SECTION 882.26. Authorized Practice of Psychology Without a License

(a) Notwithstanding Rule §882.23 of the chapter, the activities or services described in §501.004 of the Psychologists' Licensing Act are exempt from the Council's jurisdiction and do not require a license.

(b) The activity or service of a post-doctoral fellow or resident in psychology is exempt from the Council's jurisdiction pursuant to §501.004(a)(2) of the Psychologists' Licensing Act if all of the following criteria are met:

(1) The person is enrolled in a formal post-doctoral program that is:

(A) accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC); or

(B) substantially equivalent to a program described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;

(2) The activities or services take place under qualified supervision and are part of the formal post-doctoral program; and

(3) The person is designated as a psychological intern or trainee, or by another title that clearly indicates the person's training status.

(c) A formal post-doctoral program which meets the following criteria will be considered substantially equivalent to an APA accredited or APPIC member program:

(1) An organized experience with a planned and programmed sequence of supervised training experiences.

(2) A designated psychologist responsible for the program who possesses expertise or competence in the program's area.

(3) Two or more licensed psychologists on staff, at least one designated as supervisor with expertise in area of practice.

(4) A minimum of 2 hours per week of face-to-face supervision.

(5) A minimum of 2 additional hours per week of learning activities.

(6) A minimum of 25% of the fellow's time is spent providing professional psychological services.

(7) Admission requirements that require the applicant to complete all professional degree requirements and a pre-doc internship, which at a minimum meets Council requirements.

(8) A requirement that participants use titles such as intern, resident, fellow, or trainee.

(9) Documentation describing the goals, content, organization, entrance requirements, staff, mechanisms for a minimum of 2 evaluations per year, and a statement that the program meets Texas' licensure requirements.

(10) At a minimum, an informal due process procedure regarding deficiencies and grievances.

(11) A written requirement for at least 1500 hours to be completed in not less than 9 months and not more than 24 months.

Source Note: The provisions of this §882.26 adopted to be effective September 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 4756