(a) Licensees provide only services for which they have the education, skills, and training to perform competently.     
      (b) Competency includes the ability to provide services concerning a specific individual that takes into account characteristics of that individual including age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, disability, language, and socio-economic status.     
      (c) Licensees maintain current knowledge of scientific and professional information that ensures competency in every area in which they provide services.     
      (d) Licensees provide services in an unfamiliar area or involving new techniques only after first undertaking appropriate study and training, including supervision, and/or consultation from a professional competent to provide such services.     
      (e) In emerging areas in which generally recognized standards for preparatory training do not exist, licensees take reasonable steps to ensure the competence of their work and to protect patients, clients, research participants, and other affected individuals from the potential for harm.     
      (f) Licensees are responsible for ensuring that all individuals practicing under their supervision are competent to perform those services.     
      (g) Licensees who delegate performance of certain services such as test scoring are responsible for ensuring that the entity to whom the delegation is made is competent to perform those services.     
      (h) Licensees who lack the competency to provide particular psychological services to a specific individual must withdraw and refer the individual to an appropriate service provider.     
      (i) Emergency Situations. In emergencies, when licensees are asked to provide services to individuals for whom appropriate mental health services are not available and for which the licensee has not obtained the necessary competence, licensees may provide such services until the emergency has abated or to the extent necessary to ensure that services are not denied. If ongoing services are provided, licensees must comply with subsection (d) of this section, as soon as practicable or refer the patient to an appropriate service provider.     
      (j) Licensees refrain from initiating or continuing to undertake an activity when they know or should know that there is a substantial likelihood that personal problems or conflicts will prevent them from performing their work-related activities or producing a psychological report in a competent and timely manner. When licensees become aware of such conflicts, they must immediately take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance in order to determine whether they should limit, suspend, or terminate the engagement in accordance with §465.21 of this title (relating to Termination of Services).     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §465.9 adopted to be effective October 7, 2020, 45 TexReg 7013