INTERNSHIP ATTAINMENT AND PROGRAM POLICIES: TRENDS IN APA‐ACCREDITED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAMS

Abstract

Completion of an internship that is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) is considered to be to the “gold standard” for health service psychology training programs. The Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) facilitates a Match process between participating applicants and internship programs. The current study aggregated data from across all APA‐accredited school psychology training programs to determine trends in internship types that students completed and programmatic requirements that might influence those trends. The study showed that 20% of students are completing internships of unknown quality. Further, participation in the Match and subsequent success in matching to an APA‐accredited or APPIC‐member internship were more likely to occur for students from programs that required or encouraged students to participate in the Match, had a firm deadline for dissertation proposals (with earlier deadlines being more successful), and were flexible in their policies regarding when students could complete a (600‐hour) school‐based organized field experience. There was considerable variability within programs, suggesting that students from the same program may have different training experiences with unknown implications. These data provide a foundation for school psychology organizations and trainers from school psychology programs to discuss standards for determining quality and strategies for supporting students who desire to pursue APA‐accredited internships.