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)     

Research training in counseling psychology: Some preliminary data.

Surveyed 35 current students (aged 21–40 yrs) and 34 PhD graduates (aged 28–52 yrs) from a graduate program in counseling psychology to assess (a) whether attitudes toward research changed during and after graduate school and (b) what activities/factors within graduate training affect research skill and interest. Using a combination of current and retrospective reports, it was found that although Ss at all levels perceived their training program's expectations for research as greater than students' own wants, students' interest in research (doing and valuing) increased as they progressed through training and afterwards. Three factors within graduate training that facilitate interest and skill in research are hypothesized: (1) social/interpersonal interaction; (2) training in applied, practical, and less traditional approaches to research; and (3) early, active involvement in research. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training in clinical psychology: Student perspectives on selecting a program.

Although graduate programs in clinical psychology spend considerable energy and resources selecting students, there is limited information regarding the factors students consider important when they choose a training program. A review of recent literature found one study that looked at how first-year graduate students rated the importance of a number of factors in their decision-making process when selecting a clinical psychology training program (Walfish, Stenmark, Shealy, & Shealy, 1989). The current study extends this research by comparing reports from first-year graduate students enrolled in traditional “Boulder model” programs with those enrolled in professional “Vail model” programs. As part of a larger survey project, students answered questions about factors they considered important when they made decisions about applying to and selecting a graduate program to attend. Responses from students enrolled in traditional programs were compared with students attending professional programs. These differences are discussed, as well as their implications for program directors engaged in student recruitment and selection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training in law and psychology at Simon Fraser University.

As the field of law and psychology grows and develops, it is important to devote systematic attention to the development of graduate training programs in the area. This article provides a brief introduction to the field of law and psychology and to the field's training needs. It then presents information about the Graduate Program in Law and Psychology that was founded at Simon Fraser University in 1992. The article includes information about the development of the program, program requirements. and issues that are important for others considering the development of similar programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Doctoral Programs in Psychology, 1957-1958.

Each fall the APA Education and Training Board sends to every graduate department with an approved program in clinical or in counseling psychology a detailed questionnaire. This questionnaire asks for information about the number of faculty members in the graduate training program, the number of full-time and part-time graduate students, the number of persons admitted to candidacy for the PhD, the number of PhDs granted the preceding year, and the number of graduate students admitted. This article presents a summary of the data obtained via these questionnaires. The authors suggest that for more precise information, a more complete questionnaire with carefully defined categories of training areas or subject matter would need to be answered by graduate departments, including both those with approved programs and those without them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

For Children's Sake: Training students in the treatment of child witnesses of domestic violence.

The authors describe For Children's Sake, an innovative program at Illinois State University focused on serving children who have witnessed domestic violence and on training graduate students in working with this special population. Unique aspects of the program including its funding source, child maltreatment focus, and training model in complete program delivery, are highlighted. Additionally, a multilevel integration of the For Children's Sake program into the School Psychology doctoral program is discussed. Challenges, dilemmas, and successes that faculty and graduate students involved with For Children's Sake have experienced are mentioned to assist and encourage trainers in developing other innovative programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in substance use disorders assessment and intervention: Design and implementation of a model within a traditional mental health clinic.

This article describes the rationale, design, and implementation of a training experience for psychology interns, doctoral program graduate students, and trainees from psychiatry and social work. The nature of the experience involved the development of assessment and triage skills as well as awareness of treatment strategies for substance use disorders within a traditional outpatient mental health clinic. The impact of a substance use disorder tracking system and the new training experience on clinical and educational processes is presented. (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)     

The ambiguous nature of clinical training and its impact on the development of student clinicians.

This article, written from the perspective of a graduate-level clinician, examines the ambiguous nature of clinical work with particular focus on the anxiety it creates for psychology graduate students and the role it plays in fostering the development of critical thinking skills and confidence in clinical decision making. This article also addresses the ambiguous nature of clinical psychology training programs, in general, especially during the first year of training. Experiences that increased and decreased the level of ambiguity in the author's own training program are described as well as suggestions for making the process of becoming a professional psychologist one that is clearer and easier to handle. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral internship training opportunities in clinical geropsychology.

What types of internship training opportunities are there for psychology graduate students interested in working with older adults? The authors summarize characteristics of 65 doctoral psychology internships self-identified as offering training opportunities in clinical geropsychology. The internships appear to have the resources, staff, training placements, and training experiences that are at least adequate, and in most programs, much more than adequate, for generalist training in aging. Internship programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs compose a major resource in clinical geropsychology training. Practical suggestions are offered to graduate students interested in obtaining geropsychology training during internship and to internship program directors who may want to offer such training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions: Bruce D. Sales.

Cites Bruce D. Sales for the American Psychological Association's Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions. Sales is recognized for his pioneering efforts in the development of psychology and law as a field of research, teaching, and practice. His contributions included founding the first psychology and law graduate training program, and has developing the first scholarly journal in the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training issues.

This interesting set of articles, taken as a group, suggests that we have come a long way toward the integration of family therapy into the training of psychologists. The question is no longer "Should psychologists be trained in family therapy?" but "How can such training best be accomplished, in what settings, with what approaches, and how related to other elements of the graduate or postdoctoral program?" The articles by Ribordy (see record 1989-13401-001) and by Lebow (see record 1989-13365-001) address the central issues in training from different vantages (the family institute versus the academic program) but converge on many points. I will comment mainly on these two articles, but first I want to take note of some of the ideas raised by Berger and Jurkovic (see record 1989-12730-001). They describe and persuasively illustrate a contextual approach to family work that emphasizes the varying settings in which therapy may occur. Thus they are concerned with a "supersystem" that incorporates these extra therapeutic systems as well as clinicians and family. It will be no great surprise to the readers of this Journal that many of these same points emerge from Ribordy's and Lebow's more general discussions of training issues. They explore the separate territories of the academic graduate program and the family institute as settings for training and ably outline the advantages and disadvantages of each. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple functions for psychologists in community consultation.

"Psychologists are assuming a wider range of responsibilities in community program administration and community consultation: in mental health, corrections, education, and anti-poverty." A program for training consultants was developed in New Mexico during a 4-yr demonstration project. Selection criteria include: (1) sound graduate training including the PhD for psychologists, (2) substantial clinical skills in diagnosis and therapy, (3) experience in consultation and administration, and (4) experience in community work. A 2-mo., full-time orientation program was conducted for the consultants hired. The project stimulated development of various new resources in local communities including, among others, a day school for retarded children, a family casework agency, a day center for emotionally disturbed children, a training and consultation service to an orphanage, and an alcoholism treatment and rehabilitation program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learning to administrate, administrating to learn.

This article describes a director of clinical training (DCT) mentorship program aimed at teaching administrative skills to graduate students. Toward this end, the administrative knowledge and skills targeted in the program are described, followed by a discussion of the implications of this training experience, including the potential applicability to other disciplines within psychology. Although the DCT mentorship experience that is presented seems to be a promising model for administrative training, future efforts are needed to evaluate the relative merits of this type of program over the long term. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Document-based peer review in a psychology training clinic: A preliminary report of a statewide program.

14 licensed psychologists evaluated 20 5-session treatment reports completed by graduate students at a psychology training clinic. The review report ratings indicate that psychologists were impressed with the services provided and proposed at the training clinic. The review program is seen as supplementing the clinic's educational and quality assurance activities. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating the real and academic worlds: An experienced-based research training model.

Notes that a shift toward more applied settings of employment among research psychologists has focused attention on the need to develop training models to prepare psychologists for careers in applied/evaluative research. A research practicum course sequence is suggested as a training device for developing applied skills during graduate training. The research practica in a doctoral program in applied research and evaluation are described. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Program evaluation as applied to the goals of a psychology department clinic.

A comprehensive evaluation of a psychology department clinic in relation to its goals, in which goal definition was based on observations of clinical faculty members and students, demonstrated that, overall, clinic goals were determined by departmental priorities that put training before both research and service. An evaluation instrument composed of 5 segments to measure goal attainment is discussed in terms of its assessment of graduate students' evaluation of training through the clinic, faculty members' views of the effects of the training program, adequacy of the training program as reflected in postdoctoral accomplishments of former students, community awareness and attitudes regarding the clinic, and clients' satisfaction with services. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)