The University’s Clinical Psychology program recently received an initial five-year accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA). The program is one of three tracks in the Health Psychology Ph.D. Program; it accepted its first class in 2005.
The accreditation process entails a thorough review of the program, faculty and students and includes a lengthy self-study and intensive site visit. Accredited programs meet the highest standards in professional psychology training articulated by APA and best prepare graduates for the variety of roles psychologists currently perform, including in-service delivery, research and education.
Amy Peterman, director of clinical training for the program, said that the initial accreditation efforts were led by George Demakis, the prior clinical training director and current professor of psychology and health psychology. She noted obtaining accreditation is an important step. “It will open up even more doors than before for our students. Some clinical internships sites will not accept students from a non-accredited program. Our faculty are extremely excited about the expanded opportunities that accreditation will provide our students and graduates.”
Currently, the program has 15 students in residence, five students on pre-doctoral internship throughout the United States and six graduates. Of the graduates, two are licensed, employed full time, and provide mental health services in Charlotte and the surrounding regions. Four have post-doctoral fellowships at prestigious institutions, such as the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and the University of Michigan Health Psychology Consortium. Information about the program is on the Web.