ASSESSING COMPETENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY LICENSING OF PSYCHOLOGISTS

ASSESSING COMPETENCE IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY LICENSING OF PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE UNITED STATES & CANADA JAMES E. MADDUX DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WELL-BEING GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY JMADDUX@GMU. EDU

START WITH FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LICENSING OF PROFESSIONALS OF ANY KIND? DOCTOR? DENTIST? LAWYER? HAIRDRESSER? MASSEUSE?

Purpose of Licensure Protect the public BY Limit. ING practice to qualified PERSONS. BY ESTABLISHING STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT. AND PUNISHING violat. ORS of standards of professional conduct BUT. . WHAT IS A “QUALIFIED” INDIVIDUAL? HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO IS “QUALIFIED?

WHAT “QUALFIED” PSYCHOLOGIST MEANS IN THE US DOCTORAL DEGREE—PHD OR PSYD. EDUCATION—SPECIFIC COURSWORK (APA ACCREDITED PROGRAM OR EQUIVALENT). SUPERVISION CLINICAL EXPERIENCE (PRE- AND POST-DOCTORAL—USUALLY 3000 HOURS) KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHOLOGY REGULATIONS IN SPECIFIC STATE. PASSING SCORE ON THE EXAMINATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY—EPPP MAYBE PASSING AN ESSAY EXAM. MAYBE PASSING AN ORAL EXAM.

WHAT DOES LICENSING REGULATE IN THE U. S. ? 1. 1. USE OF THE TERM “PSYCHOLOGIST” CERTAIN “PSYCHOLOGICAL” ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES. ACCEPTING DIRECT FEE FOR SERVICES.

BUT WHO ELSE CAN DO PSYCHOTHERAPY? SOCIAL WORKERS—LICENESED WITH MASTER’S DEGREE. MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS— LICENSED WITH MASTER’S DEGREE. PSYCHIATRIC NURSES—LICENSED WITH MASTER’S DEGREE.

IT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND THE US CONSTITUTION LIMITS POWERS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. GIVES A LOT OF POWER TO STATES & PROVINCES PRO— 50 + 10 LABORATORIES FOR INNVATION CON—DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP CONSENSUS AND CONSISTENCY

FOR THIS REASON. . . A NATIONAL LICENSING LAW WAS NEVER REALLY A POSSIBILITY LEFT TO RESPONSIBILITY OF STATES AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Historical Development Rapid growth of the practice of psychology after ww 2 Greatly expanded training opportunities, e. g. , through funding from the us Veteran’s Administration Growing concerns in us & canada regarding standards of professional practice of psychology Needed consistency National governments had no power to act.

FROM ACCREDITATION TO LICENSURE EARLY 1940 s—STATES BEGIN CONSIDERING CERTIFICATION OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND REGULATION OF PRACTICE LOOKED TO APA ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES TO DEVELOP REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE. 1945—CONNECTICUT—FIRST STATE CERTIFICATION LAW 1946—VIRGINIA—FIRST STATE TO REQUIRE A PHD

Entry to Independent Practice: U. S & Canada Most (49) states require a doctoral degree for licensure as a Psychologist Canada & EU—master’s only is enoug. H. One (1) state (West Virginia) requires a masters degree for licensure as a Psychologist Two (2) states also license at masters level for independent practice, different title: Oregon: Psychological Associate Vermont: Psychologist – Master 11

1967—APA GUIDELINES FOR LICENSURE MOST STATE LAWS BASED ON APA ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES GOOD EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT. 1. REQUIRE DOCTORAL DEGREE FOR LICENSURE (FIRST SUGGESTED IN THE 1920 s) 2. APA ETHICAL PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE WRITTEN INTO STATE LAW 3. EXEMPTIONS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS IN INSTITUTIONAL & ACADEMIC SETTINGS.

1940 s & 1950 s—GROWING NEED FOR CONSISTENCY IN LICENSE REQUIREMENTS CONSISTENCY NEEDED ACROSS THE STATES AND PROVINCES. U. S. & CANADA ARE MOBILE SOCIETIES. LIMITED POWERS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS. NO NATIONAL LICENSING LAW IN U. S. OR CANADA BUT—A LOT OF VOLUNTARY COORDINATION AMONG THE STATE (US) AND PROVINCIAL (CANADA) PSYCHOLOGY LICENSING BOARDS.

November 1959 meeting in Chicago decided • Written exam needed to ensure adequate knowledge for practice • An organizational structure necessary to oversee development of an exam • The American Association of State Psychology Boards (AASPB) was formed, with 29 charter members • Held first meeting in 1961 • later changed NAME to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) (ONTARIO JOINED)

1961—ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND PROVINCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BOARDS (ASPPB) FORMED BY THE PSYCHOLOGY BOARDS OF A NUMBER OF US STATES AND ONTARIO. GOAL—BRING SOME CONSISTENCY TO LICENSING LAWS IN THE US AND CANADA. FORUM FOR SHARING IDEAS

ASPPB MISSION STATEMENT To enhance services and support its member jurisdictions in fulfilling their goal of advancing public protection by: Offering examination & credentialing programs. serving as the source for the current and accurate information about the regulation of psychologists. contributing to the critical consumer protection perspective in the on-going development of the profession.

FIRST TASK—STANDARDIZED TEST OF BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHOLOGY. WHAT INFORMATION IS NECESSARY FOR THE COMPETENT AND ETHICAL PRACTICE OF PSYCHOLOGY? . EXAMINATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY—EPPP. EXAMPLE OF INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOMETRIC TRADITION. GOALS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, CONSISTENCY, OBJECTIVITY, FAIRNESS. MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM: WHY? PROS? CONS?

Historical & Current Developments • First form of EPPP administered IN 1965 to 27 candidates in eight states. (B. F. SKINNER WROTE ITEMS FOR FIRST EXAM) • By 1978 4000 candidates were being tested each year • In 2012 5400 candidates were tested in 62 jurisdictions in U. S. & Canada.

Purposes of the EPPP Assist licensing boards in evaluating candidates for licensure Ensure that licensed psychologists have acquired a broad, basic knowledge of psychology. ENSURE SOME CONSISTENCY ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. Never intended as the only measure of readiness for practice

EPPP USED IN ALL US STATES AND CANADIAN PROVINCES. FRENCH VERSION IN QUEBEC & SPANISH VERSION IN PUERTO RICO MAINTAINED AND ADMINISTERED BY A PRIVATE, NOT -FOR-PROFIT COMPANY. REVIEWED AND REVISED AT VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT BY ASPPB EXAMINATION COMMITTEE, WHICH MEETS TWICE YEARLY. CONSISTS OF TEN MEMBERS FROM THE US AND CANADA REPRESENTING EXPERTISE ON THE VARIOUS DOMAINS REPRESENTED ON THE EXAM.

EPPP 175 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS. CONTENT IS THE RESULT OF A PERIODIC SURVEY. THOUSANDS OF PRACTICING PSYCHOLOGISTS WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO THEY BELIEVE IS NECESSARY FOR COMPETENT PRACTICE? GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY EXAM, NOT JUST CLINICAL Computer administered at local sites throughout calendar year Candidate must be approved by regulatory board/college to take exam Fee = $500?

EIGHT MAJOR DOMAINS (CLOSELY MATCHING APA ACCREDITATION GUIDELINES) 1 -BIOLOGICAL BASES OF BEHAVIOR (12%) 2 -COGNITIVE-AFFECTIVE BASES (13%) 3 -SOCIAL & MULTICULTURAL BASES (12%) 4 -DEVELOPMENTAL (12%) 5 -ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS (14%) 6 -TREATMENT & PREVENTION (14%) 7 -RESEARCH METHODS & STATISTICS (8%) 8 -ETHICAL & LEGAL ISSUES (15%)

Developing the EPPP - II ITEM-DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TEAM OF ITEM WRITERS ALWAYS WRITING ITEMS. Pro-exam assembles pretest items into domains. Pro-exam assembles examination forms Examination Committee (Ex. C) reviews & revises pre -test ITEMS. Ex. C reviews & revises examination forms Examinations administered Pro-exam and Ex. C review pretest and test question statistics

Central Guidelines Item tests knowledge important for entry level practice. Knowledge of the item content relevant to protection of the public • Would not knowing this information cause less competent practice that might result in harm to the public? items should be based on: • Current research or • Best practice, preferably with research base The content of the test helps to define the field of professional psychology

Research on the EPPP Numerous studies supporting reliability & validity of EPPP Data suggest best to take EPPP within 3 years of graduation Correlation education and performance on EPPP Those with more or better education perform better on the EPPP Those rated more highly by faculty and supervisors do better on the EPPP The correlations in scores between the various areas (domains) are high

CONTENT VALIDITY: PRACTICE ANALYSIS Practicing psychologists surveyed and focus groups What do entry level. KNOWLEDGE DO psychologists need to know? What knowledge is important for protection of the public?

Most Recent Practice Analysis 4 Task Force Meetings, April 2008, Nov. 2008, July 2009, and Nov. 2009. 2 rounds of independent subject matter expert reviews (30 reviewers) 2 focus panels to refine delineation (Aug. -Sept. 2008) Large-scale validation survey of 8, 000 psychologists 2 focus panels and additional interviews to explore competency assessment

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. . . HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO OR DIFFERENT FROM HOW COMPETENCE FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IS DETERMINED IN URUGUAY? PROS & CONS?

EPPP CONTROVERSIES IS A MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM A GOOD WAY TO DETERMINE COMPETENCE? DOES THE CONTENT TRULY REFLECT WHAT A PRACTITIONER NEEDS TO KNOW? NOT ENOUGH “CLINICAL” CONTENT. NOT SUFFICIENTLY BASED ON RESEARCH.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT BIG QUESTION MISSING. . . • DOES THE EXAM PREDICT COMPETENCE AS A PRACTITIONER? • HOW WOULD YOU DO THIS? • HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE YOUR OWN COMPETENCE?

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