Psychology Training Directors' Views of Number of Practicum Hours Necessary Prior to Internship Application.

A national survey of training directors of academic programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships was conducted to explore what constitutes an adequate number of practicum hours necessary to apply for internship. Training directors agreed that minimum standard hours should be set but differed on what those hours should be, with academic training directors endorsing fewer hours than directors of predoctoral internships and postdoctoral fellowships. The results raise questions about what is a practicum hour and suggest a need to obtain consensus about minimum standards and the possibility of a competency-based approach rather than emphasizing hours of practicum experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship hours: Proposing a national standard.

The variation in hours of supervised experience accumulated during internships has created a number of problematic situations for future psychologists, training directors, psychologists who sign off licensing hours, and the profession. This study examined the total number of hours reported by internships to licensing boards and the accuracy or precision in documenting these hours. The reported internship hours ranged from 1,550 to 2,496 (M?=?1,991.83). As the number of reported hours increased, there was increased likelihood that time off (e.g., vacations, holidays) was included. A national standard of 1,800 hr is recommended, and additional suggestions are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology Training Directors' Views of Trainees' Readiness to Practice Independently.

When are psychology trainees ready to practice independently? This question has been debated extensively during the past few years. To contribute to this debate, a national survey of training directors of academic programs, predoctoral internships, and postdoctoral fellowships was conducted. The study explored training directors' views regarding the examinations and supervisory hours necessary to become an independent practitioner. The study found that training directors were divided in their opinions of when trainees are competent to practice independently. Academic training directors believed that trainees are ready for independent practice earlier in the training sequence than internship and postdoctoral training directors. The implications for conflicting views are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychology internships in school psychology: Fact or fiction?

We investigated the types of training options for school psychology students in internship settings accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Survey results were obtained from APA-accredited programs in school psychology and APA-accredited predoctoral internships that accept school psychology applicants. The results suggested a discrepancy between the number of accredited programs and the number of accredited predoctoral internships available to the prospective school psychology intern. These findings are reviewed in light of recommended internship components obtained from survey information and guidelines approved by the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (1983) and the American Psychological Association (1986). Recommendations for development of school psychology rotations within APA-accredited predoctoral internships for doctoral training in psychology are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Post-notification day perceptions of unplaced internship applicants and their academic training directors: Recommendations for improving future selection processes.

The demand for predoctoral internships has risen in recent years, possibly contributing to some students' difficulty in securing a slot. The present study examined the experiences of unplaced applicants and their academic training directors after the 1995-1996 internship selection process. Respondents provided their perceptions about (a) why some students did not obtain an internship placement, (b) how prospective applicants may wish to conduct themselves in future selection processes, and (c) how the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, and academic and internship training programs might respond to the perceived shortage of internship positions. Recommendations for addressing the hypothesized applicant-to-slot imbalance are also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy integration in internships and counseling psychology doctoral programs.

Training directors from APA-accredited internships and counseling psychology doctoral programs reported on the status of doctoral training in psychotherapy integration. A mail survey was used to assess several areas related to psychotherapy integration, such as didactic and clinical training, faculty/staff theoretical orientation and hiring practices, student competency and evaluation, directors' beliefs about integrative/eclectic training, and internship admissions. Overall results show a positive attitude toward psychotherapy integration in predoctoral training and suggest that the foundations for further student development in psychotherapy integration exist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in projective testing: Survey of clinical training directors and internship directors.

Eighty-nine percent of directors of doctoral programs in clinical psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and 84% of directors of APA-accredited internships responded to similar surveys on expectations, attitudes, and practices in the instruction of projective techniques. Directors of internship programs appeared to value projective techniques more than did directors of doctoral programs, and they expected students to have more experience with these techniques than is typically provided in doctoral programs. The two groups also differed significantly in where they believed the responsibility for correcting this imbalance should lie. In addition, 15% of directors of doctoral programs did not believe that training in projective techniques should be required, whereas only 4% of directors of internship programs expressed this view. This study documents the disparity between the average amount of training in projectives provided to students in doctoral programs and the proficiency expected of those students in their internships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seminar training in APA-approved internship programs: Is there a core curriculum?

Survey data from 110 predoctoral internship programs show that the average program required 143 hrs of seminars. Although the seminar offerings were diverse, many internships had a core program that included seminars in assessment, professional issues, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, and psychotherapy. MANOVA revealed no differences in number of hours required of each seminar across types of facilities. Results are discussed in the context of the recent literature on clinical psychology training and the need for better communication among all involved in graduate-level psychology training. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in empirically validated treatments: What are clinical psychology students learning?

Directors of clinical training (83%) and directors of internships with American Psychological Association approval (55%) responded to a survey concerning empirically validated psychological treatments in which their students received training. Most programs provided supervised clinical experience in a number of these treatments. However, over 20% of doctoral training programs failed to provide minimal coverage of empirically validated treatments in didactic courses, and internship programs typically did not require that students be competent in any of these treatments before completion of the program. The absence of didactic and clinical training in empirically validated psychodynamic therapies and interpersonal therapy was most marked. These findings suggest that programs need to be more attentive to teaching data-based treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA-accredited predoctoral internships for doctoral training in psychology: 1987.

Presents a list of the APA-accredited predoctoral internships for doctoral training in psychology in 1987. The current criteria for accreditation of internship training programs no longer make the distinction between clinical and counseling internship programs; therefore, the separate listing of accredited programs by professional specialty has been dropped. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Internship selection in 1999: Was the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers' Match a success?

This article evaluates the 1st year of operation of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers' (APPIC) Matching Program, a computer-based selection process for predoctoral internships, from the perspective of internship applicants, internship training directors, and directors of clinical training. Statistics from the APPIC Match are presented along with the results from surveys that were sent to participants to assess their experiences with the new system. Results revealed a generally high level of satisfaction with the new selection process, along with considerable evidence that the APPIC Match resulted in less stress for participants and a dramatic reduction in violations of APPIC policies. Some limitations and procedural difficulties are reviewed and recommendations for future APPIC Matches are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA-approved predoctoral internships for doctoral training in clinical and counseling psychology: 1978.

The American Psychological Association Committee on Accreditation has approved for doctoral training in professional psychology the predoctoral internships offered by the agencies listed below. The criteria for evaluating these programs can be obtained from the Accreditation Office. The current criteria for accreditation of predoctoral internship training programs no longer make the distinction between clinical and counseling internship programs; therefore, the separate listing of approved programs by professional specialty has been dropped. Readers desiring information on training goals offered at specific agencies are encouraged to write directly to the agencies. Each of the agencies listed has met the same qualitative standards with respect to adequacy of training. The enclosed list is alphabetical by agencies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

APA internship selection criteria: Relative importance of academic and clinical preparation.

Surveyed American Psychological Association (APA)-approved internships to assess what criteria are important to internship selection committees and to determine how much clinical experience is desired to make an applicant competitive. The survey also assessed the number of courses and amount of hours of supervised experience in both diagnostics and treatment that internships look for in preferred applicants. A brief questionnaire was sent to 120 APA-approved internships, which resulted in a response rate of 75%, or 90 respondents. Results show that internship training centers emphasize clinical training experience and personal qualifications over traditional academic achievements. In addition, internships look for substantially more hours of supervised clinical experience than the amount the minimum APA-accreditation criteria require. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Predoctoral Internship: Is Current Training Anachronistic?

The historical context of the predoctoral internship system is contrasted with the current state of graduate training. The internship system emerged because psychology students often acquired insufficient clinical experience during graduate training in the mid-20th century. However, modern graduate training typically involves extensive supervised clinical contact prior to internship. Moreover, traditional internships exact significant financial, psychological, and personal costs from students. The authors conclude with a discussion of recent progress in the internship process, promising alternatives to traditional internship training (i.e., elective internship training, distributed clinical training, and the affiliated internship model), and implications for the profession. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predoctoral internship training in Canada - I: Internship settings and supervisory issues.

Presents the results of our 1992 survey of internship directors and clinical supervisors in Canadian predoctoral internship training programs belonging to the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs. 25 internship directors and 58 clinical supervisors responded to the survey. On average, individual programs offered 2.28 funded positions, at an average stipend of $20,269 per annum. Within the internship programs, a wide range of training opportunities were offered to interns, but limited opportunities existed for training in geriatric psychology, and in custody, competence, and forensic assessments. Over the 3 yrs surveyed there was a high degree of stability in terms of the number of applicants, number of interns interviewed, and acceptance rates. The majority of the clinical supervisors were well trained clinicians, but had received limited formal training in supervision. The supervisors were flexible in providing supervision in a wide range of training experiences, but with some limitations. Individual sessions were the most frequently employed form of supervision. The majority of supervisors reported no problems in supervision. The most frequently reported problems in supervision were related to interns' personal concerns and stress, and inadequate pre-internship training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

National survey of psychology internship directors regarding education for prevention of psychologist–patient sexual exploitation.

All directors of psychology internships accredited by the American Psychological Association (N?=?410) were surveyed about the status of internship education related to prevention of psychologist–patient sexual exploitation. Virtually all responding directors (99% of 230) reported that their program provides at least 1 session on this topic, and the same number indicated that such education should be part of the mandatory internship curriculum. Ninety-four percent of responding programs had instituted the reported training within the prior 10 years and 60% had done so within 4 years. A national mandate requiring education for prevention of psychologist–patient sexual exploitation can consolidate the apparent trend toward greater inclusion of this topic in training programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychology internship marketplace today.

The most recent comprehensive information about internships in professional psychology was based on data from the 1979–1980 training year. To update this information, we collected data about internships from the 371 members of the Association of Psychology Internship Centers for the 1984–1985 training year. We examined the number of internship positions, current stipend levels, types and breadth of major supervised training experiences, types of academic programs from which applicants would be considered, number of staff, number of intern applications, and sources of internship funding. We found differences by APA approval status, geographical region, and type of internship setting. It appears that the marketplace for interns has expanded and that APA approval of both academic programs and internship sites continues to play a significant role in the process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional psychology internships.

Questionnaire data from 167 directors of psychology internship training programs were analyzed. From the results, suggestions are offered for assisting internship applicants, improving training programs, and conducting research on internships. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A framework for half-time internship training in psychology.

In the past 50 years, psychology has so heavily emphasized the full-time internship as the preeminent training model that it has often overlooked the benefits of half-time internships for educators, students, the profession, and the populations that psychologists serve. This article makes a case for the nearly forgotten half-time predoctoral internship. The history and context of the half-time internship, culminating in a recent national conference, is presented. The benefits to students, doctoral programs, and the community are described, as well as obstacles and solutions for their implementation. Implications for developing more half-time internships for psychology stakeholders are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)