Technology is a core competency in professional psychology

In the years following, the development of the core competencies for professional psychology (Fouad et al., 2009), technology has rapidly evolved and integrated into many aspects of professional practice and health care service delivery. This increased utilization of technology for core psychological functions, such as the delivery of psychotherapy, substantially expanded with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and barriers to in-person services due to health risks. The American Psychological Association (APA) Telepsychology Guidelines (Joint Task Force for the Development of Telepsychology Guidelines for Psychologists, 2013) establish aspirational guidelines for the use of technology in psychological service delivery, and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2017) specify requirements for competent practice, including a reference to the use of technology. However, there are currently no competency guidelines or training expectations specific to technology use in health service psychology. As such, this article presents the rationale for establishing technology competency as a core foundational competency for health service psychologists.

Understanding the biological basis of behavior: Developing evidence-based interventions for clinical, counseling and school psychologists

This book is an introduction to the biological basis of behavior, broadly defined, with practical applications for higher education programs that focus on advances in neuroscience. It has a special focus on training practitioners based on American Psychological Association (APA) health service psychology guidelines. It reviews and digests information for clinical, counseling, and school psychologists serving clients of all ages in a variety of settings, such as schools, hospitals, and clinics. Content for all developmental stages, including birth to geriatric practices are highlighted. This book will help health service psychologists and counselors to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population by providing cutting-edge, evidence-based, ecologically valid neuropsychological interventions currently lacking within the field. Cultural considerations are provided within each chapter, which is especially important given societal inequity that continues to persist within our world. Implications for the COVID-19 pandemic are also discussed in light of neuroscientific advances in medicine. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Rapid Transition to Telepsychology: Health Service Psychology Trainee Responses Amidst a Global Covid-19 Crisis From an Ecological Perspective

COVID-19 has come with widespread changes, adjustments, challenges and fears among healthcare providers of all kinds. Health Service Psychology (HSP) training sites across the nation have had to adjust to telepsychology services, some with prior experiences, and others for the first time. This article examines the perspectives of HSP doctoral trainees from one university across counseling, clinical, and school psychology trainees in terms of the adjustment to telepsychology services. Using an ecological approach, trainees were probed for personal and interpersonal components, attitudes toward telepsychology as well as reflections on clinic preparedness, supervision, and professional competency. The included responses may inform future direction of training sites, training rotations at healthcare settings, and implementation of telepsychology services. Public Significance Statement This study focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the counseling services provided by health service psychology (HSP) doctoral students. Using an ecological framework, this study suggests that factors at the individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels affected the rapid transition to telepsychology, and trainee readiness. Accordingly, there are several recommendations for improving preparedness of future trainees.