Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 46
PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS

 Part LXIII. Psychologists

Note: Updates to the LAC my be obtained from http://doa.louisiana.gov/osr/lac/46v63/46v63.doc 

Chapter 17.  Specialty Titles

§1701.  Definition of Practice of Psychology

A.     The definition of the practice of psychology, as contained in R.S. 37:2352(5), is a generic description, individuals certified under the provisions of R.S. 37:2351-2367 are licensed to practice psychology in accordance with that statute and the rules and regulations of the board adopted under the provisions of state statute.

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

HISTORICAL NOTE:  Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 6:602 (October 1980).

§1702.  Definition of Psychological Testing, Evaluation and Assessment

A.     As contained in R.S. 37:2352(5), the practice of psychology includes, but is not limited to, psychological testing and evaluation or assessment of personal characteristics such as intelligence, personality, abilities, interests, aptitudes, and neuropsychological functioning. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists finds it necessary to formally define psychological testing in order to protect the people of this state from the unlawful, unqualified and improper use of psychological tests. The intent of this rule is to provide a definition of psychological testing sufficient to allow this board to effectively regulate this aspect of psychological practice. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists recognizes that, except as otherwise provided by law, psychological testing may only be administered and interpreted by a person duly licensed as a psychologist by this board under R.S. 37:2351 et seq., or by a person under the direct supervision of a psychologist, provided that such supervision is in compliance with the regulations of this board.

B.     Nothing in these regulations should be interpreted or construed as to limit or restrict the practice of physicians duly licensed to practice medicine by the Board of Medical Examiners. Also, nothing in this rule should be construed as having application to any persons licensed or certified under other laws of this state when acting within the legal scope of such licensure or certification in rendering services as expressly set forth under those relevant statues.

C.     Psychological testing, evaluation or assessment hereinafter referred to as “psychological testing,” is defined sit the administration and/or interpretation of measure instruments, devices, or procedures for the treatment planning and/or diagnosis, classification or description of mental and emotional disorders and d disorders of personality or behavior, psychological, physical illness, accident, injury or disability, neuropsychological impairment. The use of computerized psychological assessment procedures is also included in scope of this regulation.

D. Psychological testing explicitly includes the following three areas:

         1.  intellectual(which includes those normative-based individually administered instruments used to measure cognitive functions such as abstract reasoning, fund of knowledge and problem solving;

         2.  personality and emotional(which includes those normative-based instruments used to measure both trait and state aspects of personality and emotional characteristics and functioning;

         3.  neuropsychological(which includes those normative-based instruments used to make inferences about brain and behavior relationships. These relationships include, but are not limited to, sensorimotor functioning, attention and concentration skills, memory functioning, language function, concrete and abstract problem solving, and measures of cognitive flexibility and creativity;

E.      Notwithstanding any provisions herein to the contrary, psychologists as well as other appropriately licensed or certified professionals may also administer or use tests of language, educational and achievement tests, adaptive behavioral tests, and symptom screening checklists or instruments, as well as tests of abilities, interests, and aptitudes. The administration and interpretation of these tests is not exclusively within the scope of this regulation.

F.      Psychological testing within the independent practice of psychology must be performed in accordance with the requirements of LAC 46:LXIII.Chapter 13, Ethical Standards of Psychologists. The ability to competently interpret psychological testing assumes a doctoral degree in psychology with formal academic training in statistics, test construction, sampling theory, tests and measurement, individual differences, and personality theory. In addition, the interpretation of psychological tests for treatment planning, diagnostic, classification, or descriptive purposes assumes formal doctoral level academic training in the areas of abnormal psychology, psychopathology, psychodiagnosis and, in the case of neuropsychological diagnosis, additional formal training and/or demonstrated competence in the field of clinical neuropsychology. All training must be supervised by a licensed psychologist and must include formal supervised practical experience and internship training, when appropriate, involving the use of psychological tests with different patient populations.

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

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Board of Examiners of Psychologists LR 19:496 (April 1993).

§1705.  Use of Specialty Title

A.     The use of any specialty title must be consistent with the board’s “ethical standards” and with such additional standards as may be designated by other, professional but nonstatutory, boards which certify the use of such specialty titles by individuals who present appropriate qualifications to them.

B.     The term “specialty” refers to an area within the profession of psychology which can be identified on the basis of a history and tradition of service, research, and scholarship to have a body of knowledge and a set of skills related to that knowledge base, and which is discriminably different from other such specialties.

C.     “Special proficiency” recognizes the mastery of a special skill, special technique, or an in-depth knowledge of the needs of a specific population or problems of a specific setting. Such special proficiencies are not unique to any one specialty of psychology, and also may not be unique to the profession of psychology.

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

HISTORICAL NOTE:  Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 6:602 (October 1980).

§1707.  List of Specialties

A.     As a service to both the public and those individuals licensed by the board, the board offers the opportunity for registering the licensee’s area of competence, education, training, and experience within a limited list of recognized “specialties,” as defined in §1705.B above. The board does not maintain a list of “special proficiencies,” as defined in §1705.C above.

B.     Those specialties which are currently recognized by the board are: clinical, clinical neuropsychology, counseling,  school, educational, developmental, experimental, industrial-organization, and social.

C.     The non-registration of such specialties shall not prevent licensed providers of psychological services from using the methods or dealing with the populations of any specialty, so long as the provision of such services is in accordance with the board’s rules and regulations.

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

HISTORICAL NOTE:  Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 6:602 (October 1980), amended LR 19:1423 (November 1993).

§1709.  Meeting Standards of Training and Credentials

A.     For the registration of a specialty in an applied area of psychology, at the time the license is granted, the candidate must meet the standards described in the board’s “Rules on Training and Credentials,” Chapter 3. Such supervised training experiences must be supported by appropriate graduate level education, as described in the board’s rules and regulations.

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

HISTORICAL NOTE:  Promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Resources, Board of Examiners of Psychologists, LR 6:602 (October 1980).

§1711.  Registration after Licensure

A.     The registration of each additional specialty or the registration of a specialty after licensure must meet all criteria described above, including both appropriate graduate or postgraduate education and appropriate supervised training experiences.

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