CALIFORNIA PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP COUNCIL
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Promoting Excellence in Professional Psychology Training
Dispelling Myths About Part-time
Internships: What You Need to
Know About CAPIC
Andrea Morrison, Ph.D.
Robert Perl, Psy.D.
Melodie Schaefer, Psy.D.
Linda Garcia-Shelton, Ph.D.
APPIC Conference 2009
Portland, Oregon
About CAPIC
The California Psychology Internship Council is an association of clinical
psychology doctoral programs, internships and postdoctoral training sites
throughout the state of California.
CAPIC’s Mission
To promote excellence in professional psychology training
and mental health services.
The CAPIC Membership
• 162 Predoctoral Internship Programs
• 8 Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs
• 23 Doctoral Programs
California Psychology Internship Council
Executive Director
Linda Garcia-Shelton, Ph.D.
Board of Directors
Graduate Program Representatives
Haydee Montenegro, Psy.D. John F. Kennedy University
Robert Perl, Psy.D., Secretary The Wright Institute
Neil Ribner, Ph.D. CSPP/Alliant International University, San Diego
Melodie Schaefer, Psy.D., Chair Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles
Internship Program Representatives
Lee H. Coleman, Ph.D. California Institute of Technology
April D. Fernando, Ph.D., Vice Chair WestCoast Children's Clinic
Jorge Wong, Ph.D., Treasurer Asian Americans for Community Involvement
At-Large Representatives
Jay Carson, M.P.A. Pepperdine University
Andrea Morrison, Ph.D Argosy University
Student Representatives
Positions Open
CAPIC’s Services
• Internship and Postdoctoral Training Directories
• Internship Information Fairs
• Centralized Electronic Database of Training Information
• Uniform Application and Eligibility Forms
• Application and Selection Policies and Procedures
• Statement of Intern Rights and Responsibilities
• Uniform Application and Selection Timeline
• Uniform Notification Day (UND)
• Post UND Clearinghouse
• Quality Assurance / Site Visits
• Problem Resolution
• Membership meetings, newsletters, and listservs
• Training Resources & Sample Training Documents
• Website portal
The CAPIC Membership
• 23 Doctoral Programs
• 162 Predoctoral Internship Programs
– 77 Northern CA
– 85 Southern CA
– Some internships are dual CAPIC/APPIC members
• 8 Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs
– 5 Northern CA
– 3 Southern CA
Supply and Demand:
CAPIC by the Numbers
Internship Funding
Service Fundamentals:
Breakdown of Positions
CAPIC Internship Agencies and Training Positions 2002-2003
Child/Adolescent Psychiatric or
Pediatrics
12%
19%
Community Mental Health Center
Medical School
Prison or Other Correctional Facility
14%
Private General Hospital
39%
3%
3%
Private Psychiatric Hospital
State and/or County Hospital
7%
2%
University Counseling Center
1%
All other categories
Advocacy: MHSA
Stipend Program
• In November 2004 voters in CA passed Prop 63, which created a fund for
mental health services, education and training at both the state and county
level
• CAPIC and others advocated for psychology trainees to be eligible to
receive MHSA money
• CAPIC was awarded three years of funding to provide individual students
internship stipends of $20,750 FTE
• Stipends are contingent upon postdoctoral work in public mental health
• CAPIC is developing training courses to support training in the mandated
Recovery & Resiliency model
Advocacy:
The CAPIC Half-Time
Internship Conference
• In April 2005 CAPIC led the organization of the first national conference focused
specifically on the half-time internship model.
• Held in Berkeley, the conference was titled “The Half-Time Internship: Coming into
the Mainstream.”
• At the conference, the attendees split into workgroups in order to make
recommendations and brainstorm solutions.
• Recommendations included:
– Increased funding and advocacy
– Quality Assurance
– Differentiating internship from practica
– Enhanced communication between doctoral programs and internships
– Develop resource guide for developing affiliated consortia
• Published in a special section of the December 2006 issue of Professional
Psychology:Research and Practice.
Advocacy:
Psychology Graduate Student Days
• In April 1999 Gilbert Newman and others organized a large public rally in San Francisco to
promote awareness of the many hours of service graduate students contribute to California’s
healthcare system.
• In August 2000 this rally was held again on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.,
and successfully expanded to reach the national spotlight.
• These rallies were an effort to increase internship funding for student stipends.
•The students, supervisors, faculty, other leaders in the field, and representatives from all
levels of state and local government spoke.
• The event resulted in a how-to for others to organize similar rallies in their region, and
students gained first-hand advocacy experience.
• By Mayor Willie Brown’s proclamation, August 4th is now Psychology Graduate Student
Day in San Francisco!
• See: www.wrightinst.edu/pgsrally/ for more information.
CAPIC Postdoctoral Membership
•
In 2007 CA BOP moved to include CAPIC postdocs as eligible SPE
•
In 2008 CAPIC created postdoctoral membership category
•
CAPIC created membership criteria that meets national standards
•
Annual postdoctoral training directory
•
Active recruitment of new postdoctoral members
•
An effort to provide access to high quality postdoctoral training
opportunities throughout California.
The Benefits of Joining CAPIC’s
Postdoctoral Membership
•
Membership in CAPIC provides quality assurance and helps to ensure that trainees
receive postdoctoral training that is at a level consistent with national standards for the
field.
•
With recent changes to the California Board of Psychology’s regulations, trainees in
formal CAPIC members postdoctoral training programs will not need to register with
the Board of Psychology.
•
Not having to register postdoctoral trainees with the Board of Psychology eases a
burden on training programs and allows agencies to:
• avoid the start-up time and effort involved in each registration
• avoid the expiration of registrations
• avoid per-trainee registration fees
• avoid the limit of three psychological assistants per primary supervisor
•
A strong CAPIC Membership will ensure access to more high quality postdoctoral
training opportunities in California.
•
Members receive all the rights and benefits of CAPIC Membership, and become a part
of the larger training community in California.
CAPIC Postdoctoral Membership Criteria
Postdoctoral training programs that are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or are members of the Association
of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) are recognized as meeting the California Psychology Internship Council
(CAPIC) Postdoctoral Membership criteria.
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Postdoctoral training programs that are accredited by the American Psychological Association or are members of the Association of
Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) are recognized as meeting the California Psychology Internship Council
(CAPIC) Postdoctoral Membership criteria.
A postdoctoral training program is an organized experience that, in contrast to on-the-job training, is designed to provide the
Postdoctoral Fellow with a planned, programmed sequence of supervised training experiences. The primary task is advanced training in
an area of professional psychology.
The postdoctoral training program has a designated psychologist who is primarily responsible for the integrity and quality of the training
program, who has administrative authority commensurate with those responsibilities, who is actively licensed as a psychologist by the
California Board of Psychology, and who meets all requirements to supervise in California. This director’s credentials and expertise are
consistent the program’s mission and goals and with the advanced traditional or specialty practice area in which training is offered.
The postdoctoral training site should have two or more psychologists on staff who are actively licensed as psychologists by the
California Board of Psychology, and who can certify training in supervision as required by the Board of Psychology. The postdoctoral
program has a training faculty, which includes at least one psychologist whose credentials and expertise are consistent the program’s
mission and goals and with the advanced traditional or specialty practice area in which training is offered. The postdoctoral program provides Fellows with supervision for 10% of the total time worked each week, including a minimum of two
hours per week of regularly scheduled, face-to-face individual supervision with the specific intent of supervising 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 and qualified to supervise as psychologists in
California.
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; didactic 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.
CAPIC Postdoctoral
Membership Criteria, continued
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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 or CAPIC 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 CAPIC membership.
Postdoctoral trainees have a title, such as Fellow, Resident or Intern,designating trainee status.
The postdoctoral training program has a written statement or brochure made available to prospective Fellows, which describes the goals
and content of the program, and the overall mission and objectives of the organization, 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 Fellows. The
procedures are given to postdoctoral Fellows at the beginning of the postdoctoral training period.
The training program should be one year full-time or two years part-time. The postdoctoral training program consists of a minimum of
1500 hours and must be completed in no less than 9 months and no more than 24 months (two-years half-time), accruing no more than
44 hours per week. 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.
The program has the necessary financial resources to achieve its training goals and objectives. Postdoctoral stipends shall be
reasonable, fair, and stated clearly in advance. Unfunded postdoctoral positions are allowable only in unusual and infrequent
circumstances.
The program must demonstrate evidence of cross-cultural knowledge, training and sensitivity consistent with the populations it serves.
Predoctoral Internship
Membership Criteria
Internships that are accredited by the American Psychological Association or the Canadian Psychological Association, or are members of
and comply with the membership criteria and policies of APPIC are recognized as meeting CAPIC pre-doctoral membership criteria. All
others must meet all of the following criteria
•
A psychology internship is an organized training program which, in contrast to supervised experience or on-the-job training, is designed
to provide the intern with a planned, programmed sequence of training experiences. The primary focus and purpose is assuring breadth
and quality of training.
•
The internship agency has a clearly designated doctoral-level staff psychologist who is responsible for the integrity and quality of the
training program. [Full-Time] This person is actively licensed by the California Board of Psychology and is present at the training facility
for a minimum of 20 hours a week.
[Half-Time] This person is actively licensed by the California Board of Psychology and is present at the training facility for a minimum of
10 hours a week.
A licensed mental health professional should be in the same work setting whenever clients are present. When this is not possible, a
licensed supervisor should be available to respond promptly by telephone, pager or other appropriate technology.
[Full-Time] The internship agency staff includes at least two full-time-equivalent licensed psychologists who can serve as primary
supervisors. [Half-Time] The internship agency includes at least two mental health professionals on the agency staff, one of whom is a
licensed psychologist and serves as the primary supervisor.
The primary supervisor is licensed as a psychologist by the California Board of Psychology and can certify training in supervision as
required by the Board of Psychology. The primary supervisor must be employed by the same agency as the intern and is available to the
intern 100% of the time the intern is accruing supervised professional experience. This availability may be in person or by telephone,
pager or other appropriate technology. All delegated individual and group supervisors must be licensed mental health professionals
(MFT, LCSW or Board-Certified Psychiatrist) who can certify training in supervision as required by the Board of Psychology.
The internship will provide supervision at a minimum rate of 10% of the total time worked each week. [Full-Time] Intern supervision is
provided by staff members of the internship agency or by qualified affiliates of that agency who carry clinical responsibility for the cases
being supervised. At least two hours per week of regularly scheduled individual face-to-face supervision are provided by one or more
licensed doctoral-level psychologists regardless of whether the internship is completed in one year or two. Supervision is provided with
the specific intent of overseeing the psychological services rendered directly by the intern.
[Half-Time] Intern supervision is provided by staff members of the internship agency or by qualified affiliates of that agency who carry
clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised. At least one hour per week of regularly scheduled individual face-to-face
supervision is provided by a licensed doctoral-level staff psychologist. Supervision is provided with the specific intent of overseeing the
psychological services rendered directly by the intern.
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Predoctoral Internship
Membership Criteria, continued
•
The internship provides training in a range of psychological assessment and intervention activities conducted directly with
recipients of psychological services.
•
At least 25% of the intern’s time is in face-to-face psychological services with patients/clients.
•
[Full-Time] The internship must provide at least four hours a week in didactic activities such as case conferences, seminars, inservice training, or grand rounds in addition to individual and group supervision. [Half-Time] The internship must provide at least
two hours a week in didactic activities such as case conferences, seminars, in-service training, or grand rounds in addition to
individual and group supervision.
Internship training is at post-clerkship, post-practicum, and post-externship level, and precedes the granting of the doctoral
degree.
•
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The internship agency has a minimum of two on-site half-time and/or full-time predoctoral psychology interns at the internship
level of training during any period of training.
•
The internship-level psychology trainees have a title such as “Psychology Intern” or other equivalent designation of trainee status.
•
The internship agency has a written statement or brochure which provides a clear description of the nature of the training
program, including the goals and content of the internship and clear expectations for quantity and quality of the interns’ work, and
is made available to prospective interns.
•
Internship programs have documented due process procedures that described separately how programs deal with (1) concerns
about intern performance , and (2) interns’ concerns about training. These procedures include the steps of notice, hearing, and
appeal for interns and are given to the interns at the beginning of the training period.
•
The internship experience (minimum 1500 hours) must be completed in no less than 9 months, accruing no more than 44 hours
per week.
•
CAPIC member programs are required to issue a certificate of internship completion that includes the word “Psychology” to all
interns who have successfully completed the program.
•
The internship agency must demonstrate evidence of cross-cultural knowledge, training and sensitivity consistent with the
populations they serve.
•
At least twice a year the internship program conducts formal written evaluations of each intern’s performance.
The California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC) has adapted membership criteria and clarifications from those of the
Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC).
Addressing Diversity
•
Shortly after World War II, when formal internship training was started
in association with doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, the
majority of graduate students were Caucasian males, who were
unmarried and in their twenties. More than fifty years later, while both
American society and the profession of psychology have changed
dramatically, the typical APA-accredited psychology doctoral internship
has remained basically unchanged.
•
Now that the typical psychology graduate student is likely to be female,
and the number of minority and non-traditionally aged students has
dramatically increased, the full-time internship setting may not
adequately meet the needs of current graduate students.
Addressing Diversity, continued
•
For many graduate students it is absolutely necessary to work part-time
during the internship year (or years) and full-time internships are simply
not an option.
•
Women and minority graduate students are especially less likely to be
able to accept full-time internships because the stipends offered are not
enough on which to actually live, or support children, or to meet other
financial obligations.
•
Women and non-traditionally aged graduate students are less likely to
be able to be mobile in pursuit of an internship because of family or
other commitments.
•
Personal responsibilities, such as child rearing may also interfere with a
student’s ability to consider a full-time internship.
Addressing Diversity, continued
•
While APA-accredited doctoral programs have had the flexibility to
grow and develop over the decades in order to better meet the learning
needs of the diverse group of students in clinical doctoral programs, the
APA-accredited internship has not enjoyed the flexibility demanded by
the significant demographic changes in the graduate psychology
student population.
•
The half-time internship structure makes the internship training
experience available to a wider range of individuals
Regional Training
•
Taking its cue from APPIC, CAPIC organized with an eye toward quality,
uniformity, and standards. What made CAPIC unique however, was CAPIC’s
focus on serving the needs of the regional community, and in making an impact
on the problems particular to California’s diverse population. This included the
provision of viable training opportunities for California’s doctoral students who
wish to stay close to home in order to make an impact in their own communities.
In addition to serving their own community, these students are spared the
expense and disruption of being uprooted during their internship year and are
more available to care for family and other personal needs.
•
CAPIC has now become a model to other regional training organizations at both
the internship and practicum levels. We have consulted to organizations in
California and in other areas of the country, providing them with mentorship and
advice to further their own development.
National Association of Regional
Training Councils: NARTC
• In order to extend the dialog to others interested in developing regional
training organizations, CAPIC has proposed the development of a
National Association of Regional Training Councils (NARTC).
• There has been strong interest in this effort. We are currently collecting
the names and emails of those who are interested in joining this dialog.
Please let us know if you are interested and we can add you to our list.
Regional Training: The Rationale
Based on CAPIC’s experience, we believe that regional training holds great promise for the
following reasons:
1) Developing regional training organizations with uniform quality standards is one
potential solution to meeting the demand for more internship slots. With more students
entering into internships each year that fall outside the APPIC system, we believe that
regional organization of those internship programs is necessary and to everyone’s
benefit. CAPIC is in part, an example of this effort, by providing uniform standards of
quality and oversight, as well as a uniform process for application and selection.
2) As states move toward implementing the APA Council recommendations on license
eligibility upon graduation, the standardization and quality assurance of practicum
experience becomes even more salient. Practicum training, which is regional by
nature, might be best served by the oversight and centralized efforts of a regional
membership organization like CAPIC. This reduces the burden on individual doctoral
programs to provide administrative oversight, particularly around the application and
selection process. This is already being successfully implemented by practicum
organizations such as SCAPTP in Southern CA, BAPIC in Northern CA, and ACEPT in
the Chicagoland Area.
Regional Training: The Rationale,
continued
3) Regional training organizations are in a unique position to focus their efforts
on serving local populations and addressing regional societal problems.
Through close collaboration with community stakeholders such as doctoral
programs, public health agencies, local legislators and consumers of mental
health care, these organizations are able to assess and meet the particular
needs of a diverse local community. By having clinicians in training who are
members of the community, there is increased trust in the clinician, and an
increased commitment on the part of the clinician to serve their own community.
CAPIC and APPIC:
Collaborating through Dialogue
Part-time internships have several important qualities:
•
Many part-time internships give interns the opportunity to provide
mental health services to the most critically underserved members of
our communities. These kinds of services help us to achieve a goal
conceptualized by Don Peterson many years ago “to make psychology
indispensable.”
•
Further, these internships provide training in skills which interns may
need in order to be prepared for the psychology jobs of the future:
working with minority populations, the drug addicted, the homeless, the
incarcerated, children and the elderly.
Collaboration
•
Because of the increasing number of students being trained in part-time
internships, the issue of evaluating quality training has become critical.
•
There is a pressing need for the recognition of alternative models of internship
training and the definition of appropriate and relevant competencies that must be
achieved by students.
•
Methodologies for evaluating the competencies of individual interns and the
functioning of entire internship training programs must be refined to better
address part-time internships.
•
Especially important will be the development of guidelines for the expanded role
of doctoral programs in determining how part-time internship rotations should be
combined to provide a comprehensive training experience for students
•
Finally, appropriate methodologies for evaluating the supervisory process must
be developed.
Collaboration
•
The need for training opportunities provided by part-time internship is real.
•
The potential advantages to psychology graduate students, the profession of
psychology, and more importantly, the underserved people in our communities
are enormous.
•
As an organization committed to developing procedures and standards for
internships, CAPIC seeks to initiate a dialogue with all the stakeholders in
professional psychology education, but especially with members of APPIC.
•
Together we can begin to address the issues of defining, preserving, and
promoting quality of training in part-time internships.