Education and Training for Psychology Practice in Primary Care

Primary care psychology is the application of psychological knowledge and principles to common physical and mental health problems experienced by patients and families throughout the life span and presented in primary care. The Education Directorate is committed to promoting the education and training of primary care psychology.

Directory

The APA Education Directorate has compiled a list of doctoral, internship and postdoctoral programs that provide education and training in primary care psychology. If you are a training director and would like to have your program listed in the directory, please contact Caroline Cope.

• Directory of Doctoral Training Programs With Training Opportunities in Primary Care Psychology (PDF, 182KB)

• Directory of Internship Programs With Training Opportunities in Primary Care Psychology (PDF, 558KB)

• Directory of Postdoctoral Training Programs With Training Opportunities in Primary Care Psychology (PDF, 283KB)

Resources

• Competencies for Psychology Practice in Primary Care: Report of the Interorganizational Work Group on Competencies for Primary Care Psychology Practice (March 2013) (PDF, 347KB)
  The report articulates competencies for primary care psychology practice developed by an interorganizational work group convened as an initiative of the 2012 APA President Suzanne Bennett Johnson PhD.

• Report of the BEA Task Force on Primary Care Psychology Training (PDF, 241KB)
  This report provides (a) an overview of the rationale for education and training in primary care, (b) a summary description of current education and training efforts in primary care, and (c) recommendations regarding how to expand education and training in integrated primary care psychology.

• Recommendations for Education and Training in Primary Care Psychology (PDF, 363KB)
  The proposed curriculum is designed for formal training programs — such as predoctoral, internship or postdoctoral experiences — or for individuals who seek to enhance their competency in the skills required for working in primary care.

• Interprofessional Health Care Services in Primary Care Settings: Implications for the Education and Training of Psychologists (PDF, 454KB)
  Building on the need for greater emphasis on interprofessional education and training, the present project had as an objective the development of education and training principles and guidelines to prepare psychologists for primary health care services.

• Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (PDF, 1.2MB)
  This report is inspired by a vision of interprofessional collaborative practice as key to safe, high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care. Achieving that vision requires the continuous development of interprofessional competencies by health professions students.

• AAMC MedPortal for Interprofessional Education

• The Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative

• Competencies for psychological practice in primary care

• Moving into primary care

• Primary reasons for education advocacy in primary care

• Innovative training is priming students for primary care

• Making inroads for primary-care psychology

• Postgrad growth area: Primary-care psychology

• Internships in primary care

• Pioneers of integrated care