The Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project: An evolving program for postdoctoral education in psychology.

In 1991, the Department of Defense (DoD) initiated a program designed to train doctoral-level psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medications. The program is housed in the psychology department at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC); trainees receive didactic instruction at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and clinical training through the departments of psychology and psychiatry at WRAMC and Malcolm Grow Air Force Medical Center. Since its inception, the training curriculum has evolved from a standard medical school, basic sciences sequence to a tailored program designed specifically to meet the goal of training psychologists to become proficient in the independent use of psychopharmacological agents. To date, the program and its curriculum have not been described in detail in the literature. This article provides an archival reference of the DoD program by means of a review of successive versions of the curriculum and a comparison of these versions to other published models for training psychologists to this end. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interview with Representative Cecil Heftel.

Heftel discusses (a) reasons for spiraling health care costs; (b) why cost-saving alternatives such as nonphysician practitioners (e.g., psychologists) have been excluded from Medicare coverage; (c) the Heftel and Inouye bill providing Medicare coverage of psychologists' services in health maintenance organizations; (d) the need to increase in general Medicare coverage of mental services for the elderly; (e) the high incidence of mental illness in the elderly; (f) lower usage of mental health services among the elderly compared to younger groups; (g) mental health services in Hawaii; (h) the issue of psychologists as independent practitioners within Medicare; (i) involvement of psychologists in political advocacy; and (j) use of media by behavioral sciences to promote their concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The perceived effectiveness of Christian and secular graduate training programs in preparing Christian psychologists to deal with experiences of sexual attraction.

Most psychologists experience feelings of sexual attraction toward clients, and for some Christian therapists this situation can be further complicated by their tendency to deny such sexual attraction. How effective are graduate training programs in teaching Christian psychologists to manage feelings of sexual attraction in professional contexts? In this survey, 258 Christian psychologists answered questions regarding their graduate training. A positive training environment was related to healthy coping responses in managing feelings of sexual attraction, and graduates of explicitly Christian training programs reported greater satisfaction with training conditions than graduates of secular programs. Those involved in training professional psychologists should consider the general training environment in addition to specific course work about managing feelings of sexual attraction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Supporting children's mental health in schools: Teacher perceptions of needs, roles, and barriers.

There is a significant research to practice gap in the area of mental health practices and interventions in schools. Understanding the teacher perspective can provide important information about contextual influences that can be used to bridge the research to practice gap in school-based mental health practices. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of current mental health needs in their schools; their knowledge, skills, training experiences and training needs; their roles for supporting children's mental health; and barriers to supporting mental health needs in their school settings. Participants included 292 teachers from 5 school districts. Teachers reported viewing school psychologists as having a primary role in most aspects of mental health service delivery in the school including conducting screening and behavioral assessments, monitoring student progress, and referring children to school-based or community services. Teachers perceived themselves as having primary responsibility for implementing classroom-based behavioral interventions but believed school psychologists had a greater role in teaching social emotional lessons. Teachers also reported a global lack of experience and training for supporting children's mental health needs. Implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investing in our future: Unrealized opportunities for funding graduate psychology training.

Purpose: Changes in the health care environment have brought challenges and opportunities to the field of psychology. Practitioners have been successful in modifying service models to absorb losses of financial support for behavioral health care, due to managed care and public policy changes, while simultaneously managing the growing need for these services. However, in this reactive mode of responding to evolutions in the health care system, the field of psychology has at times lost sight of the long-term vision required to promote psychology's inclusion in the health care system of the future. In particular, a focus on training psychologists and ensuring the availability of funding to support these activities must be a priority in planning for the future. This article provides an overview of federal programs that currently offer funding for psychology training, as well as other opportunities for federal funding that have been unrealized. Details regarding advocacy efforts that were required to secure available sources of funding are given, followed by consideration of strategies for taking advantage of existing resources and prioritizing advocacy for additional funding. Conclusion: Funding for psychology training provides an avenue for increasing the number of well-trained psychologists who can serve patients' mental and behavioral health needs and thereby improve health outcomes. Moreover, capitalizing on available funding opportunities for psychology training and promoting efforts to expand these opportunities will help ensure that the field of psychology is positioned to remain an important contributor to the health care system of the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Model for Predoctoral Psychopharmacology Training: Shaping a New Frontier in Clinical Psychology.

Patients routinely ask psychologists questions about psychoactive medications. In addition, psychologists frequently encounter patients having problems with their medications. How will doctoral training programs respond to the dilemma of providing their students with a basic level of knowledge in psychopharmacology without adding to the length of the doctoral curriculum? Although postdoctoral training models have been developed for psychologists who seek extended specialized training in Psychopharmacology, the authors propose that some predoctoral training in psychopharmacology and related topics is critical to prepare graduates to meet mental health needs, particularly for underserved populations. The authors present a model through which psychopharmacology course work can be integrated into the predoctoral curriculum without compromising course work in basic psychology or extending the length of training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementation of an evidence-based practice in a clinical setting: What happens when you get there?

Great strides have been made in creating and testing evidence-based practices (EBPs). However, without adequate dissemination and implementation in clinical settings, this progress is of limited value. This article describes the implementation of an EBP (e.g., cognitive–behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety) in a large-group practice mental health services delivery system, focusing on both the role of psychologists and on the training model developed for implementation. The experience in implementation of an EBP is reviewed, with an emphasis on the role and direction psychologists might take in engaging and developing EBP training programs for other mental health services delivery systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A paradigm shift in the scope of practice for health psychologists: Training health psychologists to be primary care case managers.

Innovative programs in the Department of Defense have challenged health psychologists to broaden their scope of practice. To this end, health psychologists at Tripler Army Medical Center independently admit and discharge patients and serve as primary care managers during hospitalization and follow-up aftercare. A conceptual overview of the Tripler health psychology training philosophy and how the training model has guided Army health psychology in managing, rather than simply consulting, on the care of patients will be offered. Practical considerations and a training curriculum are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Master's-level training and employment in community mental health.

The training and employment of master's-level psychologists have long been controversial issues. We describe a master's-level program for training community mental health practitioners, and we present information on the placement of program graduates. The information suggests that there continues to be a demand for well-trained, master's-level practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Victims of crime: The roles of psychologists.

The articles that make up this Psychology in the Public Forum section dramatically portray the pervasiveness of criminal activity and the fact that every criminal act produces at least one victim of crime. The articles further document that victims frequently need the aid of mental health professionals. Unfortunately, psychologists, like other mental health professionals, have traditionally been given little, if any, training in how to work with victims of crime and violence. Psychologists, like members of other disciplines, have focused on the criminal to the neglect of the victim. This Psychology in the Public Forum section is an attempt to inform psychologists about activities initiated by the executive and legislative branches of the federal government and by the APA Task Force on the Victims of Crime and Violence. It will have served its purpose if increasing numbers of psychologists turn their attention and skills to the plight of victims. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The New Federalism and state mental health agencies: Roles for psychologists.

As state governments expand and become more influential and as universities constrict employment opportunities for psychologists, psychologists should consider career possibilities in state mental health systems. Four key functions in the state mental health agency are described: administration, training, research, and evaluation. Changes in professional training that are needed to adequately prepare psychologists for these nontraditional career roles are discussed. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mental health arena.

If C. A. Kiesler's (1977) comparative analysis of the training of psychologists vs psychiatrists proves to be true after closer inspection, this analysis can document that doctoral-level psychologists have as much (or more) training as psychiatrists yet receive considerably less income. The reasons that psychiatrists dominate mental health settings are reviewed, and it is argued that the mythical nature of the public's collective approaches to physicians should be exposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists' roles and opportunities in rehabilitation and recovery for serious mental illness: A survey of Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) clinical psychology training and doctoral education.

The emergence of psychiatric rehabilitation and the recovery movement generate new and expanded roles for psychologists in services for people with serious mental illness (SMI). However, the proportion of psychologists working in SMI services today is substantially less than previous decades. This article reviews the roles of psychologists in various mental health systems and outlines the contributions that psychologists can make in implementing evidence based approaches for people with SMI. A survey of American Psychology Association (APA)-accredited Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) Clinical Psychology doctoral programs was conducted. The results of the survey indicate an increase, since the early 1990s, in clinical faculty with SMI interests, and suggest that many graduate programs provide opportunities for SMI-relevant research and practicum training. However, the survey also indicates a lack of coursework on topics relevant to SMI and a lack of coursework relevant to assuming administrative and leadership roles in the mental health system. Despite training opportunities in graduate school, production of new PhDs who choose the SMI field is unlikely to meet the demand. According to the present study, the limiting factor is not availability of training, but student career choice. The opportunities and challenges that psychologists face in SMI recovery-oriented service delivery are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)