by Evelyn Jagpat O’Halloran, Psy.D.
In psychology, as in any profession or business, the key rule of entrepreneurship is to always stay informed about the laws and rules which regulate your professional practice. This is especially important in professions and industries, regulated by licensing boards and state laws.
Monitoring legislation & bills up for review is always a good idea.
Admittedly, it can be very difficult to budget the time to actually stay informed, given the multiple demands of professional and personal life and relationships. Additionally, Texas laws and rules are always under review and subject to change. What I have personally found helpful is joining a professional organization which actively follows issues related to the professional practice of psychology and provides avenues to keep members informed.
For example, in Texas, TPA (Texas Psychological Association) serves such a function. It not only keeps members up to date regionally, but also provides information on the national front. Further, it serves an advocacy function for all psychologists throughout Texas and actively lobbies to protect the rights and professional practice of psychologists. It is also noteworthy to mention that TPA is a great source for fulfilling TSBEP professional development credits and for getting discounts on professional services.
It is also useful to regularly monitor the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists’ website, where you can download the most recent version of Act and Rules of the Board. You can also read about new developments and requirements. However, not all of the changes to State Law and the Board Rules will be listed here. Many are not. For monitoring house and senate bills which impact the laws which govern the practice of psychology, a great resource is LegiScan.com.
