SCUPS news bites of interest

Jack, You're accurate that most psychologists eschew psychometrics. I enjoy it; its a little like detective work. Its also a nice alternative to hassling HMOs.

Dave

 

Your numbers suggest that Fielding and SCUPS produce roughly comparable numbers of license exam candidates. Yet the statistics here indicate that California licensed 18 Fielding grads between 2001 and 2004, as opposed to only 6 SCUPS grads (also 3 ISU grads).

 

Well, gee, not knowing how many SCUPS grads applied for licensure makes it hard to compare...

Sounds like psych license applicants are fairly thin on the ground anyway...maybe SCUPS is actually MORE credible as a psych school than its law school performance would suggest?

 

Hi CalDog,

Yes, I saw that also. I expect that what seems like an inconsistency is a necessary v. sufficient issue. Some states require an interview with the Board in addition to taking the test(s). My guess is California has this provision and six SCUPS graduates successfully negotiated the EPPP, the Jurisprudence exam AND the interview to earn a license. Of the four states where I’ve been licensed two required an interview and two didn’t. I selected the EPPP data because it’s objective. The EPPP, at least when I took it, was 200 very difficult multiple choice items. The items are factual whereas the interview gets into what psychologists refer to as “case conceptualization” and clinical judgment.

Here’s the page for the data I summarized. It might be helpful if you’d care to double check or go back additional years.

http://www.psychboard.ca.gov/exams/examstats.htm

David

 

There are some people that are really good at it and we're lucky to have them around. We have recently discovered that we seem to have a higher than expected incidence rate of autism spectrum disorders and are working on initiating a testing protocol for this/these diagnoses. Our experience has been that insurance companies will only reimburse for testing (with prior approval, of course) if it is for the purpose of supporting a diagnosis. In this case we feel justified and are searching for the most suitable battery. Suggestions are always welcome. Thanks.
Jack

 

Autism/Asperger’s is out of my scope of practice although I’m aware of a spike in incidence. Other than a couple of years in child welfare post MSW my focus has been on geriatrics. Now if you want to look at something like, say, Lewy Body Dementia …

I’m starting to hear the term ‘assessment psychologist’ applied to those who make their living this way and it’s frequently but not always psychometrically-based. The people I know who do this work try to shy away from third party payers. Most have already been burned by HMOs. Some make a decent living doing Social Security disability assessment. One fellow likes court referrals for fitness to stand trial. Another gets work from the schools and some do custody work.

 

What about the Pacific Western, Newport and LaJolla Univ. grads that passed Psych. exam?

 

I have known a number of people who make their living this way. They tend to be very sharp, quick decision makers and they know a lot about the law, mental health and systems issues as well. In addition, you have to be able to put your thoughts on paper clearly and quickly. Not a small skill all by itself.
Jack

 

I have a strong suspicion that David knows a lot more about this than I do but I will offer a brief answer anyway.

I think that it's not substantially different than opening up a private practice with any particular specialization. You have to market your services, network, go to the right conferences, shake a lot of hands, give out lots of business cards, write a few articles for the local newspapers, etc.

In short, you have to build up a steady source of referrals. This requires that you adopt more of a business mentality so that people know that you and your services are available. Ther are lots of books around on how to establish a private practice. I've never done it but it seems to me that it's not entirely unlike starting any other sort of business.

Jack

 

Jack and Robb: I don’t do social security work but some of my friends do and what I have to pass along is anecdotal so here goes with that proviso. Business cards, glad-handing, and rubber chicken seems to be the coin of the realm for those in private, especially solo private practice with the exception of social security. It’s a bit like an HMO where you enroll in the panel and the local representatives send referrals. Unlike an HMO, however, you’re paid a fair rate and the check arrives in a reasonable amount of time. There are a couple of gotcha’s though (nothing’s ever easy): there’s a remarkably high percentage of no-shows and you only get paid for those who do. It slays me that people blow off their free money appointment. Those who do this work seem to be uniform in the belief there should be some soft of contingency for claimants who fail to show. Also, some states mandate that you identify a block of time and the agency, instead of the psychologist, schedules the appointment. The net effect is if there are no referrals that week you have down time outside your control. Another complaint I hear is that referrals can be inequitably distributed.

Robb, I sorta recall you mentioning you’re located in a state that lets school psychologists do private work outside the school system. I’m given to believe social security restricts access to licensed clinical psychologists but I could be wrong. I’d be interested to know what the policy is if you follow through.

For the interested reader unfamiliar with healthcare credentialing and practice applied psychology isn’t a monolith. Generally speaking school psychologists’ authority to practice is issued through the state department of education and clinical psychologists’ practice authority is issued by the agency that credentials healthcare providers (physicians, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, etc). Depending upon the jurisdiction the boundary may be porous where clinical psychologists have the endorsement to work in the schools and vice versa. Clinical psychology follows the medical model, so to speak in that we use DSM-IV/ICD9 diagnostic nosology and CPT codes for intervention. I haven’t a clue how assessments and interventions are classified in the schools. Robb, maybe you could elaborate?

 

As always, very informative. Thanks for the information David.
Jack

 

FWIW

Our Court system contracts through the state Department of Health for psychologists to do forensic testing of criminal defendants. The contracts run for a year and pay a certain amount for each eval.

I don't know what it pays, but there's never any shortage of psychologists bidding for the work.

 

David and Jack;

Thanks for the info. Very informative. In the schools in Iowa, we have a noncatagorical system. Students are only classified as disabled or non-disabled. This works fine as long as someone is school age but when it comes time to transition to adult services the (politically correct) noncat. system becomes a bit absurd because we have to provide some DSM diagnostic label for them to access services from agencies such as county services, social security, vocational rehabilitation etc.

 

Interesting news in SCUPS website..


SCUPS Degrees/Units Now Transferable to NCU, A Regionally Accredited University

Dr. Mark Rocha (PhD, USC), President of SCUPS, has announced an agreement with Northcentral University in Prescott, Arizona, through which units and degrees earned at SCUPS are fully transferable to NCU, a 100% distance education university with no residency and no attendance requirements. Northcentral University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information on Northcentral University, visit their website at www.ncu.edu. "We are pleased that Northcentral University has recognized the academic quality of our programs," stated Dr. Rocha. This partnership means that a new SCUPS student can get the best of both worlds: a California-approved degree at the lowest cost of any similar private university AND the opportunity to continue or complete one's education at a regionally accredited university. For full details of this partnership and the requirements for transferability of credits, please contact SCUPS Director of Admissions Lorrie Weiland directly at 1-800-477-2254, x8228, [email protected]

 

SCUPS and NCU and Capella and Walden

I have been searching around for a doctorate program in psychology and one that has a hint of human resource management incorporated into the program. I talked with a person at UIU about their degree. It is wonderful. The only thing is that with that doctorate, you can't sit for the exam for licensure as a psychologist hear in NC.

I have first hand knowledge of what SCUPS' clinical psych doctorate is all about. This is through my friend Tony who is enrolled in the program. It is an extremely rigorous program with barely enough time to complete all of the assignments that are turned in on a schedule. It is no fluff in this program. They teach the real deal and don't let you get by with errors in your work. Some of his pages come back red lined and he had to redo. They use the APA manual writing style for all written work.

Since SCUPS is partnering up with NCU, I am seriously considering trying to get into the psyd psych program. I know of three who have applied in the past. One was accepted, one was accepted with provisions (needed more courses) and one was flattly but nicely declined. She did get her application fee back. The school felt that she would do better to take some remedial courses in psych at the four year level again and to try to bring her grades up and brush up on own her psych skills.

Looking at the EEEP rates, Per graduate sitting for psych licensure as compared with the ratio of other schools, SCUPS is right up there with them.

Another thought to, the price is great. 210 per credit hour. Most others are three times that. I am jumping in this. If any of you are curious as to how it unfolds, just lt me know and I will share.

I think SCUPS is going to become regionally accredited in the near future. Dr. Rocha is said to be hard at work on this. I am glad the school has a superior person in place and that the other one stepped aside. We will see a new school arise.

 

Interesting post.

No, SCUPS will NOT be regionally accredited in the foreseeable future unless they discontinue their J.D. program. WASC will not accredit any California school that has offers a J.D. unless the California Bar accredits the law program first. CalBar shows no signs of extending accreditaton to any D/L program. Their regulations at present forbid it and changing those rules would be a significant, public undertaking.

 

I'm not sure that the JD program is the big holdup ... at least not the only one. I get the impression that the Western Association and the Southern Association are the two most unfriendly regionals when it comes to accrediting DL. Oh, there are some 100% DL programs in those regions ... provided they're attatched to a regular B&M school. And there may be some primarily DL schools ... provided their programs have some residency requirement. But I would be highly interested if anyone could show me a 100% DL program offered through a 100% DL school accredited by the Western Association and/or the Southern Association. Now, when you think about it, does it make much sense to move Southern California University outside of California just to find a nicer accreditor like maybe the North Central Association? Well, let's see here. I think moving Southern California University outside of California would tend to make one look rather a bit geographically illiterate and perhaps a bit millish. Hence, the creation of the sister school Northcentral University in Arizona, which is under the North Central Association's jurisdiction. Just my $0.02.

 

Re: SCUPS and NCU and Capella and Walden

 

Be SURE SCUPS' degree will do for you!

The state-by-state restrictions on licensure alone should give the potential SCUPS Psy.D. student pause.

SCUPS J.D. holders who become California lawyers (there must be SOME, right?) can eventually qualify for Bar admission in some twenty other states by gaining practice experience. But more than half of all states are forever closed to SCUPS law grads.

I imagine that the situation is similar (or worse) for psychologists.

I don't say that it SHOULD be this way; only that it IS this way. Reality bites, sometimes.