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Models of Training in Clinical
Chapter 1:
Lesson 3
Current Issues in
Clinical Psychology
Models of Training in Clinical
Psychology
A. The Scientist-Practitioner Model
▪ a.k.a. The Training Model/ AKA
Boulder Model
➢ integrates Science and Clinical Practice
▪ Idea: Practitioners who can produce
as well as consume research
▪ Debate: Psychologists split in two
groups
➢ Clinical Practice & Research
➢ Resulted in the Psy.D. degree
Psychology
Professional Regulation
Private Practice
Prescription Privileges
Culturally Sensitive Mental Health
Services
Ethical Standards
B. The Doctor of Psychology
(Psy.D.) Degree Model
▪ emphasis on development of clinical
skills
▪ de-emphasis on Research
▪ Master’s Thesis: not required
▪ Dissertation: a report on a professional
topic instead of an original research
idea
▪ Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs similar
until 3rd year
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Models of Training in Clinical
Psychology
C. Professional Schools
▪ no affiliation with universities
➢ autonomous w/ own financial and
organizational frameworks
➢ free standing or for-profit schools
➢ faculty members are chiefly clinically-
orientated
▪ emphasis is on clinical not research
orientations
▪ admission is higher compared to
traditional university-based program
Models of Training in Clinical
Psychology
❑ Graduate Programs: Past & Future
▪ Mid 1960s
➢ shifts from university-based academic jobs to
jobs in private practice occurred
▪ 1973
➢ Vail Training Conference resulted in
endorsements of Alternative Training Models
▪ Some feel there may be oversupply of
Practice-oriented Psychologists
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D. Clinical Scientist Model
▪ empirically oriented clinicians feel that clinical
psychology is not well grounded in Science
▪ Resulted in the Academy of Psychological
Clinical Science
▪ Academy affiliated with American
Psychological Society (APS)
▪ Primary Goals
➢ Training geared to careers in clinical science
research
➢ Advancing full range of clinical science research &
theory and integrating that w/other sciences
➢ Foster timely dissemination of clinical science to
policy makers, psychologists, consumers, etc.
➢ Development of and access to resources &
opportunities for training, research, funding, &
Clinical science careers
➢ Application of clinical science to human problems
Clinical Scientist Model
▪ Possible Trends that May Effect the
Training Models
➢ oversupply of Practice-oriented
Psychologists
➢ Managed Health Care likely to affect the
demand for Clinical Psychologists in the
future as well as the Curriculum in
Training Programs
➢ undersupply of academic and research-
oriented clinical psychologist
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Professional Regulation
▪ to protect the public interest by
developing standards of competence
▪ CERTIFICATION
➢ Weak Form of Regulation
✓ Does not prevent persons from offering
counseling as long as “Psychologist” title is
not used nor term used to describe services
➢ Can not call oneself Psychologists unless
they have been certified by a state board
of examiners
➢ Involves an Exam consisting of review of
training and professional experience
Private Practice
❑ Independence and Economics
▪ Psychiatric Profession opposed clinicians
from going into private practice
▪ Psychiatrists accepted the new legal
status accorded to clinicians
➢ which means that more insurance plans
became operative
❑ Health Care Revolution
▪ Managed Health Care is an integrated
approach to financing and delivery of health
car profession opposed clinicians from going
into private practice
➢ new system = new definitions of what
constitutes psychological treatment
➢ treatment will not be terminated rather
interrupted after client’s progress evident
➢ Master’s-level practitioners and
paraprofessionals became much cheaper
for same services
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▪ LICENSING
➢ Stronger Form of Legislation than
Certification
➢ Describes & defines title and requires
training
➢ includes an exam
➢ American Board of Professional
Psychology (ABPP)
▪ offers certification of professional competence
▪ candidates must have 5 years postdoctoral
experience
➢ National Register
▪ Type of Self-certification
▪ include those who are Licensed/Certified in
their own states
▪ Individuals submit their name and Pay to be
listed
Prescription Privileges
▪ “prescriptive authority”
▪ controversial issue
▪ PROS
✓ provide wider variety of treatments and treat wider
range of clients
✓ May increase in efficiency and cost-effectiveness of
care for patients needing both therapy and meds
✓ competitive advantage in health care
▪ CONS
✓ deemphasis of “psychological” forms of treatment
because meds are faster acting and more profitable
than psychotherapy
✓ May damage clinical psychology’s relationship with
psychiatry and general medicine
• conflicts resulting in lawsuits
✓ Increased Malpractice liability costs
✓ Financial burden of modifying training programs
and licensing laws
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Culturally Sensitive Mental ❑ S. SUE (1998)

Health Services ▪ advocated that psychologists
demonstrate cultural competence

❑ APA (2003) 1. Scientific-mindedness

▪ guidelines on multicultural education,
training, research, practice, and 2. Dynamic sizing
organizational change for psychologists
➢ commitment to cultural awareness and
3. Culture-specific expertise
knowledge of self & others as cultural
beings
➢ importance of multicultural sensitivity
➢ integrate multiculturalism & diversity into
education and training
➢ importance of culture in research and
clinical work

Ethical Standards ❑ PRIVACY and CONFIDENTIALITY

▪ Be clear and open about matters of
confidentiality and the conditions under
which it could be breached
❑ COMPETENCE ▪ Tarasoff I
▪ training must be represented accurately ▪ Tarasoff II
▪ present themselves correctly/regard to ▪ Each state has different standards
training and all other aspects of
competence
▪ should not attempt treatment/assessment ❑ HUMAN RELATIONS/ CLIENT
procedures for which a practitioner lacks WELFARE
specific training/supervised experience ▪ activities which can lead to exploitation of
▪ be sensitive to treatment/assessment and harm to client
issues ✓ sexual activities
✓ employing a client
✓ selling a product to a client
✓ becoming friends with a client after
termination of therapy