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January 8, 1995
Principles for the Recognition of Specialties in Professional Psychology'
Joint Interim Committee for the Identification and Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies
Knowledge and practice skills in psychology have expanded and become increasingly differentiated over the past 50 years. Currently, the American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledges four professional specialties in psychology: clinical, counseling, school, and industrial/organizational psychology. It is important to note that these specialties first gained de facto recognition through a process of historical evolution.The APA accreditation guidelines also reference clinical, counseling, and school psychology as specialties.
A shared core of scientific and professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes is common to professional specialties. This shared core has been recognized in several conference reports on the future of professional psychology including the reports of groups and conferences of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, the Joint Council on Professional Education in Psychology, and the National Conference on Scientist-Practitioner Education and Training for the Professional Practice of Psychology.
The public will continue to need the services of
general practice specialists, such as those offered by clinical, counseling,
school and industrial/organizational psychologists. However, the
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January 8, 1995
PETITION FOR THE RECOGNITION OF A SPECIALTY IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
THIS PETITION gives guidance to the types and amounts of information necessary for a formal decision to be reached. Petitioning organizations may use additional pages where necessary. The petitioning organization is free to provide any additional material deemed relevant.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
(202) 336-5500
PETITION PACKAGE
Criterion I. Distinctiveness. A specialty differs from other existing specialties in its body of specialized scientific knowledge and professional application, and provides evidence of these distinctions within each parameter of practice as described in Principle V.
1. Proposed title of the specialty:
2. Provide a brief description of the specialty (e.g., one or two sentences that would adequately describe the specialty for the public).
3. Identify bow the following parameters differentiate the specialty
from others. Describe how these parameters define professional practice
in the specialty.
1. populations:
b. problems (psychological, biological, and/or social):
C. procedures and techniques:
4. In addition to the professional practice domains described above, describe the theoretical and scientific knowledge required for the specialty and provide references for each domain.
5. For each of the following seven core professional practice domains,
provide a brlef description of the knowledge that is required and provide
published references in each area (e.g., books, chapters, articles in refereed
journals, etc.)
assessment:
intervention:
consultation:
supervision
e. research and inquiry:
f. consumer protection:
g. professional development
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January 8. 1995
PETITION FOR THE RECOGNITION OF A SPECIALTY IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
THIS PETITION gives guidance to the types and amounts of information necessary for a formal decision to be reached. Petitioning organizations may use additional pages where necessary. The petitioning organization is free to provide any additional material deemed relevant.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
(202) 336-5500
PETITION PACKAGE
Criterion I. Distinctiveness. A specialty differs from other existing specialties in its body of specialized scientific knowledge and professional application, and provides evidence of these distinctions within each parameter of practice as described in Principle V.
1. Proposed title of the specialty:
2. Provide a brief description of the specialty (e.g., one or two sentences that would adequately describe the specialty for the public).
3. Identify how the following parameters differentiate the specialty from others. Describe how these parameters define professional practice in the specialty. ::
a. populations:
b. problems (psychological, biological, and/or social):
C. procedures and techniques:
4. In addition to the professional practice domains described above, describe the theoretical and scientific knowledge required for the specialty and provide references for each domain.
5. For each of the following seven core professional practice domains.
provide a brief description of the knowledge that is required and provide
published references in each area (e.g., books, chapters, articles in refereed
journals, etc.) ::
a. assessment:
b.intervention:
c. consultation:
d. supervision
e. research and inquiry:
f. consumer protection:
g . professional development
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Petition Form
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6. Define up to a maximum of ten professional practice activities associated with the specialty area in each of the seven core professional practice domains listed below.Each activity should be operationally defined in as concrete and succinct a fashion as possible.
a. assessment:
b. intervention:
C. consultation:
d. Supervision:
e. research and inquiry:
f. consumer protection:
g. professional development:
7. For each defined professional activity, check the appropriate box indicating whether this specialty is judged to be (1) an essential activity for practice in the specialty or one that is important but not essential, and (2) an activity that is unique to the specialty or shared with one or more specialties.
Professional Practice Activities
Essential (1) Important
Unique (2) Shared
Criterion II. Structures and Models of Education and Training in the Specialty. The specialty has structures and models to implement the education and training sequence of the specialty. The structures are stable, sufficient in number, and geographically distributed, and may be found at the doctoral or postdoctoral level or both.
1. Describe the characteristics of a typical sequence of training that includes courses, research, supervision, and the evaluation of students.
2. List the names of the training programs that exist in this specialty ,
3. Select four representative doctoral and/or postdoctoral-level geographically distributed. and publicly identified programs in psychology in this specialty and provide the name, address, and telephone numbers of the directors of these programs.
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Petition Form
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Program One Doctoral_____ Postdoctoral_____ Both _____
Name of University, School, or Institution offering program:
Name of Program:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone No.
Program Two Doctoral_____ Postdoctoral_____
Both _____
Name of University, School, or Institution offering program:
Name of Program:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone No.
Program Three Doctoral_____ Postdoctoral_____ Both_____
Name of University, School, or Institution offering program:
Name of Program:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone No.:
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Petition Form
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Program Four Doctoral_____ Postdoctoral_____ Both_____
Name of University, School, or Institution offering program:
Name of Program:
city/State/zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone No.
4. For each of the programs listed above, designate the program administrator who will provide the information requested in Attachment A (Specifications for Education and Training in (name of specialty) Psychology”).
Program One:
Program Two:
Program Three:
Program Four:
Criterion III. Doctoral Education and Training Prerequisites to Specialty Preparation. The knowledge and skills of a specialty are built upon studies iu general scientific and applied knowledge in psychology.
1. Select four representative doctoral programs which are geographically distributed that provide the prerequisite preparation in this specialty.
Program One
Name of Institution
Street:
Program:
Degree(s) Offered:
Administrative Personnel:
Adminiitrative Head of Institution:
Name:
Title:
Chief Administrator Responsible for Instruction:
Name:
Title:
Department Chair:
Name:
Telephone:
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Petition Form
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Program Director:
Name:
Telephone:
Program Two
Name of Institution:
City/State/Zip:
Program:
Degree(s) Offered:
Department:
Administrative Personnel:
Administrative Head of Institution:
Name:
Title:
Chief Administrator Responsible for Instruction:
Name:
Title:
Department Chair:
Name:
Telephone:
Program Director:
Name:
Telephone:
Program Three
Name of Institution:
Street
City/State/Zip:
Program:
Degree(s) Offered:
Department:
Administrative Personnel:
Administrative Head of Institution:
Name:
Title:
Chief Administrator Responsible for Instruction:
Name:
Title:
Department Chair:
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Name:
Telephone:
Program Director:
Name:
Telephone:
Program Four
Name of Institution:
Street:
City/State/Zip:
Program:
Degree(s) Offered:
Department:
Administrative Personnel:
Administrative Head of Institution:
Name:
Title:
Chief Administrator Responsible for Instruction:
Name:
Title:
Department Chair:
Name:
Telephone:
Program Director:
Name:
Telephone:
2. For each of the 4 programs listed above, designate the program administrator who will provide the information requested in Attachment B (Doctoral Education and Training Prerequisites to (name of specialty) Psychology”).
Program One:
Program Two:
Program Three:
Prograrn Four:
Criterion IV. Advanced Scientific and Theoretical Preparation. In addition to the scientific and professional foundations described above, a specialty requires advanced, specialty-specific scientific knowledge.
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1. List the requirements for the advanced scientific core in the following areas, as appropriate. This refers to the specialty specific scientific knowledge that builds upon the basic common and scientific core.
a. biological bases of behavior:
b. cognitiveaffective bases of behavior:
C. Social bases of behavior
d. individual bases of behavior:
e. Other:
Criterion V. Advanced Preparation in the Parameters of Practice, A specialty requires the advanced didactic and experiential preparation that provide the basis for services with respect to the essential parameters of practice. The parameters to be considered include: a) populations, b) psychological, biological, and/or social problems, and c) procedures and techniques. These parameters should be described in the context of the range of settings or organizational arrangements in which practice occurs.
1. Describe the advanced didactic and experiential preparation for specialty practice in each of the following parameters of practice:
a. populations:
b. problems (psychological, biological, and/or social):
C. procedures and techniques:
Criterion VL Public Need for Specialty Practice. The services of the specialty are responsive to identifiable public needs and attend to human diversity.
1. Describe what procedures this petitioning organization and/or other associations associated with this specialty utilii to demonstrate identifiable public needs.
2. Describe how practitioners in the specialty attend to public need and to issues of human diversity (research reports, needs assessment, market surveys, etc., are examples of some types of appropriate documentation). Evidence that the specialty is monitoring developments and has moved to meet identified emergent needs is also appropriate.
3. Describe how the recognition of this specialty will increase the availability and quality of services without reducing access to needed services.
VIL Administrative Organizations. The proposed specialty is represented by one or more organizations that provide systems and structures which make a significant contribution to the organized development of the specialty.
1. Name and address of the administrative organization making the petition
Name:
Title:
Address:
Phone:
F A X:
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2. Contact person:
Name:
Address:
Title:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
FAX:
3. Signatures of officials submitting the petition:
name title date
name title date
name title date
name title date
4. Year this organization founded? 19
5. Is this organization incorporated?Y es No- In what state?
If so, please provide a copy of charter and articles of incorporation
6. Please enclose the bylaws for this petitioning organization, if any.
7. Please provide the following information for all officials in the
organization, including the Executive Officer or responsible administrative
staff person.
7A.
Name:
Title:
APA membership status:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
FAX:
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7B.
Name:
Title:
APA membership status:
Address:
Phone:
FAX:
7c.
Name:
Title:
APA membership status:
Phone:
FAX:
8. Describe the purpose and objectives of this administrative organization.
9. Outline the structure and functions of this admiitrative organization (frequency of meetings, number of meetings per year, membership size, functions performed, how decisions arc made, types of committees, dues structure, publications, etc.). Provide samples of newsletters, journals, and other publications, etc.
10. What was your annual budget for the previous three fiscal years? Please attach a copy of annual reports and tax returns (if available) for the fast three years.
11. List other organizations that are associated with or that have as a major focus this psychological specialty. Please provide letters from these other organizations supporting your petition.
12. Present a rationale for your organization as nationally representative and responsible for dominant views and practices of your specialty area
Criterion VIII. Effectiveness. Petitions demonstrate the effectiveness of the services provided by its specialist practitioners.
PLEASE NOTE: If the Sante article illustrates more than one of these items, it may be referenced under each applicable category.
1. Provide at least five psychological manuscripts published in refereed journals *(or_ .equivalent) that demonstrate the efficacy of the specialty's services for dealing with the types of clients or populations (including groups with a diverse range of characteristics and human endeavors) usually served by this specialty.
2. Provide at least five psychological manuscripts published in refereed journals (or equivalent) that demonstrate the efficacy of the specialty's services for dealing with the types of psychological, biological, and/or social problems usually confronted and addressed by this specialty.
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3. Provide at least five psychological manuscripts published in refereed journals (or equivalent) that demonstrate the efficacy of the specialty's proceduresandtechniques whencompatedwiths-ervk~~ by other specialties or practice modalities.
4. Provide at least five psychological manuscripts published in refereed journals (or equivalent) that demonstrate the efficacy of the specialty's services for dealing with the types of settings or organizational arrangements where this specialty is practiced.
Criterion IX. Quality Improvement. A specialty promotes ongoing investigations and procedures to develop further the quality and utility of its knowledge, skills, and services.
1. Provide a description of the types of investigations that are designed to evaluate and increase the usefulness of the shills and services in this specialty. Estimate the number of researchers conducting these types of studies, the scope of their efforts, and how your organization and/or other orgakatiorrs@sociated with the specialty will act to foster these developments. It also is appropriate to provide evidence of current efforts in these areas.
2. Describe how the specialty seeks ways to improve the quality and usefulness of its practitioners' services beyond its original determinations of effectiveness.
3. Describe how the research and practice literature arc regularly reviewed for developmcnts which are relevant to the specialty's skills and services, and how this information is publicly disseminated
4. Describe how the specialty promotes and participates in the process of accreditation in order to enhance the quality of specialty education and training.
Criterion X. Standards for Specialty Service Delivery. Specialty practitioners conform their professional activities, not only to the profession's general practice standards and ethical principles but also to appropriate specialty standards.
1. Describe how the specialty's practitioners assure effective and ongoing communication to members of the discipline and the public as to the specialty's practices, practice enhancements, and/or new applications.
2. How does your specialty encourage the development of standards of practice?
Criterion XI. Provider Identification and Evaluation. A-specialty recognizes the pubIic benefits of developing sound methods for permitting individual practitioners to secure an evaluation of their knowledge and skill and- to be identified as meeting the qualifications for competent practice in the specialty.
1. Describe how and by whom the specialty identifies those who arc qualified to practice in the specialty.
2. Describe how and by whom the specialty asscsscs the actual knowledge and skills of lndiVidual.s who wish to be identified as practitioners in this specialty.
3. ' Describe how and by whom the spccialty educates the public and the profession concerning those who are identified as a practitioner of this specialty.
4. Estimate how many practitioners there arc in this specialty (e.g., spend 25% or more of their time in services characteristic of tbii specialty and provide whatever demographic information is available).
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Criterion XII. Continuing Professional Development and Education. A specialty provides 2 its practitioners a broad range of regularly scheduled opportunities for continuing 3 professional development in the specialty practice andassesses the acquisition of knowledge 4 and skills. :
1. Describe the opporhmities for continuing professional development in the specialty practice.
2. Describe the formal requirements. if any, for continuing professional development in the qeciahy.
3. Describe how the assessment of an individual's professional development is accomplished in the specialty.
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Attachment A
Specifications for Education and Training in (name of specialtv) Psychology
(One to be completed by each of the four named programs)
Program One Doctoral_____ Postdoctoral _____Both _____
Name of University, School, or institution offering programz
Name of Program:
Address:
City/State/zip:
Contact Person:
Telephone No.
1. Provide a list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all the graduates from your program from the past year (use separate page.)
2. Psychology Faculty. Provide the names of the designated psychologist in the above listed program who has responsibility for the integrity and quality of the program, and a description of the education, training and credentials .of each psychologist in charge of the educational and/or training program.
3. Setting. Provide evidence that your program, regardless of setting, (a) maintains a full-time psychology faculty: (b) provides opportunities for scholarly inquiry and practice by the faculty; and (c) provides for social and financial support for trainees and expanded opportunities for breadth of learning.
4. Procedure for Evaluation. Describe the formal procedures for monitoring each trainee's progress and assuring the continuous development of the trainee's knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in your Program.
5. Admission to the Program. Provide evidence from your program that published descriptions of the programs specify whether they are designed to satisfy current licensing and &cation requirements for psychologists as welt as whether or not graduates can satisfy the education and training requirements for advanced recognition in the specialty.
6. Admission to the Program. Provide evidence that your program has procedures that take into account the trainee's prior academic and professional record.
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Attachment B
Doctoral Education and Training Prerequisites to (name of specialty) Psychology
(One to be completed by each of the four named programs)
Name of Institution: .
Street:
City/State/Zip:
Program:
Degree(s) Offered:
Department:
Administrative Personnel:
Administrative Head of Institution:
Name:
Title:
Chief Administrator Responsible for Instruction
Name:
Title:
Department Chair
Name:
Telephone:
Program Director
Name:
Telephone:
1. Indicate the date of approval of your institution by the appropriate regional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA).
2. If your program is fully or provisionally &credited by the American Psychologid Association, indicate the date of the last site visit: Signatures: Department Chair Date , Program Director Date
3. Enclose relevant current program descriptive materials (e.g. catalogs, brochure-s, etc.) with date of issue.
IF YOUR PROGRAM IS APA APPROVED, STOP HERE
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If yourprogram is not APA-approved, please complete the following:
1. Indicate by document and page number where your program is clearly identified as a psychology progmm and its intent to educate and train psychologists.
2. Starting at the college level and working down to the program level (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, Program in...), enclose an organimional chart describing the adakktrative relationship of the program with other units. Micate lines of authority for both academic decision making and resomeallocation. Indicate names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and authority.
3. Using examples of typical student schedules, show the sequence of courses recommended for each year level of students enrolled in the program.
4. Does the curriculum for the doctorate encompass as a minimum the equivalent of three academic years of full-time graduate study? (enclose documenting policy Statement) Yes No
5. Are two academic years of study at a single institution required for award of the degree? (enclose documenting policy statement): Yes No
6. Do you require at least one conthuous academic year of fhll-time residency at your Institution for the award of the degree? (enclose documenting policy statement): Yes No
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7. Using this format, list and describe each faculty member associated with the program. (Be sure to enclose curricula vitae for each faculty member).
Name:
Sex:
Race/Ethnic Group:
Highest Degree Held:
Degree Field:
Date of Degree:
Licensed as a Psychologist? (Yes or No): state:
Department (or Equivalent Affiliation):
Names of Courses Taught:
Number of Program Advisees:
Administrative Role, if any:
Number of Students Supervised in Practicum or Laboratory:
Date Initially Hired:
Academic Rank:
Employment Status of Academic Institution: Full-Time Part-Time
Percentage of time assigned to program:
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8. Using thii format, list information about students who have graduated from the program in the last three years.List the students by year.
Name:
Race/Ethnic Group:
Date of Degree:
Previous Degrees:
First job placement post graduation:
Dissertation Title:
Internship Advisor:
Internship Setting:
Sex: .
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9. Using this format. list information about students currently matriculated in the program for a degree. List the students by year level (91-1.91-2. etc.).
Name:
Sex: Street:
City/State/Zip:
Race/Ethnic Group:
Year Entered:
Previous Degrees:
Diirtation Title:
Internship Advisor.
Internship Setting:
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10. Using this format, indicate the courses that your program requires. Please list didactic courses only here. Information about practicum experience wilI be requested elsewhere.
Course numbers and Titles Associated with Content Areas Specialty Course Taught in Psychology
Title
Number Required or Elective
Catalog Page#
Research Design & Methodology
statistics
Psychological Measurement
History & Systems
Biological Bases of Behavior
Affective Bases of Behavior
Social Bases of Behavior
Individual Behavior
Specialty course number taught in other departments
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11. Using this format, show how laboratory, Practicum, and Intemship requirements are met. NOTE: For Practicum: names and agencies used, nature of agency, its mission, financial qport, administrative structure, types of clients seen, services offered For Internship: name of agency, how they are selected, communication between psychology program and internship agency, name of chief psychologist and director of training, and nature of agency, its mission, financial support, administrative structure, types of clients seen, services offered.
Types of agency and experience:
Setting(list course number if possible)
Laboratory, Practicum, Internship
Name and qualifications of agency and institutional supervisor
Number of students placed in the last two years
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12. Basic skills in (name of specialty) psychology (please list all of the specific skills which graduates of this program have master4 as a requirement for completion of the doctoral degree).
Name of Skill
Description of Skill
Description of how skill acquired
Criterion for establishing competency
a.
b
c
d
e
f
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