Mid-Winter Notes from the
Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs (CCHPTP)
San Antonio, January 20-21 2008
The inaugural midwinter meeting of the newly invigorated Council in Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs (CCHPTP) met in San Antonio, Texas from January 20-21, 2008 with over 40 directors of graduate programs, internships, and post-doctoral programs in attendance. Kevin Larkin, Chair of the Council, opened the meeting by providing a brief history of the revitalization of the council. Cynthia Belar (APA Education Directorate) gave the opening address and provided attendees with a detailed history of the development of Clinical Health Psychology – a specialty dedicated to the development of knowledge regarding the interface between behavior and health, with a distinct focus on physical health problems. Cynthia also shared her views on where we are now and identified challenges for the future, suggesting that we must distinguish between programs with a sole focus on clinical health psychology and those having a program track (or concentration) in clinical health psychology. As of 2006, 68 doctoral programs in clinical and counseling psychology offered training in clinical health psychology. There are currently six clinical health psychology specialty postdoctoral fellowships that have been accredited by APA. Among the many important points Cynthia made during her address, she noted that we must pay closer attention to the changing population demographics and consider how diversity issues play into our training of clinical health psychologists. Also important are the cutting edge areas of health informatics, the study of the intersection of genetics and behavior, and the importance of promoting interdisciplinary research and practice (not multidisciplinary or parallel care). Finally, the growing number of initiatives for prescriptive authority of psychologists across the country must be considered as we develop and refine our distinct models of education and training in clinical health psychology.
Other highlights of the meeting included the opportunity to consider the benchmark competencies in clinical health psychology in small working groups. An article to be published in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (France, Masters, Belar, et al. in press), based on the Tempe Summit working group’s efforts to identify competencies (educational outcomes as a result of training) for clinical health psychologists served as a framework for this discussion. Our task was to review the stated “Functional Competency Domains” that are unique and necessary for working with patients and their families with physical health concerns. In other words, if you call yourself a clinical health psychologist, what competencies must you have that sets you apart from other types of professional psychologists? The working groups further refined the six areas of competence: assessment, intervention, consultation, research, supervision-training, and management-administration.
Additional highlights of the meeting included presentations by a panel regarding how these core competencies in clinical health psychology competency relate to development at various levels of training, including the internship level (Sharon Berry, Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota), the post-doctoral level (Bob Kerns & Lisa Frantsve, VA Connecticut Healthcare System), and board certification (John Linton, West Virginia University Medical School-Charleston Campus). Each presenter addressed questions related to how competencies guided development of clinical health psychologists across our lifetime of professional development. Life-long learning through ongoing self-assessment, goal-setting, and continuing education were encouraged. John Linton noted that after licensure, there are few, if any competency benchmarks, and across states, standards do not exist with regard to continuing education credits.
A third objective of the meeting was to entertain discussion regarding accreditation of clinical health psychology training programs. As a former member of the Committee on Accreditation, John Curry (Duke University School of Medicine) provided an overview of the accreditation process and how it might apply to clinical health psychology programs. The process through which post-doctoral programs attain specialty accreditation in clinical health psychology through APA was reviewed by Alan Peterson (University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio). These presentations were followed by an open discussion that was centered on the issue of accreditation in clinical health psychology. The group considered whether advocating for separate accreditation as clinical health psychology programs at the doctoral level of training was a step they would like to pursue. The group, as a whole, was rather unenthusiastic about the idea of moving forward with accreditation as separate types of training programs at the doctoral level.
The meeting ended with a brief business meeting during which 4 new member programs were announced: University of Texas Medical Branch, Children’s Clinics and Hospital of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic Clinical Health Psychology Postdoctoral Program, University of Missouri - Kansas City. Issues of membership criteria were discussed and the Board was asked to consider adding affiliate status members and/or broadening the models of training acceptable for membership to the Council. Future initiatives of the Council were announced, including establishing a member-based listserv and a web page in which model program descriptions will be posted. Spring elections will be held to add the final three members to the Board. The current board members are: Kevin Larkin, Chair (West Virginia University), Mary Davis, Secretary/Treasurer (Arizona State University), Liz Klonoff (San Diego State University), Bob Kerns (VA Connecticut Healthcare System), Pat Saab (University of Miami), and Marilyn Stern (Virginia Commonwealth University).
To become a program member, please contact: Mary Davis at Arizona State University; e-mail: MARY.DAVIS@asu.edu
The meeting was evaluated by all participants and the consensus was that the mid-year inaugural meeting of the CCHPTP was a success and that almost all participants were interested in returning in 2009. The 2009 meeting will be held January 18-19 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mark it on your calendars today!
Prepared by:
Marilyn Stern
Virginia Commonwealth University.