Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (San Francisco)

Program Description/Overview

This program prepares students to function as multifaceted clinical psychologists through a curriculum based on an integration of psychological theory, research and practice. The program is a practitioner-oriented program.  The program provides a strong generalist foundation in health service psychology, emphasizing the applications of theory and research to practice. We educate and train students to use multiple methods of assessment and intervention, working with diverse populations across many settings and in changing contexts. Our local clinical scientist-practitioner model focuses on applying empirically derived knowledge to work with individuals, families, groups, and local communities, as well as using practice-based evidence to enhance assessments and interventions.  The curriculum has four major areas of study: foundations of psychology, clinical and professional theory and skills, applied clinical research, and professional growth and ethics. Students take required courses and select practica sites to meet breadth requirements in a choice of approximately 100 clinical placement opportunities. Internship is the final year of placement and can be anywhere in the country.

Emphasis/Concentration/Tracks

The PsyD program requires a solid foundation in the theory and practice of clinical psychology for all students. Much of the initial phases of the curriculum address the basic areas of clinical psychology consistent with the guidelines of the American Psychological Association. Building upon this strong foundation, students in a Track select special sections of courses to begin preparation for their future professional roles. Tracks focus on one or more of the following variables: special populations, specific problems, identified theories and techniques, and specific settings. As described below, Tracks require students to enter the Track at the beginning of their program, and remain in the Track for the duration of the program (or petition to transfer out of the Track). There are a maximum number of students who can be in any one Track (approximately 13), so it is important to indicate your wish to be in a Track during the application process, either on the application form, or after your interview when you have had a chance to learn more about the Tracks. Those not enrolled in a track may take course/sections of a track if space allows after priority enrollment for track students.

Child and Family Psychology Track (C/FT)

The Child and Family Track is designed for PsyD students who want to apply systems theory to their work, and who intend to dedicate their careers to working primarily or exclusively with children, adolescents, families, and systems. In the Child and Family Track, about 50 percent of the student’s coursework and field training focuses on child and family issues, with the remainder focusing on adult-clinical and general psychology. This focus is achieved by having C/FT students together in special sections of already required courses. Ability to work with diverse family constellations and demographics is emphasized.

Applicants interested in being considered for the PsyD Child and Family Track will indicate their interest at the time of application or shortly thereafter, and will be asked to write a brief statement of interest. Those unable to be accommodated in the track due to space limitations may still take courses in the C/FT, if space permits after accommodating the Track students.

Social Justice Psychology Track (SJT)

This track is designed for students who wish to have a concentrated area of study in the provision of mental health services to historically underserved and culturally diverse populations. In the Social Justice Track a substantial portion of the student’s training will focus on understanding concepts of power, privilege, and oppression, and their application on micro (individual)-and macro-systemic levels of intervention. Faculty affiliated with the track have expertise in working with racial-ethnic minorities, in gender studies and LGBT issues, in disability, and in community based interventions and research. Students in the SJT are expected to disseminate their dissertation results to the community in which they conducted their research.

Applicants interested in being considered for the Social Justice Track will indicate their interest at the time of application and submit a one paragraph statement of interest. Students take selected sections of required courses. Space in the Track is limited, but those interested students unable to be accommodated may still take courses in the SJT, as space allows after SJT students are accommodated. The track begins in the first semester, and students are committed to remain in it until completion of the program. If students’ career goals or interest change, they must formally petition to transfer out of the track.

Integrated Health Psychology Track (IHT)

Integrated Health Psychology is focused on the psychological and behavioral aspects of physical and mental health, specifically how biological, environmental, cultural, social, cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors impact health and illness. Additional factors related to health, illness, and/or disability include the health care system, health care policy, and access to and quality of health care providers. Students in this area may want to work in settings that are interdisciplinary, primary care settings, behavioral health, pain management clinics, agencies serving specific populations with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Some courses beyond the 120 units required may be necessary to develop knowledge and skills in this applied area.

Students interested in Integrated Health Psychology are introduced to this emerging field which deals with the important psychological, behavioral, and social concomitants of physical symptoms, chronic and life threatening illness, and rehabilitation as well as speaks to the mid-body connection in mental illness. Faculty have interests in health across the lifespan; ethical issues in medical and mental health care and policy; positive aging; health care disparities; the impact of exercise on health; stress management; mindfulness; substance abuse; children, parents and families with disabilities; collaboration with medical professionals; models of disability; telehealth provision in primary care settings; complex trauma and neurophysiologically informed interventions for complex trauma; risky health behaviors of adolescents; increasing diversity in the health workforce; clients with chronic illnesses or disabilities; cultural-specific health and health care access issues.

Applicants interested in being considered for the Integrated Health Psychology Track will indicate their interest at the time of application or shortly thereafter, and will be asked to write a brief statement of interest. Those unable to be accommodated in the track due to space limitations may still take courses in the IHT, if space permits after accommodating the Track students.

Students combine relevant core or elective coursework, professional training placements, and research that develop knowledge, attitudes and skills in preparation for advanced specialized education and training in postdoctoral programs and/or entry level positions in health psychology.

Program Learning Outcomes/Goals

The program’s overall aspirational aim is to educate professional clinical psychologists who bring critical thinking and active problem solving skills to bear on human problems and who are able to intervene effectively, using multiple methods of evidence based assessment and intervention with diverse populations, across many settings, in changing and evolving contexts. This aspiration is supported by the development of nine professional competencies as delineated by the Commission of Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.   

Profession Competency

Competency I: Research

Students must demonstrate substantial discipline specific knowledge in research methods, quantitative methods, and psychometrics. Students who successfully complete programs accredited in HSP must demonstrate knowledge, skills, and competence sufficient to produce new knowledge, to critically evaluate and use existing knowledge to solve problems, and to disseminate research. This area of competence requires substantial knowledge of scientific methods, procedures, and practices.

Students are expected to:

1. Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.
2. Conduct research or other scholarly activities.
3. Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

Competency II: Ethical and legal standards

Students are expected to respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence across levels of training.

Students are expected to demonstrate competency in each of the following areas:

1. Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
   1. the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct;
   2. relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the
   3. organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and
   4. relevant professional standards and guidelines.
2. Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.
3. Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

Competency III: Individual and cultural diversity

Effectiveness in health service psychology requires that trainees develop the ability to conduct all professional activities with sensitivity to human diversity, including the ability to deliver high quality services to an increasingly diverse population. Therefore, students must demonstrate knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skills when working with diverse individuals and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal background and characteristics. The Commission on Accreditation defines cultural and individual differences and diversity as including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

Students are expected to demonstrate:

1. an understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves;
2. knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service;
3. the ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability to apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
4. Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.

Competency IV: Professional values and attitudes

Students are expected to:

1. behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others.
2. engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.
3. actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
4. respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.

Competency V: Communication and interpersonal skills

Students are expected to:

1. develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.
2. produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.
3. demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.

Competency VI: Assessment

Students demonstrate competence in conducting evidence-based assessment consistent with the scope of Health Service Psychology.

Students are expected to demonstrate the following competencies:

1. Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
2. Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and
3. guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.
4. Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.

Competency VII: Intervention

Students demonstrate competence in evidence-based interventions consistent with the scope of Health Service Psychology. Intervention is being defined broadly to include but not be limited to psychotherapy. Interventions may be derived from a variety of theoretical orientations or approaches. The level of intervention includes those directed at an individual, a family, a group, an organization, a community, a population or other systems.

Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to:

1. establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services.
2. develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
3. implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
4. demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.
5. modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking,
6. evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.

Competency VIII: Supervision

Supervision involves the mentoring and monitoring of trainees and others in the

development of competence and skill in professional practice and the effective evaluation of those skills. Supervisors act as role models and maintain responsibility for the activities they oversee.

Students are expected to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.

Competency IX: Consultation

Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills are reflected in the intentional collaboration of professionals in health service psychology with other individuals or groups to address a problem, seek or share knowledge, or promote effectiveness in professional activities.

Students:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
2. Demonstrates knowledge of consultation models and practices.

Training Model

The PsyD program is a Local Clinical Scientist Practitioner program and was initiated at the San Francisco campus starting Fall 1991, after moving from Alameda. The goal of the program is to educate professional clinical psychologists who bring critical thinking and active problem solving skills to bear on human problems. They use their familiarity with local communities and cultural groups to guide culturally appropriate practice, assessment, program evaluation, and research. Students are educated and trained to be able to intervene effectively using multiple methods of assessment and intervention, working with diverse populations, across many settings, and in changing and evolving contexts. Our Local Clinical Scientist Model focuses on applying empirically derived knowledge to work with individuals, families, groups, and local communities. The model also utilizes practice-based evidence to enhance assessments and interventions.

The program subscribes to the belief that effective professional psychologists must be aware of and responsive to the broader social and cultural contexts in which they function. Thus, students must attain proficiency in providing services to individuals of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. To achieve this goal, we infuse multiculturalism throughout our entire curriculum, offer courses focusing on diverse populations, and provide clinical training experiences that provide exposure to a range of populations. Effects of power differentials, prejudice, oppression and discrimination on individuals, families, and communities are part of our culturally-informed training.

The standard curriculum is four years, including at least one summer. However, students may extend their time over five years, which allows students to do a supplemental practicum to gain additional hours and be more competitive when applying to internships. An additional year also allows students to take additional courses, complete the dissertation, or take two half-time internships. (Note that while the required courses can be stretched out to fit the five-year “moderated” plan, any additional courses not required by the program are not eligible for financial aid.)

Professional Behavior Expectations/Ethical Guidelines

Students are held to the standards of the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (www.apa.org/ethics/code/) from the time of acceptance of admission.

Licensure

All psychologists who offer direct services to the public for a fee must be licensed or certified by the state in which they practice. Applicants for licensure in the state of California must hold an earned doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, education with a specialization in counseling psychology, or education with a specialization in educational psychology from an approved or accredited educational institution. They also must have completed 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience (of which at least 1,500 must be postdoctoral) and have taken and passed the national Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) and the California Psychology Supplemental Examination (CPSE). In addition, students must submit evidence of having completed coursework in human sexuality, child abuse, substance abuse, spousal abuse, and aging and long-term care which may not occur within the program requirements. Continuing education is required to maintain the license. CSPP doctoral course requirements are designed to fulfill the programmatic requirements for licensure in California.

Every state has its own requirements for licensure. Therefore, it is essential that all Clinical PsyD and PhD students who plan to apply for licensure in states other than California contact the licensing board in those states for information on state requirements (e.g., coursework, practicum and internship hours, supervision, or nature of the doctoral project or dissertation). Students seeking licensure in other states should plan ahead to ensure they meet all of those states’ requirements.

For further information on licensure in California or other states contact:

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards
PO Box 241245
Montgomery, AL 36124-1245
(334) 832-4580
Email: asppb@asppb.org

or

California Board of Psychology
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1400
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 263-2699
Email: bopmail@dca.ca.gov

or

Practice Directorate American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
(202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org

Programmatic Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA) and publishes the following outcome data as required by APA:

1. Time to Completion
2. Program Costs
3. Internship Placement Rates
4. Attrition
5. Licensure

Please visit our website to view the data.

Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street NE

Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Internship, Practicum, and/or Dissertation Information

By the end of the program students will have a minimum of one year of clerkship (year 1), two years of practicum (years two and three) and one full-time internship (final year). Students may elect to do an additional year of supplemental practicum prior to internship. Beginning in the first year and throughout the program, field training placements are paired with a required course, to integrate classroom learning with practical experience (Introduction to Professional Psychology in year 1, Clinical & Ethical Issues in year 2, and Advanced Clinical Seminar in year 3). The selection of professional training (practicum) placements for each student is guided by:

1. CSPP’s requirement for a broad range of diverse and rigorous professional training experiences;
2. CSPP’s commitment to education and training in multicultural competence;
3. The rules and regulations of the California Board of Psychology, the body charged with the licensing of psychologists in the State of California; and
4. The American Psychological Association’s criteria for practicum and internship training.

The primary criteria used in selection and approval of placements are the quality and rigor of the training experience and the supervision provided for the student.

Students from the San Francisco campus are placed in agencies throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Solano counties, and in programs serving diverse populations including people with disabilities, African American, Asian American, Latino, European Americans, Native Americans, and LGBT populations. Additional placements are located in some counties outside the immediate Bay Area, including Napa, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, San Benito, and Yolo counties. Type of settings vary and include community mental health clinics, primary care settings, VA’s, schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, other forensic settings, adult outpatient services, neuropsychiatric institutes, infant-parent programs, child and adolescent guidance clinics, college counseling centers, family service agencies, general community agencies, residential treatment centers, pediatric psychology programs, school-based settings, and substance abuse treatment centers.

The student trainee or intern, the field placement site, and the Office of Professional training sign a three way agreement at the outset of the student’s practicum or internship. As part of this agreement, face to face individual supervision provided by a licensed supervisor is required on a weekly basis.  Should a student fail to attend weekly supervision it is expected that the supervisor will notify the Supervisory Faculty Liaison assigned to the site. In addition, students receive evaluations from supervisors twice a year. This is another opportunity to receive feedback about meeting obligations.

After three years of practica placements, students on the four-year plan begin the required pre-doctoral internship in the fourth year. Full-time (40 hours per week for 9-12 months) APA-accredited internship options are pursued through the national selection process. We require students to prepare for and apply to APA accredited internships. Students may petition for an exception to this policy; exceptions are granted only for significant and compelling reasons. If the petition is granted students may apply for APPIC-accredited or California-based internship programs that are members of the California Psychology Internship Council (CAPIC) and approved by the CSPP faculty. Note that there are a few half-time APA-accredited internships, and students may complete two half-time internships in lieu of one full-time internship.

Students on the five-year moderated plan may take a supplemental practicum in their fourth year and an internship in their fifth year. Since supplemental practicum is not a requirement, it is not eligible for financial aid. Therefore students receiving financial aid who elect this option are advised to plan their course sequence to hold over some required courses for the fourth year. The requirements for the internship are the same as in the paragraph above.

Research Training

All students complete a clinical dissertation, which includes an empirical portion (i.e., data collection). The PsyD dissertation is meant to demonstrate the student’s ability to think critically about clinical and social issues and to make appropriate use of scientific knowledge and psychological research in professional practice. Several features of the dissertation are required for all students. They must include a synthesis and analysis of existing literature relevant to a psychological topic; the development of the student’s own ideas, and research questions or hypotheses. We require an empirical portion i.e., there must be data collected and analyzed. However, the types of clinical dissertations that are acceptable have a wider range than the typical PhD dissertation. In addition to a “typical” dissertation, a PsyD student might instead focus on a case study for the dissertation; develop a videotape; design an intervention program for a specific population; conduct a survey, program evaluation or interviews; field test new diagnostic criteria, compare results of assessments in two languages; write a children’s book focusing on skills (e.g. mindfulness) or situations (e.g., a parent with bipolar disorder); do a content analysis of a biography. Dissertations may be quantitative or qualitative studies. Thus there is a wide range of possible types of dissertations. What unites them is the focus on furthering practice, inclusion of empirical data, and cultural awareness and sensitivity in all aspects of the dissertation from literature review to discussion of implications.

In the four-year plan, students begin work on their clinical dissertations in the second year in a small cohort with an instructor, who often becomes the dissertation chair. The dissertation committee comprises the chair (a core faculty member) and two additional members. There are milestones in the dissertation process. The first milestone is development of a proposal and passing proposal orals. The proposal is an introduction to the topic, an integrated literature review, and a methods section. Passing proposal orals is required for students to be allowed to apply for internship. The second milestone is the dissertation defense. This comes after completion of the proposed project, the addition of a written results and discussion chapters, and the dissertation defense with the committee. To graduate in four years, students begin the dissertation in the second year, pass proposal orals in the spring of the second year, complete the dissertation in the third year, and go to internship in the fourth year. Many students are still working on the dissertation in the fourth year, but completion by the end of the internship still allows graduation at the end of the fourth year. However, once students start the dissertation they must remain enrolled in research proposal or dissertation units until they complete the dissertation. Note that twelve units of proposal/dissertation are required (six units in the G2 year, six units in the G3 year). Any units beyond the twelve units is extra, not part of the standard program, and thus not eligible for financial aid. Dissertation proposal orals must be passed prior to being allowed to apply for internship, and is concurrent with Advancement to Candidacy.

In a five-year moderated plan in which a student elects to do a supplemental practicum, the student may still begin the dissertation in the second year and continue to work on it in the third (and potentially fourth) year. However, some students are not ready to select a topic and begin the kind of in-depth synthesis and conceptualization by the beginning of their second year, and such students may elect to wait until their third year to begin the dissertation process. A student may also decide to wait to begin their third year for financial reasons in planning for a moderated, 5-year plan.

Credit Units

Total Credit Units: 120

Total Core Credit Units: 118

Total Elective Credit Units: 2

Total Concentration Credit Units: N/A

Degree Requirements

1. Writing Proficiency Assessment: please refer to the Writing Proficiency Assessment  requirement in the Academic Policies section for more information.
2. Passage of the Statistics Diagnostic Exam (taken during orientation or prior) or Four-Saturdays review sessions in September/October of the G1 year and passage of the subsequent post-test. In the event of failure of the post-test an additional four sessions of tutoring will be required.
3. Preliminary Examinations (Passing both exams is required for Advancement to Candidacy):
   1. Assessment Preliminary Examination taken in August at the end of the first year, following completion of Psychological Assessment I, II and III sequence;
   2. Clinical and Ethical Preliminary Examination taken at end of second year (June).
4. Advancement to Candidacy is required before applying to internship.
5. Clinical Proficiency Progress Review (CPPR), taken at the end of the third year, must be passed before graduation.
6. Personal growth and professional training psychotherapy requirement: 30 hours of personal psychotherapy with a doctoral level licensed clinician is required before graduation.
7. Attendance of at least one professional conference that is eligible for CE’s for psychologists.

Prerequisite Courses

If a student does not have a BA/BS degree in psychology (a master’s degree will not fulfill this requirement) nor an official test score report indicating a score in the 80th percentile or better on the GRE Psychology Test, students must have completed coursework in the following four areas with a grade of “C” or better:

1. Statistics
2. Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology
3. Experimental Psychology/Research Methods in Psychology
4. Physiological Psychology, Learning/Memory, Cognitive Psychology or Sensation/Perception

Emphasis/Concentration/Track Requirements

Curriculum Plan

Please note that similarly numbered courses with the same course title (e.g., PSY6011 and PSY6012 or PSY6121 and PSY6122) represent year-long courses (Fall/Spring).

Gainful Employment

For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program, please visit https://www.alliant.edu/media/gainful-employment-disclosure/Doctor_Psychology_Clinical_Psychology.html.