Title: The Path to Licensure: A Snapshot of the Steps You Will Take To Your Professional Future
1The Path to Licensure A Snapshot of the Steps
You Will Take To Your Professional Future
- The Association of State and Provincial
Psychology Boards
2The Sequence of Steps Leading to Licensure
- Select recognized graduate training program in
psychology (i.e. APA/CPA accredited, ASPPB/NR
designated or equivalent) - Complete required coursework including practicum
- Become familiar with licensing requirements in
target jurisdictions of interest - Apply for and successfully complete internship
- Complete doctoral degree (required in vast
majority of jurisdictions) - Complete post doctoral supervised experience
(required in vast majority of jurisdictions)
3Becoming Informed about Jurisdictional
Requirements
- www.asppb.net contains
- Specific Licensure Requirements by
State/Province/Territory (Handbook) - Licensing Board Contact Information by
jurisdiction (state, province, or territory)
4The Sequence of Steps Leading to Licensure (cont.)
- Apply for licensure through your
state/provincial/territorial psychology licensing
board - Pass all required examinations (EPPP,
Jurisprudence, Oral) - Pay Fees
4
www.asppb.net
5Doctoral Program Requirements
- Regional accreditation or government charter
- ASPPB/National Register Joint Designation or
equivalent - Accreditation by American Psychological
Association or Canadian Psychological Association
or equivalent - Equivalent for foreign degrees
6Doctoral Program Requirements (cont.)
- Some licensing laws require inclusion of specific
coursework such as ethics, multicultural
awareness/competence - Be aware of specific requirements about
residency, as specified by doctoral program and
jurisdiction (most require physical presence, not
just full-time enrollment) - Be aware of specific requirements about hours
of practicum/internship, as specified by doctoral
program and jurisdiction
7Supervised Professional Experience I
- Requirements vary among jurisdictions
- Avoid problems/delays caused by not knowing
jurisdictional requirements - Recommend understanding jurisdictional
requirements early in training - Try to reconcile differences between training
program, training site and licensing requirements
before completing the experience
8Supervised Professional Experience II Variables
to Consider
- Total hours of experience
- Total hours of supervision
- Hours of supervision per week
- Total hours of service-related activities
- Qualifications of supervisor(s) e.g. licensure as
psychologist, years of experience, affiliation
with training site
9Examinations
- EPPP Examination for Professional Practice of
Psychology (used in all jurisdictions in U.S.
Canada) - Local jurisprudence/ethics exam (used to assess
knowledge of local mental health laws, ethical
standards decision making) - Possible oral exam, competency exam, or interview
10What is the EPPP?
- Required by licensing boards in U.S. Canada
- Intended to measure broad, general, foundational
knowledge for all psychologists - Content validity supported by periodic Practice
Analyses
118 Content Areas of EPPP
- Biological bases of behavior
- Cognitive-affective bases of behavior
- Social multi-cultural bases of behavior
- Growth life-span development
- Assessment diagnosis
- Treatment, intervention, prevention
- Research methods statistics
- Ethical, legal, professional issues
12Biological Bases of Behavior 11
- Biological neural bases of behavior
- Drug classification
- Pharmacological treatment of mental disorders
- Behavioral genetics
- Interaction of developmental, gender, ethnic,
cultural, environmental, experiential factors
with biological - Brain imaging
- Biological neural bases of stress
13Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior 13
- Elements of cognition
- Neural bases of cognition, affect, emotion
- Major theories/models of learning, memory,
motivation, emotion, their application - Interrelation of cognitions/beliefs, behavior,
affect, temperament, mood - Psychosocial factors
14Social Multicultural Bases of Behavior 12
- Social cognition perception
- Social interaction
- Group/team dynamics organizational structures
- Environmental/ecological psychology
- Evolutionary perspectives
- Major theories of personality
- Cultural issues, race, ethnicity, gender,
disability, rehabilitation, sexual orientation - Oppression
15Growth Lifespan Development 13
- Normal growth development
- Genetics environment
- Parents, peers, siblings, schools, community,
media impact on aggression, pro-social
anti-social behavior, self-esteem - Major theories
- Influence of culture
- Types of families
16Growth Development (cont.)
- Life events, e.g., trauma, illness, divorce
- Resilience
- Risk factors, e.g., nutrition, health care,
poverty, violence abuse, drugs alcohol
17Assessment Diagnosis 14
- Psychometric theory
- Assessment theories, models methods
- Tests/instruments for behaviors, characteristics,
ability, achievement, personality, vocational
interest, job performance, environmental
influence, individual group change, etc. - Issues of differential diagnosis
- Utilization of various classification systems
- Epidemiology of behavioral disorders
- Use of technology
18Treatment, Intervention, Prevention 15
- Decision-making processes
- Contemporary theories models
- Evidence for treatment effectiveness
- Interventions for individuals, couples, families,
groups, organizations, systems - Consultation models processes
- Human resource management interventions
- Academic career counseling
- Interprofessional cooperation referrals
19Treatment, Intervention, Prevention (cont.)
- Adjunctive alternative interventions
- Use of technology
- Healthcare system structures
- Healthcare economics policies
- Consumerism
- Health promotion, interventions to reduce risk
increase resilience - Interventions for acute traumatic stress
20Research Methods Statistics 7
- Research methods design
- Instrument selection validation
- Statistics analytic methods
- Utilization of research findings
- Evaluation strategies techniques
- Presentation dissemination of research findings
21Ethical/Legal/Professional Issues 15
- APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code
of Conduct and/or Canadian Code of Ethics for
Psychologists - Professional standards guidelines
- Pertinent federal, state/provincial/territorial
laws/statutes or judicial decisions - Ethical decision-making process
- Models for professional development
22Detailed Resources for EPPP Info
- ASPPB Information for Candidates (printed booklet
or downloadable on website www.asppb.net) - ASPPBs Guide for Students and Faculty Entry
Requirements for the Professional Practice of
Psychology (printed brochure or downloadable on
website www.asppb.net)
23 EPPP Practice Exams
- PEPPPO (Practice Examination for Professional
Practice in Psychology Online) - May be taken on any computer that can connect to
the Internet using the Microsoft Internet
Explorer browser - PEPPP (Practice Examination for Professional
Practice in Psychology) - Taken under real-world testing conditions at a
Prometric Testing Center
24To Take Practice Exams
- Follow instructions on ASPPB website
www.asppb.net - Fee for PEPPPO 55.00
- Fee for PEPPP 50 50 100.00
25Items from Previous Exams
- 250 items used on past exams
- Currently discounted to 37.50 while new version
being developed - www.asppb.net
-
26Research on EPPP
- Numerous studies have supported reliability
content validity of EPPP - Data suggest preparation beyond 200 hours yields
diminishing returns - Data suggest best to take EPPP within 3 years of
graduation
27Study Materials
- Many commercial companies offer study materials
- ASPPB HAS NO CONNECTION TO THESE COMPANIES
- ASPPB does NOT sanction any of them nor provide
them with test items
28Study Methods
- Textbooks
- Course materials
- Study groups
- Test specification materials from ASPPB
29Common Myths About the EPPPAll Untrue
- There are easy and hard versions
- The items are not related to what psychologists
do - The pretest questions are clumped at the
beginning - The majority of candidates fail
- See Myth vs. Reality of the EPPP brochure at
www.asppb.net
30Jurisprudence Exam
- Most jurisdictions (states, provinces, or
territories) require some type of jurisdictional
law and regulations examination - This exam may be written or oral
31Oral Exam Possibilities, if required
- Case vignette
- Diagnostics
- Case conceptualization
- Awareness of own professional limits
- Ability to handle crisis
- Diversity
- Ethics law
32Oral Exam Assesses
- Professional maturity
- Professional identity
- Self-awareness
- Ability to apply knowledge theory
- Ability to exercise professional judgment on the
spot - Ability to individualize treatment plan
- Ability to handle crisis situation
33Grounds for Failing an Oral Exam
- Inability to function independently
- Lack of own theoretical orientation
- Being too dependent
- Inability to assess follow-up with treatment
plan - Unaware of self as factor in treatment
- Lack of knowledge/ability to apply laws
- Not recognizing limits of own competency
34How to Prepare for Oral Exams
- Read vignettes
- Practice diagnostic formulations
- Practice treatment planning
- Consider possible crisis events relevant
ethical legal issues
35Preparing You for Licensure and Beyond
- CVP Credentials Verification Program Banking
your credentials for entire career - CPQ Certificate of Professional Qualification
Licensure mobility across jurisdictional
boundaries - IPC Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate
Short-term practice across jurisdictional
boundaries w/o adding more licenses
36CVP Examples of What to Include
- Documents Needed for Initial Licensure
- EPPP Scores
- Transcripts
- Oral Jurisprudence exams
- Supervised Professional Experience (Internship
and postdoc hours) - Specialty training
37CVP Content Examples
- Documents Needed for Job Applications and
Continuing Licensure - Continuing Education certificates
- Reference letters
- Awards
38Why Bank Verify?
- Highly mobile society
- Widely differing requirements for licensure
across jurisdictions - Progressive difficulty obtaining training
documentation over time (agencies close,
supervisors leave) - Career plans change
- Disasters happen
- Low fees for students can be credited toward
later CPQ application fees - More information www.asppb.net
39CPQ Certificate of Professional Qualification
- A certificate of licensure eligibility to
facilitate mobility for individuals meeting ASPPB
standards - Requires meeting common criteria including
doctoral degree, 5 years of licensure, no
discipline - Currently accepted in 38 jurisdictions
- Other jurisdictions in process of accepting or
use CPQ to waive some requirements - Check www.asppb.net for specific requirements
40Jurisdictions Currently Accepting CPQ for
Licensure (38)
- Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan,
Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Nebraska, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nova
Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Quebec, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming
41Other Jurisdictions
- 8 in process of accepting CPQ Alaska, Maine,
Minnesota, New Brunswick, North Dakota, Prince
Edward Island, Saskatchewan, South Dakota - 9 may waive at least one requirement Iowa,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Newfoundland
Labrador, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, Washington
42Some Uses for Interjurisdictional Practice
Certificate (IPC)
- Consultation
- Courtroom testimony
- Short term therapy after a move, in some
jurisdictions - Disaster relief
- I/O job and management analyses
43Recommended for Further Reading
- Psychology Licensure and Certification What
Students Need to Know - Edited by Thomas J. Vaughn, Ph.D.
- Published by American Psychological Association,
2006.
44For Further Information
- Association of State and Provincial Psychology
Boards - P.O. Box 241245
- Montgomery, AL 36124-1245
- Phone (334) 832-4580 or (800) 448-4069
- Fax (334) 269-6379
- General E-mail asppb_at_asppb.org
- Website www.asppb.net
45- Good Luck
- on your journey
- to become
- a licensed psychologist!