Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
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.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
37:2353.
