Search

As a profession we are committed to maintaining and enhanping our competence as psychologists in order to most effectively serve the public throughout our careers. While this is a widely shared commitment among psychologists, there is considerably less consensus regarding how best to accomplish this goal. This dilemma is examined from the ethical, educational and legal perspectives. The American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code clearly articulates that competence is an ethical duty, although there is little guidance provided in the code as to how' to meet this standard. As a profession we have tended to focus on the construct of life-long learning and we have incorporated this principle into our education and training standards. In fact, APA accreditation requires that doctoral programs inculcate this value into our foundational training. The majority of Psychology Licensing Boards have addressed this issue through the endorsement of mandatory continuing education requirements that primarily focus on hours and the content or structure of approved program,s. Potential limitations to our ability to effectively self-assess our professional training needs are discussed and several innovative models are. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specialty of family psychology prepares practitioners to work systemically with individuals, couples, families, and larger social organizations. The specialty is defined, and a rationale is provided for its relevance to professional practice. Key concepts, competencies, and practice dimensions (e.g., assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention) are detailed, as are training and board certification in the specialty. Applications to specific problems and specialty niches are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explains the need for systemic approaches for psychologists working in primary care in the U.S. It discusses the criticism received by psychologists for overemphasizing individualism in theories of personality development. It stresses the observance of a systems perspective to address multiculturalism and cultural competence. The application of systems theory by psychologists in their practice is noted.

The availability of quality doctoral internships for students in health service psychology is one of the most significant issues being addressed by the education and training community at present. The Psychology Internship Development Toolkit is a resource designed to assist those who would like to develop, expand, or sustain an internship program in health service psychology. This article provides a background overview of the need for more internship positions and efforts to increase the number of positions available for students currently in training to receive a doctoral degree in health service psychology. The development of the Toolkit and its recent revision are described. To assist with an overview of the Toolkit and its utility, a summary of each section and a link to the Toolkit are provided. Future developments for expansion of this resource are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Education and Training Guidelines: A Taxonomy for Education and Training in Professional Psychology Health Service Specialties was endorsed as a policy of the American Psychological Association in 2012. These Guidelines have the potential for broad impact on the field by providing both a structure and recommendations for the consistent usage o f language— definitions and terminology—to reduce current descriptive inconsistencies across education and training programs in professional psychology. The Guidelines are not designed to define specifics of the training or practice of individual psychologists; they are to be used only to describe programmatic structure in a consistent manner. This article details the developmental history o f these Guidelines and highlights the strong alliance between the leaders of the various recognized specialties in professional psychology and the education and training community in health service psychology. The content, application, future dissemination and impact o f the Guidelines are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This series considers the importance of family psychology training and ethical concerns that scarcity of training in this area may leave psychologists poorly prepared with couples and families. In the lead article, Michele Harway and Steve Kadin set the stage for using systemic formulations to treat couples and families. They challenge practitioners to obtain additional exposure. Using clinical vignettes, they suggest combining systemic approaches with traditional approaches. The efficacy of systemic interventions is considered, as are ethical issues of working with couples and families. The three commentaries support that psychology must make a paradigm shift to accommodate the changing needs of service recipients. Michael Gottlieb argues that the time is now for systems interventions. Integrated models of patient-centered health care require psychologists with systems training as pivotal members of the team. Medicine's acknowledgment that physical ailments occur in relationships requires family psychologists to be part of that team. Roberta Nutt suggests that as our population changes and becomes more diverse, family psychology has much to contribute to cultural competence training. Since many cultural groups are collectivistic, systemic approaches must be taught side-by-side with individualistic approaches. Systemic perspectives can also address the intersectionality of identities, which can help navigate multiple systems. Marianne Celano proposes family psychology training for psychologists treating children. She notes that family assessment should be a key component of any psychiatric evaluation including youths. Systemic interventions are extremely effective with youths' behavioral health problems, and they can assist families in negotiating the multiplicity of systems in which they are embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Education and Training Guidelines: A Taxonomy for Education and Training in Professional Psychology Health Service Specialties was endorsed as a policy of the American Psychological Association in 2012. These Guidelines have the potential for broad impact on the field by providing both a structure and recommendations for the consistent usage of language--definitions and terminology--to reduce current descriptive inconsistencies across education and training programs in professional psychology. The Guidelines are not designed to define specifics of the training or practice of individual psychologists; they are to be used only to describe programmatic structure in a consistent manner. This article details the developmental history of these Guidelines and highlights the strong alliance between the leaders of the various recognized specialties in professional psychology and the education and training community in health service psychology. The content, application, future dissemination and impact of the Guidelines are presented., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.)