Announcement: Seeking Delegates for Geropsychology Training Conference
A National Conference on Training in Professional Geropsychology is planned for June 8-11, 2006 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Psychologists with experience related to geropsychology training, practice, and/or research are encouraged to apply to serve as at-large conference delegates. The purpose of this conference is to develop aspirational educational models at the doctoral, internship, post-doctoral, and post-licensure levels for training psychologists with specialized preparation for providing psychological services to older adults. It is expected that approximately 15 at-large participants will be invited to participate in this working conference. These at-large participants will be joined by representatives of specific stakeholder groups. At-large delegates will be selected to ensure adequate representation across specialty areas, work settings, training roles, career stage, geographical region, and gender, age, and cultural background. Additionally, student representatives will be selected at the graduate, internship, and postdoctoral levels.
Invitees will be expected to cover the cost of travel and lodging with their own funds or those of their sponsoring organization. A scholarship fund will be available for students and, if funding allows, for other psychologists.
Applications should include a one-page statement of potential contributions to the training conference and a vita. Materials should be submitted electronically to the chair of the selection and invitation committee Forrest Scogin, Ph.D. (fscogin@as.ua.edu) by February 1, 2006.Selections will be announced by March 15, 2006. Questions can be directed to the chair of the committee or Michele Karel, Ph.D.(Michele.Karel@va.gov) co-chair of the training conference.
National Conference on Training in Professional Geropsychology Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of the conference?
The goal of this conference is to develop aspirational educational models at the doctoral, internship, postdoctoral, and post-licensure levels for training psychologists with specialized preparation for providing psychological services to older adults. The conference outcome will be publication of training models describing the components of and pathways for obtaining professional geropsychology training, which should serve as useful tools for training programs and individual psychologists alike.
When and where is the conference?
The conference will be held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from June 8 to June 11, 2006, at the Antlers Hilton in downtown Colorado Springs. Participants will be expected to arrive by Thursday evening, June 8, for an opening reception. The conference work will formally begin Friday morning, June 9, and conference work will formally end by noon on Sunday, June 11.
Who is sponsoring the conference?
The conference is co-sponsored by APA Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging) and Division 12, Section II (Society of Clinical Psychology, Section on Clinical Geropsychology). We are seeking additional co-sponsors/support from organizations that have an interest in Geropsychology training, including other APA Divisions, Psychology training organizations, other Geropsychology professional organizations, and Foundations. The conference planning committee includes 14 representatives from Division 20 and/or Division 12, Section II, all of whom are active in Geropsychology training as well as practice, research, and/or administration. The conference committee co-chairs are Bob Knight, Ph.D. and Michele Karel, Ph.D.
Why have this conference now?
Many factors converge to suggest the critical need for a focus on geropsychology training at this time: the rapid growth of the older adult population; the projected increased rate of mental disorders - and anticipated receptivity to mental health services - among upcoming cohorts of older adults (baby boomers); and the shortfall of psychologists trained to provide geropsychology services (Jeste et al., 1999; Qualls et al., 2002). Professional geropsychology has been growing over the past 25 to 30 years. APA-convened conferences in 1981 and 1992 helped define the knowledge base and professional skills for the field (Santos & VandenBos, 1982; Knight, Teri, Wohlford, & Santos, 1995). In 2003, after over a decade of effort by the 1992 conference group, the Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults were developed and approved as APA Policy (APA, 2004). The continued development of professional geropsychology requires the elaboration and publication of training models, with input from constituents representing a range of training interests and expertise. A national training conference will achieve this goal; examples of similar previous conferences are the Hilton Head Conference in child clinical psychology and the Houston conference in neuropsychology.
Who will attend the conference?
The conference participants will include 40-50 delegates. Delegates will include those representing particular invited organizations, "at-large" delegates who have been invited to apply via broadly distributed e-mail announcements, and the conference planning committee. The goal is to have delegates who broadly represent interests and expertise in Geropsychology training, with representation across specialty areas, work settings, training roles, career stage, geographical region, as well as gender, age, and cultural background. We seek a total of six student representatives - two each from graduate, internship, and postdoctoral levels.
What is the format of the conference?
After introductory background remarks, participants will form working groups to address a range of questions related to Geropsychology training. Working groups will address: (1) models of training at graduate, internship, postdoctoral, and post-licensure levels, (2) models of training to address geropsychology competency areas (APA, 2004), and (3) various educational pathways for developing geropsychology competencies. Working groups will have facilitators and recorders, and recommendations from each group will be compiled to inform overall conference recommendations.
What is expected from conference delegates?
Delegates are expected to review background information that will be forwarded prior to the conference, and to attend all working meetings. Delegates have no obligations after the conference. The planning committee will take responsibility for writing up and disseminating conference outcomes.
What is the role for students?
Student delegates will participate in the conference working groups and have the same expectations as other delegates. (As above, we seek a total of six student representatives - two each from graduate, internship, and postdoctoral levels.)
What is the cost for delegates to attend the conference?
Costs include travel to and from Colorado Springs, and lodging at the Antlers Hilton (estimated $139/night, plus taxes). All meals will be provided to participants, with the exception of one dinner; participants will be free to find their own dinner on Saturday night.
Is there financial support for delegates?
Some delegates will represent particular organizations, which will fund their travel and lodging costs. Student delegates will be covered through the conference budget. Other at-large delegates are expected to fund their own travel and lodging costs. Depending upon ongoing fund-raising efforts, we may be able to establish a scholarship fund to allow non-student psychologists to apply for support, but this is NOT guaranteed.
References
American Psychological Association (2004). Guidelines for psychological practice with older adults. American Psychologist, 59, 236-260.
Jeste, D.V., Alexopoulos, G.S., Bartels, S.J., Cummings, J.L., Gallo, J.J., Gottlieb, G.L. et al. (1999). Consensus statement on the upcoming crisis in geriatric mental health: Research agenda for the next 2 decades. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 848-853.
Knight, B.G., Teri, L., Wohlford, P., & Santos, J. (Eds.) (1995). Mental health services for older adults: Implications for training and practice in geropsychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Qualls, S.H., Segal, D., Norman, S., Niederehe, G., & Gallagher-Thompson, D. (2002). Psychologists in practice with older adults: Current patterns, sources of training, and need for continuing education. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 435-442.
Santos, J.F., & VandenBos, G.R. (Eds.) (1982). Psychology and the older adult: Challenges for training in the 1980's. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
