Current Issues with Specialties, Specialization,

and Specialists: Professional Psychology, Regulatory, and Board

Certification

The Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology (CoS), the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB),

and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP)

Specialties, Specialization, and Specialists: Who,

What, and When (Soon We Hope)

Kevin D. Arnold, Ph.D., ABPPPresident, Council of Specialties in Professional

Psychology (CoS)

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Kevin D. Arnold is also a Commissioner on CRSPPP and a Board Member of the American Board of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology

David Cox is also Board Certified in Rehabilitation Psychology

The Taxonomy and Specialization

Issues of Education and Training within SpecialtyAPA PolicyFour Stages of Education & Training

Doctoral Education, Internship, Post-Doctoral Residency, Post-Licensure

Four Levels of CoverageExposureExperienceEmphasisMajor Area of Study

Specialties Behavioral and Cognitive Clinical Child and Adolescent Clinical Health Clinical Neuropsychology Clinical Counseling Couple and Family Forensic Group** Police and Public Safety Professional Geropsychology Psychoanalysis Rehabilitation** School Sleep**CRSPPP recognized only not on CoS*ABPP affiliated, not CRSPPP recognized

Vetting a Specialty Definition:

A specialty is a defined area of professional psychology practice characterized by a distinctive configuration of competent services for specified problems and populations. Practice in a specialty requires advanced knowledge and skills acquired through an organized sequence of education and training in addition to the broad and general education and core scientific and professional foundations acquired through an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program.* Specialty training may be acquired either at the doctoral or postdoctoral level as defined by the specialty.

Role of CRSPPP in APA RecognitionRole of ABPP and Board AffiliationRole of CoS and Council Membership

Specialty and Specialization

CoS member specialties have or will have Education and Training Guidelines that detail the levels of coverage for each stage of education and training.

Not the same as being a specialistWhy not!?

SpecialistEventual Adoption of Heath Service Model and

Standard Acceptance of Board Certification across Fields of Doctoral Level Health Service Providers

Recognition of Specialty Boards through Affiliation with ABPP Establish as analogous organization to the ABMS to

promote further integration into health service model

Lack of Being Credentialed as a Specialist Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Specialization At A Level Below Credentialing Standards

The FutureNeed to Coordinate Among the Organizations

APAPO CoA CoS CRSPPP ABPP ASPPB APPIC CCTC CAPP APA Ed Directorate APAGS Others

The FutureCreate a Unified Voice and Position on Specialty,

Specialization and Specialists Credentialing

Specialties, Specialization, and Specialists: American

Board of Professional Psychology

David Cox, PhD, ABPPExecutive Director

American Board of Professional Psychology

ABPP

The Examining Board examines via:

Peer-reviewed Practice Samples

ABPP

The Examining Board examines via:

Oral Examination

ABPP

Once Board Certified, one must:

Attest to licensure and ethical standing annuallyAnd submit attestation and associated fee

ABPP

Once Board Certified, one must:

Document Maintenance of Competence Every 10 years

Neimeyer, G. J., Taylor, J. M., Rozensky, R. H., & Cox, D. R. (2014). The Diminishing Durability of Knowledge in Professional Psychology: A Second Look at Specializations. Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 45, 92-98.

ABPP

Maintenance of Competence

Documentation of participating in a variety of possible professional activities including, but not limited to:

Formal CE, Graduate classes, Teaching, Supervision, Research, Professional Board involvement, Peer

Supervision Groups

ABPP

Maintenance of Competence

Documentation is submitted in a form that is reviewed similar to credential review process.

A period of remediation is provided if needed.If not completed within the 10 year period, a Specialist is no longer considered board certified in that Specialty.

ABPP

Maintenance of Competence

Lest one grow too concerned –

Importantly, research has indicated that most psychologists are already engaged in the Continuing

Professional Development needed to maintain competence

Neimeyer, G. J., Taylor, J. M., & Cox, D.R. (2012). On Hope & Possibility: Does continuing professional development contribute to ongoing professional competence? Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 43, 476-486.

Specialties, Specialization, and Specialists: Issues

Related to the Governmental Regulation

of the Practice of Psychology

Alex M. Siegel, J.D.,Ph.D.Director of Professional Affairs

ASPPB

ASPPBAssociation of State and Provincial Psychology Boards

64 jurisdictions in the US and Canada

Resource for licensing boards and colleges

Help promote mobility and standards for the regulatory communityCredentials Bank

PLUS

EPPP

CPQ and IPC

Model Act and Regulations

Licensure Most jurisdictions have generic licensure, psychology

licensure act which licenses psychologists based on the education, training and supervision experience, passing EPPP and good moral character Clinical, counseling, school, I/O, consulting psychologist

all are licensed psychologist. Must abide by laws or ethical code to practice in your area of competency

In Illinois, it is "Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act” which is specific to clinical psychologist, so a you are a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois

PHD v. Masters Is there a different level of competency between a

doctoral level and a masters level psychologist?

Majority of states license at the doctoral level for independent practice Some states grandfathered masters level psychologists

Only West Virginia and Vermont allow masters level to practice independently. Kentucky and Oregon Psych. Associates petition board to

allow for independent practice

6 states allow for masters, psychological associates, to practice under supervision of a licensed psychologist

13 states make the post doc year optional, rest require a year of post doc experience. At entry most psychologist are generalist

a concern is whether entry level psychologist who are licensed a graduation are more generalist than those with a post doc year of supervised experience

As psychologist have 5 to 10 years experience they typically become more specialized.

Some require in addition to generic licensure, A health service provider (HSP)certificate

Health Service Providers (c) The board shall endorse as a health service provider in

psychology an individual who:(1) has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, or another applied health service area of psychology; (2) is licensed under this section, section 5.3, or section 9 of this chapter;(3) has at least two (2) years of experience in a health service setting that includes:

(A) one (1) year of experience that was obtained in an organized health service training program and at least one (1) year of experience that was obtained after the individual received the individual's doctoral degree in psychology; ( Indiana)

KentuckyHSP requires that the designation of "health

service provider" shall be granted for a licensed psychologist who supervises a psychological health care service.

A licensed psychologist who does not have the designation "health service provider" shall not supervise psychological health care services.

Licensure and Competency

The Pa. Board requires psychology trainees and licensees to limit their practices to areas of demonstrated competence

In Kentucky. A credential holder shall not practice or present himself or herself outside the area or areas of competency specified in the application for a credential and approved by the board based upon examination and review of qualifications, training, and experience, unless the credential holder has obtained additional education, training, experience, or supervision appropriate to the new practice area. (KY)

Georgia Specialty Areas.

In addition to the general standards for internships enumerated above, internships in the specialty areas of clinical, counseling, school, I/O and in MR/DD psychology must meet the requirements delineated in the following section.

Specialty areas are defined by the doctoral program described on the applicant's transcript. A clinical psychology specialty is defined by an earned doctoral degree with a concentration in clinical psychology. A counseling psychology specialty is defined by an earned doctoral degree with a concentration in counseling psychology. A school psychology specialty is defined by an earned doctoral degree with a concentration in school psychology. An industrial/organizational specialty is defined by an earned doctoral degree with a concentration in industrial/organizational psychology.

Discipline If complaints about incompetent practice, boards will

want to know the education, training and experience background of psychologist

In Pa. burden on psychologists to prove they are competent to provide those services based on their education, training and experience

In Kentucky, board will look at what the psychologist submit and the board approved If not on list, not authorized to provide those services If a new specialization, psychologist must notify the board

and demonstrate how they achieved that specialization

Future of Licensure and Specialization

• Currently all licensed psychologist in most states fall under the generic licensure laws with same requirements for licensure Does not matter if clinical, counseling, school, I/O or

consulting

Georgia has different educational, training, internship, post doc experience requirements for I/O psychologists who want to be licensed

HSP v. GAPShould we begin to have specialty licensure for

HSP and also for General Applied Psychologist (I/O, consulting)GAF who provide services outside health and

behavioral health fields for the purpose of enhancing individual and/or organizational effectiveness. This includes the provision of direct services to individuals and groups, for assessment and evaluation of personal ability and characteristics for individual development, behavior change…

HSPProvides services within health and behavioral

health fields. This includes delivery of direct and indirect preventative, diagnostic, assessment and therapeutic intervention services…

Incorporate Competency into Licensure Laws

Florida

(1) As used in this section, the term “certified psychology specialist,” “board- certified psychology specialist,” or “psychology diplomate” means a psychologist with recognized special competency acquired through an organized sequence of formal education, training, experience, and professional standing that is recognized by a certifying body approved by the board pursuant to criteria adopted under subsection (3).

(2) A person licensed as a psychologist may not hold himself or herself out as a certified psychology specialist, board-certified psychology specialist, or psychology diplomate unless the person has received formal recognition from an approved certifying body.

(3) The board shall adopt rules to establish criteria for approval of certifying bodies that provide certification for specialties in psychology as provided in subsection (1). The criteria shall include that a certifying body:

(a) Be national in scope, incorporate standards of the profession, and collaborate closely with organizations related to specialization in psychology.

(b)  Have clearly described purposes, bylaws, policies, and procedures.

(c)  Have established standards for specialized practice of psychology.

(d)  Provide assessments that include the development and implementation of an examination designed to measure the competencies required to provide services that are characteristic of the specialty area.

(4) A person licensed as a psychologist under this chapter may indicate the services he or she offers and may indicate that his or her practice is limited to one or more types of services when this accurately reflects his or her scope of practice.

EPPP 2EPPP 1 foundational knowledge

EPPP2 competency based examine