Doctoral Psychology Internship Program Earns 10-year Reaccreditation

The doctoral psychology internship program in the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH) has received a 10-year reaccreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA) Commission on Accreditation.

Jennifer Lexington, coordinator of the internship program and interim coordinator of CCPH training, said the long-term reaccreditation is the highest honor the commission can bestow.

The program has been continuously accredited since 1979, but had not been reaccredited for more than seven years. The 10-year term is new to APA. Lexington called it “a major affirmation for us.”

The CCPH doctoral intern program is highly selective, each year choosing three interns for the yearlong training from 60-100 applicants from across the nation. An internship is a requirement for psychologists to be licensed in most states. Most interns in CCPH program go on to careers in college mental health, she said.

Lexington was an intern in the program 13 years ago and has coordinated the training since 2011. “It is a great honor to be selected here,” she said.

The awarding of reaccreditation followed a nearly two-year process involving the participation of virtually all psychologists on the staff. “The standards in our field change on a fairly constant basis,” she said. The program goal is to teach “best practices in training and treatment and meet the ever-changing needs and demands of the students.”

“This is a wonderful environment to work in,” she said. “So much hope, so much opportunity.”

CCPH services include: workshops and consultations; crisis intervention; brief (generally 3-5 sessions) individual, couples and group therapy; behavioral medicine; medication management; psychological assessment; suicide prevention training; campus consultation and education; and community referrals.