(a)Application Requirements. Application for licensure
as a psychologist may be made upon passage of, or exemption from the
Oral Examination. An application for licensure as a psychologist includes,
in addition to the requirements set forth in Board rule §463.5(1)
of this title (relating to Application File Requirements):
(1)Documentation of current licensure as a provisionally
licensed psychologist in good standing.
(2)Documentation indicating passage of or exemption
from the Board's Oral Examination.
(3)Documentation of supervised experience from a licensed
psychologist which satisfies the requirements of the Board. The formal
internship must be documented by the Director of Internship Training.
(4)Documentation of licensure in other jurisdictions,
including information on disciplinary action and pending complaints,
sent directly to the Board.
(b)Degree Requirements. The degree requirements for
licensure as a psychologist are the same as for provisional licensure
as stated in Board rule §463.10 of this title (relating to Provisionally
Licensed Psychologist).
(c)Supervised Experience. In order to qualify for
licensure, a psychologist must submit proof of two years of supervised
experience, at least one year of which must have been received after
the doctoral degree was officially conferred or completed, whichever
is earliest, as shown on the official transcript, and at least one
year of which must have been a formal internship. The formal internship
year may be met either before or after the doctoral degree is conferred
or completed. Supervised experience must be obtained in a minimum
of two, and no more than three, calendar years.
(1)General. All supervised experience for licensure
as a psychologist, including the formal internship, must meet the
following requirements:
(A)Experience may be obtained only in either a full-time
or half-time setting.
(B)A year of full-time supervised experience is defined
as a minimum of 35 hours per week employment/experience in not less
than 12 consecutive calendar months in not more than two placements.
(C)A year of half-time supervised experience is defined
as a minimum of 20 hours per week employment/experience in not less
than 24 consecutive calendar months in not more than two placements.
(D)A year of full-time experience may be acquired
through a combination of half-time and full-time employment/experience
provided that the equivalent of a full-time year of supervision experience
is satisfied.
(E)One calendar year from the beginning of ten consecutive
months of employment/experience in an academic setting constitutes
one year of experience.
(F)When supervised experience is interrupted, the
Board may waive upon a showing of good cause by the supervisee, the
requirement that the supervised experience be completed in consecutive
months. Any consecutive experience obtained before or after the gap
must be at least six months unless the supervisor remains the same.
Waivers for such gaps are rarely approved and must be requested in
writing and include sufficient documentation to permit verification
of the circumstances supporting the request. No waiver will be granted
unless the Board finds that the supervised experience for which the
waiver is sought was adequate and appropriate. Good cause is defined
as:
(i)unanticipated discontinuance of the supervision
setting,
(ii)maternity or paternity leave of supervisee,
(iii)relocation of spouse or spousal equivalent,
(iv)serious illness of the supervisee, or serious
illness in supervisee's immediate family.
(G)A rotating internship organized within a doctoral
program is considered to be one placement.
(H)The experience requirement must be obtained after
official enrollment in a doctoral program.
(I)All supervised experience must be received from
a psychologist licensed at the time supervision is received.
(J)The supervising psychologist must be trained in
the area of supervision provided to the supervisee.
(K)No experience which is obtained from a psychologist
who is related within the second degree of affinity or within the
second degree by consanguinity to the person may be considered.
(L)All supervised experience obtained for the purpose
of licensure must be conducted in accordance with all applicable Board
rules.
(M)Experience received from a psychologist while the
psychologist is practicing subject to an Agreed Board Order or Board
Order shall not, under any circumstances, qualify as supervised experience
for licensure purposes regardless of the setting in which it was received.
Psychologists who become subject to an Agreed Board Order or Board
Order shall inform all supervisees of the Agreed Board Order or Board
Order and assist all supervisees in finding appropriate alternate
supervision.
(N)The supervisee shall be designated by a title that
clearly indicates a supervisory licensing status such as "intern,"
"resident," "trainee," or "fellow." An individual who is a provisionally
licensed psychologist or a licensed psychological associate may use
his or her title so long as those receiving psychological services
are clearly informed that the individual is under the supervision
of a licensed psychologist. An individual who is a licensed specialist
in school psychology may use his or her title so long as the supervised
experience takes place within the public schools, and those receiving
psychological services are clearly informed that the individual is
under the supervision of an individual who is licensed as a psychologists
and specialist in school psychology. Use of a different job title
is permitted only if the supervisee is providing services for a government
facility or other facility exempted under §501.004 of the Act
(Applicability) and the supervisee is using a title assigned by that
facility.
(O)The supervisee and supervisor must inform those
receiving psychological services as to the supervisory status of the
individual and how the patient or client may contact the supervising
licensed psychologist directly.
(2)Formal Internship. At least one year of experience
must be satisfied by one of the following types of formal internship:
(A)The successful completion of an internship program
accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA); or
(B)The successful completion of an organized internship
meeting all of the following criteria:
(i)It must constitute an organized training program
which is designed to provide the intern with a planned, programmed
sequence of training experiences. The primary focus and purpose of
the program must be to assure breadth and quality of training.
(ii)The internship agency must have a clearly designated
staff psychologist who is responsible for the integrity and quality
of the training program and who is actively licensed/certified by
the licensing board of the jurisdiction in which the internship takes
place and who is present at the training facility for a minimum of
20 hours a week.
(iii)The internship agency must have two or more full-time
licensed psychologists on the staff as primary supervisors.
(iv)Internship supervision must be provided by a staff
member of the internship agency or by an affiliate of that agency
who carries clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised.
(v)The internship must provide training in a range
of assessment and intervention activities conducted directly with
patients/clients.
(vi)At least 25% of trainee's time must be in direct
patient/client contact (minimum 375 hours).
(vii)The internship must include a minimum of two
hours per week (regardless of whether the internship was completed
in one year or two) of regularly scheduled formal, face-to-face individual
supervision. There must also be at least two additional hours per
week in learning activities such as: case conferences involving a
case in which the intern was actively involved; seminars dealing with
psychology issues; co-therapy with a staff person including discussion;
group supervision; additional individual supervision.
(viii)Training must be post-clerkship, post-practicum
and post-externship level.
(ix)The internship agency must have a minimum of two
full-time equivalent interns at the internship level of training during
applicant's training period.
(x)The internship agency must inform prospective interns
about the goals and content of the internship, as well as the expectations
for quantity and quality of trainee's work; or
(C)The successful completion of an organized internship
program in a school district meeting the following criteria:
(i)The internship experience must be provided at or
near the end of the formal training period.
(ii)The internship experience must occur on a full-time
basis over a period of one academic year, or on a half-time basis
over a period of two consecutive academic years.
(iii)The internship experience must be consistent
with a written plan and must meet the specific training objectives
of the program.
(iv)The internship experience must occur in a setting
appropriate to the specific training objectives of the program.
(v)At least 600 clock hours of the internship experience
must occur in a school setting and must provide a balanced exposure
to regular and special educational programs.
(vi)The internship experience must occur under conditions
of appropriate supervision. Field-based internship supervisors, for
the purpose of the internship that takes place in a school setting,
must be licensed as a psychologist and, if a separate credential is
required to practice school psychology, must have a valid credential
to provide psychology in the public schools. The portion of the internship
which appropriately may take place in a non-school setting must be
supervised by a psychologist.
(vii)Field-based internship supervisors must be responsible
for no more than two interns at any given time. University internship
supervisors shall be responsible for no more than twelve interns at
any given time.
(viii)Field-based internship supervisors must provide
at least two hours per week of direct supervision for each intern.
University internship supervisors must maintain an ongoing relationship
with field-based internship supervisors and shall provide at least
one field-based contact per semester with each intern.
(ix)The internship site shall inform interns concerning
the period of the internship and the training objectives of the program.
(x)The internship experience must be systematically
evaluated in a manner consistent with the specific training objectives
of the program.
(xi)The internship experience must be conducted in
a manner consistent with the current legal-ethical standards of the
profession.
(xii)The internship agency must have a minimum of
two full-time equivalent interns at the internship level during the
applicant's training period.
(xiii)The internship agency must have the availability
of at least two full-time equivalent psychologists as primary supervisors,
at least one of whom is employed full time at the agency and is a
school psychologist.
(3)Industrial/Organizational Requirements. Individuals
enrolled in an Industrial/Organizational doctoral degree program are
exempt from the formal internship requirement and must complete two
full years of supervised experience, at least one of which must be
received after the doctoral degree is conferred and both of which
must meet the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection. Individuals
who do not undergo a formal internship pursuant to this paragraph
should note that Board rules prohibit a psychologist from practicing
in an area in which he or she does not have sufficient training and
experience, of which a formal internship year is considered to be
an integral requirement.
(d)Supervised Experience. In order to qualify for
licensure, an applicant must submit proof of a minimum of 3,500 hours
of supervised experience, at least 1,750 of which must have been received
after obtaining either provisional trainee status or provisional licensure,
and at least 1,750 of which must have been obtained through a formal
internship that occurred prior to conferral of the doctoral degree.
Following the conferral of a doctoral degree, 1,750 hours obtained
while employed in the delivery of psychological services in an exempt
setting or in another jurisdiction, or 1,750 hours completed prior
to September 1, 2016, under the supervision of a licensed psychologist,
may be substituted for the minimum of 1,750 hours of supervised experience
required as a provisional trainee or provisionally licensed psychologist.
(1)General. All supervised experience for licensure
as a psychologist, including the formal internship, must meet the
following requirements:
(A)Each period of supervised experience must be obtained
in not more than two placements, and in not more than 24 consecutive
months.
(B)Gaps Related to Supervised Experience.
(i)Unless a waiver is granted by the Board, an application
for a psychologist's license will be denied if a gap of more than
2 years exists between:
(I)the date an applicant's doctoral degree was officially
conferred and the date the applicant began obtaining their hours of
supervised experience under provisional trainee status or provisional
licensure; or
(II)the completion date of an applicant's hours of
supervised experience acquired as a provisional trainee or provisionally
licensed psychologist, and the date of application.
(ii)The Board shall grant a waiver upon a showing
of good cause by the applicant. Good cause shall include, but is not
limited to:
(I)proof of continued employment in the delivery of
psychological services in an exempt setting as described in §501.004
of the Act, during any gap period;
(II)proof of annual professional development, which
at a minimum meets the Board's professional development requirements,
during any gap period;
(III)proof of enrollment in a course of study in a
regionally accredited institution or training facility designed to
prepare the individual for the profession of psychology during any
gap period; or
(IV)proof of licensure as a psychologist and continued
employment in the delivery of psychological services in another jurisdiction.
(C)A formal internship with rotations, or one that
is part of a consortium within a doctoral program, is considered to
be one placement. A consortium is composed of multiple placements
that have entered into a written agreement setting forth the responsibilities
and financial commitments of each participating member, for the purpose
of offering a well-rounded, unified psychology training program whereby
trainees work at multiple sites, but obtain training from one primary
site with some experience at or exposure to aspects of the other sites
that the primary site does not offer.
(D)The supervised experience required by this rule
must be obtained after official enrollment in a doctoral program.
(E)All supervised experience must be received from
a psychologist licensed at the time supervision is received.
(F)The supervising psychologist must be trained in
the area of supervision provided to the supervisee.
(G)Experience obtained from a psychologist who is
related within the second degree of affinity or consanguinity to the
supervisee may not be utilized to satisfy the requirements of this
rule.
(H)All supervised experience obtained for the purpose
of licensure must be conducted in accordance with all applicable Board
rules.
(I)Unless authorized by the Board, supervised experience
received from a psychologist practicing with a restricted license
may not be utilized to satisfy the requirements of this rule.
(J)The supervisee shall be designated by a title that
clearly indicates a supervisory licensing status such as "intern,"
"resident," "trainee," or "fellow." An individual who is a Provisionally
Licensed Psychologist or a Licensed Psychological Associate may use
his or her title so long as those receiving psychological services
are clearly informed that the individual is under the supervision
of a licensed psychologist. An individual who is a Licensed Specialist
in School Psychology may use his or her title so long as the supervised
experience takes place within the public schools, and those receiving
psychological services are clearly informed that the individual is
under the supervision of an individual who is licensed as a psychologist
and specialist in school psychology. Use of a different job title
is permitted only if authorized under §501.004 of the Psychologists'
Licensing Act, or another Board rule.
(2)Formal Internship. The formal internship hours
must be satisfied by one of the following types of formal internships:
(A)The successful completion of an internship program
accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian
Psychological Association (CPA), or which is a member of the Association
of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC); or
(B)The successful completion of an organized internship
meeting all of the following criteria:
(i)It must constitute an organized training program
which is designed to provide the intern with a planned, programmed
sequence of training experiences. The primary focus and purpose of
the program must be to assure breadth and quality of training.
(ii)The internship agency must have a clearly designated
staff psychologist who is responsible for the integrity and quality
of the training program and who is actively licensed/certified by
the licensing board of the jurisdiction in which the internship takes
place and who is present at the training facility for a minimum of
20 hours a week.
(iii)The internship agency must have two or more full-time
licensed psychologists on the staff as primary supervisors.
(iv)Internship supervision must be provided by a staff
member of the internship agency or by an affiliate of that agency
who carries clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised.
(v)The internship must provide training in a range
of assessment and intervention activities conducted directly with
patients/clients.
(vi)At least 25% of trainee's time must be in direct
patient/client contact.
(vii)The internship must include a minimum of two
hours per week of regularly scheduled formal, face-to-face individual
supervision. There must also be at least four additional hours per
week in learning activities such as: case conferences involving a
case in which the intern was actively involved; seminars dealing with
psychology issues; co-therapy with a staff person including discussion;
group supervision; additional individual supervision.
(viii)Training must be post-clerkship, post-practicum
and post-externship level.
(ix)The internship agency must have a minimum of two
full-time equivalent interns at the internship level of training during
applicant's training period.
(x)The internship agency must inform prospective interns
about the goals and content of the internship, as well as the expectations
for quantity and quality of trainee's work, including expected competencies;
or
(C)The successful completion of an organized internship
program in a school district meeting the following criteria:
(i)The internship experience must be provided at or
near the end of the formal training period.
(ii)The internship experience must require a minimum
of 35 hours per week over a period of one academic year, or a minimum
of 20 hours per week over a period of two consecutive academic years.
(iii)The internship experience must be consistent
with a written plan and must meet the specific training objectives
of the program.
(iv)The internship experience must occur in a setting
appropriate to the specific training objectives of the program.
(v)At least 600 clock hours of the internship experience
must occur in a school setting and must provide a balanced exposure
to regular and special educational programs.
(vi)The internship experience must occur under conditions
of appropriate supervision. Field-based internship supervisors, for
the purpose of the internship that takes place in a school setting,
must be licensed as a psychologist and, if a separate credential is
required to practice school psychology, must have a valid credential
to provide psychology in the public schools. The portion of the internship
which appropriately may take place in a non-school setting must be
supervised by a psychologist.
(vii)Field-based internship supervisors must be responsible
for no more than two interns at any given time. University internship
supervisors shall be responsible for no more than twelve interns at
any given time.
(viii)Field-based internship supervisors must provide
at least two hours per week of direct supervision for each intern.
University internship supervisors must maintain an ongoing relationship
with field-based internship supervisors and shall provide at least
one field-based contact per semester with each intern.
(ix)The internship site shall inform interns concerning
the period of the internship and the training objectives of the program.
(x)The internship experience must be systematically
evaluated in a manner consistent with the specific training objectives
of the program.
(xi)The internship experience must be conducted in
a manner consistent with the current legal-ethical standards of the
profession.
(xii)The internship agency must have a minimum of
two full-time equivalent interns at the internship level during the
applicant's training period.
(xiii)The internship agency must have the availability
of at least two full-time equivalent psychologists as primary supervisors,
at least one of whom is employed full time at the agency and is a
school psychologist.
(3)Industrial/Organizational Requirements. Individuals
enrolled in an Industrial/Organizational doctoral degree program are
exempt from the formal internship requirement but must complete 3,500
hours of supervised experience meeting the requirements of paragraph
(1) of this subsection, at least 1,750 of which must have been received
as a provisional trainee or provisionally licensed psychologist. Individuals
who do not undergo a formal internship pursuant to this paragraph
should note that Board rules prohibit a psychologist from practicing
in an area in which they do not have sufficient training and experience,
of which a formal internship is considered to be an integral requirement.
(4)Licensure Following Retraining.
(A)In order to qualify for licensure after undergoing
retraining, an applicant must demonstrate the following:
(i)conferral of a doctoral degree in psychology from
a regionally accredited institution of higher education prior to undergoing
retraining;
(ii)completion of a formal, accredited post-doctoral
retraining program in psychology which included at least 1,750 hours
in a formal internship;
(iii)retraining within the two year period preceding
the date of application for licensure under this rule, or continuous
employment in the delivery of psychological services in an exempt
setting as described in §501.004 of the Psychologists' Licensing
Act since receiving their doctoral degree; and
(iv)upon completion of the retraining program, at
least 1,750 hours of supervised experience after obtaining either
provisional trainee status or provisional licensure.
(B)An applicant meeting the requirements of this subsection
is considered to have met the requirements for supervised experience
under this rule.
(e)Effective Date of Change Regarding Supervised Experience.
Subsection (d), along with all of its subparts, shall take effect,
supersede, and take the place of subsection (c) on September 1, 2017.
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed
the adoption and found it to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal
authority.
Filed with the Office
of the Secretary of State on December
5, 2016
TRD-201606143 Darrel D. Spinks
Executive Director
Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Effective date: December 25, 2016
Proposal publication date: September 23, 2016
For further information, please call: (512) 305-7706
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