SECTION 463.35. Requirements for Professional Development

(a) Minimum Professional Development Hours Required:

(1) A licensee must complete 40 hours of professional development during each renewal period that they hold a license. The 40 hours of professional development must include 6 hours in ethics and 6 hours in cultural diversity or competency.

(2) A licensee may carry forward to the next renewal period, a maximum of 10 hours accrued during the current renewal period if those hours are not needed for renewal.

(b) Acceptable ethics hours include, but are not limited to professional development on:

(1) state or federal laws, including agency rules, relevant to the practice of psychology;

(2) practice guidelines established by local, regional, state, national, or international professional organizations;

(3) training or education designed to demonstrate or affirm the ideals and responsibilities of the profession; and

(4) training or education intended to assist licensees in determining appropriate decision-making and behavior, improve consistency in or enhance the professional delivery of services, and provide a minimum acceptable level of practice.

(c) Acceptable cultural diversity or competency hours include, but are not limited to professional development regarding age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

(d) Acceptable Professional Development Activities:

(1) All professional development hours must have been received during the renewal period unless allowed under subsection (a)(2) of this section, and be directly related to the practice of psychology;

(2) The Council shall make the determination as to whether the activity claimed by the licensee is directly related to the practice of psychology;

(3) Except for hours claimed under subsection (g), all professional development hours obtained must be designated by the provider in a letter, email, certificate, or transcript that displays the licensee's name, topic covered, date(s) of training, and hours of credit earned; and

(4) Multiple instances or occurrences of a professional development activity may not be claimed for the same renewal period.

(e) Licensees must obtain at least fifty percent of their professional development hours from one or more of the following providers:

(1) an international, national, regional, state, or local association of medical, mental, or behavioral health professionals;

(2) public school districts, charter schools, or education service centers;

(3) city, county, state, or federal governmental entities;

(4) an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or the United States Department of Education;

(5) religious or charitable organizations devoted to improving the mental or behavioral health of individuals;

(6) a hospital or hospital system, including any clinic, division, or department within a hospital or hospital system; or

(7) any provider approved or endorsed by a provider listed herein.

(f) Licensees shall receive credit for professional development activities according to the number of hours designated by the provider, or if no such designation, on a one-for-one basis with one credit hour for each hour spent in the professional development activity.

(g) Notwithstanding subsection (e) above, licensees may claim professional development credit for each of the following activities:

(1) Passage of the jurisprudence examination. Licensees who pass the jurisprudence examination may claim 1 hour of professional development in ethics.

(2) Preparing and giving a presentation at a professional development activity. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.

(3) Authoring a book or peer reviewed article. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.

(4) Teaching or attending a graduate level course. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 5 hours.

(5) Self-study. The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 1 hour.

(6) Successful completion of a training course on human trafficking prevention described by §116.002 of the Occupations Code. Licensees who complete this training may claim 1 hour of professional development credit.

(7) Providing supervision to supervisees delivering psychological services to individuals residing in a rural mental health discipline Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) identified by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). The maximum number of hours that may be claimed for this activity is 20 and hours claimed may not be counted toward the ethics or cultural diversity or competency requirements.

(h) The Council does not pre-evaluate or pre-approve professional development providers or hours.

(i) Licensees shall maintain proof of professional development compliance for a minimum of 3 years after the applicable renewal period.

Source Note: The provisions of this §463.35 adopted to be effective March 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 1303