Administrative training for psychologists in APA-approved clinical programs.

Assessed the extent of administratively oriented course work and experiences available to clinical students through a survey of 99 directors of American Psychological Association (APA) approved clinical training programs. Relatively limited opportunities for such administrative training of current doctoral candidates was revealed. This contrasted sharply with the opinions of respondents: Nearly 80% thought that such experiences should be made available in clinical programs. These results and additional data regarding the possible settings for such experiences are discussed in light of the increasing administrative opportunities for clinicians and the potential relevance (and inadequacies) of the typical psychology curriculum to administrative functions. A set of conditions is offered to provide strong justification for developing administratively oriented experiences. Examples of training content and methods are suggested. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practicum and internship experiences in school psychology: Recent trends in graduate training.

Describes a 1970 survey of internship and practicum experiences in school psychology to clarify how these experiences were perceived by universities and colleges throughout the nation. Of the 130 institutions contacted, 108 returned the survey and 96 reported having viable school psychology programs in the 1969-1970 academic year. Data reveal that (a) internship and practicum training experiences were still strongly tied to areas of intelligence testing, personality assessment, and child development; and (b) institutional training programs seldom stress educational content areas in their school psychology programs. Implications of data are discussed and illustrated graphically. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differing profiles of developmental experiences across types of organized youth activities.

This study inventoried the types of developmental and negative experiences that youth encounter in different categories of extracurricular and community-based organized activities. A representative sample of 2,280 11th graders from 19 diverse high schools responded to a computer-administered protocol. Youth in faith-based activities reported higher rates of experiences related to identity, emotional regulation, and interpersonal development in comparison with other activities. Sports and arts programs stood out as providing more experiences related to development of initiative, although sports were also related to high stress. Service activities were associated with experiences related to development of teamwork, positive relationships, and social capital. Youth reported all of these positive developmental experiences to occur significantly more often in youth programs than during school classes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship opportunities in clinical neuropsychology emphasizing recent INS training guidelines.

Surveyed the directors of 230 predoctoral internship programs in clinical and counseling psychology about the nature of clinical neuropsychological experiences provided at the internship site, training in neuropsychological batteries, information about providers, and availability of formal postdoctoral training. Of the 170 programs responding, 117 indicated that they offered some form of training in clinical neuropsychology. The most common format for this training was the seminar. Findings show that while there is continued demand for clinical neuropsychology training opportunities, the programs' present structure and limited training opportunities are not likely to produce competent practitioners. Although formal postdoctoral experiences were a major recommendation of the International Neuropsychological Association (INS) training guidelines, positions were limited. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges of providing mental health services in Spanish.

The disparity in mental health services to Spanish-speaking clients is well documented. This study examines the service delivery experiences of Spanish-speaking mental health providers by exploring their perceptions and concerns regarding their competence and training to provide services in Spanish. It also identifies practitioner priorities for improving training experiences specific to bilingual mental health service delivery. Implications for graduate psychology programs are discussed in an effort to promote and enhance necessary competencies regarding bilingual training endeavors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Human diversity and professional competence: Training in clinical and counseling psychology revisited.

Psychologists have increasingly recognized the need to appropriately train students to serve individuals from diverse groups. These groups have been characterized by racial-ethnic membership or defined by sexual orientation, SES, gender, and physical ability. Recent reports have documented that many applied graduate training programs still do not provide courses and experiences specific to working with diverse populations. This study presents results from a survey of 259 graduates of counseling and clinical psychology programs. Respondents were asked about training and professional work experiences with diverse groups. Results indicate restricted opportunities for training with diverse clients. Training experiences reported to be most effective are presented. Findings are discussed in light of continuing efforts to promote appropriate services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflections on minority developments: An Asian-American perspective.

Reviews ethnic minority developments in professional organizations, tracing the context of the author's personal life experiences. Asian-American issues are shared, along with experiences relating to minority identity and the evolution of minority programs in the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The forum: Half-time doctoral psychology internship programs in university counseling centers: Advantages and disadvantages.

Many psychologists consider half-time doctoral internships to be inferior to full-time 1-yr programs (J. Kohout & B. Cooney, 1993). Do experiences with such internships support these perceptions? Here, the authors review the history of half-time internships, summarize advantages and disadvantages of half-time programs, and describe three such programs accredited by the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A survey of postdoctoral training programs in health psychology.

A survey of 43 postdoctoral programs in health psychology indicated considerable heterogeneity in clinical and research training experiences as well as experiences with varied populations across the developmental life span. A lack of emphasis on industrial and public policy areas was noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychological impact of rape victims.

This review article examines rape victims' experiences seeking postassault assistance from the legal, medical, and mental health systems and how those interactions impact their psychological well-being. This literature suggests that although some rape victims have positive, helpful experiences with social system personnel, for many victims, postassault help seeking becomes a "second rape," a secondary victimization to the initial trauma. Most reported rapes are not prosecuted, victims treated in hospital emergency departments do not receive comprehensive medical care, and many victims do not have access to quality mental health services. In response to growing concerns about the community response to rape, new interventions and programs have emerged that seek to improve services and prevent secondary victimization. The contributions of rape crisis centers, restorative justice programs, and sexual assault nurse examiner programs are examined. Strategies for creating more visible and impactful roles for psychologists and allied professionals are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legislative mandates: Implications for changes in school psychology training programs.

Public Laws 93-380 and 94-142, as well as many state statutes that assure full educational opportunities for all handicapped children, have directly affected school psychological services. School psychologists' skills in diagnosis, intervention, and remediation are being increasingly called on to meet the educational needs of handicapped children. Because of federal and state legislation, school psychology training programs need to provide their students with additional course work and/or field experiences to prepare them for the changes in role demands. Practitioners need professional continuing education programs to assure that their skills are also adequate to provide psychological services to all handicapped school children. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Exploratory Examination of Student Dismissals and Prompted Resignations From Clinical Psychology PhD Training Programs: Does Clinical Competency Matter?

How do clinical psychology PhD training programs decide whether a student should be dismissed? Are these decisions related to the student's clinical competency or suitability? Accredited, scientist-practitioner clinical psychology PhD training programs were surveyed about their experiences with dismissal decisions and clinical competency evaluations. Average rates of student dismissal and prompted resignations were low (less than 3% and 6%, respectively) but highly variable across programs. The most common basis for dismissals and resignations pertained to clinical competency concerns and academic standards. However, for 29% of programs, documented dismissal criteria did not include expectations for achievement of a prescribed level of clinical skills proficiency. Implications and suggested courses of action are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awareness and prevention of bias against fat clients in psychotherapy.

Are the psychotherapeutic experiences of fat clients negatively affected by the cultural bias against fat people? This empirical study demonstrates that clients' weight may negatively affect psychologists' clinical judgments of and treatment planning for fat clients. Strategies to combat fat bias are presented for both training programs and clinicians. Information provided for training programs includes specific guidelines for curriculum development. Strategies presented for clinicians include assessment of one's own bias, self-education, treatment alternatives, and practice recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics of geriatric rehabilitation programs: A survey of practitioners.

Surveyed 432 Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities accredited inpatient facilities to examine the nature of their geriatric programs, patients, and practitioners. The 180 respondents included psychology directors and staff psychologists. Results revealed that geriatric patients, particularly those suffering stroke and orthopedic injuries, were prevalent in rehabilitation programs. Neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy were the most common services delivered by psychologists. Although satisfied with geriatric work, practitioners reported little in the way of academic preparation and training experiences. Course work, supervised training, and continuing education were consistently related to satisfaction with geriatric work experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituaries: Martin Deutsch (1926-2002).

Reports the death of Martin Deutsch (1926-2002) and notes his contributions to the field of developmental psychology. Deutsch believed that environmental influences were critical for cognitive development during children's early years and that it was possible to design programs that would provide some of those experiences for children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pediatric consultation: New concepts in training.

Consultation-liaison has become increasingly important to the diversification of psychological practice. With the advent of national health proposals, the ability to service individuals (including the youth of this nation) in a variety of settings will be critical. This article describes a comprehensive training program in consultation-liaison child and adolescent psychology and encourages its adoption in other training programs. Psychology training programs will need to provide practice experiences in a variety of settings for psychologists to remain viable in an increasingly competitive mental health market place. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapists-in-training who experience a client suicide: Implications for supervision.

Client suicide is often an extraordinarily painful process for clinicians, especially those still in training. Given their training status, supervisees may look to their graduate programs and supervisors for guidance and support when such an event occurs. This study qualitatively examined the experiences of 13 prelicensure doctoral supervisees regarding their client's suicide. Findings suggest that these supervisees received minimal graduate training about suicide and that support from others, including supervisors, helped them cope with their client's death. Supervisors are advised to normalize and process supervisees' experiences of client suicide. Implications for training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Head Start and preschool education: Toward continued improvement.

The first 5 years of life influence school readiness and achievement; high-quality preschool experiences can enhance development (C. T. Ramey & Ramey, 1998, 1999). Ripple, Giliam, Chanana, and Zigler (1999) provide valuable data about states' efforts on behalf of preschoolers. Their data reveal that too many states still have no programs, although some have launched promising, innovative, and universal preschool programs with accompanying research. A continued role for Head Start is thus justified, but only if Head Start invests seriously and consistently in high-quality programs. Present fragmentation of services, as well as support for weak programs, must be ended. Effective technical assistance to programs and the promotion of active collaboration with other community agencies, including schools, is critical to success for states and Head Start alike. Forging a new, powerful national coalition that has adequate resources, strong political clout, needed expertise, and a commitment to children's development and school readiness is necessary. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Licensed psychologists' knowledge and utilization of a state association colleague assistance committee.

Professional impairment creates concern among colleagues, yet often there is no clear plan for help. Although many state psychological associations have developed programs for assisting psychologists, how practitioners view these programs is unknown. Of a random sample of 633 surveyed psychologists, 48% identified behaviors suggestive of impairment, experiences addressing concerns with colleagues, and opinions and knowledge about their state's program. Respondents believed 10% of colleagues to be impaired and indicated that they would most likely use informal methods for expressing concern. Utilization and knowledge of the colleague assistance program were related to length of licensure and membership in the state psychological association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The utility of interdisciplinary training and service: Psychology training on a psychiatry consultation-liaison service.

Increasing numbers of psychologists work in medical settings because of the growing acceptance of a biopsychosocial approach to illness. Do training programs prepare sufficient numbers of graduates to function effectively in medical settings? The authors describe the process of adding an inpatient medical-surgical consultation-liaison (C-L) service to a psychology internship's training rotations, the learning objectives used, and issues in the preparation of trainees for work in medical settings. Psychology trainees added significant capacity to the C-L service. These data may help facilitate the development of C-L training experiences for other programs (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)