Colleagues,
Especially with the recent recognition of Geropsychology as a Specialty area of practice, we want to encourage programs that provide geropsychology training consistent with the Pikes Peak model to consider joining the Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP). Thanks for your consideration, and don’t hesitate to contact any of our Board members with questions, per this announcement.
-Michele Karel
DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE GEROPSYCHOLOGY TRAINING?
PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING!!
CoPGTP is an organization of programs providing training in geropsychology. It is committed to promoting excellence in training in professional geropsychology and to supporting the development of high quality programs at the graduate school, internship, postdoctoral fellowship, and post licensure levels. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we would like to invite qualified geropsychology training programs to apply for membership in the council. CoPGTP grew out of the June 2006 Geropsychology Training Conference which produced the Pikes Peak Model of Geropsychology Training. As a member you will support our efforts to foster high quality geropsychology initiatives. For example, we have developed a geropsychology competencies assessment tool (see http://www.uccs.edu/~cpgtp/), compiled a large collection of readings and current training resources in geropsychology, and developed a list of members who are available to help with establishing new training programs.
Membership in the Council is open to programs in which at least one geropsychologist is engaged actively in training. Members are required to offer both didactic and experiential training. Typically, this training is offered in more than one setting that serves older adults. Importantly, members of the training council are programs rather than individual memberships. That said, it is recognized that training programs in professional geropsychology may, and often do, consist of one geropsychologist. Associate Membership is available also to entities which do not meet criteria for full membership. We wish to be inclusive as an organization. CoPGTP hosts an annual dinner and membership meeting at the APA or GSA conventions. The 2010 meeting will be at APA.
Benefits of membership include the following:
- List serve venue for sharing training ideas, strategies, difficulties, and brainstorming solutions;
- Sharing of opportunities for students and trainees;
- Access to training competency documents and training models as they develop;
- Relationship/consultation with other geropsychologists providing training;
- Research grant opportunities offered each year;
- An award for innovative training offered each year;
- Invitation to an annual meeting with educational and networking opportunities; and
- Public acknowledgement of the entity as a recognized geropsychology training program.
You may download the application from our website (http://www.uccs.edu/~cpgtp/). Annual dues are $200 per calendar year for full membership; $100 per year for associate membership. If you have additional questions, please email any of the following membership committee members:
Joseph Casciani (jcasciani@cohealth.org), regarding post-licensure training
Andrew Heck (andrew.heck@dbhds.virginia.gov), regarding internship training
Lee Hyer (leehyer@ganeurosurg.org), regarding postdoctoral training
Susan Krauss Whitbourne (swhitbo@psych.umass.edu) , regarding graduate training
We look forward to future collaboration. Thank you for your consideration.
Council Board Members:
Michele Karel, Ph.D., Chair, Michele.Karel@va.gov
Daniel Segal, Ph.D., Chair-Elect, dsegal@uccs.edu
Gregory Hinrichsen, Ph.D., Past-Chair, geropsychgah@aol.com
Janet Yang, Ph.D., Secretary, jyang@cfar1.org
Sara Honn Qualls, Ph.D., Treasurer, squalls@uccs.edu
Susan Whitbourne, Ph.D., Member-at-large, graduate programs, swhitbo@psych.umass.edu
Andrew Heck, Psy.D., ABPP, Member-at-large, internship programs, andrew.heck@dbhds.virginia.gov
Leon Hyer, Ph.D., Member-at-large, fellowship programs, leeyher@ganeurosurg.org
Joseph Casciani, Ph.D., Member-at-large, post-licensure training programs, jcasciani@cohealth.org
Kimberly Hiroto, Student representative, Kimberly.Hiroto@va.gov
Michele J. Karel, PhD
Staff Psychologist, VA Boston Healthcare System
Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
Brockton VA Medical Center, 3-5-C
940 Belmont Street
Brockton, MA 02301
(774) 826-3725
(774) 826-3724 fax
