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ACCREDITATION DOMAINS AND STANDARDS
C. POSTDOCTORAL RESIDENCIES
Domain A: Eligibility
As a prerequisite for accreditation, the postdoctoral training program's purpose must be within the scope of the accrediting body and must be pursued in an institutional setting appropriate for the education and training of professional psychologists.
A. 1.The program offers postdoctoral residency education and training in psychology, one goal of which is to provide residents with advanced or specialty practice area training in professional psychology.
A.2.The program is sponsored by an institution or agency that has among its primary functions the provision of service to a population of recipients sufficient in number and variability to provide residents with adequate experiential exposure to meet the program 's education and training purposes, goals, and objectives.
A.3.The program is an integral part of the mission of the institution in which it resides, and is represented in the institution 's operating budget and plans in a manner that enables the residency program to achieve its goals and objectives . All postdoctoral residents in psychology are financially supported and provided benefits at a level consistent with that afforde d comparable doctoral level professionals in training.
A.4.The program requires of each resident a minimum of one year full-time training to be completed in no less than 12 months (10 months for school psychology postdoctoral training programs), or two years of half-time training to be completed in no more than 24.months_____ _ . _ Residencies may also consist of 2 or 3 years of full-time training.
AS.The program engages in regular and systematic actions that indicate
respect for and understanding of cultural and individual diversity. ' This
is reflected in the recruitment, retention, and development of training
supervisors and residents, and in didactic and experiential training that
foster an understanding of cultural and individual diversity as they relate
to professional psychology. The program has nondiscriminatory policies
and operating conditions and avoids any actions that would restrict program
access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in the postdoctoral training
program or the profession.
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A.6.The program adheres to, and makes available to all interested parties, formal written policies and procedures that govern resident selection, internship, and academic preparation requirements, administrative and financial assistance, resident performance evaluation feedback, advisement, retention, termination, and due process and grievance procedures for residents and training supervisors. It complies with other policies and procedures of the sponsor institution that pertain to supervisor and resident's rights, responsibilities, and personal development.
Domain B: Program Philosophy, Objectives and Training Plan
The program has a clearly specified philosophy of training, compatible with the mission of its sponsor institution and appropriate to the practice of professional psychology. The psychology postdoctoral residency is an organized, logically sequenced program. Its goal is to provide quality education and training that is primarily experiential in nature, and is aimed at preparing psychologists for professional psychology practice at an advanced competency level or in a specialty area. The program's traininggoals and objectives are consistent with its philosophy and model.
B. 1. The program publicly states an explicit philosophy and model of professional training and education by which it intends to prepare residents for advanced or specialty area practice in professional psychology.The program's philosophy and educational model should be substantially consistent with the mission, goals, and culture of the program's sponsor institution.It must also be consistent with the following two principles of the discipline:
B. 1 .(a) the postdoctoral residency in professional psychology is designed to develop advanced or specialty area practice competencies and expertise based upon sound scientific and professional practice foundations: psychological practice is based on the science of psychology which, in turn is influenced by the professional practice of psychology; and
B. 1 .(b) training for practice is sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity,
B.2.The program specifies education and training objectives in terms of competencies expected of residents upon completion of the residency program. For programs providing advanced or specialty training in one or more areas of professional practice, these objectives and competencies will be reviewed by the Committee on Accreditation in accordance with recognized standards in professional psychology. These competencies must be consistent with:
B.2.(a) the program's philosophy and training model; and
B.2.(b) the advanced or specialty area(s) of professional psychology practice for which the program prepares its residents.
B.3. The postdoctoral program is organized, and builds upon but is distinct from doctoral
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preparation and intemship.The postdoctoral program must be clearly differentiated from other training programs offered within the institution The program includes the following:
B.3.(a) Education and training activities are cumulative, graded in complexity and are structured in terms of their sequence, intensity, duration, and frequency, as well as planned and programmed in their methods and content.
B.3.(b) The primary training method is supervised service delivery in direct contact with service recipients. Training includes socialization into the profession of psychology and is augmented by other appropriately-integrated modalities, such as mentoring, didactic exposure, role-modeling and enactment, observational/vicarious learning, and supervisory or consultative guidance;
B.3.(c) )The content of postdoctoral training activities addresses the application of psychological concepts and current scientific knowledge, principles and theories relevant to the delivery of professional psychological services, at an advanced level or in a specialty practice area, to the consumer public; professional conduct; ethics and law; and standards for providers of psychological services;
B.3.(d) )Resident supervision is regularly scheduled and sufficient relative to the resident's professional responsibility, and, at a minimum, a full-time resident will receive four hours structured learning activities per week, at least two hours of which will include individual, face-to-face supervision;
B.3.(e ) Supervision is consistent with the residents' training activities, so as to provide an intensive, advanced or specialty practice area learning experience while maintaining appropriate service responsibility for the recipients;
B.3.(f) Methods of supervision are appropriate for advanced training and reflect the knowledge base of the advanced or specialty practice area in supervision;
B.4.The postdoctoral program has a well documented procedure for its administrative structure and process which systematically coordinates, controls, directs, and organizes the training activity and resources:
B.4.(a) The program has a designated director who is a psychologist, appropriately credentialed (i.e., licensed, registered, or certified) to practice psychology in the jurisdiction in which the program is located, who is primarily responsible for directing the training program and has administrative authority commensurate with those responsibilities:
B.4.(b) The director's credentials and expertise must be consistent with the program's goals, mission and advanced or specialty area(s) of professional psychology training.
B.S.In achieving its objectives the program requires that all residents demonstrate an advanced
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level of professional psychological skills, abilities, proficiencies, competencies, and knowledge in the areas of
B.S.(a) theories and methods of psychological assessment and diagnosis and effective interventions;
B.S.(b) theories and methods of consultation, program evaluation, and supervision;
B. 5.(c) strategies of scholarly inquiry;
B.5 .(d)issues of cultural and individual diversity that are relevant to all of the above. B.6. Programs providing training in one or more specialty areas of professional practice require all residents to demonstrate an advanced level of professional psychological skills, abilities, proficiencies and competencies in, and knowledge of the areas cited inB.S.(a)-(d) above, relative to the respective specialty area(s) in which the residents, have received training.
B.7. The program demonstrates that residents' service delivery tasks and duties are primarily learning oriented and that training considerations take precedence over service delivery and revenue generation.
Domain C: Program Resources
The program demonstrates that it possesses resources of appropriate quality and sufficiency to achieve its education and training goals and objectives and ensure stability and sustainability:
C. 1.The postdoctoral training program has formally designated training supervisors who:
C. 1 .(a)are sufficient in number to accomplish the program's service delivery, education and- - .-.. --- training and supervision goals;
C. 1 .(b) include at least two psychologists formally designated as resident training supervisors, who deliver services in the advanced or specialty practice area(s) in which the postdoctoral training occurs, function as an integral part of the program at the site where the program is housed, have primary professional clinical responsibility for the cases on which they provide supervision, and are appropriately credentialed (i.e. licensed, registered, or certified) to practice psychology in the jurisdiction in which the program is located;
C. 1 .c(c)are of appropriate quality for the program's philosophy of training, model and goals, have expertise in the area(s) of professional psychology designated by the program, demonstrate substantial competence and have credentials in those areas which are at the core of the program's
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objectives and goals;
C. 1 .(d) participate actively in the program's planning, its implementation, and its evaluation;
C. 1 .(e)serve as professional role models for the residents; and,
C. 1 .(f) may include appropriately qualified adjunct staff/supervisors to augment and expand residents' training experiences, provided these adjuncts are integrated into the program.
C.2.The program has an identifiable body of residents who:
C.2.(a) are of sufficient number to ensure meaningful peer interaction, support and socialization;
C.2.(b) have completed appropriate doctoral education and training in professional psychology or appropriate respecialization;
C.2.(C) have completed an appropriate internship training, which must include supervised face-to-face delivery of professional psychology services;
C.2.(d) have interests, aptitudes, and prior academic and internship experiences that are appropriate for the postdoctoral training program's goals and objectives;
C.2.(e) have an understanding of the program's philosophy, model and goals;
C.2.(f) have meaningful involvement in those activities and decisions that serve to enhance resident training and education; and
C.2.(g) have a title commensurate with the title carried in that setting by other professionals in training with comparable responsibility and comparable education and training, consistent with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the program is located.
C.3.The program has the additional resources necessary to achieve its training goals and objectives.The program works with the administration of the sponsor institution to develop a plan for the acquisition of those additional resources that may be necessary for program development. These include:
C.3.(a) financial support for resident stipends, training supervisors, and training activities; C.3 (b) clerical and technical support;
C.3.(C) training materials and equipment which meet the program's needs for the area(s) of professional psychology training designated by the training program; and
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C.3 .(d) physical facilities, training populations and settings.
C.4.A postdoctoral training program may consist of, or be located under, a single administrative entity (institution, agency, school, department, etc.) or may take the form of a consortium. A consortium comprised multiple independently administered entities which have, in writing, formally agreed to pool resources to conduct a training or education program. Written consortial agreements should articulate:
C4.(a) the nature and characteristics of the participating entities;
C.4.(b) the rationale for the consortial partnership;
C.4.(C) each partner's commitment to the education and training program, its philosophy, model, and goals;
C5.(d) each partner's obligations regarding contributions and access to resources;
C.S.(e)each partner's adherence to central control and coordination of the training program; and
C.5.(f)each partner's commitment to uniform administration and implementation of the program's training principles, policies, and procedures addressing resident admission, financial support;-- training resource access, potential performance expectations and evaluations.
An individual consortial partner (member entity) of an accredited consortium may not publicize itself as independently accredited unless it also has independently applied for and received accreditation.
Domain D: Cultural and Individual Differences and Diversity
The program recognizes the importance of cultural and individual differences in the training of psychologists.
D. 1. The program has made systematic, coherent, and long-term efforts to attract and retain residents and supervisors from different ethnic, racial, gender and personal backgrounds into the program. Consistent with such efforts it acts to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment and the provision of training opportunities appropriate for the training of diverse individuals. Further, the program avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in postdoctoral training or a career in professional psychology. .'
D.2.The program has a thoughtful and coherent instructional plan to
provide residents with
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relevant knowledge and experiences about the role of cultural and individual diversity in psychological phenomena and professional practice. It engages in positive efforts designed to ensure that residents will have opportunities to learn about cultural and individual diversity as they relate to the advanced or specialty practice area of psychology postdoctoral training. The avenues by which these training goals are achieved by the program are to be developed by the program.
Domain E: Resident-Supervisor Relations T
he program demonstrates that its policies, procedures, education, training, and socialization experiences are characterized by mutual respect and courtesy between residents and training supervisors and that it operates in a manner that facilitates residents' training and educational experiences.
E. 1. The program recognizes the rights of residents and training supervisors to be treated with courtesy and respect.In order to maximize the quality and effectiveness of residents' learning experiences, all interactions among residents, training supervisors, and program staff should be as between colleagues and conducted in a manner that reflects the highest ethical and professional conduct standards of the profession (see APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct” American Psychologist, December, 1992.) The program has an obligation to inform residents of these principles and of their avenues of recourse should problems arise.
E.2.Training supervisors are accessible to the residents and provide them with a level of guidance and supervision that actively encourages timely and successful completion of the program.The supervisors provide appropriate professional role modeling and engage in actions that promote the residents' acquisition of knowledge, skills and competencies consistent with the program's training goals.
E-3.The program shows respect for cultural and individual diversity among its residents by treating them in accord with the principles contained in Domain A, Section 5 of this document.
E.4.The program provides residents immediately upon entry into the program with written policies and procedures regarding program requirements and expectations for residents' performance and continuance in the program, and procedures for the termination of residents. Residents receive, at least semi-annually, regular and systematic written feedback on the extent to which they are meeting these requirements and performance expectations. The feedback should address the resident's performance and progress in terms of professional conduct and psychological knowledge, skills and competencies in the areas of psychological assessment, intervention, and consultation. Such feedback should include:
E.4.(a) timely written notification of all problems that have been noted and the opportunity to discuss them;
E.4.(b) substantive written feedback on the extent to which corrective actions are or are not
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successful in addressing the issues of concern;
ES.The program issues a certificate of residency completion to residents successfully completing the training program.
E.6.The program documents the evaluative process for future reference, certification and credentialing purposes, and maintains records of residents training In all matters relevant to the evaluation of residents' performance, programs must adhere to their institution's regulations and local, state, and federal statutes regarding due process and fair treatment.
Domain F: Program Self-Assessment and Quality Enhancement
The program demonstrates a commitment to excellence through self-study, which assures that its goals and objectives are met, enhances the quality of professional education and training obtained by its residents and training supervisors, and contributes to the fulfillment of its host institution's mission.
F. 1.The program, with appropriate involvement from its training supervisors and residents, engages in on-going self-studies that address:
F. 1 .(a)its expectations for the quality and quantity of the resident's preparation and performance prior to the initiation of any training activities;
F. 1 .(b)the training goals and objectives for residents and the residents' views regarding the quality of the training experiences and the program;
F. 1 .(c)its procedures to maintain current achievements or to make changes as necessary;
F. 1 .(d)its goals, objectives, and outcomes in relation to national standards of professional practice; and
F. 1 .(e) regular feedback from current and former residents in order to enhance program quality and provide data to consumers.
F.2.The program provides resources and/or opportunities to enhance the quality of its training and supervision staff through continued professional development.
F.3.The program and its host institution value and recognize the importance of resident training and of the supervisors' training and supervisory efforts, and demonstrate this in tangible ways.
Domain G: Public Disclosure
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The program demonstrates its commitment to public disclosure by providing written and other communications that appropriately represent it to the relevant publics.
G. 1.The program is described accurately and completely in documents that are available to current residents, resident applicants, and other publics.”The descriptions of the program should include:
G. 1 .(a) its goals, objectives, and training model; its selection procedures and requirements for completion; its training supervisors, residents, facilities, and other resources, and its administrative policies and procedures;
G. 1 .(b) its status with regard to accreditation, making available to resident applicants and other appropriate publics such reports or other materials as pertain to the program's accreditation status.
Domain H: Relationship with Accrediting Body
The postdoctoral training program demonstrates its commitment to the accreditation process by fulfilling its responsibilities to the accrediting body from which its accredited status is granted.
H. 1.The training program abides by the accrediting body's published policies and procedures, as they pertain to its recognition as an accredited postdoctoral training site.
H.2.The training program informs the accrediting body in a timely manner of changes in its training model, goals, objectives, curriculum plan and resources or operations that could alter the postdoctoral training program's quality.
H-3. The training program is in good standing with the accrediting body in terms of payment of fees associated with the maintenance of its accredited status.
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A. Doctoral Graduate Programs
Domain A: Eligibility
As a prerequisite for accreditation, the program's purpose must be within the scope of the accrediting body and must be pursued in an institutional setting appropriate for the doctoral education and training of professional psychologists.
1. The program offers doctoral education and training in psychology, one goal of which is to prepare students for the practice of professional psychology.
2. The program is sponsored by an institution of higher education accredited by a nationally-recognized regional accrediting body in the United States or, in the case of Canadian programs. the institution is publicly recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada as a member in good standing.
3. The program is an integral part of the mission of the academic department, college, school, or institution in which it resides. It is represented in the institution's operating budget and plans in a manner designed to enable the program to achieve its goals and objectives. The program must have students in sufficient number and the facilities necessary to ensure meaningful peer interaction, support, and socialization.
4. The program requires of each student a minimum of three full-time academic years of-graduate' study (or the equivalent thereof) and completion of an internship prior to awarding the doctoral degree. At least two of the three academic training years (or the equivalent thereof) must be at the institution from which the doctoral degree is granted, and at least one year of which must be in full-time residence (or the equivalent thereof) at that same institution.
5. The program engages in actions that indicate respect for and understanding of cultural and individual diversity. Throughout this document_ the phrase, cultural and individual diversity, refers to diversity with regard to personal and demographic characteristics. These include, but are not limited to age, color, disabilities, ethnicity, gender, language, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and social economic status2. Respect for and understanding of cultural and individual diversity is reflected in the program's policies for the recruitment, retention, and development of faculty and students, and in its curriculum and field placements. The program has nondiscriminatory policies and operating conditions, and it avoids any actions that would restrict program access or completion on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training or the profession.
6. The program adheres to and makes available to all interested parties
formal written policies and procedures that govern: academic admissions
and degree requirements; administrative and
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