Orange County Clinical Psychology: PsyD Degree Program

Our Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology degree program in Orange, California is designed to prepare you to contribute to your community as a practicing clinical psychologist. We offer a concentration in Child & Adolescent Psychology as well as one in Forensic Psychology.

Our PsyD program in Clinical Psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). In 2015, APA granted the program accreditation for 7 years.

Orange County Clinical Training Overview

Our PsyD program offers clinical training, which involves supervised out-of-class contact with a clinical population in the Los Angeles area. Through this experience, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge, implement clinical techniques based on this knowledge, and develop the professional and personal attitudes important to the identity of a professional psychologist. By the end of clinical training, you should possess effective assessment and intervention skills and practice in a highly ethical manner.

The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology Program at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University | Southern California is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.

Argosy University does not guarantee third-party certification/licensure. Outside agencies control the requirements for taking and passing certification/licensing exams and are subject to change without notice to Argosy University.

Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Argosy University, Orange County 3601 West Sunflower Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92704. © 2019 Argosy University. All rights reserved. Our email address is materialsreview@argosy.edu.

Gainful Employment Information

Program Aims and Competencies

Program Aims

The American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Southern California clinical psychology doctoral program’s aim is to educate and train students employing a practitioner-scholar model so that they will be able to function effectively as clinical psychologists. This model provides an integration of psychological theory, scientific inquiry, and evidence-based practice into the core clinical practice domains of assessment, diagnostics, intervention, supervision, and consultation; with awareness of multicultural and diversity factors. The program emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential in the development of independently functioning professional health service psychologists. Considerable focus is also given to the ethical and legal parameters of practice.

Program Competencies

Consistent with the APA Standards of Accreditation, the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Southern California clinical psychology doctoral program ensures that students acquire the necessary discipline-specific knowledge and profession-wide competencies as follows:

1. Students will demonstrate competency in (i) the application of research and statistical methods in psychology to generate knowledge and to evaluate the effectiveness of research methods, and (ii) in psychometric science.
   1. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of research methods.
   2. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of quantitative/qualitative methods.
   3. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of psychometrics.
   4. Students will demonstrate the ability to independently formulate, conduct, and disseminate scholarship.
2. Students will understand and apply ethical principles and professional legal standards that guide the practice of clinical psychology.
   1. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the current APA Code of Ethics and the general ethical principles that serve as the foundation for this code.
   2. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of a model of ethical decision-making to resolve ethical issues or dilemmas.
   3. Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the general legal parameters that govern professional practice.
3. Students will demonstrate competency in individual and cultural diversity by demonstrating knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings, and will apply knowledge about human diversity to clinical practice.
   1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the major theoretical models and empirical findings, including an awareness of social, political, economic, and cultural factors that impact individuals, institutions, systems, and communities.
   2. Students will demonstrate an awareness of their own personal values, biases, and cultural identities that inform perceptions of self, other, and engagement with others.
   3. Students will utilize cross-cultural skills and appropriate APA multicultural guidelines to provide services to persons with diverse cultural values and lifestyles.
4. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the requisite values, attitudes, and behaviors that exemplify their identities as professional psychologists.
   1. Students will demonstrate self-reflection, and openness to supervision and feedback.
   2. Students will engage in life-long learning by attending educational and professional meetings, life-long learning events, subscribing to professional journals, or presenting scholarly work.
5. Students will demonstrate effective communication competencies and interpersonal skills.
   1. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative written communication skills.
   2. Students will demonstrate clear, articulate, and integrative oral communication skills.
   3. Students will demonstrate effective interpersonal skills in professional interactions.
6. Students will demonstrate competency in using assessment instruments and incorporating knowledge of psychopathology in the assessment process.
   1. Students will demonstrate competency in selecting, administering, scoring, interpreting, and reporting psychological tests and measures.
   2. Students will demonstrate competency in integrating interview data, psychological testing results, behavioral observations, and information from other sources to formulate an understanding of presenting concerns and to make recommendations.
   3. Students will demonstrate competency in identifying relevant DSM criteria and utilizing other clinical information to generate diagnostic formulations.
   4. Students will demonstrate competency in applying knowledge of psychopathology to case formulation and treatment planning.
7. Students will demonstrate competency in clinical interventions that are grounded in conceptual models of treatment and evidence-based practices.
   1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of and apply evidence based clinical practices.
   2. Students will demonstrate an ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship and/or treatment alliance.
   3. Students will demonstrate knowledge and competency in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.
8. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the models and processes of supervision.
   1. Students will evidence knowledge of supervision models and practices.
9. Students will demonstrate knowledge of consultation models and practices, and demonstrate interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills.
   1. Students will evidence knowledge of consultation models and the role of a consultant.
   2. Students will demonstrate competency in applying consultation practices?assessment and intervention?to specific referral questions from other professionals.
10. Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge underlying the science of psychology in the following areas: biological, cognitive-affective, and social bases of human behavior; and lifespan development and history and systems of psychology.
11. Students will demonstrate advanced skills in integrating knowledge in scientific psychology