Spring Vol. 3, Iss. 1
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CoPGTP has gone international! p. 10 CoPGTP Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 1 Spring 2011 Editor: Andrew L. Heck, Psy.D., ABPP Chair’s column Geropsychology Specialty Daniel L. Segal, Ph.D. Council University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Bob G. Knight, Ph.D. It is my pleasure to write my first Chair’s Column University of Southern California for this new edition of the CoPGTP newsletter. One organizational aspect of geropsychology These are exciting times for our organization and being declared a specialty is that we now have a for professional geropsychology as a whole. One specialty council and a seat on the Council of significant development in the field is that Specialties (CoS). The professional geropsychology Professional Geropsychology has been approved specialty includes Bob Knight from CoPGTP, by APA’s Commission for the Recognition of Cameron Camp from Division 20, Douglas Lane Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional from 12/2, Tammi Vacha-Haase from PLTC and Psychology (CRSPPP) as a recognized specialty Patricia Arean from CONA. Knight is the area in professional psychology. Interestingly, we representative from our council to the Council of are the first specialty approved since 2002, and Specialties. The CoS meets about four times a year and discusses issues related to specialties in continued on page 2 psychology. The CoS is a collaboration between APA and ABPP. They are currently reviewing our I NSIDE T HIS I S S U E training guidelines in geropsychology and will vote later in the year on whether to recommend 1 Chair’s column that Accreditation add postdocs in geropsychology to the list of specialties in which 1 Geropsychology Specialty Council postdoc programs can be accredited. 3 Student Representative’s report The geropsychology council is also exploring with 4 GPEP at UCCS the member groups whether they endorse and 5 Geropsychology ABPP survey will provide financial support for applying to have geropsychology become an ABPP specialty. The 7 Shortage of trained professionals members of our council are going back to their 9 Internship match report for 2011-2012 training year respective boards concerning this issue. ABPP has indicated several times since we were approved 10 Treasurer’s report by CRSPPP that they would welcome an 10 Membership report application from us. Ψ 10 Member list 11 Recent member publications Training snapshots: Look for these boxes throughout this newsletter showcasing creative and unique approaches to training from fellow 12 About CoPGTP member programs! CoPGTP Newsletter Spring 2011 P a g e | 1 continued from page 1 we will be up for renewal in 2017. This important colleagues and students who want to learn more recognition is the culmination of many years about geropsychology. work from many leaders in our field. There are at least three implications of this status: the Another sign of progress for geropsychology and approved specialty may encourage more our organization is that CoPGTP is a member of professionals to train in geropsychology, specialty the Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC). status may aid in lobbying efforts for more Michele Karel attended the last three CCTC funding to train geropsychologists to serve older meetings as our representative, and it is vital that adults, and specialty status enhances the basis geropsychology is represented and “at the table” for an application to the American Board of as the major training councils tackle the big Professional Psychology. We are pursuing this issues in our field. Another exciting development latter opportunity with expected collaboration is that our organization has gone international. from the other major geropsychology We recently welcomed as a member the organizations (see article in this newsletter for University of Queensland where some of our further details). A definition of Professional geropsychology colleagues in Australia are based. Geropsychology has also been approved and It seems to me that the time is ripe to further the posted on the APA website collaborations between geropsychology training (http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/ger programs in the US and abroad, and this is a good o.aspx ). In case you have not seen it, I am step in the right direction. We have updated our providing it here for your easy reference: website to be more explicitly inclusive of training programs in other countries and are identifying “Professional Geropsychology is a specialty in and reaching out to several programs. Due to the professional psychology that applies the trend toward greater proportions of older adults knowledge and methods of psychology to in many countries across the globe, the need for understanding and helping older persons and geropsychologists is indeed an international their families to maintain well-being, overcome issue. problems and achieve maximum potential during later life. Professional geropsychology One of the joys of serving on the CoPGTP Board is appreciates the wide diversity among older the opportunity for us to give our awards to our adults, the complex ethical issues that can arise deserving members. As such, I wanted to make in geriatric practice, and the importance of sure you were aware of two award opportunities interdisciplinary models of care.” that we provide each year with the goal to support and share what members are I am glad to see the last point included about accomplishing in training and research. The first interdisciplinary care since this is an area in which award is the CoPGTP Award for Innovative geropsychology has had a long and rich tradition, Geropsychology Training and the second one is and is an increasingly important aspect of the CoPGTP Research Award for Geropsychology practice for many psychologists. The APA website Training. The call for both awards was recently also provides information about specialized issued via our email list, and I hope many of you knowledge, problems addressed, populations consider applying for one of these. It is easy for served, and skills and procedures utilized in many of us to get caught up in the silos of our professional geropsychology. This can be a good individual courses, research projects, and clinical starting point for education about our field to assignments, and so I especially enjoy learning continued on page 3 CoPGTP Newsletter Spring 2011 P a g e | 2 continued from page 2 about the pioneering training experiences and completing a practicum placement at the St. research projects that so many of you are Louis VA. developing. We will feature both award winners and their respective projects in the next One of my goals as student representative is to newsletter this year. help foster connections among graduate students with interests in geropsychology. To On a final note, it looks like our Annual Meeting facilitate this goal, we are introducing a new (all members invited) will be during the 2011 Student Spotlight section in the CoPGTP GSA conference in Boston in November. This newsletter that will feature current dinner meeting is a wonderful opportunity to geropsychology trainees. I would like to invite connect with geropsychology friends, get graduate students currently attending CoPGTP updated abut current initiatives and issues in member and affiliated programs to submit a brief geropsychology, bask in the glow of the award (250-300 word) bio summarizing their graduate winners for this year, and enjoy a nice dinner training and professional interests. We hope to together. We will select the specific date and highlight one student in the next issue of our location soon. I look forward to seeing you in newsletter. I hope that you will consider this an Boston, and I thank you sincerely for the exciting opportunity to showcase your work and opportunity to be part of the leadership of this introduce yourself to other geropsychology terrific group. These are indeed exciting times trainees and professionals. Submissions may be for professional geropsychology. Ψ emailed to Andrew Heck at [email protected] . Student Representative’s With the most recent APPIC internship match report completed, the CoPGTP board members and I are also interested in understanding more about the Alexandra Zaleta, M.A. Washington University at St. Louis application experience for clinical Greetings from St. Louis! I would like to take this geropsychology graduate students. We are opportunity to introduce myself as the 2011 organizing a brief poll of our graduate programs CoPGTP student representative. I am currently and training sites to better characterize trends in a fourth year doctoral student in clinical geropsychology internship placement, which will psychology at Washington University, where I soon be emailed out to CoPGTP programs. I have been studying under the mentorship of would like to encourage students who have Brian Carpenter, Ph.D. My research interests either recently completed the internship include patient-physician communication and application process, or who are applying during the psychological challenges posed to the next match cycle, to submit suggestions that individuals coping with Alzheimer’s disease and might help us to develop additional resources to other neurodegenerative disorders. My recent better guide geropsychology students through projects with Dr. Carpenter have evaluated the this process. Please email any ideas or questions [email protected] I look forward to serving process of disclosing a dementia diagnosis to to Ψ patients and caregivers, as well as their you in the coming year! subsequent psychological adjustment and understanding of the diagnosis. I am currently Visit CoPGTP’s website: in the process of developing my dissertation and http://www.uccs.edu/~cpgtp/ CoPGTP Newsletter Spring 2011 P a g e | 3 psychotherapy using a strategic, short-term, GPEP at UCCS solution focused model to older adults who are Grant funding improves and expands psychology training receiving primary care services at the medical in integrated care clinic. Due to our longstanding collaboration with Daniel L. Segal, Ph.D.