By Alex M. Siegel

1. Alex M. Siegel, J.D., Ph.D.
Association of State and Provincial
Psychology Boards (ASPPB)
1

2.  Requirements for Licensure or
Registration
 Tips for Obtaining Initial Registration
or License
 Licensure Mobility
 Helpful Resources
2

3.  Canada - by province/territory
◦ 10 Provinces
◦ Northwest Territories
 United States - by state/territory
◦ 50 States
◦ Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam
◦ District of Columbia
3

4.  Association of State and Provincial
Psychology Boards
◦ State/provincial/territorial psychology regulatory
boards/colleges in the United States and Canada
◦ 64 member jurisdictions
◦ Services to licensing boards, applicants for
licensure/registration, licensed psychologists
◦ Goal is to be the international source of
information and offer model programs on
regulation of psychologists
4

5.  Graduate degree in psychology
 Supervised professional experience (SPE)
◦ 1500 to 6000 hours of SPE
 Examinations
◦ Examination for Professional Practice in
Psychology (EPPP)
◦ Jurisprudence and/or Ethics Exam
◦ Oral Examination
Requirements vary across jurisdictions 5

6. Academic Program
Practicum
Dissertation/Thesis…
Internship
Graduation
Postdoctoral Experience
Testing
Licensure
6

7.  Most (49) states require a doctoral degree for
licensure as a Psychologist
 One (1) state (West Virginia) requires a masters
degree for licensure as a Psychologist
 Two (2) jurisdictions also license at masters level
for independent practice, different title:
 Oregon: Psychological Associate
 Vermont: Psychologist - Master
7

8.  Three jurisdictions (BC, MB, ON)
◦ Psychologist: doctoral degree
◦ Psychological Associate: masters degree
 Six jurisdictions (AB, SK, NS, PE, NL, NWT)
◦ Psychologist: doctoral or masters degree
 Two jurisdictions (QC, NB) have changed from
masters to doctoral degree
◦ QC currently requires doctoral degree
◦ NB will require doctoral degree in 2011
8

9.  Must be a recognized psychology program
(accredited or designated)
 Specific courses may be required
 CPA/APA accredited doctoral program
may meet all degree requirements
9

10.  41.31(5)
 First time applicants who were enrolled in
doctoral program prior to March 23, 1991will
have their educational credentials evaluated
under regulations in effect at that time.
 If apply under 41.42(b)[reapplication] will
have credentials evaluated under regulations
in effect at time of reapplication
10

11.  Old 41.31(b) prior to June 30, 2008
 REQUIREMENTS
 Education
 1) Program Director completes the
Verification of Doctoral Program Approval
Status reflecting APA or CPA Accreditation or
 2) Program has ASPPB/NR Designation or
 Within 1 year from the award of Doctoral
Degree
11

12.  Must demonstrate applicant’s satisfactory
completion of core, specialty, practicum and
internship:
 1)Recognized Sequence within the overall
program or department
 2) Comprises Integrated, Organized Sequence
of Study
 Ethics
 Research Design and Methodology
 Statistics and Psychometrics
12

13.  Competence in 4 Substantive Content Areas:
 Biological Bases of Behavior
 Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior
 Social Bases of Behavior
 Individual Differences
 Specialty Courses, Practicum, Internship
 At least 60 graduate hours of above
13

14.  Each degree candidate complete a minimum
of two consecutive academic semesters as a
matriculated student physically present at the
institution grating the degree
14

15.  If apply under 41.42(b) will have their
credentials evaluated under the regulations in
effect at the time of reapplication
15

16.  41.31(4)
 First time applicants who enrolled in a
graduate degree program in psychology or
field related to psychology on or after July
1, 2008 will be evaluated under theses
regulations.
 MUST BE FROM APA or CPA ACCREDITED OR
 ASPPB/NR DESIGNATED PROGRAM
16

17.  Two years (3,000 hours) of supervised
experience typically required, usually one
of these must be postdoctoral
17

18.  Some states include APPIC most don’t
 Some states include APA most don’t
 Advantage of APPIC Member/APA
accredited is program has been peer
reviewed and said to meet minimal
standards
 Have some recourse if problems
18

19. Hours Number of Jurisdictions
•2000 11
•1900 2
•1800 6
•1750 5
•1600 1
•1500 14
19

20.  Practicum Hours NOT Counted
 (OLD)Predoc Internship:
 supervised training for at least 450 hours
 learning activities for an average of 2 hours a
week
 Interact formally and informally with psychologist
and other trainees
 For 1 year and include at least 1500 hours with
25% (375 hours) in direct patient contact and no
more than 25% in research
 Part time for two year half time

20

21.  New Regs do not define internship
requirements since it is part of the doctoral
program requirements.
21

22. Hours Number of Jurisdictions
•3000-4000 3
•2000 9
•1900 2
•1800 6
•1750 4
•1600 3
•1500 15
•1000 1
•1 year 6
•None 3
22

23.  POST DOC (old)
 1500 hours is defined as a year (37.5 weeks)
 At least one half of experience in direct
services
 MUST BE SUPERVISED BY A PSYCHOLOGIST
HOLDING CURRENT LICENSE
 SUPERVISOR MEETS INDIVIDUALLY FOR AN
AVERAGE OF TWO HOURS A WEEK
 MAY DELEGATE 1 HOUR
23

24.  1) INDEPENDENT PRIVATE PRACTICE AS A
QUALIFIED MEMBER OF ANOTHER
RECOGNIZED PROFESSION
 2)INDEPENDENT PRIVATE PRACTICE AS A
CERTIFIED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
 3)PRACITICE AS AN INDEPENDENT
CONTRACTOR
24

25.  New 41.32
 Shall complete 1 year of acceptable post doc
supervised experience
 First time applicants who commence post doc
as of December 6, 2010;
 1) 1 year is calculated as at least 12 months
consisting of 1750 hours
 2) no more than 45 hours and no less than
15 hours may be counted each week
 3) At least 50% direct services
25

26.  1) experience is obtained for each entity for a
minimum of 6 consecutive months
 2) experience occurs for a minimum of 15
hours per week at each setting
 3) total experience for all settings does not
exceed 45 hours
26

27.  Acceptable Experience
 1) practice at entity consistent with
psychologist’s education and training
 2) No experience may be obtained if
psychology resident acts independently
27

28.  All experience must be obtained under
supervision of a primary supervision
 Primary – if obtained from more than 1
supervisor, hall have a primary supervisor at
each entity.
 Delegated- may delegate supervision for up
to 1 hour per week
28

29.  Examination for Professional Practice in
Psychology (EPPP)
◦ Published by ASPPB; copyright
◦ 200 multiple choice items on knowledge base
essential for independent practice 225 total
questions 25 are pretest
◦ Computer administered at local site
throughout calendar year, 4 hour and 15 min
◦ Candidate must be approved by regulatory
board/college to take exam
29

30.  Jurisprudence and/or ethics examination
required in several jurisdictions (may be
oral or written)
 PPLE in PA. 30 questions on law and regs
 Oral examination of practice competence
required by less than half of the
jurisdictions (Competency-Laws-Interview)
30

31.  Measures broad general, foundational
knowledge for all psychologist
 Content validity supported by periodic
Practice Analyses
 criteria for item inclusion:
 Entry level knowledge
 Protection of the Public
31

32.  BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR (12%)
 COGNITIVE-AFFECTIVE BASES BEHAVIOR (13%)
 SOCIAL & CULTURAL BASES BEHAVIOR (12%)
 GROWTH & LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT (12%)
 ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS (14%)
 TREATMENT, INTERVENTION, PREVENTION
AND SUPERVISION (14%)
 RESEARCH METHODS & STATISTICS (8%)
 ETHICAL/LEGAL/PROFESSIONAL ISSUES (15%)
32

33.  Numerous studies have supported reliability
& content validity of EPPP
 Data suggest preparation beyond 200 hours
yields diminishing returns
 Data suggest best time to take EPPP within 3
years of graduation
 In PA, regs now will allow applicant’s to take
EPPP after doctoral degree and during post
year. Do not have to wait until after post doc
anymore
33

34.  There are easy and hard version“The Monster”
 Items not related to what psychologist do
 Pretest questions are clumped at the
beginning
 Majority of candidates fail
 See Myths vs. Reality of EPPP brochure
 At www.asppb.net
34

35.  Doctoral degree first-time takers: 83%
 APA/CPA accredited graduates: 78%
 NON APA/CPA graduates: 53%
 APA/CPA/APPIC internship: 80%
 No APA/CPA accredited/APPIC: 54%
 My impression for the last 12 years in PA are
similar to the national numbers
35

36.  The process of licensure
◦ Licensing differences in jurisdictions
◦ Resources
 EPPP and other examinations
◦ Resources
 Ways to practice without a license
◦ SPE
◦ Clinical Research
 Accessing Information
◦ Be careful with listserv information
36

37.  Select a recognized/accredited training
program
 Follow standard/prescribed curriculum
(don’t seek waivers, special considerations)
 Select recognized internship/post doctoral
placement with established history,
multiple supervisors, etc.
37

38.  Identify jurisdiction(s) of interest & research
licensure requirements (note variations and seek
to meet most stringent)
 Deposit your credentials in recognized credentials
bank
 Prepare to take the EPPP (content
outline, practice tests, retired questions, review
courses, study groups)
38

39.  On-line Practice EPPP
 Practice EPPP at Prometric Sites
 Information for Candidates Brochure
(includes content outline & weightings)
 Handbook of Licensure Requirements &
Directory of Member Jurisdictions & their
laws & regulations
 Items from Previous EPPP Exams
39

40. Electronically Stored record of:
 University transcripts
 Supervised experience
 Work experience
 Examination Performance
 Reference letters
ASPPB provides primary source verification so
you should never have to retrieve these
materials again.
40

41.  Apply to State Board of Psychology for
licensure at www.dos.state.pa.us/psych
 Go to Board Applications
 Complete application if all requirements met
 OR if taking EPPP prior to post doc
 Board reviews credentials
 If Board approves credentials then it will give
you the ASPPB email asppb.net to use PsyIMS
to register for the EPPP.
41

42.  Series of form to collect applicant
background and contact information
 For accommodation, submit documentation
 Candidates either pay on line with credit card
or can mail certified check or money order
 Cost $450, plus administrative fees
42

43.  PES sends Pa Board letter that candidate
completed forms and fees.
 Board approves
 PES sends Authorization to Test letter to
candidate to schedule exam at Prometric
location of candidate’s choice
 Must sit for exam within 60 days
 Bring ID to test site
 Results twice a month to Board then to
candidate
43

44.  Board sends candidates name to test service
(PSC) and PSC sends out application to take
the PPLE
 Candidate pays fee
 Candidate schedules the exam
44

45.  If pass both exams and completed all
requirements Board sends
 LICENSE TO THE NEW PSYCHOLOGIST
 If take EPPP and PPLE during post doc year
then when complete post doc have post doc
supervisor complete form and send letter of
recommendation
 LICENSE TO NEW PSYCHOLOGIST
45

46.  For those already licensed/registered with no
disciplinary sanctions
 Mechanisms to facilitate mobility:
◦ Certificate of Professional Qualification
◦ Reciprocity Agreement
◦ Mutual Recognition Agreement
 Interview and jurisprudence exam may be
required
46

47.  Most new practitioners will relocate at least once in
their career
 Slight variations in registration and licensure
requirements can become huge obstacles later (e.g.
intern hrs)
 Documenting supervised experience, course
content, etc. becomes more difficult over time
 Licensing/registration boards can not accept
personal copies of documents because of possible
fraud
 Training programs, internship sites
close, supervisors and their records disappear
47

48.  Program of ASPPB
 Individual must meet requirements for
CPQ
 Includes credentials bank feature
 Low cost to obtain & maintain
Licensure Mobility
48

49.  Accepted by 39 jurisdictions in Canada & United
States
 7 more jurisdictions in the process of accepting
the CPQ for licensure
 9 more jurisdictions recognize the CPQ for
licensure
49

50.  Jurisdictions in Canada:
AB, BC, MB, NS, ON, QC
 Jurisdictions in the United States:
AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, HI, ID, K
Y, LA, MI, MS, MO, ND, NV, NE, NH, NM, N
C, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, UT, VT, VA
WV, WI, WY
50

51.  These jurisdictions have “voted” to
accept the CPQ, and are in the process of
making legislative or administrative
changes necessary for implementation.
 Jurisdictions in Canada
NB, PEI, SK
 Jurisdictions in the United States
AK, ME, MN, SD
51

52.  These jurisdictions may waive at least one
licensure requirement for applicants who
hold an active CPQ for a minimum time
period as specified by the licensing board.
 Jurisdictions in Canada: NL
 Jurisdictions in the United States
IA, MD, MA, MT, NJ, TN, TX, WA
52

53. 53

54.  11 jurisdictions (2 provinces, 9 states)
 Jurisdiction must meet requirements of
Agreement to participate
 Psychologist licensed with no disciplinary
sanctions in one participating jurisdiction
may seek registration/licensure in
another participating jurisdiction
54

55.  Jurisdictions in Canada
MB, ON
 Jurisdictions in the United States
AR, KY, MO, MS, NV, NH, OK, TX, WI
55

56.  National Register  ABPP
56

57.  Canada:
◦ 10 provinces and Northwest Territories
 Various recognition mechanisms
 Principal recognition mechanism is registration
or licensure based on:
◦ evaluation of core competencies
◦ evaluation of foundational knowledge
57

58. ◦ Information about the Licensing Exam
◦ Practice Examinations & Sample Items
◦ Information about Licensure Requirements
 Handbook of Licensing and Regulations
 Contact Information for Registration Boards
 Links to Laws & Regulations in Every Jurisdiction
◦ ASPPB Credentials Verification Program
◦ Mobility Mechanisms
58

59. Legal Issues and Legislative Updates
Handling Legal and Ethical Dilemmas &
Avoiding Disciplinary Action
Professional Conduct & Discipline in
Psychology (APA Books)
Trends in the Profession
Prescription Privileges
Tele-practice
Distance Education
59

60. Website: www.asppb.net
Telephone: 1-800-448-4069
E-mail: asppb@asppb.net
60

61.  Ams119@aol.com
 www.dos.state.pa.us/psych
61

62.  Good luck on your
journey to licensure
 Questions, Comments,
Concerns
62