Defense Graduate Psychology Education

APA Education Policy Office: January 16, 2006

Congress Funds New Defense Graduate Psychology Education Program to help US Service Members and Their Families

Congress has approved $3.4 million to fund the new Defense Graduate Psychology Education (D-GPE) Program, which is designed to address the growing emotional and behavioral health needs of returning service members and their families. This new program was created largely due to the efforts of Congressman Bill Young (R-FL), Chair of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. A long time supporter of the Graduate Psychology Education Program, Chairman Young included $4 million in the FY 2006 House Department of Defense Appropriations bill for the D-GPE Program.

The program framework and final details of D-GPE have been designed by lead Department of Defense military and civilian psychologists. In fact, because of their hard work and dedication, there was a comprehensive and detailed plan ready for immediate use when Congress approved the final funding amount.

The new program includes a Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP), which will be based in Washington DC at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This center will offer training for military interns and psychologists, as well as civilian interns and psychologists. Training opportunities will range from one-day CE courses to 3-4 week classes. Course curriculum will include several topics, such as: post traumatic stress disorder, severe medical injury, and family reintegration. A four day curriculum conference, where military and civilian psychologists will work in teams to develop the D-GPE curriculum, will be held this spring.

In addition to the CDP in Washington, DC, D-GPE funding will allow for the hiring of one additional psychologist at each military psychology training site (10 throughout the country). This person will act as a link between the CDP and their training site, overseeing intern training and serving as a consultant to civilian training directors who have interns that participate in the CDP training.

Finally, D-GPE will also allow for the creation of a website for returning service members (or former service members) and their families where they can access information on emotional and behavioral health issues, including how to locate CDP trained psychologists in their local area.

The military and civilian psychologists who have developed the D-GPE program have done an amazing job in building a program that will provide much needed services to returning service members and their families. More information on this program will be available in future issues of the APA Monitor. Contact Amanda Ring for more information.