Issues in the delivery of psychological services in rural school settings.

Presents an overview of the barriers associated with the effective delivery of school psychological services in rural areas, including transportation and accessibility, social-cultural, and professional problems. Based on a review of the relevant literature in special education and community, clinical, and school psychology, strategies for overcoming each of these barriers are offered. Some of the advantages of practicing school psychology in a rural setting are discussed. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Witmer's contribution to school psychological services.

Lightner Witmer's contributions to school psychology are described in the areas of clinical method, case conceptualization, technological development, training, the connection of psychology to schooling, and his serving as a professional model for others. Despite the waning popularity of his work, much of it remains relevant to contemporary school psychological services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A systems framework for field training in school psychological services.

Describes a framework consisting of 3 concepts—service providers, service recipients, and service delivery process—that is seen as important to field-based training in several respects: It provides a systems perspective from which various roles and service functions of the school psychologist can be conceptualized; it allows for the coordination of effort among university trainers, field supervisors, and trainees toward the development and implementation of an individual field training program (ITP); and it requires systematic evaluation of the ITP as a basis for the planning of additional training experiences. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training school psychological services directors in organizational behavior management.

Describes a 5-session training program for 6 directors (mean age 44.8 yrs) of school psychological services intended to prepare the Ss for organizational behavior management projects to be implemented in their school districts. After the initial training, Ss met monthly to discuss the projects and receive positive social reinforcement. During training sessions, Ss learned to pinpoint and record problems of organizational behavior and performance, design and implement organization intervention programs, link desired program behaviors with particular consequences, and evaluate intervention effectiveness. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Innovation in the delivery of psychological services in an institution.

Describes a service delivery program in an institutional setting, particularly the role of attendant-level personnel. The program's goal is to increase the adaptive behavior of retarded children. Five working assumptions are drawn from the underlying assumption that patient progress is directly related to attendants' behavior. The program allows attendant-level personnel to develop their own skills and abilities in a supportive environment. This results in (1) highly motivated, responsible individuals capable of functioning independently in regard to therapeutic treatment and (2) a role for the psychologist as a resource person rather than an expert who dictates policy and sets goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Organizing for evaluation of high school psychological services: A team approach.

Describes the team approach to organizing for evaluation of high school psychological services and illustrates its application in the initiation of evaluation activities of 133 students in an urban high school. Use of the team approach allows professional staff, pupils, and parents to be represented when program evaluation is introduced into a system so that evaluation can be incorporated into the routine of a public school organization in a practical way. The approach is composed of 5 phases: clarification of the evaluation problem, evaluation planning, evaluation implementation, analysis and dissemination of the evaluation information, and assessment of evaluation activities and outcomes. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bartering for psychological services.

The negative economic impact from managed health care has led some clients to request and, consequently, their psychologists to explore unique financial arrangements, such as bartering. Bartering is not precluded by ethics or law, but in this article, the author opposes bartering by exploring the ethical and legal considerations involved and the dual relationships that occur. Clinical considerations and the potential for exploitation in the relationship are examined, and caveats about bartering are offered. For the psychologist who accepts bartering, guidelines for keeping a bartering arrangement are provided. Even if carefully monitored for clinical contradictions or exploitation, bartering imposes a high risk of allegations of misconduct (e.g., impropriety or a conflict of interest) and should be avoided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementation status of the APA guidelines for delivery of services by school psychologists.

Since the professional expertise and effort that went into the Specialty Guidelines for the Delivery of Services, little has been done to systematically assess commitment to or implementation of the Guidelines. To provide this information for school psychology, we designed two national surveys of directors of school psychology services in public school systems and school psychology consultants in state departments of education. Among the respondents, there was generally strong support for the majority of the guidelines. However, there was some concern about those guidelines that recommend that the professional school psychologist provide supervision and direction to all school psychology service units and be responsible ultimately for all services. Obstacles to guideline implementation are catalogued, and recommendations for the revision of the Guidelines are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perception of case conduct as a means of evaluating school psychological services.

Developed a 40-item questionnaire to survey the opinions of all possible recipients of school psychological services in a small rural school system (N?=?39). Questionnaire items were grouped into 6 broad categories (personal/professional qualities of the consultant, teacher involvement, assessment, written communication, parents, students). Results are discussed in terms of respondent satisfaction by category. The questionnaire should be useful for stimulating ideas for in-service training, as a reflection of the degree of satisfaction with the consultative process, and as an overall guide for improving consultative services. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Three cases illuminate quality assurance problems and pertinent principles and policies for managing them in the areas of clinical, industrial/organizational, and school psychology. The 1st involves a psychologist who routinely required clients to complete the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) at home and had the tests scored and interpreted by a computerized service. In the 2nd, psychologists decided to discontinue the use of an unvalidated computer interpretation of the MMPI in screening for a business. In the 3rd, a school psychologist violated ethical and professional principles by selling his own unvalidated computerized test scoring and interpretation service. In each case, applicable policies, specialty guidelines, and ethical principles and their interpretation are discussed, together with the educative ramifications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Presents 5 cases concerning professional quality assurance problems in the specialty areas of clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, and school psychology. Each case includes a statement of the problem and a discussion of applicable policies, interpretation of policy principles in light of the major questions posed by the case, and educative ramifications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Presents the 1987 casebook installment comprising 4 cases in the areas of clinical, counseling, industrial–organizational, and school psychology. Cases are published by the Committee on Professional Standards of the Board of Professional Affairs of the American Psychological Association to provide clarification of the specialty guidelines for the delivery of services. Cases for the 1988 casebook are solicited. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Presents 4 cases in the areas of clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, and school psychology that are designed to clarify the specialty guidelines related to the American Psychological Association's quality assurance policy. Each of the cases is outlined through a statement of the problem, a summary of applicable policies, an interpretation of policy principles in light of the questions posed by the case, and an analysis of educative ramifications. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Presents 4 cases, focusing on quality assurance problems that came to the attention of the Committee on Professional Standards of the American Psychological Association directly or through other governance bodies. The clinical case involves access to information about a court worker, a patient of the practitioner's partner, who was thwarting the gains made by the practitioner's patient. The counseling case involves a request for a gay or lesbian counselor. The industrial/organizational case involves evaluation of a candidate for a position described by a personnel director, but not independently analyzed, and a refusal to provide a copy of the subsequent report to the candidate. The school case involves a request made of a psychologist to be an ombudsperson for a school administration, while ethically being required to serve the student. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Discusses development of a casebook to implement the specialty guidelines for the delivery of services by clinical (counseling, industrial/organizational, and school) psychologists. The focus of the cases is quality assurance problems that come to the attention of the Committee on Professional Standards of the American Psychological Association. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Standards for providers of psychological services.

Presents revised Standards for Providers of Psychological Services that differ from the original Standards in 2 respects: (1) Minimally acceptable levels of quality assurance and performance are defined and (2) a more limited range of services is covered. The Standards illuminate weaknesses in the delivery of psychological services and point to their correction. These Standards establish a more effective and consistent basis for evaluating the performance of individual service providers and guide the organizing of psychological service units in human service settings. The 4 standards concern providers, programs, accountability, and environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Casebook for providers of psychological services.

Presents cases to provide clarification of the General Guidelines for Providers of Psychological Services, which were approved by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives in February 1987. Three cases illustrate application of the guidelines to professional psychological situations and cover issues focusing on statement of the problem, applicable policies, interpretation of policy principles, and educative ramifications. Clinical, counseling, industrial-oganizational, and school psychology cases are appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Standards for providers of psychological services.

Presents an American Psychological Association Task Force report on some basic principles and the content of standards for psychological services. Implications of standards for the development of service contracts between provider and consumer, for legislative and regulatory actions, training for professional and support personnel, organizational structures, and accreditation procedures are examined. Definitions of the major terms used in the standards (e.g., "provider" and "psychological services") are presented, and standards related to programs, environment, and accountability are set forth, along with interpretations of each section. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criteria for insurance review of psychological services.

The American Psychological Association has contracted to develop a national peer review capability for the review of outpatient psychological services. The system that has been developed and the criteria that will be utilized for the purpose of selecting cases for review are described. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Presenting complaints of applicants for psychological services.

Serial applications (N?=?500) for service at a psychological clinic were classified on the basis of the presenting complaints to examine the nature of presenting complaints and the hypothesis of a relationship between complaints and demographic characteristics, especially gender. Such complaints proved to be highly varied, and most were unrelated to demographic variables, including gender. The relation of 5 of the 20 complaints to gender could support the theory that men are more vulnerable to performance pressures and women more subject to conflicts about dependency, perhaps for reasons related to differing social roles and expectations. The "pain potential" and "motivation potential" of complaints were assessed; contrary to expectations, neither anxiety nor depression in themselves appeared to be strong motivators for seeking psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)