Distinguished Contributions for the Education and Training of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Psychologists

This award recognizes training programs (doctoral, internship, or postdoctoral), accredited by the American Psychological Association or Canadian Psychological Association, that prepare future psychologists to promote the optimal development of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health within the context of families, schools, or communities. The selected program will receive a $2,500 award and a plaque recognizing its distinguished training and education contributions.

Programs must be APA- or CPA-accredited doctoral, internship, or postdoctoral training programs that prepare future psychologists to promote the optimal development of child and adolescent mental health within the context of families, schools, or communities.

Review Process

The Board of Educational Affairs (BEA) will appoint a panel to review nominations based upon the criteria listed below. The panel will be led by a BEA member and be composed of members of BEA and the APA Inter-Divisional Task Force on Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Submission Criteria 

1. Check if your program trains (please check all that apply):

• graduate students
• postdocs
• interns

2. Check if your program is accredited by:

• APA
• CPA

3. Please provide an overview of how your program prepares future psychologists to promote the optimal development of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health within the context of families, schools, or communities (500-character limit).

4. Please provide a description of the metrics that the program uses to gauge its effectiveness in preparing future psychologists to promote the optimal development of child and adolescent mental and behavioral health within the context of families, schools, or communities. Clearly indicate whether the method used for gathering information related to effectiveness is based on an evidence-based practice, services research, or policy or program development (500-character limit).

5. Please provide a description of the outcomes the program has achieved or the ways in which the impact of the outcomes is documented. Please be sure to address separately how your program is successful in both education and training in mental health practices or policies for the next generation of professionals as well as what impact on children and/or adolescents has been achieved in one or more of the following areas: school-linked, couples or family-centered, community-centered, or cultural competence (1000-character limit).

The application period for the Distinguished Contributions for the Education and Training of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Psychologists award is now closed and will open again in 2026. For any further questions, please contact staff liaison, Allison Gillens at agillens@apa.org.

2020

• Children's Health Systems of Texas/UT Southwestern Clinical and Research Training Program

• Oklahoma State University’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program

2015

• University of Missouri's Child Clinical Doctoral Program

2012

• St. John's Child and Family Development Center

2010

• The Institute for Juvenile Research at The University of Illinois at Chicago

• The University of Maryland School Mental Health Program

2006

• Clinical Child Psychology Program (CCPP) at the University of Kansas 

• Psychology Internship Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia