Psychotherapists in independent practice: Some findings and issues.

Notes that although professional psychologists' involvement in private sector health care delivery has grown at an unparalleled rate in the past decade, little is known about professional psychologists' composition, practices, or their views. This article describes the professional characteristics, clinical activities, theoretical perspectives, and training and career satisfaction of 210 doctoral-level psychotherapists (mean age 47.2 yrs) employed full-time in independent practice. More than 30 personal and professional variables were used to compare these private practitioners with 72 psychotherapists employed in the public sector. Results indicate that independent practitioners were significantly more likely to be older and more experienced, work fewer hours, do more marital therapy, and be more satisfied with psychotherapy as a career than their colleagues in institutional clinical settings. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences between the 2 groups in theoretical orientations or percentage of women. Several issues surrounding private practice are explored, and the sociopolitical and training implications of increasing numbers of psychotherapists entering independent practice are discussed. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and rehabilitation: Mandates and current training practices.

Reviews legal and professional mandates concerning the provision of professional services to disabled persons by psychologists. Legal, ethical, accrediting, and licensing implications are considered, especially from the standpoint of the training of psychologists. A survey of all American Psychological Association-approved clinical and counseling training programs was conducted to examine (a) awareness of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (b) availability of courses concerning disabilities, and (c) the importance of knowledge of the psychological aspects of disabilities in hiring psychologists. Survey results indicate that psychologists' skills and knowledge may be seriously at variance with what is expected of them, that negative attitudinal factors play a central role and can be dispelled through formal training, and that separate and specialized services for handicapped people are not a viable option. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate student professional development.

Professional development (PD) has become an integral element of professional practice and training within psychology and related fields, yet the construct has not been conceptually well defined. Psychology graduate students (N?=?593) were surveyed to assess PD across 3 primary areas: "What is PD for you? Is this fostered by your program? and In which areas would you like more?" Students endorsed numerous items as being part of PD, with only 3 elements of PD fostered by graduate programs (statistics and research, theories or behavior, ethics). Multivariate analyses of variance revealed some differences between clinical/counseling and research/academic students on the factors across 2 of the primary areas. A conceptual definition of PD is offered, with recommendations for graduate students and educators to identify PD needs and evaluate whether those needs are being met. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guiding principles and recommendations for the assessment of competence.

This article presents guiding principles for the assessment of competence developed by the members of the American Psychological Association's Task Force on Assessment of Competence in Professional Psychology. These principles are applicable to the education, training, and credentialing of professional psychologists, and to practicing psychologists across the professional life span. The principles are built upon a review of competency assessment models, including practices in both psychology and other professions. These principles will help to ensure that psychologists reinforce the importance of a culture of competence. The implications of the principles for professional psychology also are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sport psychology in the profession of psychology.

Historically, sport psychology has been identified with physical education; however, recent developments in the field toward applied issues have substantially expanded psychologists' interests and opportunities. Unfortunately, little is known about professional psychologists' involvement in sport psychology practice, research, and training. Therefore, a national survey of 500 male and 500 female psychologists (American Psychological Association Division 12 members) was conducted. Based on 489 responses, results indicated that psychologists (a) were uninvolved in sport psychology research and teaching and (b) had received minimal training or supervision in the field. Despite this absence of sport science training, many had consulted with (22%) or provided individual therapy to (48%) athletes or sport teams. Implications for psychology training and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflections on "Professionalism within school psychology."

Discusses T. D. Oakland's (see record 1987-13985-001) concerns about professionalism in school psychology, which are interpreted as centering on problems of school psychologists' morale and pride in their work and in their identity. Based on the suggestion that many of these problems may be due to school psychology being too narrowly defined to allow its practitioners sufficient professional mobility and opportunities to apply all their knowledge and skills, the concept of human services psychology is proposed as a framework within which the solution to these and other problems cited by Oakland may be found. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ten interdisciplinary principles for professional practice in telehealth: Implications for psychology.

Emerging telecommunications technology is changing psychological practice by enabling the provision of services across time and distance, yet there are significant concerns about these applications. In response to developments in telehealth—the term used for health services provided through these technologies—an interdisciplinary group developed a series of principles to inform health care practice. In this article, the authors review these principles and their implications for psychological telehealth, emphasizing that psychologists' ethical and professional requirements do not change with the introduction of a new tool. The principles provide a framework of critical ethical and professional issues that psychologists must consider in undertaking telehealth practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrated health delivery systems: Psychology's potential role.

Describes the ways in which psychologists are defining their role within integrated health delivery systems (IHDSs). The integration of psychological services with primary medical care is discussed. Examples of medical crisis counselling services as part of a medical practice and PhD student preparation for professional work in IHDSs are provided. Recent collaboration between the military and the APA Committee for the Advancement of Professional Practice's Task Force on Primary Care is mentioned. For psychology, the key will be legislatively broadening psychologists' defined role within the generic health delivery system to match their existing everyday clinical role in health care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stanley Sue: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

Provides the biography of Stanley Sue and announces that he has won the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research for outstanding and pioneering research contributions to psychologists' understanding of ethnicity, mental health, and treatment. A selected bibliography is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The scope and standards of preparation in psychology for school counselors.

"This report asserts that psychology is central to the training of school counselors. The recommendations are designed to be guidelines for colleges of education, psychology departments, school systems, state departments of public instruction, the United States Office of Education and professional associations interested in the training and professional development of school counselors." The major sections are: Principles Relevant to Professional Preparation of the School Counselor and to His Effective Functioning, Content Areas in the Field of Psychology, Implications of the Report, and Pertinent Reports and Publications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions: Carl N. Zimet.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, beginning in 1979, Professional Awards have been presented to individual members of the Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. Carl N. Zimet was a recipient of the 1987 Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice award. Zimet is cited for his devotion to high standards of education and training and professional practice in psychology. As a trustee on the American Board of Professional Psychology, he was charged to develop a plan which eventually became the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Through key leadership positions on APA governance bodies, and other professional organizations, he has dedicated himself to setting high standards and promoting the recognition of psychologists in the health care arena. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of his works are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Awards for Distinguished Professional Contributions: Nicholas A. Cummings.

Recognizing the diversity of roles and activities in which many professional psychologists are engaged, Professional Awards are presented to individual members of the American Psychological Association whose distinguished contributions have served to advance psychology as a profession in the areas of knowledge, public service, and professional practice. For 1984, Nicholas A. Cummings is recognized for Distinguished Contributions to Applied Psychology as a Professional Practice. Cummings' creativity, energy, commitment, and breadth of contributions to professional psychology have shaped much psychological practice into what it is today. He performed the pioneering research supporting the cost therapeutic effectiveness of psychotherapy, wrote the first freedom-of-choice legislation, and was instrumental to psychology's involvement with legislative advocacy. In addition, by founding the California School of Professional Psychology, Cummings stimulated the professional school movement that revolutionized training. Along with the citation, a biography and bibliography of Cummings' works are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The first decade of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Discusses the development of the European Federation of Professional Psychologists Association (EFPPA) code of ethics, and the role of the Canadian Psychological Association's code in the process. The author states that the EFPPA now wants to go beyond statements of principle to consider both initial training and continuing professional development in ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitude, knowledge, and skill competencies for practice in professional geropsychology: Implications for training and building a geropsychology workforce.

Professional geropsychology is a growing area of practice and training. To meet the mental health needs of an aging population, increasing numbers of psychologists need to develop competence to work with older adults, their families, and related care systems. The Pikes Peak model for geropsychology training (Knight, Karel, Hinrichsen, Qualls, & Duffy, 2009) delineates attitude, knowledge, and skill competencies for professional geropsychology practice and makes recommendations for training. In this paper, we define and illustrate the Pikes Peak geropsychology practice competencies through a case example. In the case, an older man with complex needs seeks care through a generalist psychologist in an outpatient setting. The attitudes, knowledge, and skills that the psychologist needs to consider, and implications for training, are reviewed. Training recommendations and resources are provided, with a focus on the training needs of psychologists who wish to expand their practices to include older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The American Psychological Association–California Psychological Association Disaster Response Project: Lessons from the past, guidelines for the future.

The American Psychological Association–California Psychological Association Disaster Response Project provided valuable lessons about disaster response at the local and state levels. The authors offer guidelines from the experiences of pioneers of organized disaster response and from published accounts on how to set up disaster response networks, the necessary training to become a disaster response volunteer, and how to maintain a disaster response team (e.g., tools needed, psychologists' roles, cultural diversity, and interprofessional camaraderie). Also described are the following: interventions for stress responses from victims, helpers, and children; special problems of social disasters; implications of media presence; and psychologists' roles in educating the public and government agencies about disaster response. Finally, the future of disaster response in the mental health profession is 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)     

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)     

The National Conference on Internship Training in Psychology.

The 1987 National Conference on Internship Training in Psychology was the first conference in the history of psychology to examine broad policy issues related to internship training in professional psychology. Delegates adopted a policy statement, which is printed here in its entirety. Core requirements for internship training were delineated, and implications of these policy statements are discussed. Perhaps most notably, the model of the one-year internship as the capstone of graduate education and training was considered to be outdated. A two-year supervised training experience was deemed necessary to produce an autonomously functioning professional psychologist. The need for another nomenclature was recognized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Claims on the Foundation: Professionalism and Its Liberal Base

Contemporary visions of engineering depict a deepening professionalism, a broadening sphere of competence with technology, and an enhanced social role. Professional societies have increasingly focused on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for achievement of this vision, and have done so in terms of developmental outcomes. This paper relates specific technical and professional outcomes to their preprofessional foundation in liberal education. Strength and coherence in an expanding foundation, and a close coupling with the outcomes it supports, is necessary if visions of enhanced professional performance are to be fulfilled. Curricular experiments are encouraged.     

Rehabilitation psychology practice, ethics, and a changing health care environment.

Rapid changes in the health care environment have brought about ethical and professional challenges for rehabilitation and rehabilitation psychology. The response of rehabilitation psychologists to the threats and opportunities of these challenges will have an impact on the welfare of persons with disabilities and the future of the profession. Managed care organizations have focused their efforts on the management of acute illness. Ethical concerns are being raised about patient access to care, self-determination, confidentiality, provider accountability, and marketing in managed care systems. Rehabilitation psychologists' skills in program development and outcome evaluation place them in a key position to influence the changes in the health care environment. To be effectual, however, fundamental changes must be made in research psychology practice, education and training, research focus, and professional activities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)