I fully support the petition for the addition of Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) as an accreditor of doctoral degrees in psychology to educational qualifications for licensure eligibility: Regulation 18VAC125-20-54.

I had the privilege of attending the Clinical Science Ph.D. training program in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech. The clinical practice aspect of the training program provided me with a foundational and broad skill set such that I am able to provide research-supported assessment and intervention services. My primary starting point for practice training was a comprehensive evidence-based assessment including conceptualization and diagnosis for psychological disorders, as well as problems in living and relationships. With a working formulation and diagnosis, an empirically supported treatment was the starting point for developing a treatment plan with clear goals and initiating an agreed-upon intervention. Progress on treatment goals were continually measured through a variety of standardized routine outcome measures. The VT clinical science program emphasized evidence-based assessment and intervention through in-residence coursework in adult psychopathology and intervention, child psychopathology and intervention, psychological clinical assessment for adults and youth, and ethics.

The practicum training sequence utilized a set of developmentally-based competencies in the general areas of professional conduct, ethical conduct, assessment, interviewing, relationship skills, case conceptualization skills, intervention and treatment skills, supervision, and consultation, along with individual and cultural differences. Throughout training, I was provided group and individual supervision. My first two years (and a total of three out of the four year program) of practicum experience was in the Psychological Services Center (PSC), the program’s in-house, community-based training clinic. Throughout the first two years, I was under the direct, live, and close supervision of a faculty supervisor and an advanced practicum student. The practicum experiences themselves were graded in complexity, moving from didactics, role playing, observation of advanced students, and/or co-therapy to one highly supervised case with a client, and then to multiple assessment and/or treatment cases. A third level of professional functioning was with the external ‘externship’ practicum. The externship involved a placement at the University of Central Florida Anxiety Disorders Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Deborah Beidel and a placement at Catawba Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Yoon Jung. In my fourth year, I returned to the PSC to obtain additional psychotherapy training experiences and obtain supervisory experience working with less advanced practicum students.

In addition to the standard clinical core courses and practicum sequence, I was able to gain further supervised experience with evidence-based assessment measures and protocols through several specialized assessment clinics. In this capacity, I received extensive training and experience in diagnostic formulation, case conceptualization, comprehensive and integrated report writing, feedback to clients and/or parents, and consultative procedures. My assessment clinics experiences focused on childhood disorders including anxiety, externalizing, and autism spectrum disorders, or adult disorders particularly attentional, learning, anxiety, depression, and/or personality problems. Each assessment center had a dedicated clinical faculty member responsible for its mission, operations, and supervision.

I was able to obtain an internship (program requirement) at the Durham VA Medical Center, postdoctoral position at the VA VISN 6 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clincal Center (MIRECC) and the Durham VA Medical Center, and currently an appointment as an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida. I was able to get licensed as a psychologist including successfully passing the EPPP. Throughout these experiences that included other students or alumni from other highly regarding training programs, I was able to see that I was extremely well trained and prepared to gain advanced clinical training, become licensed, and to practice psychology. In addition, given my extensive training in research, along with gaining experience in supervision and teaching, I feel quite prepared to contribute to the advancement of science in practice, the development and dissemination evidence-based practices, and the training of future clinical psychologists. In sum, I strongly believe that a PCSAS accredited program, such as Virginia Tech, more than adequately prepares its students to be effective clinical psychologists.