Graduate training for managed care: A national survey of psychology and social work programs.

Although there is much discussion within the professional literature about the training needs of graduate students in response to managed care, little empirical research exists that assesses the extent to which graduate programs provide training opportunities in this field. The present study surveyed graduate program training directors in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and social work about the training opportunities available for their graduate students. Almost 60% of the respondents indicated that they provide some type of training related to managed care. Implications and applications of these results are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Predoctoral Internship: Is Current Training Anachronistic?

The historical context of the predoctoral internship system is contrasted with the current state of graduate training. The internship system emerged because psychology students often acquired insufficient clinical experience during graduate training in the mid-20th century. However, modern graduate training typically involves extensive supervised clinical contact prior to internship. Moreover, traditional internships exact significant financial, psychological, and personal costs from students. The authors conclude with a discussion of recent progress in the internship process, promising alternatives to traditional internship training (i.e., elective internship training, distributed clinical training, and the affiliated internship model), and implications for the profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faculty and students in departments with graduate programs in psychology.

An analysis of data from a questionnaire sent to institutions offering graduate training in psychology in terms of the number and status of faculty members and students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Undergraduate training for psychologists.

"The chairmen of the psychology departments of the 167 institutions listed in the December 1956 issue of the American Psychologist as offering graduate work in psychology were surveyed as to their opinions regarding an ideal undergraduate curriculum for prospective graduate students. One hundred and forty-nine (89%) of the questionnaires were returned… . A large majority of the chairmen (85%) agreed that the best undergraduate major would be psychology." Biological science and mathematics were listed most frequently as the best minor. Tables are presented of the preferred undergraduate nonpsychology courses for graduate training applicants and preferred undergraduate psychology courses for graduate training applicants. The preferred nonpsychology courses listed by at least 70% of all the chairmen were algebra, anthropology, physics, physiology, and sociology. Preferred psychology courses were beginning statistics and experimental psychology (indicated by 96% and 95% of the chairmen, respectively). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparing psychologists for evidence-based school practice: Lessons learned and challenges ahead.

The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement has the potential to significantly advance the quality of psychological and educational services provided by psychologists working in schools. Training psychologists in EBP has challenged the profession and caused faculty in graduate programs to reevaluate and retool professional training curricula and instructional practices. Four domains of challenges in graduate training are identified: (a) integrating the EBP knowledge base into the curriculum, (b) expanding models of research training, (c) expanding training in prevention science, and (d) expanding training in problem-solving consultation and school contextual issues. For each of these, the author discusses the range and scope of the challenge and possible solutions for advancing graduate training in psychology relevant to school practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Summary of a symposium on graduate training in Canada.

Presents a summary of the symposium on graduate training. The basic issues delineated by the chairman were: (1) the employment issue, specifically where the vacancies are in terms of areas and level of training and how many in terms of number; (2) The model of training was also thrown open for discussion in terms of what are graduate students in psychology trained for--teachers, academics, researchers, practitioners, administrators, college presidents; (3) In addition the purposes of the graduate education were delineated and two purposes were noted (a) to advance psychology as a science and a profession and (b) to train others to continue in this advancement of psychology; (4) Funding issues were raised; (5) The possibility of centralizing recruitment was also mentioned; and (6) The chairman also addressed himself to the question of where are graduate students being trained for. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional ethics for graduate students in psychology.

Results of 2 independent questionnaires concerning the availability of courses on ethics for graduate students in psychology sent to various schools offering graduate work in psychology are combined. "Very few departments offer a course solely on professional ethics in psychology though several expressed plans for one in the future." "Ethics is handled best on a graduate level, in a seminar or colloquium, preferably on a required basis for all students, and definitely so for clinical students." "The APA code of professional ethics and journals are preferred sources of reference." "Professional training in ethics is a recent phenomenon coinciding with the APA research in this area and with the rise of clinical psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Departments of Psychology in Canada--1967.

Presents information on departments of psychology in Canadian universities, as well as those offering graduate training. Also provided are data on the number of professorial staff in each department in the session 1966-67. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Promotion of Academic Careers in School Psychology: A Conceptual Framework of Impact Points, Recommended Strategies, and Hopeful Outcomes.

School psychology is facing a major shortage of faculty in graduate training and education programs. To deal with this shortage and the issues that surround it, we propose a conceptual framework that incorporates a number of impact points that graduate training programs can use to educate and sustain individuals in academic careers. The impact points include: selection of students, program-related training variables, post-program transition variables, and sustainability of academic careers. Each of these impact points is discussed within the context of the role that current faculty and practitioners in the profession can play in graduate education and training of academic scholars. Among the variety of potential solutions to the shortage, we introduce the concept of the "virtual university" to promote future education and sustainability of faculty within our graduate training programs. A case scenario from graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is presented as a context for the impact points raised in the article. We argue that those of us in the profession think systemically and lead the way into a new era of collaborative work across our graduate programs and among our colleagues in clinical, counseling, and related areas of applied and professional psychology graduate training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Educational facilities and financial assistance for graduate students in psychology: 1963-64.

Requirements for admission, institutional facilities and stipends, advice to applicants for financial assistance, and postdoctoral arrangements are discussed. Digests of information on graduate training in psychology relevant to prospective students are presented for 189 colleges and universities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey of graduate education in psychology: Some trends for the last decade.

In 1963, 182 of 186 psychology departments responded to a questionnaire in the endeavor to develop a contemporary picture of graduate training in psychology. 880 doctoral degrees were granted by 99 departments and 1796 masters degrees were granted by 158 departments. "At the doctoral level, the 13 largest departments produced 36% of all psychology doctorates granted in academic year 1962-63. At the doctoral level, clinical and experimental psychology dominated the areas of specialization with 36% and 29%, respectively, of the degrees granted. "In 1954, 37 or 77% of the 48 psychology doctoral programs in clinical were APA approved; in 1963, 60 or 76% of the 79 programs were approved." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of Psychological Help Seeking in Clinical and Counseling Psychology Graduate Students.

Psychologists are often called upon to provide supervision, mentorship, and training to graduate student therapists-in-training. In these roles, psychologists may influence whether graduate students enter personal therapy during their training. This study investigated variables (including perceived faculty attitudes about students in personal therapy) that predict psychotherapy help seeking in clinical and counseling psychology graduate students (N = 262). The findings indicated that confidentiality issues, general attitudes about therapy, and perceptions of the importance of personal therapy for professional development were important predictors of graduate student help seeking. The implications for faculty, supervisors, and mentors of therapists-in-training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Wanted: A well-rounded specialist.

To be a psychologist first and a specialist second is a dictum not always, not even frequently, perhaps only rarely, followed in the training of graduate students today. Specializing, necessary and useful as it may be, does exact a price, especially where it is carried to the point of considerable concentration on one or two subspecialties within a particular field of psychology. What constructive proposals can be made to maximize the advantages of specialization and minimize the disadvantages? One suggestion is to resume the traditional approach and devote the entire period of graduate study to making the student a general psychologist. Another suggestion is to lengthen graduate training in order to turn out a psychologist who has a sure grasp of general psychology as well as considerable competency in one particular field. A final suggestion is to strengthen the undergraduate psychology program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Graduate training...in Canada": Comment.

Comments on the original article by Dr. Park O. Davidson (see record 2007-02137-003) on "Graduate training and research funding for clinical psychology in Canada." Davidson has made some excellent recommendations regarding the nature of graduate training and research funding in psychology, and then has negated the effectiveness of such recommendations for social relevancy in community services by ignoring the spectrum of psychological services required and by restricting himself to a rather sterile Eysenckian model. Dr. Davidson's general recommendations regarding graduate training in clinical psychology are sensible and long overdue--less extreme specialization in Ph.D. programs, greater knowledge of problems of applied settings for research, more interdisciplinary training, broader methodology, more effective internship and practicum training, a community psychology program, and more effective bridging research. However when the needed spectrum of services for people is considered, there is an obvious need for psychologists who can share in the assessment and treatment of problems in human functioning beyond the technician level. Manpower needs will never be adequately met until service personnel and University personnel can share in the what, why and how of professional training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training Primary Care Psychologists: A Model for Predoctoral Programs.

This article focuses on blueprints for developing primary care psychology training in graduate psychology programs. The rationale and the foundations for establishing primary care psychology as a generalist model in clinical programs are identified. An outline of a core curriculum for multiprofessional training and an introductory knowledge base for primary care psychology is presented. Finally, a developmental model for primary care practicum training and supervision is described and exemplified. Funding issues, faculty development, and student evaluations of this training are discussed. This article represents the ever-evolving model and lessons learned through 10 years of experience in collaborative programs among Wright State University's School of Professional Psychology, the School of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Health, and a set of urban community health centers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology graduate school training on interventions for child maltreatment.

This current study surveyed psychology programs' use of empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for children and their families with a history of child maltreatment. In May 2009, there were 599 graduate school programs listed by the Graduate Study in Psychology Online of the American Psychological Association (APA). Psychology graduate school department heads or directors of training were asked to complete an online survey about training offered in treatments for this population. Of the 599 psychology graduate school programs contacted, 201 (34%) responded. Of the 201 programs that responded, 140 provided training in treatments for children and their families with a history of child maltreatment. Results indicated that training in at least 1 EST was provided by 89% of the programs that provided training in treatments for this population. However, training in the treatment rated as meeting the highest standard of evidence, Trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral therapy, was provided in only 45% of the programs. Training in treatments that have been rated as not yet having sufficient research evidence to be labeled as supported were more likely to occur in non-APA accredited and non-PhD programs (i.e., terminal Master's, EdS, PsyD). As an important vehicle for the dissemination of ESTs in child maltreatment, considerable progress is needed to improve the training provided by psychology graduate programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Up close and personal: An inside look at university training programs in school psychology.

This issue of Professional School Psychology marks the third in-depth presentation of a major school psychology training program. While reading these accounts of the development of graduate training programs, one raises the "what if" questions. Raising such questions highlights the complex nature of graduate program development. As we continue to present programs, we will attempt to look further for threads of similarity that connect these unique training settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate education and postdoctoral training opportunities in history of psychology at North American universities and colleges.

This article aims to provide an orienting overview of education in the the history of psychology to anyone considering or actively seeking advanced training in it. Its primary audience thus includes both undergraduates weighing different graduate study possibilities and "working" psychologists and historians who seek to move from other specialities into history of psychology. This series of articles will ultimately emphasize (by the time all the reports have appeared) the full range of universities and colleges offering graduate study and postdoctoral training in the field, including both history of science programs and, especially, departments of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology graduate students' perceptions of their scientific and practical training: A Canadian perspective.

The scientist-practitioner model is the most commonly used training modality in Canadian clinical psychology graduate programmes. Despite pervasive endorsement throughout Canadian psychology programmes, there is a paucity of data available on Canadian student opinions of the model's implementation. The current study assessed 134 students from 9 provinces with a 38-item questionnaire developed by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology for assessing students' perceptions about the quantity, quality, and breadth of science training in their clinical psychology doctoral programmes. Most students described their programs as providing a mix of research and clinical focus, with slightly more weight given to research. Science training was reported as very important to students, with indications they receive a good amount of high-quality training in science. Moreover, there was a high level of agreement between desired levels of science training and the science training received. Implications for future research and training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sport psychology training within a clinical psychology program and a department of intercollegiate athletics.

Many applicants to clinical and counseling psychology programs are interested in receiving the training needed to practice competently in the professional specialty area of sport psychology. In this article, the authors describe a collaborative training and service relationship between an APA-accredited clinical psychology program and an intercollegiate athletics department. Sport Psychology Services provides performance enhancement, program evaluation, and mental health services to the athletic department. In return, graduate students receive applied training, financial support, and opportunities to conduct research. The authors present program evaluation data and offer practical guidelines to graduate programs wishing to establish similar training opportunities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)