Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project: Fellows' perspectives on didactic curriculum.

Involvement in the Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project (PDP) was a fascinating process for those psychologists immersed in the novel health science curriculum based in a traditional model of medical education. The PDP may be viewed as the compression of several years of medical school and residency training into a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship for practicing psychologists. In this article, 2 graduates describe the evolution of the PDP didactic curriculum, characterize the PDP paradigm, contrast it with a psychological model, provide comparisons with emerging civilian programs and the American Psychological Association's model curriculum, and highlight "lessons learned" during their 1st year in the PDP. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practicing clinical psychologists’ provision of sexual health care services.

Practicing clinical psychologists are likely to work with sexual health concerns as part of their clinical practice because of high prevalence rates and sexual problems as symptoms of mental or physical health problems and their pharmacological treatment. However, the majority of clinicians do not receive didactic or supervised clinical training. This survey of 188 practicing clinical psychologists in one Canadian city confirmed that, despite lack of training, many clinicians discussed sexual health concerns with their clients and used a variety of sex therapy techniques. This survey also revealed, however, that 60% of clinicians did not ask, or very infrequently asked, clients about sexual health. In general, lack of training affected level of comfort, and both may result in inadequate application of sex therapy techniques and treatment. The results of this survey indicate an ethical imperative to included sexuality training in current graduate curricula to adequately prepare psychologists to assess, refer, and treat sexual health concerns. The inclusion of sexuality-related topics in existing clinical graduate courses, an increase in sexuality-specific courses focused on assessment and intervention in graduate curricula, and broader options for continuing education for practicing clinical psychologists are recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and rehabilitation: New roles and old training models.

The role of psychologists in physical rehabilitation settings has expanded considerably over the past decades. Unfortunately, the lack of clarity regarding roles, functions, and research of psychologists in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings has hampered efforts to establish guidelines for training graduate students to work in rehabilitative settings. Despite ongoing debate since the Princeton Conference in 1958, no guidelines have been recommended by Division 22 of the American Psychological Association (Division of Rehabilitation Psychology) for training doctoral students in clinical and counseling psychology programs for work in rehabilitation. This article asserts that psychology graduate students who want to work in physical rehabilitation settings should (a) have core training in psychology and (b) receive coursework and practica in working with persons who have chronic illnesses and injuries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapeutic Alliance in Face-to-Face Versus Videoconferenced Psychotherapy.

Despite the great potential videoconferencing holds for providing psychotherapy services to a wide range of individuals, it is presently underused by psychologists. Do psychologists hold negative attitudes that interfere with their willingness to use the technology? What do psychologists think about the impact of the technology on the therapeutic alliance? Thirty clinical psychologists were randomly assigned to watch an identical therapy session, either face-to-face or videoconferencing format. Our prediction that psychologists in the videoconferencing condition would rate the therapeutic alliance significantly lower than would psychologists in the face-to-face condition was supported. We discuss the need to develop appropriate therapist training and improve the general dissemination of information regarding videoconferencing as an important means by which to reduce negative attitudes toward the technology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA and (AP)–2.

Psychology developed 100 yrs ago as a laboratory "science," and there was no real interest in application until World War I. After World War I, psychology became more applied, but after World War II it exploded as clinical psychology. Clinical psychologists sought a professional society in the state psychological associations and eventually gained the support of the American Psychological Association (APA). The author emphasizes that, although basic and applied training procedures parallel the medical model, clinical psychologists are not junior psychiatrists and that they make a unique contribution because of their training in research and statistics. The author further states that their contributions should be supported by all psychologists for the benefit of everyone, including academic psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child custody evaluations when one divorcing parent has a physical disability.

Objective: To explore how parents' physical disability status might impact the process of divorce-related child custody evaluations and custody decisions, the level of training received by psychologists regarding assessment of parents with physical disabilities, and whether psychologists recognize that testing persons with physical disabilities requires specialized knowledge. Study Design: Survey mailed in 4 waves. Participants: 206 child custody evaluators (31% response rate). Outcome Measures: A survey regarding custody evaluations, a custody questionnaire, evaluation practices, education and training regarding disability, demographics, and a question about the purpose of the study. Results: Almost 70% had performed ≥1 child custody evaluation involving a parent with a physical disability. Over 85% of participants reported no training with regard to such evaluations, and 49% reported no training regarding any disability issues. 65% stated they would use the same tests without modifications, regardless of disability status of the parent. Conclusions: Recommendations include mandated training on disability for child custody evaluators, graduate training on disability accommodations in assessment, specifying conditions when evaluating parents with disabilities, more information regarding accommodations in custody evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prescribing psychologists and patients' medical needs: Lessons from clinical psychiatry.

Psychologists who acquire prescribing privileges will assume an expanded obligation to address patients' medical (physical) conditions. Development of a training and practice model for prescribing psychologists may be informed by an awareness of how psychiatrists fulfill this obligation. Surveys of psychiatrists indicate that they rarely perform physical or neurological examinations. They typically participate only obliquely in the evaluation of patients presenting with acute behavioral or emotional symptoms suggesting organic illness, and they virtually never treat concomitant medical conditions of their patients. Other than in psychopharmacology, psychiatrists use their residual medical knowledge only indirectly. Findings imply that training for prescribing psychologists can be focused according to their expected clinical activities and that a model of practice emphasizing collaboration with nonpsychiatric physicians is feasible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude, knowledge, and skill competencies for practice in professional geropsychology: Implications for training and building a geropsychology workforce.

Professional geropsychology is a growing area of practice and training. To meet the mental health needs of an aging population, increasing numbers of psychologists need to develop competence to work with older adults, their families, and related care systems. The Pikes Peak model for geropsychology training (Knight, Karel, Hinrichsen, Qualls, & Duffy, 2009) delineates attitude, knowledge, and skill competencies for professional geropsychology practice and makes recommendations for training. In this paper, we define and illustrate the Pikes Peak geropsychology practice competencies through a case example. In the case, an older man with complex needs seeks care through a generalist psychologist in an outpatient setting. The attitudes, knowledge, and skills that the psychologist needs to consider, and implications for training, are reviewed. Training recommendations and resources are provided, with a focus on the training needs of psychologists who wish to expand their practices to include older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Science of obvious and common sense causes in historical perspective.

In her present stage of development, the science of obvious and common sense causes finds herself at cross roads. This paper provides a brief historical sketch of her actual development as a function of methods, professional identification and units of research employed. Prisoner's dilemma paradigm (PDP) is used as an explanatory model to highlight the implications of earlier choices made by social psychologists and social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' roles and opportunities in rehabilitation and recovery for serious mental illness: A survey of Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) clinical psychology training and doctoral education.

The emergence of psychiatric rehabilitation and the recovery movement generate new and expanded roles for psychologists in services for people with serious mental illness (SMI). However, the proportion of psychologists working in SMI services today is substantially less than previous decades. This article reviews the roles of psychologists in various mental health systems and outlines the contributions that psychologists can make in implementing evidence based approaches for people with SMI. A survey of American Psychology Association (APA)-accredited Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) Clinical Psychology doctoral programs was conducted. The results of the survey indicate an increase, since the early 1990s, in clinical faculty with SMI interests, and suggest that many graduate programs provide opportunities for SMI-relevant research and practicum training. However, the survey also indicates a lack of coursework on topics relevant to SMI and a lack of coursework relevant to assuming administrative and leadership roles in the mental health system. Despite training opportunities in graduate school, production of new PhDs who choose the SMI field is unlikely to meet the demand. According to the present study, the limiting factor is not availability of training, but student career choice. The opportunities and challenges that psychologists face in SMI recovery-oriented service delivery are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Divided No More: Psychology's Role in Integrated Health Care.

Health-care providers increasingly recognize the need to address behavioural and emotional influences on physical health in order to provide quality and cost-effective services. As behaviour change experts, psychologists can be critically important in new models of integrated care that focus on both physical and psychological health. However, to be effective, psychologists must be prepared to address the major issues facing health-care systems today and be willing to re-examine and modify current modes of education and practice. This article describes important trends affecting health care and the ways in which psychologists could contribute. Lastly, two psychologists involved in new models of integrated care describe their training and the challenges and rewards of their current activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Homophobia and the psychologist's role in psychoanalytic training institutes.

In 1988, a settlement agreement in a federal antitrust suit secured for psychologists the right to apply for training with the American Psychoanalytic Association (the American). It is the premise of this article that this victory for psychologists also confronted them with an ethical dilemma because the American has a history of discrimination against gay men and lesbians. This article explores the ethical predicament facing psychologists who wish to train as psychoanalysts. It concludes that it is incumbent on them to be vigilant against future homophobia within the American and actively voice opposition to discriminatory attitudes or actions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychology and psychologists for new health care markets.

Because our training models in Clinical Psychology have not kept pace with the rapid changes in the health care marketplace, we may be in danger of preparing psychologists for markets that no longer exist. The next generations of psychologists will require the skills of the entrepreneur and the leader in addition to a range of core clinical skills. At the same time, our profession's historic commitment to science as the best epistemic game in town may founder if we fail to pay better attention to knowledge translation (i.e., how to move scientific findings expeditiously from the laboratory into practice). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementation of an evidence-based practice in a clinical setting: What happens when you get there?

Great strides have been made in creating and testing evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, without adequate dissemination and implementation in clinical settings, this progress is of limited value. This article describes the implementation of an EBP (e.g., cognitive–behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety) in a large-group practice mental health services delivery system, focusing on both the role of psychologists and on the training model developed for implementation. The experience in implementation of an EBP is reviewed, with an emphasis on the role and direction psychologists might take in engaging and developing EBP training programs for other mental health services delivery systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Déontologie et éthique: La pertinence pour le Québec du code Canadien d'éthique pour les psychologues.

The duties and responsibilities of psychologists practicing in Quebec are defined by the province's Deontology Code for Psychologists (Code de déontologie des psychologues). This article examines the differences between the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists and the provincial code, and considers whether the Canadian Code could play an important role in the training of future psychologists in Quebec, while serving as an essential tool for the practice of the profession in the province. A comparison of the two codes shows certain limitations in the Quebec Code concerning the professional conduct of psychologists, especially in complex situations involving conflicts of principles, values, standards, rights or responsibilities. Closer examination also indicates that the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists represents a reference framework that could overcome these difficulties. The author discusses the implications of this conclusion for the training of future psychologists and the practice of the profession in Quebec and offers recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology can be indispensable to health care reform and the patient-centered medical home.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed into legislation in March 2010, making health care reform a reality. Perhaps the most well-developed model of primary care that aligns with the PPACA's agenda is the patient-centered medical home (PCMH). Integrated care, as defined by collaborative care between mental health and primary care providers and systems, will undoubtedly play a critical role in the success of the PCMH. The role of psychology and integrated care in the PCMH as well as training implications for psychologists are discussed. This article is intended to challenge our discipline to embrace psychology as a health care profession that must prepare for and solidify its added value in the health care delivery models of the future. Requisite skill sets for primary care psychologists and existing training opportunities are presented. Finally, possible mechanisms for training psychologists in integrated care and the professional roles primary care psychologists can expect to fill are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sport psychology in the profession of psychology.

Historically, sport psychology has been identified with physical education; however, recent developments in the field toward applied issues have substantially expanded psychologists' interests and opportunities. Unfortunately, little is known about professional psychologists' involvement in sport psychology practice, research, and training. Therefore, a national survey of 500 male and 500 female psychologists (American Psychological Association Division 12 members) was conducted. Based on 489 responses, results indicated that psychologists (a) were uninvolved in sport psychology research and teaching and (b) had received minimal training or supervision in the field. Despite this absence of sport science training, many had consulted with (22%) or provided individual therapy to (48%) athletes or sport teams. Implications for psychology training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Linking psychologists and family physicians for collaborative practice.

This article describes a pilot, demonstration project that linked psychologists and family physicians to improve the care of patients with alcohol and other drug abuse problems. The project facilitated collaborative practice between family physicians and psychologists to enhance treatment of patients with alcohol and other drug abuse and other psychosocial problems in rural America. Ten pairs of psychologists and family physicians in rural Texas and Wyoming participated in the project. The training successfully established linkages between psychologists and family physicians for the care of a broad range of medical and psychological problems. This article discusses the linkage training, factors that facilitated and hindered collaboration, as well as implications for future training and collaborative health care practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On psychological identity and training: Boulder is better for rehabilitation psychology.

This article addresses issues of training in applied psychology, generally, and rehabilitation psychology, specifically. The long-term success and growth of rehabilitation psychology will depend, in part, on how the field answers the following questions: How do rehabilitation psychologists define their area of competence? How is this competence to be achieved? A review of recent literature suggests that rehabilitation psychology has yet to resolve fully the fundamental issues of a young subspecialty: identity, training, and long-term direction. We maintain that the scientist-practitioner model should continue to be the framework for training future rehabilitation psychologists. Furthermore, subspecialty and cross discipline training should be completed following core training in an appropriate specialty of psychology (i.e., counseling or clinical). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)