Texas Psychologists are required to renew their licenses annually. 12 hours of continuing education are required, of which 3 hours must be in ethics. All 12 hours are allowed from APA-approved online continuing education courses.

Professional Development Resources is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Professional Development Resources maintains responsibility for all programs and content.

Continuing Education for Texas Psychologists:

Click to view APA-approved continuing education for Texas Psychologists

All licensees of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists are required to complete 12 hours of continuing education units annually in accordance with the Act and the rules. Beginning with June 2004 renewals, three (3) of the 12 hours must be in ethics, the Board’s Rules of Conduct, or professional responsibility.

Failure to submit the required continuing education within 45 days after the expiration date will result in the filing of a complaint against the licensee and an investigation by the Board. The complaint is investigated, regardless of whether the licensee eventually complies with the continuing education requirements and/or the renewal process.

10% of each type of license is audited automatically on a random basis by the computer. These licensees are required to submit proof of their continuing education with their declaration form and their renewal form and fees. It is possible for a licensee to be audited two years or more in succession, even though the audits are randomly generated. Also, an irregularity in complying with the continuing education requirement could result in a manual audit for which the licensee must submit proof of the continuing education received.

A licensee who does not renew his or her license by the expiration date is subject to penalty fees when the license is renewed. However, after one year, a non-renewed (delinquent) license may not be renewed and is considered void. A licensee may not practice legally with a non-renewed license.

Requirements for renewals are set by the Act and by the rules. Licensees, who after reading the Act and rules still have questions about the renewal process, should contact the Board office.

Ethics Course Guidelines for Psychologists and Providers:

Material suitable for CE credit is that which reflects on the directives of the TSBEP and or the guidelines established by APA, NASP or other organizations of professional psychologists. Courses that focus on bases for ethical decision making and/or problem-solving with diverse groups, contexts and situations are particularly relevant to this category of CE.

Professional Ethics concerns conduct and practice when engaged in professional work. Any code may be considered to be a formalization of experience into a set of rules. A professional group adopts a code in order to define and promote its purposes and activities – ethical boundaries are established in order to regulate practice in a way that is acceptable to its incumbents.

Codes of Ethics are concerned with a range of issues designed to set out the ideals and responsibilities of the profession. Ethics requirements are intended to provide assistance in determining appropriate decision-making and behavior, improve consistency, and provide a minimum acceptable level of practice.

Examples of acceptable continuing education courses/topics could include: “Update on new and revised TSBEP rules” or “Informed consent with geriatric populations.” Examples of unacceptable continuing education courses/topics include: “Diagnostic indicators for…” or “Medical model implications for the practice of psychology.”

The following may be considered by the Board Staff in determining whether a particular Continuing Education course may be counted for the purposes of the ethics requirement:

• Does the title of the designated CE experience include the word or derivations of “ethics” “legal,” “rules,” “regulation,” “risk management,” or other conceptually related terms?
• Does the title of the CE activity suggest that the focus was to enhance or improve practice that is consistent with lawful, regulated and/or ethical practice of psychology (as opposed to new, elaborated or improved techniques of practice)?
• Is it clear from the title or course description (for audited CEs) that the course or activity was designed to enhance or upgrade professional skills or knowledge relative to ethical practice of psychology as regulated by the Rules of the TSBEP?

Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists’ website: http://www.tsbep.state.tx.us/