 |
Training
Programs | Academic
Programs | Interns
& Postdocs
APPIC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA: POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING
PROGRAMS
Revised March 2002
Postdoctoral training programs that are accredited by the American
Psychological Association are recognized as meeting the APPIC
Postdoctoral Membership criteria. All others must meet all of
the following criteria (i.e., 1 through 13 below) and are reviewed
for adherence to the criteria every three years. RENEWALS (those
previously reviewed and accepted by APPIC for membership) need
only fill out the renewal checklist and submit the form with new
and changed information. See Renewals.
Table I and
Table II
for Renewals.
JOINING APPIC: APPLICATION FORMS
Postdoctoral Programs download
in Word format
- A postdoctoral training program is an organized experience
which, in contrast to on the-job training, is designed to provide
the Fellow with a planned, programmed sequence of supervised
training experiences. The primary task is advanced training
in an area of professional psychology.
- The postdoctoral program has a designated psychologist who
is clearly responsible for the integrity and quality of the
training program, who has administrative authority commensurate
with those responsibilities, and who is licensed as a psychologist
in the jurisdiction where the program exists. This director
has expertise in an area of postdoctoral training offered and
has credentials of excellence such as the American Board of
Professional Psychology diploma, status as a fellow in APA or
CPA, record of active research productivity, or clear evidence
of professional competence and leadership.
- The sponsoring institution has two or more psychologists on
the staff who are currently licensed as psychologists in the
jurisdiction in which the program exists. The postdoctoral program
has a training faculty which includes at least one psychologist
with expertise in each area of postdoctoral training offered
and has credentials of excellence such as a fellow in APA or
CPA, record of active research productivity, or clear evidence
of professional competence and leadership in that program focus.
- The postdoctoral program includes a minimum of two hours per
week of regularly scheduled, face to face individual supervision
with the specific intent of dealing with the psychological services
rendered directly by the Fellow. This supervision is provided
by staff members of the sponsoring institution who carry professional
practice responsibility for the cases being supervised and are
licensed as psychologists in the jurisdiction in which the program
exists.
- In addition to individual supervision, the program includes
at least two additional hours per week in learning activities,
such as: case conferences, involving cases in which the Fellow
is actively involved; seminars dealing with clinical issues;
co-therapy with a staff person, including discussion; group
supervision; or additional individual supervision.
- At least 25% of the Fellow's time is in professional psychological
services.
- Admission requirements include completion of all professional
doctoral degree requirements from a regionally accredited institution
of higher education or an APA/CPA-accredited program and predoctoral
internship meeting APPIC standards. This is defined as having
on the first day of the fellowship either the diploma in hand
or a letter from the Director of graduate studies verifying
the completion of all degree requirements pending institution
graduation ceremony.
APA guidelines on specialty change are followed. Fellows having
completed doctoral studies in fields other than clinical, counseling,
or school psychology must have received a certificate of equivalency
from an APA/CPA accredited university program attesting to their
having met APA/CPA standards, including internship.
- The postdoctoral agency has a minimum of one full time equivalent
Postdoctoral Fellow at the postdoctoral level of training. This
Postdoctoral Fellow must be on site and in training at the time
of initial application for APPIC Membership.
- Postdoctoral trainees have a title, such as "Intern", "Resident",
"Fellow", or other designation of trainee status.
- The sponsoring institution has a written statement or brochure
made available to prospective Fellows which describes the goals
and content of the program, program organization, entrance requirements,
program faculty/staff and mechanisms for Fellow evaluation.
- Postdoctoral programs have documented due process procedures,
including notice, hearing and appeal, for postdoctoral trainees,
which are given to postdoctoral trainees at the beginning of
the postdoctoral training period.
- The postdoctoral training program (minimum 1500 hours) must
be completed in no less than 9 months and no more than 24 months
(two years half-time). Depending on the area and standards of
specialty practice, a postdoctoral program may be more than
one year.
- A certificate of completion is granted upon fulfillment of
the program requirements.
CLARIFICATION OF APPIC MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA: POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING
PROGRAMS
Revised March 2002
This document provides additional information and clarification
about the APPIC postdoctoral membership criteria. Postdoctoral
programs that are accredited by the American Psychological Association
(APA) are recognized as automatically meeting APPIC postdoctoral
membership criteria.
Programs that are not APA-accredited are reviewed for adherence
to the criteria every three years. New applications and program
reviews are evaluated for compliance with all criteria at one
of the biannual Postdoctoral Membership and Review Committee meetings.
Programs that meet all criteria are recommended to the APPIC Board
for approval or renewal of membership. Programs that are deficient
in any membership criteria will be informed about the information
or programmatic changes needed to meet membership criteria, and
may submit information to the committee for a re-review of their
applications. New programs may submit updated applications for
re-review one time within two membership committee meeting periods
without completing a full application and without paying another
application fee. After one re-review or a delay of more than one
year, the program seeking membership must complete a new membership
application and pay another application fee.
CRITERIA AND CLARIFICATION
- A postdoctoral training program is an organized experience
which, in contrast to on the-job training, is designed to provide
the Fellow with a planned, programmed sequence of supervised
training experiences. The primary task is advanced training
in an area of professional psychology.
Clarification:
The organization of a postdoctoral program is evident in a:
- clear statement of the goals and objectives of the training
activities.
- clear description of the training plan, location, and
sequence of direct service experiences.
- clear description of the training curriculum: i.e., the
content, duration, and frequency of the training activities.
- description of how the psychology training program is
integrated into the larger organization.
For programs with multiple sites, clearly describe for each
site the services rendered by the fellow, the supervision provided,
and the training director's involvement.
- The postdoctoral program has a designated psychologist
who is clearly responsible for the integrity and quality of
the training program, who has administrative authority commensurate
with those responsibilities, and who is licensed as a psychologist
in the jurisdiction where the program exists. This director
has expertise in an area of postdoctoral training offered and
has credentials of excellence such as the American Board of
Professional Psychology diploma, status as a fellow in APA or
CPA, record of active research productivity, or clear evidence
of professional competence and leadership.
Clarification:
The postdoctoral program is administered by a doctoral level
psychologist, licensed, certified or registered for independent
practice, who:
- directs and organizes the training program and its resources.
- is responsible for selection of fellows.
- monitors and evaluates the training program's goals and
activities.
- documents and maintains fellows' training records.
- The sponsoring institution has two or more psychologists
on the staff who are currently licensed as psychologists in
the jurisdiction in which the program exists. The postdoctoral
program has a training faculty which includes at least one psychologist
with expertise in each area of postdoctoral training offered
and has credentials of excellence such as a fellow in APA or
CPA, record of active research productivity, or clear evidence
of professional competence and leadership in that program focus.
Clarification:
Postdoctoral Fellows' primary clinical supervision and role
modeling must be provided by psychologists licensed (certified
or registered) for independent practice at the doctoral level
on the program's staff who:
- are officially designated as postdoctoral program supervisors.
- are significantly involved in the training program.
- show evidence of expertise in the focus area(s) of the
training program.
- The postdoctoral program includes a minimum of two hours
per week of regularly scheduled, face to face individual supervision
with the specific intent of dealing with the psychological services
rendered directly by the Fellow. This supervision is provided
by staff members of the sponsoring institution who carry professional
practice responsibility for the cases being supervised and are
licensed as psychologists in the jurisdiction in which the program
exists.
Clarification:
Supervisors need to be clearly designated by the agency as professionally
responsible for the cases (for example, countersigning documentation
or having their name on the treatment plan or case summary).
Two hours of regularly scheduled, face-to-face, individual supervision
by a licensed psychologist should be provided weekly regardless
of whether the postdoctoral program is one year full-time, or
two years half-time.
- In addition to individual supervision, the program includes
at least two additional hours per week in learning activities,
such as: case conferences, involving cases in which the Fellow
is actively involved; seminars dealing with clinical issues,
co-therapy with a staff person, including discussion; group
supervision; additional individual supervision.
Clarification:
Above and beyond the two hours of individual supervision each
Fellow receives weekly, the Postdoctoral Program should provide
two hours per week of additional learning experiences, regardless
of whether the program is one year full-time or two years half-time.
These learning experiences should be regularly scheduled, and
may include but are not limited to additional individual or
group supervision, seminars, case conferences, workshops, or
CO-therapy with a supervisor. Clear descriptions of the learning
activities should be provided.
- At least 25% of the Fellow's time is in professional psychological
services.
Clarification:
A minimum of 25% of the Fellow's time should be spent in provision
of professional psychological services to patients/clients,
students, consultees, and/or agencies. These services may include
but are not limited to assessment, intervention, consultation,
policy making, program design and implementation, provision
of supervision and clinical research.
- Admission requirements include completion of all professional
doctoral degree requirements from a regionally accredited institution
of higher education or an APA/CPA-accredited program and predoctoral
internship meeting APPIC standards. This is defined as having
on the first day of the fellowship either the diploma in hand
or a letter from the Director of graduate studies verifying
the completion of all degree requirements pending institution
graduation ceremony. APA guidelines on specialty change are
followed. Fellows having completed doctoral studies in fields
other than clinical, counseling, or school psychology must have
received a certificate of equivalency from an APA/CPA approved
university program attesting to their having met APA/CPA standards,
including internship.
Clarification:
Postdoctoral Fellows must have completed the doctoral degree
before beginning their postdoctoral training. At a minimum,
Fellows must have completed all requirements for the doctoral
degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning,
including an internship meeting APPIC standards.
- If the Postdoctoral Training Program requires that Fellows
possess a doctoral degree from an APA- or CPA-accredited
program, it need not state the requirement that it be a
regionally accredited institution of higher learning. In
this case, the brochure should state that Fellows must have
completed all doctoral degree requirements from an APA/CPA-accredited
program.
- If the Postdoctoral Training Program requires that Fellows
have completed an APA- or CPA-accredited internship, it
need not state the requirement that it meets APPIC standards.
In this case, the brochure should state that Fellows must
have completed an APA/CPA-accredited internship.
- If the Postdoctoral Training Program does not require
completion of an APA- or CPA-accredited doctoral degree
program or an APA- or CPA-accredited internship, the brochure
should state that Fellows must have completed all professional
doctoral degree requirements from a regionally accredited
institution of higher education, including an internship
meeting APPIC standards.
- If the Postdoctoral Training Program accepts applications
from individuals who have previously received a doctoral
degree in some area of psychology other than clinical, counseling
or school, the brochure should state that such applicants
must have received a certificate of equivalency from an
APA/CPA approved university program designed for the "retraining"
of such psychologists, attesting to completion of all requirements,
including an internship meeting APPIC standards.
- The postdoctoral agency has a minimum of one full-time
equivalent Postdoctoral Fellow at the postdoctoral level of
training. This Postdoctoral Fellow must be on site and in training
at the time of initial application for APPIC Membership.
Clarification:
The agency must have a minimum of one full-time Fellow or two
half-time Fellows in training at the time of initial application
for APPIC Membership, and should maintain this minimum for any
period of training. In special circumstances, such as changes
in funding or reorganization, the Postdoctoral Training Program
may maintain APPIC Membership for up to one year without training
Fellows, as long as the training program is otherwise in good
standing.
- Postdoctoral trainees have a title, such as "Intern," "Resident,"
"Fellow," or other designation of trainee status.
Clarification:
The title should indicate the Fellow is in training, and it
is helpful if the title distinguishes the Fellow from other
trainees, e.g., if the title "Intern," is used, then the full
title should be "Postdoctoral Intern," to distinguish the Fellow
from those completing a predoctoral internship.
- The sponsoring institution has a written statement or brochure
made available to prospective Fellows which describes the goals
and content of the program, program organization, entrance requirements,
program faculty/staff and mechanisms for Fellow evaluation.
Clarification:
Postdoctoral training programs must make available descriptions
of their training programs which give applicants and Fellows
a clear understanding of the program in terms of:
- the program's training goals and objectives.
- the program's training methods, content, and curriculum,
including rotations offered or required, seminars, supervision,
and other training experiences.
- The program's training resources, including training/supervisory
staff, physical facilities, training support.
- The sites at which training and services are provided.
For programs with multiple sites, clear descriptions are
given for each site of services rendered by Fellows, supervision
offered, and involvement of the Director of Training.
- specific application requirements. Postdoctoral programs
must clearly indicate that applicants must have completed
all requirements for the doctoral degree before beginning
their postdoctoral training, and that they must have received
the doctoral degree from an APA/CPA-accredited program or
from a "regionally accredited institution of higher education,"
including an APA/CPA-accredited internship or an internship
"meeting APPIC standards," as described in Criteria #7.
- methods of Fellow evaluation, including the frequency
of evaluation and an indication of due process procedures
in the event of a grievance.
- licensure requirements for postdoctoral supervised practice.
Programs must indicate whether satisfactory completion of
the postdoctoral training program meets postdoctoral supervised
practice requirements for licensure or certification in
the jurisdiction within which the program resides.
- Postdoctoral programs have documented due process procedures,
including notice, hearing, and appeal, for postdoctoral trainees,
which are given to postdoctoral trainees at the beginning of
the postdoctoral training period.
Clarification:
At the beginning of their appointment, postdoctoral trainees
should be given copies of policies and procedures related to
problem-solving and filing grievances.
- The postdoctoral training program (minimum 1500 hours)
must be completed in no less than 9 months and no more than
24 months (two years half-time). Depending on the area and standards
of specialty practice, a postdoctoral program may be more than
one year.
Clarification:
Postdoctoral training programs may be part-time or full-time
experiences, and must be completed in not less than 9 months
(1500 hours) and not more than two years. Fellows must receive
two hours per week of individual supervision and two hours per
week of additional training activities as described in Criteria
#4 and #5, regardless of their full-time or part-time status.
- A certificate of completion is granted upon fulfillment
of the program requirements.
Clarification:
The certificate should clearly indicate:
- the name of the institution, organization or agency.
- The postdoctoral nature of the training program.
- The focus area of the training program, if applicable.
- beginning and ending dates of the fellow's training.
The certificate should be signed by the Director of Training.
Example: the XYZ University certifies that Jane Doe,
Ph.D. has successfully completed a postdoctoral fellowship in
Psychology from September 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002.
4 November 2006
| |
