Section 801.44 - Relationships with Clients(a) A licensee must provide marriage and family therapy professional services only in the context of a professional relationship.(b) A licensee must make known in writing to a prospective client the important aspects of the professional relationship, including the licensee's status as an LMFT or LMFT Associate, any probationary status or other restrictions placed on the licensee by the council, office procedures, after-hours coverage, fees, and arrangements for payment (which might affect the client's decision to enter into the relationship).(c) A licensee must obtain an appropriate consent for treatment before providing professional services. A licensee must make reasonable efforts to determine whether the conservatorship, guardianship, or parental rights of the client have been modified by a court. Before the commencement of therapy services to a minor client who is named in a custody agreement or court order, a licensee must obtain and review a current copy of the custody agreement or court order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. A licensee must maintain these documents in the client's record. When federal or state statutes provide an exemption to secure consent of a parent or guardian before providing services to a minor, such as in Texas Family Code, Chapter 32 (relating to Consent to Treatment of Child by Non-Parent or Child), a licensee must follow the protocol set forth in such federal or state statutes.(d) A licensee must make known in writing to a prospective client the confidential nature of the client's disclosures and the clinical record, including the legal limitations of the confidentiality of the mental health record and information.(e) No commission or rebate or any other form of remuneration may be given or received by a licensee for the referral of clients for professional services. A licensee employed or under contract with a chemical dependency facility or a mental health facility must comply with the requirements in Texas Health and Safety Code, § 164.006 (relating to Soliciting and Contracting with Certain Referral Sources). Compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 164 (relating to Treatment Facilities Marketing and Admission Practices) is not considered a violation of state law regarding illegal remuneration.(f) A licensee may not exploit the licensee's position of trust with a client or former client.(g) A licensee may not engage in activities that seek to meet the licensee's personal needs instead of the needs of the client.(h) A licensee may not provide marriage and family therapy services to family members, personal friends, educational associates, business associates, or others whose welfare might be jeopardized by such a dual relationship.(i) A licensee must set and maintain professional boundaries with clients and former clients.(j) A licensee may disclose confidential information to medical or law enforcement personnel if the licensee determines there is a probability of imminent physical injury by the client to the client or others or there is a probability of immediate mental or emotional injury to the client.(k) In group therapy settings, the licensee must take reasonable precautions to protect individuals from physical or emotional trauma resulting from interaction within the group.(l) A licensee must make a reasonable effort to avoid non-therapeutic relationships with clients or former clients. A non-therapeutic relationship is an activity begun by either the licensee, the client, or former client for the purposes of establishing a social, business, or other relationship not related to therapy. A licensee must ensure the welfare of the client or former client if a non-therapeutic relationship arises.(m) A licensee may not bill clients or third parties for services not actually rendered or as agreed to in writing.(n) A licensee must end a professional relationship when it is reasonably clear the client is not benefiting from it. Upon ending a professional relationship, if the client still requires mental health services, the licensee must make reasonable efforts to provide a written referral to clients for appropriate services and to facilitate the transfer to appropriate care.(o) A licensee who engages in technology-assisted services must provide the client with the licensee's license number and information on how to contact the council by telephone, electronic communication, or mail. The licensee must comply with all other provisions of this chapter.(p) A licensee may not offer services that are beyond the licensee's professional competency, and the services provided must be within accepted professional standards of practice and appropriate to the needs of the client. In emerging areas in which generally recognized standards for preparatory training do not exist, licensees must take reasonable steps to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients, research participants, and other affected individuals from the potential for harm.(q) A licensee must base all services on an assessment, evaluation, or diagnosis of the client.(r) A licensee must evaluate a client's progress on a continuing basis to guide service delivery and must make use of supervision and consultation as indicated by the client's needs.(s) A licensee may not knowingly offer or provide professional services to an individual concurrently receiving professional services from another mental health services provider except with that provider's knowledge. If a licensee learns of such concurrent professional services, the licensee must take immediate and reasonable action to inform the other mental health services provider.(t) A licensee may not aid or abet the unlicensed practice of marriage and family therapy services by a person required to be licensed under the Act. A licensee must report to the council knowledge of any unlicensed practice.(u) A licensee may not enter into a non-professional relationship with a client's family member or any person having a personal or professional relationship with a client, if the licensee knows or reasonably should have known such a relationship could be detrimental to the client.(v) A licensee must refrain from providing services when they know or should know that their physical or mental health or lack of objectivity are likely to impair their competency or harm a client or other person with whom they have a professional relationship.22 Tex. Admin. Code § 801.44
The provisions of this §801.44 adopted to be effective April 20, 1994, 19 TexReg 2386; amended to be effective April 11, 2001, 26 TexReg 2713; amended to be effective July 2, 2006, 31 TexReg 5111; amended to be effective May 18, 2008, 33 TexReg 3758; amended to be effective March 31, 2013, 38 TexReg 1982; amended by Texas Register, Volume 39, Number 46, November 14, 2014, TexReg 9014, eff. 11/23/2014; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 42, Number 11, March 17, 2017, TexReg 1255, eff. 3/26/2017; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 44, Number 09, March 1, 2019, TexReg 1140, eff. 3/7/2019; Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 45, Number 40, October 2, 2020, TexReg 7027, eff. 10/5/2020; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 47, Number 37, September 16, 2022, TexReg 5856, eff. 9/21/2022