Notwithstanding subsection (c)(3)
of this section, 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 Council rule §463.11
shall govern any request for a waiver under this rule.]
(d)[(e)] The correct title for
a person licensed under this rule shall be "licensed psychological
associate" or "psychological associate."
(e)[(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 master's, specialist or doctoral degree,
and provide the patient with a current copy of any informational pamphlet
or brochure published by the Council describing the differences between
the levels of training and education received in master's, 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 Council's
website.
(f)[(g)] Continuation of Prior
Law.
(1)Notwithstanding subsection (b)(2)
of this section, a person who began a graduate program before August
31, 2019, leading to a degree in psychology, that otherwise meets
the requirements of subsection (a)(1) of this section, shall be considered
to have met the requirements of subsection (b)(2) of this section
if the individual has completed 42 semester credit hours.
(2)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 to meet the requirement
of subsection (f)(1) of this section.
[(1)Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)(A)
of this section, a person who begins a graduate program leading to
a degree required by subsection (a)(1) of this section before August
31, 2019, shall 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)
of this section, a person who begins a graduate program leading to
a degree required by subsection (a)(1) of this section before August
31, 2019, shall 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.]
(g)Remedy for Incomplete Licensure
Requirements.
(1)An applicant who has completed a graduate degree
in psychology, from a regionally accredited institution of higher
education, that consists of at least sixty (60) semester credit hours,
is currently licensed as an LSSP, or meets the requirements of subsection
(f) of this section, and who does not meet all of the qualifications
for licensure set out in subsection (a)(2) and (4) of this section
may petition for permission to remediate an area of deficiency. An
applicant may not, petition for the waiver or modification of the
requisite degree or passage of the requisite examinations.
(2)The Council may allow an applicant to remediate
a deficiency identified in paragraph (1) of this subsection if the
applicant can demonstrate:
(A)the prerequisite is not mandated by federal law,
the state constitution or statute, or 22 TAC Part 41; and
(B)the remediation would not adversely affect the
public welfare.
(3)The Council may approve or deny a petition under
this subsection, and in the case of approval, may condition the approval
on reasonable terms and conditions designed to ensure the applicant's
education, training, and experience provide reasonable assurance that
the applicant has the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level
practice as a licensed psychological associate.
The agency certifies that
legal counsel has
reviewed the proposal and found it to be within the state agency's
legal authority to adopt.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State on March 20, 2023
TRD-202301105 Darrel D. Spinks
Executive Director
Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Earliest possible date of adoption: April 30, 2023
For further information, please call: (512) 305-7706
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