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 from 2009 until graduating in 2015. 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. 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. 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 clinic experiences focused on childhood disorders including anxiety, externalizing, and autism spectrum, 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.

For my final year of graduate training, I obtained a predoctoral clinical internship (program requirement) at Marcus Autism Center/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Following graduation, I obtained a postdoctoral position at Duke University Medical Center, and am currently a medical instructor at Duke University Medical Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. I became licensed as a clinical psychologist in 2016 including successfully passing the EPPP. Throughout these experiences that included other students or alumni from other highly regarded training programs, I saw 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 very 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.