Models in Clinical Psy + prescription privileges

Question 1

What is the Science Practitioner Model?

Answer 1

-Practice with skill while being able to conduct and review research

-Clinician should be an academic and a healthcare professional

Question 2

PROS of Scientist-Practitioner Model

Answer 2

-Balanced in the theoretical and the practical
-Rooted in academia and research

Question 3

Combined professional-scientific training programs

Answer 3

These programs focus on training psychologists in a broader range of specialties, including counseling, clinical, and school psychology. The curriculum covers core areas in each specialty, allowing students to graduate with a diverse knowledge base. Graduates typically receive a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) and are trained to handle a wide range of practical applications. However, the broad training can also be seen as a weakness because it may lack depth in any single specialty. APA-accredited programs are available for this type of training.

Key Trends:

*	Alternative Psy.D. programs are becoming more popular.
*	The growing number of graduates from practice-oriented programs has led to some concerns about over-saturation of the job market.
*	There is also an issue with graduates struggling to find internships, with many applicants failing to secure positions due to oversupply.

Question 4

Professional regulation

Answer 4

in clinical psychology has evolved to protect the public by distinguishing between qualified practitioners and those who are not. This involves certification and licensing:

*	Certification: This is aimed at ensuring that only those with proven training and experience can practice clinical psychology. Certification processes typically involve examinations and a demonstration of practical competence.
*	Licensing: Licensing laws go a step further by legally regulating who can use certain titles, like “psychologist” or “therapist,” and what services can be offered to the public. The aim is to prevent unqualified individuals from practicing under misleading titles.

The text also discusses how certification and licensing protect the profession and the public but acknowledges the challenges, such as inconsistent requirements across states and the need for national standards. Additionally, there is mention of psychiatry lobbying to limit who can provide psychotherapy services.

Question 5

Prescription privileges PROS

Answer 5

• Can provide wider variety of treatments to a wider range of clients
• Increase in efficiency and cost-effectiveness of care
• Will give clinical psychologists a competitive advantage in the health care marketplace

Question 6

Prescription privileges CONS

Answer 6

• May lead to a de-emphasis of “psychological” forms of treatment
• May also damage clinical psychology’s relationship with psychiatry and general medicine
• At what point do prescriptions stop being for mental health?
• Patient records would need to be shared
• Lead to increases in malpractice liability costs

Question 7

3 Levels of Competency

Answer 7

Basic Pharmacology Training:
◦ knowledge of the biological basis of neuropsychopharmacology,
mastery of medications that are used and abused
Collaborative Practice:
◦ competence in diagnostic and physical assessment, drug
interactions, and drug side effects; hands-on training in
psychopharmacology
Prescription Privileges:
◦ Postdoctoral pharmacology residency
◦ Only then can one prescribe

Question 8

Implications for training and recruitment

Answer 8

Programs that seek to prepare psychologists for prescribing at a later point in
their career may screen out applicants that do not have a good foundation in
undergraduate courses in the physical sciences
◦ May change the very nature of the practice of clinical psychology as we know
it