Standards on Competence

Question 1

2.01 Boundaries of Competence

Answer 1

• Within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, consultation, study, or professional experience
• With age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, or socioeconomic status
• Current scientific and professional knowledge
• Have the foundational knowledge and skills in psychology necessary to construct or implement novel approaches and to evaluate their effectiveness
• Take reasonable steps to protect those with whom they work from harm, recognizing that novel approaches may require greater vigilance in consumer or research protections

Question 2

Situations in which a psychologists without the appropriate training or experience

Answer 2

• Only professional available to provide necessary mental health services
• Rural settings or small ethnocultural communities
• Psychologists must have prior training or experience closely related to the service needed
• Having agreed to provide the service, psychologists must make reasonable efforts to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct their work effectively

Question 3

2.02 Providing Services in Emergencies

Answer 3

• When adequate mental health services are not available during emergencies
• Permits psychologist, who do not have the necessary training, to offer services but requires that they limit services to the immediate timeframe and to cease as soon as the emergency has passed or appropriate services become available.

Question 4

2.03 Maintaining Competence

Answer 4

• Lifelong learning
• Ongoing efforts to ensure continued competence
• Through independent study, continuing education courses, supervision, consultation, or formal postdoctoral study

Question 5

2.04 Bases for Scientific and Professional Judgments

Answer 5

• Knowledge base of scientific and professional psychology

- Bidirectional between science and practice

Question 6

Scientific knowledge

Answer 6

Information generated according to accepted principles of research practice

Question 7

Professional knowledge

Answer 7

Widely accepted and reliable clinical reports, case studies, or observations

Question 8

2.05 Delegation of Work to Others

Answer 8

-Psychologists should evaluate whether employees, supervisees, assistants, or others whose services are used have the skills to implement the task independently or under appropriate supervision, assign such individuals only those tasks for which they are qualified, and monitor the activities to ensure competent implementation

Question 9

Use of Interpreters

Answer 9

• Adequate translation skills and sufficient understanding
• Avoid delegating work to such individuals when it will create a multiple relationship between the interpreter and the research participant or person receiving services that could reasonably be expected to lead to breaches in confidentiality, exploitation, or loss of objectivity

Question 10

Reasonable steps

Answer 10

-Despite their best efforts, persons to whom work is delegated may fail to perform their duties appropriately

Question 11

2.06 Personal Problems and Conflicts

Answer 11

• Emotional, social, health-related, and other personal problems can interfere with psychologists’ ability to use their skills effectively
• Refrain from beginning an activity when there is a substantial likelihood their personal problems may impair their ability to perform their work competently
• Take appropriate steps to remedy the problem and to determine whether such remedies are sufficient for them to continue work-related activities
• Appropriately limit, suspend, or terminate work-related duties