Cost effectiveness of clinical training in a community mental health center.

The future of professional psychology may well rest on psychology training programs successfully defending their existence in purely monetary terms. This article examines the effectiveness of the training program of an urban mental health center that includes an American Psychological Association-accredited psychology internship. The training program was found to produce net revenues for the facility and to meet the training needs of its participants. Variables related to producing a cost effective psychology training program are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

College counseling center internships: Are APA-approved sites selecting candidates from non-APA-approved training programs?

The necessity of serving a year-long internship has become an important issue in the training of counseling psychologists. This is especially true for anyone who might be interested in obtaining employment in a college or university counseling center. This particular issue has serious implications for prospective interns who are being trained in non-APA-approved counseling psychology programs who wish to be employed in college and university counseling centers. Currently, there are 25 centers that have active counseling psychology internship training programs, and although only half of them are APA-approved now, the majority of them will be in the near future (Dorn, 1984). If nothing else, they will be facing a restrictive environment when it comes to the development of their professional careers as well as in obtaining an internship in a setting that will be more positively regarded by prospective counseling center employers. In an effort to fully clarify the issue of whether APA-approved counseling psychology internship sites in college and university counseling centers are selecting candidates from non-APA-approved counseling psychology training sites, a brief questionnaire was mailed to each individual who was serving an internship in one of the 13 fully or provisionally APA-approved college and university counseling center sites (APA, 1981) during the 1981-1982 academic year. The results of this survey indicate that although the majority of counseling psychology interns selected by these sites are from APA-approved training programs, intern applicants from non-APA-approved training programs do have an opportunity to serve an APA-approved internship in one of these sites. These results should not be interpreted optimistically, however. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is there life after graduate school? Coping with the transition to postdoctoral employment.

Suggests that graduate programs in psychology typically do not provide their students with anticipatory socialization concerning entry into a professional setting, the role demands of professional life, and the personal adjustments needed for professional development. The process of adjustment for recent graduates of doctoral programs in psychology, coping strategies for individuals, and possible methods of intervention via training programs and employment settings are discussed. Suggestions are provided that may be helpful to training program directors and to new professionals, their supervisors, and their colleagues. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training of scientist–practitioner-oriented clinical psychologists: Where we can improve.

To improve psychology graduate programs, the training provided by scientist- or practitioner-oriented graduate programs in clinical psychology is evaluated from the perspective of a director of clinical training in an American Psychological Association-approved internship. Areas in which graduate training may be improved are divided into knowledge, supervision, research, and professional development. Specific training deficits are enumerated, and suggestions for their remediation are offered. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The doctoral program in school psychology at the University of South Carolina.

Traces the development of the doctoral program in school psychology at the University of South Carolina from its historical origins to the present. The program is built on the scientist-practitioner model, with broad training in both scientific and professional psychology. The program model is evaluated, and possible future directions in training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Postdoctoral training in severe mental illness: A model for trainee development.

The development of postdoctoral training in professional psychology has been gaining increased attention. This article presents a model of trainee development based on the processes of change that are deemed essential for the transition from an intern to a fully functioning professional psychologist. The model focuses on work with the severely mentally disordered, an area that currently lacks strong leadership within the mental health community. The program, which is highly integrated within the existing service-delivery system and teaching/research community of a medical center, emphasizes continuity with the internship experience, the integration of multiple treatment approaches, training in the provision of supervision, and scholarly contributions. The development of required, 1-yr, American Psychological Association-accredited postdoctoral training programs that provide the opportunity for specialization is recommended as the final stage in the professional initiation process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rotational Versus Nonrotational Internships: Let's Look at Reality.

Comments on the original article by Robert Langston that focuses on the value of a nonrotational clinical psychology internship (see record 1987-98336-047). The current authors suggest that, while making the case for a nonrotational internship, Langston has presented an inaccurate picture of the current state of internship training, and they seek to point out three fallacies inherent in Langston's view of the current training. As they do so, they assert that the many issues regarding professional training in psychology are hardly settled. They do suggest, though, that it is essential to relate their own ideas to existing criteria and evidence of current training practice, in order to effectively make decisions regarding necessary changes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Levels in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology.

The purpose of these "Guidelines for Education and Training at the Doctoral and Postdoctoral Levels in Consulting Psychology/Organizational Consulting Psychology" is to provide a common framework for use in the development, evaluation, and review of education and training in consulting psychology/organizational consulting psychology (CP/OCP). The intent of these guidelines is to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the area of the practice of CP, especially OCP, within the scientific discipline and profession of psychology. Towards these ends, this document is intended as guidance for psychologists who teach or plan curricula for teaching CP/OCP at doctoral or postdoctoral levels of professional education and training in psychology. The guidelines are structured in the form of overarching principles, general competencies, and domain-specific competencies that are ideally obtained by persons receiving training at the doctoral or postdoctoral level in CP/OCP. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate school training in psychology: Its impact upon the development of professional identity.

Synthesizes information from the published literature and suggests a developmental framework for understanding the development of professional identity among psychology trainees. The authors propose that graduate training in psychology may be viewed in terms of a professional infancy. Transformations students go through may be seen to parallel several developmental milestones in the first year of life as outlined by D. W. Winnicott (1965). The training institution is viewed as a holding environment that is responsible for nurturing healthy development. Obstacles that hinder students' growth within this environment are explored, and suggestions for facilitating development of professional identity are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Need for the doctor of psychology degree in professional psychology.

The Vail Conference on professional training in psychology recommended development of explicitly professional programs and use of the PsyD degree to certify competence in professional psychology. Policies governing use of the degree, however, as well as the concepts of professional function which degree titles should symbolize, continue to be controversial. Opponents of the Vail Conference recommendations have argued that professional psychologists are most appropriately regarded as scholar-professionals, and have urged award of the PhD degree upon completion of graduate training in such fields as clinical psychology. As counterargument, a multiple definition of the term scholar-professional is stated, and the surplus meanings implied by scholarship are shown to be either false, misleading, or redundant. The difficulties that arise from using the PhD degree as a credential of professional competence are then discussed, and the advantages of employing the PsyD degree both affirmatively, as a certificate of professional competence in psychology, and restrictively, to exclude inadequately trained people from the practice of professional psychology, are asserted. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship placements: Similarities and differences between clinical and counseling psychology programs.

Internship matches among students within clinical (n = 2,130) and counseling (n = 450) psychology doctoral training programs were examined for a complete cohort of intern applicants. The overall rates of successful internship matching, as well as the rankings of those matches, were similar for the 2 specialties. The settings of those internship matches revealed significant differences, however. Clinical psychology students matched at higher rates to a range of medical facilities, for example, whereas counseling psychology students matched at higher rates to counseling center settings. These and other differences were examined in relation to the historical and enduring differences between the 2 specialties and their implications for education, training, and practice within the field of professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctor of Psychology degree: From hibernation to reality.

Since the beginning of the American Psychological Association (APA), there have been 3 explicit models of psychologists: scientist, scientist–professional, and professional. In the late 1940's, there was a need for a model of clinical training that the Boulder scientist-professional model fulfilled. However, the emphasis on training in the science of psychology seemed to increase at the expense of training in the applied aspects of psychology. The need was increasingly voiced for a service-oriented training program with a clear professional identity. These pressures culminated in the most recent training conference convened by APA at Vail, Colorado in 1973. The Vail conferees asserted that the development of psychological science had sufficiently matured to justify creation of explicit professional programs. The Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) model and rationale are explained, and essential ingredients of currently operating PsyD programs are discussed. Future developments in professional programs, credentialing and designation, and the critical interface with societal needs are also examined. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training child clinical predoctoral interns and postdoctoral fellows in ethics and professional issues: An experiential model.

The purpose of this article is to outline an experiential professional issues and ethics seminar program developed for predoctoral psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows in the child psychology training program at Stanford University Medical School. It is imperative that trainees develop a comprehensive and practical understanding of both ethical principles and professional issues before completing their academic and clinical training in psychology. A review of this seminar program may help other internship and postdoctoral training programs develop or fine-tune their methods of educating trainees in both professional issues and ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Issues related to postdoctoral education and training in professional psychology: Results of an opinion survey.

Is professional psychology assuming adequate responsibility for advanced training in the profession? Although professional psychology has taken enormous strides in articulating standards for doctoral and internship training, postdoctoral education and training (PDET) have received much less attention, resulting in a lack of clear guidelines for managing the transition from training to independent practice. Professional psychology's practitioners, educators, and trainees were asked to provide their opinions on a number of PDET-related issues. Data are presented that include broad support for maintaining the postdoctoral training year. Implications address steps to assist advanced students in maximizing their postdoctoral training experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychology training at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Summarizes the development of a school psychology program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and presents principles that have influenced the model and components of training doctoral and specialist level school psychologists. The program was begun with a commitment to the scientist practitioner training model and has evolved to the conceptualization of the school psychologist as scientific problem solver. The current and future emphases of the program to prepare school psychologists for diverse professional roles also are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenges to Professional Psychology Education in the 21st Century: Response to Peterson.

Professional psychology education faces many critical challenges brought about by the major changes occurring in the health care arena. This article shows that professional schools and programs have a good record of responding to these challenges and of taking proactive steps sponding to prepare their graduates for new health care roles and delivery systems. Data on admissions to psychology doctoral training programs demonstrate little support for the toral concerns raised by Donald R. Peterson (2003, this issue) about the preparation of students for graduate training in professional programs. Although quality concerns are important to investigate, such examination best resides with portant the American Psychological Association's Committee on Accreditation, which has the promotion of quality and excellence in professional psychology education and training as its major goal and responsibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional issues in Canadian counselling psychology: Identity, education, and professional practice.

The past decade has seen significant growth in counselling psychology's professional identity, increased visibility of the specialization within applied psychology, and advances in doctoral training and accreditation by the Canadian Psychological Association. The current article details professional issues associated with the recent evolution of the field, including the establishment of a strong professional identity for the profession, developments and challenges associated with graduate training (e.g., the limited availability of predoctoral internships), and the implications of the dynamic, changing workplace environment for graduates affiliated with counselling psychology. Recommendations are offered for continued development of the specialization in its Canadian context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contemporary counseling psychology: Results of a national survey.

Conducted a national survey of counseling psychologists to examine counseling psychology in its current state of development. A 6-page questionnaire, which examined such variables as demographics, professional activities, institutional affiliations, and training satisfaction, was mailed to 980 members of Division 17 (Counseling) of the American Psychological Association (APA). Of these, 716 (73%) usable questionnaires were returned. Counseling psychologists (aged 29–84 yrs) were found (a) to spend the majority of their professional time providing individual psychotherapy, (b) to be primarily eclectic in theoretical orientation, (c) to be increasingly identified with the work setting of private practice, and (d) to be generally satisfied with their graduate and internship training. Additional information about counseling psychologists' professional self-views, research and publication efforts, career satisfaction, and satisfaction with the APA was also obtained. Findings are discussed in relation to the present and future of counseling psychology. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role conflicts in psychology and their implications for a reevaluation of training models.

For 25 years training in clinical psychology has followed the Boulder model, attempting to make the clinical psychologist both a scientist and a professional. In this paper arguments are advanced which suggest that it is usually difficult and frequently impossible to make the same person into both a scientist and a professional. Science abhors secrecy, but professionals must keep their knowledge secret. Differences exist in personality characteristics in individuals attracted to the science or the profession. Training requirements are clearly different. Readiness to participate in social and political action also differentiates the groups. For these and other reasons the authors advance the argument that separate professional training schools for psychology must be established, following the historically evolving model provided by other professions. A division of training of psychologists in scientific and professional work may have beneficial effects by eliminating role conflicts in the professional and by making clear the essential division of labor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional role modeling by faculty: The neglected child in doctoral training.

Are faculty members in doctoral training programs in professional psychology expected to model practice? According to the American Psychological Association (APA) Criteria for Accreditation, the answer is yes. According to what actually happens within most doctoral programs, the answer is no. Some of the problems that relate to this discrepancy and some suggested solutions to those problems are discussed in this article. Faculties of professional psychology can make a substantial improvement in how they serve as role models for their doctoral students. First, they can consistently practice what they teach. Second, they can practice exclusively through their own psychological service centers. Third, they can organize their professional work through faculty practice plans. Fourth, they can fully integrate their research, practice, teaching, training, and supervision while increasing the financial support for students. Last, they can routinely model the best of contemporary practice. The broad adoption of these five suggestions would represent a marked departure from what has been modal practice in doctoral programs, but it would greatly strengthen the quality of graduate education and training, improve students' satisfaction with their doctoral training, and advance professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)