Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-04-.02 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATION

In evaluating the academic program and training of an applicant for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant, the Board shall use the following criteria:

(1) Educational requirements as a Certified Psychological Assistant must be met programmatically, i.e., as a matriculated in-residence student in a formal graduate training program organized to provide graduate education and training in psychology, and whose stated purpose and design is to educate and train Psychologists, Senior Psychological Examiners, Psychological Examiners, and/or Certified Psychological Assistants.

(2) The degree-granting institution for applicants for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant must be regionally accredited at the time of the applicant's graduation. Regional accreditation is defined as accreditation by one of the six regional agencies of the Council on Post Secondary Accreditation or the evaluations and decisions regarding foreign education and credentials by the World Education Service.

(3) A minimum of one (1) academic year of graduate training in psychology, including a master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education, as defined above, is required. Such a degree should be based on a minimum of thirty-three (33) graduate semester hours exclusive of credit awarded for practicum and field experience, however titled. In lieu of a master's degree, an applicant who has successfully completed a minimum of thirty-three (33) graduate semester hours in residence as a matriculated student in a doctoral program in psychology as defined in rule 1180-2-.02(1) may be considered for certification.

(4) The academic program shall include specialized training in psychological assessment, test construction and measurement, the administration and interpretation of psychological skills, and social history methods.

(a) Successfully completing a three (3) graduate semester hours course on professional standards and ethics based on the Code of Ethics of the APA, and a three (3) graduate semester hours course in Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology is required.

(b) In addition to the two (2) required courses mentioned above, a minimum of nine (9) graduate semester hours must be in the basic substantive areas of psychology and at least three (3) substantive areas must be represented.

The basic substantive areas of psychology include, but are not restricted to, experimental, developmental, individual differences, social psychology, cultural/ethnic, sex roles, statistics, history and systems, research and experimental design, personality theory, learning, physiological, comparative, motivation, emotion, sensation and perception, cognitive and organizational.

(c) In addition to and not included in the above substantive courses, a minimum of nine (9) semester hours must be related to the application of psychology, including formal psychological testing and intervention techniques. These nine (9) hours must include at least three (3) graduate semester hours in cognitive/intellectual testing and three (3) graduate semester hours in formal personality testing.

(d) The remaining nine (9) of the required thirty-three (33) hours may be either substantive course work, applied course work or thesis hours.

(e) A course shall count only one (1) time to meet only one (1) requirement.

(5) Applicants for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant are required to complete at least one (1) on-site, formal, supervised practicum in psychological assessment for a minimum of three (3) semester hours of graduate credit. The semester hour credit for a supervised practicum must be in addition to the required minimum of thirty-three (33) total graduate semester hours which are specified above.

(6) Equivalent training and experience.

(a) In cases in which the successfully completed formal master's degree program in psychology does not meet the minimum required semester hours for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant, the Board may, at its discretion, accept additional course work subsequently completed programmatically in a qualifying psychology graduate training program which meets the criteria outlined in subparagraph (4) (d) above.

(b) The Board shall exercise discretion in the allocation of courses to basic substantive areas of psychology versus courses in the application of psychology.

(c) An individual who has received a Masters Degree in psychology and is a student in good standing in a doctoral degree from an APA approved or CNRHSPP/ASPPB designated training program in professional psychology, shall be deemed to have completed the academic course requirements for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant.

(d) Any request for a declaration of equivalency of programs completed or of course work taken outside of departments of psychology, to programs or to course work completed in departments of psychology, shall be determined by the psychological content of the courses taken irrespective of title. When an applicant's degree/course work is from another field (e.g., education), the burden of proof of equivalency is on the applicant. Objective material such as course titles, catalog descriptions, course outlines, syllabi, assignment sheets, documentation from course instructors and program heads, and/or any interdepartmental handbooks in which programs and/or course work are described should be provided to document the request for consideration of equivalency. Educational and professional qualifications of the faculty shall also be considered. All educational requirements including practicum must be satisfied.

(7) Practicum. Practicum experience is required for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant. A practicum consists of a supervised training experience organized by a graduate academic psychology training program for the specific purpose of applied skill development appropriate to the areas of preparation. The Board makes no distinction between courses labeled masters or doctoral level practica or masters level internship; all are considered practica.

(a) A practicum shall be considered valid for certification only if a minimum of eighteen (18) graduate semester hours of required course work have been completed prior to beginning the practicum experience. Nine (9) of these eighteen (18) graduate semester hours shall consist of three (3) graduate semester hours in Ethics based on the APA code, three (3) graduate semester hours in psychological assessment, and three (3) graduate semester hours in abnormal psychology or psychopathology.

(b) Practicum experience shall be distinct from work experience. Practicum experience shall be provided in settings providing a range of assessment and intervention activities conducted directly with clients seeking health services and is distinct from course-related laboratory experience.

(c) Completed practica must appear on the applicant's graduate transcript.

(d) The board shall require for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant practicum training which shall consist of not less than three hundred (300) clock hours. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the required three hundred (300) clock hours (75 hours) must be spent in individual and group supervision.

(e) The practicum experience shall specifically include substantial training and supervision in formal psychological assessment, including clinical diagnostic interviews, and formal psychological testing.

(f) Adequate supervision for an acceptable practicum experience requires a minimum of one (1) hour per week of individual, face to face supervision by the on-site supervisor. The supervisor must be competent to practice the activity supervised and shall not be in a dual relationship with the supervisee. The supervision shall be for direct provision of client services. The remaining required supervisory hours may be met by group supervision and participation in case conferences and treatment team meetings and review of reports and notes by the supervisor.

(g) The Board requires on-site supervision for the practicum experience. This means that an on-site supervisor is present whenever the graduate student is conducting assessment activities with clients at the practicum site. This supervision requirement is met in one (1) of three (3) ways:

1. The preferred method is for the on-site supervision of practicum experiences for trainees to be provided by a licensed Psychologist designated as a HSP.

2. An alternate method is applicable when a licensed Psychologist with designation as a HSP is not available on-site. On-site supervision must be provided as follows:

(i) The graduate student may be supervised by a Senior Psychological Examiner, or a School Psychologist with at least three (3) years of continuous full-time employment in the school system; and

(ii) A licensed Psychologist with designation as a HSP must have overall responsibility for the student's practicum training. The licensed Psychologist with a designation of HSP shall meet with the student no less often than weekly during the duration of the practicum experience.

3. APPIC listed predoctoral interns or post doctoral fellows may provide on-site practicum supervision if a Psychologist with HSP designation and who is a member of the training faculty has overall responsibility for the practicum student's training. This Psychologist must meet weekly with the APPIC intern or fellow about their practicum supervision. The HSP Psychologist must meet with the practicum student at least weekly in either group or individual supervision.

(8) Individuals who have completed an APA approved or APPIC listed predoctoral internship and have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree from an APA approved or CNRHSPP/ASPPB designated psychology training program except for the dissertation shall be deemed to have satisfied the practicum requirements for certification as a Certified Psychological Assistant.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1180-04-.02

Original rule filed June 18, 2002; effective September 1, 2002.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-11-104, 63-11-201, and 63-11-207.