Competence, impairment, and continuing professional development requirements
Competence, impairment, and continuing professional development
This domain tests the duty to practice within competence, recognize impairment, and maintain skills. Maryland couples Board rules with the APA Ethics Code.
Core rules
- Psychologists must provide services only within their competence, based on education, training, supervised experience, or consultation. New areas require training or supervision.
- Impairment includes substance use, burnout, medical or mental health conditions that interfere with performance. Psychologists must seek help and limit or suspend practice when impaired.
- Maryland requires continuing education for renewal, typically 30 hours every two years, including ethics hours and other Board-specified topics. CE must be relevant and documented.
- The Board may require remediation, evaluation, or supervision as a condition of continued practice.
Worked example
A psychologist agrees to evaluate a child for autism despite no pediatric training. The psychologist should obtain specialized training, consult, or refer. If a personal crisis is impairing concentration, the psychologist should reduce the caseload and seek treatment, not rely on goodwill.
Traps
Do not count general business courses as psychology CE. Do not assume experience alone establishes competence. Do not ignore subtle impairment; the duty is to protect clients, not to protect the psychologist's image.