Council of Chairs of Training Councils Internship Matrix
Doctoral internships in psychology are a vital and necessary part of developing a diverse psychologist workforce in our communities and country. Such internships provide advanced doctoral students with an intensive, capstone experience that is required for completion of doctoral training as well as state and/or provincial licensure. Internship sites also contribute to the development of the psychologist workforce, bringing together trainees with contemporary research and evidence based practice concepts, and diversifying the work of staff psychologists within their settings. Often, doctoral training in psychology aligns with an institution’s mission as well.
The Internship Matrix provides resources for those interested in learning more about developing doctoral internships in psychology. Information is included on the various sites that host internships, how to fund them, accreditation, and site-specific support for internships in many different settings (e.g., Veteran’s Affairs hospitals, university counseling centers, state hospitals, academic health centers, child/adolescent psychiatric or pediatrics, community health centers/federally qualified health centers/rural health clinics, community mental health centers, correctional facilities, psychology training clinics, and school districts). You are welcome to go to the specific site-related information most relevant to you, and follow up with questions to the Association(s) most relevant to your site. The Matrix joins other useful reference materials (including the Internship Development Toolkit) on the Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC) webpage located at http://www.cctcpsychology.org/resources/.
What is a psychology internship?
Please see: http://www.apa.org/education/grad/internship-toolkit.aspx?item=2#
Also see: Canadian Psychological Association Accreditation Standards and Procedures, 2011, page 45:
The internship (or residency) is the final but essential step in preparation for professional practice in psychology at the doctoral level. It is at this step that graduate students are afforded the opportunity to apply theoretical and technical knowledge, to develop and refine professional skills, and most importantly, to integrate the theoretical, practical, and scientific in their emergent roles as professional psychologists. It is this integrative process and requirement that sets the internship apart from earlier practicum experiences that focus more concretely on the acquisition of skills. Finally, the internship socializes students into their professional roles and facilitates the transition from student to independent professional.
How do I start to develop an internship?
Council of Chairs of Training Councils, Psychology Internship Toolkit:
https://www.cctcpsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/InternshipToolkitCCTC.pdf
APPIC Mentoring Program (US or Canadian programs):
https://docs.google.com/a/appic.org/forms/d/1ujBQsbSkzl9mzKSDRvGGG9C-Z2aswwaQwTPSW3B8LYI/viewform?formkey=dHBESmVJelJKWElOd2FqVHk2b3NQcEE6MQ#gid=0
Policies procedures, and documentation examples: (see APPIC Training Resources and Sharepoint:
http://www.appic.org/Training-Resources )
Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP) Mentoring Program (Canadian Programs) – Contact Dr. Mike Teschuk at mteschuk@hsc.mb.ca for a mentor:
http://ccppp.ca/general-resources
What is the value of developing a psychology internship?
See: http://www.apa.org/education/grad/internship-toolkit.aspx?item=2
Council of Chairs of Training Councils, Psychology Internship Toolkit:
https://www.cctcpsychology.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/InternshipToolkitCCTC.pdf
Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Mentoring Program: https://docs.google.com/a/appic.org/forms/d/1ujBQsbSkzl9mzKSDRvGGG9C-Z2aswwaQwTPSW3B8LYI/viewform?formkey=dHBESmVJelJKWElOd2FqVHk2b3NQcEE6MQ#gid=0
How can I advocate for the support needed to establish or maintain an internship?
Canadian Advocacy information, Advocacy Section:
http://ccppp.ca/general-resources
Examples of Advocacy letters in Canada:
http://ccppp.ca/publication
http://fidep.org/documentation/ (section appuis)
What funding is available for my internship program?
United States:
General Information
http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/about/reimbursement/index.aspx
APA Stimulus Funding
http://www.apa.org/about/awards/internship-program-grants.aspx
Graduate Psychology Education
http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/gpe/
APPIC Accreditation Readiness Project
http://appic.org/About-APPIC/Accreditation-Readiness-Project-ARP
NCSPP Internship Grants Program
http://www.thencspp.com/
Cost-Benefits Analyses:
https://www.cctcpsychology.org/wp content/uploads/2014/08/InternshipToolkitCCTC.pdf
Canada:
Canadian Internships have historically been funded by the institution or directly from the provincial ministry. Information about program funding in internships across Canada is updated yearly by CCPPP:
http://ccppp.ca/general-resources
How can Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) membership be helpful to me?
APPIC website
http://appic.org/
What is the value of APPIC membership?
http://www.apa.org/education/grad/internship-toolkit.aspx?item=2#
APPIC Membership Criteria
http://appic.org/Joining-APPIC/Members/Internship-Membership-Criteria
APPIC eMembership Application
https://membership.appic.org/login
APPIC Mentoring Program:
https://docs.google.com/a/appic.org/forms/d/1ujBQsbSkzl9mzKSDRvGGG9C-Z2aswwaQwTPSW3B8LYI/viewform?formkey=dHBESmVJelJKWElOd2FqVHk2b3NQcEE6MQ#gid=0
APPIC Membership Renewal
https://membership.appic.org/login
APPIC Listservs
http://appic.org/E-Mail-Lists/Summary-of-APPICs-E-Mail-Lists
APPIC Training Resources
http://appic.org/Training-Resources/For-Training-Directors
How can Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP) membership be helpful to me?
CCPPP represents the various university-based psychology programs and psychology internship settings in Canada that train professional psychologists such as clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, and clinical neuropsychologists, as well as other branches of professional psychology.
CCPPP website
http://www.ccppp.ca/index.php/en
Becoming a member
http://ccppp.ca/invitation-to-join
How can my internship program become accredited?
US internships are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and Canadian Internships are accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). There are some commonalities across the standards, as well as some differences, partly due to the differences between the health care and government systems in the two countries. On the whole, however, the systems of accreditation are deemed to be equivalent.
In 2012, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and American Psychological Association (APA) approved and signed the First Street Accord. The Accord is a mutual recognition agreement on accreditation.
http://www.cpa.ca/accreditation/accreditationthroughoutnorthamerica/firststreetaccord/
Also note that it has long been the position of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) that the North American regulatory bodies they represent treat APA and CPA accreditation equivalently.
http://www.asppb.net/?page=CPAAccredited
What type of resources are there for specific internship settings?
United States:
Note: If you are interested in developing an internship in a setting not listed above, please contact
US: CGrus@APA.org
Canada: accreditationoffice@cpa.ca