APA Appoints Task Force To Study Accrediting Master's ProgramsPosted: July 30, 2018 Group to make recommendations to governing Council of Representatives The American Psychological Association has appointed a task force to develop a blueprint for the association to accredit master’s programs in health service psychology. “Given the increasing number of states that are licensing psychology providers at the master’s level, the association decided it makes sense for APA to create a roadmap to add master’s programs to its accreditation portfolio,” said James Lichtenberg, PhD, professor emeritus in counseling psychology at the University of Kansas. “APA has long been the recognized leader in accrediting doctoral programs in psychology so it makes sense for the association to apply its expertise to master’s-level programs.” Members of the task force have experience and interest in graduate education at the master’s and/or doctoral level, in clinical, counseling and school psychology. They are also knowledgeable about accreditation of doctoral programs in health service psychology, as well as accreditation of master’s programs in clinical or counseling psychology; approval of school psychology programs; Veterans Affairs experience in training and employment of individuals with psychology degrees; academic leadership associated with a department, college or school offering master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology, as well as leadership roles specific to the professional practice of psychology. They were selected by APA’s Board of Educational Affairs. Celeste Malone, PhD, of Howard University, will serve as the BEA liaison to the group. The task force’s mandate is to outline a plan by which APA could pursue development of an accreditation system for master’s programs in health service areas (clinical, counseling and school) of psychology. The task force is slated to deliver its recommendations to the council in 2019. Specifically, the charge of the task force includes:
The decision to appoint the task force comes after almost 70 years of debate within the association and the field about the role of master’s- trained individuals in psychology. Given the association’s policy that the doctorate is the minimum educational requirement for entry into professional practice as a psychologist, APA had not sought to accredit training programs in psychology at the master’s level. However, changes in the field led to a decision by the Council of Representatives to direct APA to develop an accreditation system for master’s programs in health service areas of psychology. In addition to Lichtenberg, the task force members are: Nadya Fouad, PhD William L. Hathaway, PhD Tammy L. Hughes, PhD Elizabeth Louis, MA David Lutz, PhD Jason Jared Washburn, PhD Valene Augusta Whittaker, PhD |