Prospective applicants
to the Clinical Child Doctoral Program should carefully review the information
contained within each of the sections below:
Applications:
Please
note that the deadline for receipt of all application materials for the
clinical child doctoral program is December 15.
In order to be considered, applicants must meet the following minimum
requirements
GRE Combined (Verbal + Quantitative) Score > 1000
Undergraduate Cumulative GPA > 2.
Also
note that the clinical child psychology program requires the GRE Psychology
subject test.You must have taken the subject test by the time
of your application, but it is not
necessary that the scores arrive by the
December 15th application deadline (we understand that scores for subject
tests taken in December will arrive in January).
In your letter of application, please note
your 1st and 2nd preference for faculty mentor.
For
procedural details, including our application form and additional
information on the Department of Psychology, please visit the Department
of Psychology Application Information page.
Applicants
selected to interview will be notified in late January. Interviews are by
invitation only. Our
on-campus interview weekend will take place February 13th-14th, 2009.
Training Statement:
The Clinical Doctoral Training Program
(consisting jointly of our Clinical and Clinical Child doctoral program
areas) is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.
Approximately four students are admitted into each doctoral program area each
year. Mean GRE scores of students admitted into the Clinical Child Program
are generally around 1200 (Verbal and Quantitative combined). The Advanced
(Psychology) test of the GRE also is required (mean score of students
admitted over the past 5 years = 625). In the past, the Department of
Psychology has provided financial support (tuition waiver and
assistantship placement) for every full-time doctoral student in good
standing.
The existence of a the Clinical Child
program area gives recognition to the fact that the skills and knowledge needed
to address the prevention, assessment, and treatment of the problems of
children and adolescents are different from, although overlapping with,
those needed for dealing with the problems of adults. The field of
clinical child psychology has been growing for many years, and the job
market for our graduates has been very good. Both the American
Psychological Association and the National Institute of Mental Health have
put high priority on training in clinical child psychology.
Coursework for Clinical Child students
includes interviewing; assessment; ethical, legal, and professional
issues; statistics and experimental design; learning; behavior pathology;
child behavior modification; social behavior; history and systems;
biological aspects of behavior; child development; and various seminars on
special topics (e.g., parent-child interaction therapy, developmental
psychopathology of anxiety).
The Clinical Doctoral Training Program operates on the
scientist-practitioner, or "
Boulder
" model of training in which the clinician is trained as both
researcher and practitioner (Raimy, 1950). Consistent with the consensus
statement issued by the National Conference on Scientist-Practitioner
Education and Training for the Professional Practice of Psychology (Belar
& Perry, 1992), a graduate of our training program “is uniquely
educated and trained to generate and integrate scientific and professional
knowledge, attitudes, and skills so as to further psychological science,
the professional practice of psychology, and human welfare,” and as
such, “is capable of functioning as an investigator and as a
practitioner, and may function as either or both, consistent with the
highest standards of psychology” (p. 72).
The
overall goals of the Clinical Program are to train clinical psychologists
with the following characteristics:
1.
They are empiricists. They value the role of science in
society, and thus they value data-based theory and evidence based practice
(treatment, assessment, education, training, prevention, etc.). They are
skeptical of assertions that are not supported with credible data, and
theories that are not well-founded in basic research.
They value, conduct, and encourage research that advances our
understanding of and/or our ability to influence constructive human
behavior.
2.
They are consumers of research in terms of both substance
and methodology. They can critically evaluate the scientific evidence
provided by a study or group of studies.
3.
They are producers of knowledge and behavioral assessment,
treatment, and prevention strategies via the scholarly
avenues of research, development, and writing. They contribute routinely
to the body of knowledge known as the discipline
of psychology (or to an allied discipline).
4.
They are well socialized professionals. They conduct
their work in an ethical fashion, in a manner that takes into account the
rights and needs of the individuals with whom they are directly involved
and other members of society. Further, they are involved in professional
organizations at local, state, and national levels.
5.
They are direct-service clinicians, competent in addressing
a variety of problems and in providing direct services to a broad range of
clients.
6.
They are indirect-service clinicians. They can develop new
programs and direct existing programs. They can train and supervise direct
service staff and/or teach college courses. They view services in a
systems context and develop workable, effective services while recognizing
that problems are the product of many interactive influences.
7.
They conceptualize issues regarding clinical psychology
(e.g., assessment, treatment, prevention, training, supervision)
from a behavior analytical perspective in which a functional analysis is
critical. At the same time, their conceptual models are not closed; they
are familiar with other major approaches and can understand and use the
observations and concepts from these viewpoints. They also can incorporate
the empirically supported practices of other approaches into their own
repertoire.
8.
They are self-directed. They are skilled at independent
problem-solving, planning, decision-making, and research.
9.
They demonstrate sensitivity to and skills in dealing with
multicultural issues and diversity, broadly defined, that influence human
behavior.
Belar, C. D., & Perry, N. W. (1992). National Conference on
Scientist-Practitioner Education and Training for the Professional
Practice of Psychology. American
Psychologist, 47, 71-75.
Raimy,
V. C. (1950). Training in clinical
psychology.
New York
: Prentice-Hall.
The Clinical Child Program at West Virginia
University prepares students for entering the profession of clinical
psychology, but given the myriad of different and changing requirements
across jurisdictions cannot assure that graduates of the program will meet
course requirements for licensure in all states, territories, or other
entities.
Required Courses:
Refer to the List
of Psychology Graduate Courses for descriptions of the courses listed
below.
653
Behavioral Assessment 1
654 Behavioral Assessment 2
652
Clinical Interviewing
671
Child Behavior Therapy
661
Adult Behavior Therapy
651 Behavior Pathology
531 Experimental Analysis of Behavior
604 Ethical Issues in Psychology
605 Legal Issues in Psychology
722 Biological Aspects of Behavior
721 History and Systems
725
Social Psychology
511 Research Design & Data Analysis 1
512 Research Design & Data Analysis 2
One Advanced Methodology Course
One Developmental Psychology Course
Required Research: All students are
expected to become active in research their first semester in the program
and remain so throughout the duration. A formal
Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation are required.
Required Practica: At least 18 hours
of practicum (670 Clinical Child Practicum) is required. At least two
academic years of practica must be through two Quin Curtis Center Clinical
Teams.
Clinical Internship: Students must
complete a one-year full-time APA-approved internship (to be completed in
year 5 for those entering with a Bachelor's degree).
Policy Statements
Accreditation:
The
Clinical Child Program, in conjunction with the Clinical Program, has been
accredited continuously by the American Psychological Association since
1966. In 2005, the Program was re-accredited for a full 7 years, with the
next site visit scheduled to occur in 2012. For any questions regarding
accreditation of this or any other program, please contact the accrediting
agency, the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the
American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC
20002. Phone Number: (202) 336-5979; Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.
Statement of Personal
Integrity:
The profession of Clinical
Psychology adheres to the current ethical principles of psychologists, as
stated by the American Psychological Association (July, 2003), and the
legal codes regulating the profession within each state. In undergoing
training to become a clinical psychologist, all trainees must also adhere
to these ethical principles and legal codes. At various practicum
locations during training, during application for clinical internship, and
upon review for licensure and health provider panels after graduation,
clinical psychologists undergo scrutiny regarding their personal
background (background checks) and issues of personal integrity. The
following questions represent the types of questions asked:
Has disciplinary action, in
writing, of any sort ever been taken against you by a supervisor,
educational or training institution, health care institution, professional
association, or licensing/certification board? Are there any complaints
currently pending against you before any of the above bodies?
Has there ever been a decision
in a civil suit rendered against you relative to your professional work,
or is any such action pending?
Have you ever been suspended,
terminated, or asked to resign by a training program, practicum site, or
employer?
Have you ever been convicted
of an offense against the law (including DUI) other than a minor traffic
violation?
Have you ever been convicted
of a felony?
If you answered “Yes” to
any of the above questions, you may encounter difficulties in securing
clinical practicum positions during training, obtaining an approved
clinical internship, or becoming a licensed psychologist. As such, a
person who answered “Yes” to any of these questions should strongly
consider whether the time and effort involved in obtaining a graduate
degree is in his or her best interest.
Comprehensive
Evaluation Policy:
Faculty, training staff,
supervisors, and administrators of the Clinical Psychology Training
Program at West Virginia University have a professional, ethical, and
potentially legal obligation to: (a) establish criteria and methods
through which aspects of competence other than, and in addition to, a
student-trainee's knowledge or skills may be assessed (including, but not
limited to, emotional stability and well being, interpersonal skills,
professional development, and personal fitness for practice); and, (b)
ensure insofar as possible that the student-trainees who complete our
Program are competent to manage future relationships (e.g., client,
collegial, professional, public, scholarly, supervisory, teaching) in an
effective and appropriate manner. Because of this commitment, and within
the parameters of our administrative authority, our faculty, training
staff, supervisors, and administrators strive not to advance, recommend,
or graduate students or trainees with demonstrable problems (e.g.,
cognitive, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, technical, and
ethical) that may interfere with professional competence to other
programs, the profession, employers, or the public at large.
As such, within a
developmental framework, and with due regard for the inherent power
difference between students and faculty, students and trainees should know
that the faculty, training staff, and supervisors of this Program will
evaluate their competence in areas other than, and in addition to,
coursework, seminars, scholarship, preliminary examinations, or related
program requirements. These evaluative areas include, but are not limited
to, demonstration of sufficient: (a) interpersonal and professional
competence (e.g., the ways in which student-trainees relate to clients,
peers, faculty, allied professionals, the public, and individuals from
diverse backgrounds or histories); (b) self-awareness, self-reflection,
and self-evaluation (e.g., knowledge of the content and potential impact
of one's own beliefs and values on clients, peers, faculty, allied
professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or
histories); (c) openness to processes of supervision (e.g., the ability
and willingness to explore issues that either interfere with the
appropriate provision of care or impede professional development or
functioning); and (d) resolution of issues or problems that interfere with
professional development or functioning in a satisfactory manner (e.g., by
responding constructively to feedback from supervisors or program faculty;
by the successful completion of remediation plans; by participating in
personal therapy in order to resolve issues or problems).
This policy is applicable to
settings and contexts in which evaluation would appropriately occur (e.g.,
coursework, practica, supervision), rather than settings and contexts that
are unrelated to the formal process of education and training (e.g.,
non-academic, social contexts). However, irrespective of setting or
context, when a student-trainees conduct clearly and demonstrably (a)
impacts the performance, development, or functioning of the
student-trainee, (b) raises questions of an ethical nature, (c) represents
a risk to public safety, or (d) damages the representation of psychology
to the profession or public, appropriate representatives of our Program
may review such conduct within the context of the Programs evaluation
processes.
Adapted from the
Comprehensive Evaluation of Student-Trainee Competence in Professional
Psychology Programs statement developed by the Student Competence Task
Force of the Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC), (http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/cctc.html),
approved March 25, 2004.