APA memorandum:

Workgroup Report on Education and Training Leading to Licensure

Memorandum

August 29, 2005

To:  Distribution List

Re:  Workgroup Report on Education and Training Leading to Licensure

Background

In 2000 the APA appointed a commission with broad representation of psychologists to review the status of education and training leading to licensure and make recommendations to the Board of Directors and Council of Representatives based on that review.  The commission reported back in 2001 with a proposed change in policy related to timing of licensure in the sequence of education and training, as well as numerous recommendations for actions in regard to education, training, and practice regulatory issues.  Following broad dissemination of the commission’s report, the Council of Representatives deferred taking action on the policy change recommendation but authorized the Board of Educational Affairs (BEA), the Board of Professional Affairs (BPA), and the Committee for Advancement of Professional Practice (CAPP) to move ahead collaboratively in addressing the commission’s action recommendations of a more specific nature.  The Council requested that it be given a progress report in August 2005.

In preparation for a report back to Council, the Board of Directors authorized funding for and appointed a work group to review the progress made since the commission’s work and make recommendations to the Council in August 2005.  The report of the work group is attached. Appendix A of the report lists the work group participants; and Appendix B provides a brief progress report on each of the action items previously recommended by the commission. 

The report contains a proposed APA policy statement with a section on context for the policy statement.  It also contains specific action recommendations pertaining to education and training issues as well as statutory and regulatory issues of relevance to  the proposed policy.   In August 2005, the Council received the work group report but did not take action on the proposed policy statement.  Rather, it authorized broad dissemination of the report to the communities of interest in psychology with the request that the proposed policy statement, with comments from the field, be returned to the Council for action in February 2006.  The Council also requested that BEA, BPA, and CAPP review the report and prepare a plan by which to address the more specific recommendations pertaining to education and practice regulation issues.

Request for Comment

Please forward the report to all within your organization or community who may wish to comment and, as individuals or organizations, submit your comments by email or otherwise by November 1, 2005 to APA Education Directorate, c/o Joan Freund (jfreund@apa.org).  In so doing, please reference the section(s) of the report to which your comments are directed, i.e., Sections I – V.    Thank you for your cooperation.

Distribution List

APA Boards and Committees

APA Council of Representatives

APA Division Presidents

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards

Council of Chairs of Training Councils

Council of Credentialing Organizations in Professional Psychology

Council of Executives of State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations

Council of Graduate Departments of Psychology

State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Association Presidents