La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § LXIII-1305

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section LXIII-1305 - Competence

A. Boundaries of Competence

1. Psychologists provide services, teach and conduct research with populations and in areas only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study or professional experience.

2. Where scientific or professional knowledge in the discipline of psychology establishes that an understanding of factors associated with age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language or socioeconomic status is essential for effective implementation of their services or research, psychologists have or obtain the training, experience, consultation or supervision necessary to ensure the competence of their services, or they make appropriate referrals, except in emergencies.

3. Psychologists planning to provide services, teach or conduct research involving populations, areas, techniques or technologies new to them undertake relevant education, training, supervised experience, consultation or study.

4. When psychologists are asked to provide services to individuals for whom appropriate mental health services are not available and for which psychologists have not obtained the competence necessary, psychologists with closely related prior training or experience may provide such services in order to ensure that services are not denied if they make a reasonable effort to obtain the competence required by using relevant research, training, consultation or study.

5. In those emerging areas in which generally recognized standards for preparatory training do not yet exist, psychologists nevertheless take reasonable steps to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients and others from harm.

6. When assuming forensic roles, psychologists are or become reasonably familiar with the judicial or administrative rules governing their roles.

B. Providing Services in Emergencies. In emergencies, when psychologists provide services to individuals for whom other mental health services are not available and for which psychologists have not obtained the necessary training, psychologists may provide such services in order to ensure that services are not denied. The services are discontinued as soon as the emergency has ended or appropriate services are available.

C. Maintaining Competence. Psychologists undertake ongoing efforts to develop and maintain their competence.

D. Bases for Scientific and Professional Judgments. Psychologists work is based upon established scientific and professional knowledge of the discipline.

E. Delegation of Work to Others. Psychologists who delegate work to employees, supervisees or research or teaching assistants or who use the services of others, such as interpreters, take reasonable steps to:

1. avoid delegating such work to persons who have a multiple relationship with those being served that would likely lead to exploitation or loss of objectivity;

2. authorize only those responsibilities that such persons can be expected to perform competently on the basis of their education, training or experience, either independently or with the level of supervision being provided; and

3. see that such persons perform these services competently.

F. Personal Problems and Conflicts

1. Psychologists refrain from initiating an activity when they know or should know that there is a substantial likelihood that their personal problems will prevent them from performing their work-related activities in a competent manner.

2. When psychologists become aware of personal problems that may interfere with their performing work-related duties adequately, they take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance and determine whether they should limit, suspend or terminate their work-related duties.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § LXIII-1305

Promulgated by the Department of Health, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 431164 (6/1/2017).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:2353.