New Annual Report Online (ARO) requirement for 2017

By Commission on Accreditation

As of Jan. 1, 2017, all accredited programs must be compliant with the Standards of Accreditation in Health Service Psychology (SoA)opens in new window (PDF, 1.24MB). The SoA were reviewed and approved by the APA’s Council of Representatives in 2015 and have now replaced the Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation in Professional Psychology (G&P). As such and as part of this transition year, all accredited programs will be required to complete an attestation prior to formally submitting the Annual Report Online (ARO).

The following outlines the required ARO Attestation Form and Standard areas for which each program must affirm compliance prior to formally submitting the ARO:

Doctoral

(Standard II):

1. I affirm that the program aims reflect the program’s approach to training and outcomes and are consistent with health service psychology, the program’s area of psychology, and the degree conferred.
2. I affirm that I have read IR C-7 D: Discipline-Specific Knowledge (DSK) and affirm that the program ensures substantial, graduate-level knowledge in all DSK areas, and in their integration.
3. I affirm that I have read IR C-8D: Profession-Wide Competencies (PWCs) and affirm that the program offers training and has set minimum levels of achievement in each of the nine required competencies, and program-specific competencies, if any.
4. I affirm that I have read IR C-14D and affirm that all evaluations of practicum student performance are based, in part, on direct observation.
5. I affirm that I have read IR C-18 D and affirm that the program collects proximal data regarding students’ attainment of the PWCs, and program-specific competencies, if any.
6. I affirm that I have read IR C-18 D and affirm that the program collects distal data on attainment of PWCs, and program-specific competencies, if any, from graduates two years and five years postgraduation, as well as data related to the program aim(s), including licensure rates, job placement and scholarly/research contributions.  

(Standard V):

7. I affirm that the program initiates contact with internship sites where students are placed at the beginning of the training year, and maintains communication with the internship site while students are in training.
8. I affirm that public documents describe the program’s aim(s), competencies and related evaluation mechanisms.  

Internship

(Standard II):

1. I affirm that the program’s aim(s) for internship training are relevant to the clinical population served and are aligned with the program’s training activities.
2. I affirm that I have read IR C-8 I: PWCs and affirm that the program provides opportunities for all interns to achieve and demonstrate each of the nine required PWCs and has set minimum levels of achievement in the PWCS, and program-specific competencies, if any.
3. I affirm that I have read (C-16 I) and affirm that the program collects proximal data regarding interns’ attainment of the PWCs, and program-specific competencies, if any.
4. I affirm that I have read IR C-17 I: Direct Observation and affirm that each intern evaluation is based, in part, on direct observation.
5. I affirm that I have read (C-16 I) and affirm that the program collects distal data on attainment of PWCs, and program-specific competencies, if any, as well as data related to the program aim(s), including licensure rate and job placement.

(Standard V):

6. I affirm that the program maintains communication with interns’ doctoral programs during the training year.
7. I affirm that public documents describe the program’s aim(s), competencies and related evaluation mechanisms.
8. I affirm that I have read IR C-27 I and affirm that information regarding trainee admission, support and outcome data are available to potential applicants.  

Postdoctoral

(Standard I):

1. I affirm that the stipend offered to residents is consistent with comparable doctoral level professionals training at the same site or in the region.

(Standard II):

2. I affirm that the program’s aim(s) for postdoctoral training are relevant to the clinical population served and aligned with the program’s training activities.
3. I affirm that residents have opportunities to attain advanced competencies relevant to the program’s specialty or area of focus, including Level 1 (integration of science and practice, individual and cultural diversity, and ethical and legal) and either Level 2 (program-specific or area-of-focus competencies) or Level 3 (specialty competencies), and that the program has set minimum levels of achievements for each competency required.
4. I affirm that an individualized training plan is developed for each resident that includes level of competence at entry and a description of the training methods to promote competency expectations at completion.
5. I affirm that I have read IR C-16 P and affirm that the program collects proximal data regarding residents’ attainment of all program competencies, including Level 1 and Level 2 or Level 3.
6. I affirm that I have read IR C-16 P and affirm that the program collects distal data on attainment of competencies, as well as data related to the program aim(s), related to training received during the program.

(Standard III):

7. I affirm that the program provides professional mentoring to residents.
8. I affirm that the program has developed policy and procedures to address circumstances when a resident is not moving toward completion of the program in a timely manner.

(Standard IV):

9. I affirm that the Director of Training has credentials and expertise consistent with the program’s aim(s), and that leaders of advanced substantive traditional (Level 2) or specialty practice (Level 3) area have credentials and expertise consistent with those areas of practice.

(Standard V):

10. I affirm that public documents describe the program’s aim(s), competencies and related evaluation mechanisms.
11. I affirm that I have read IR C-23 P and affirm that public information regarding trainee admissions, support and outcome data are provided to potential applicants.

I affirm that our program has reviewed the SoA and associated Implementing Regulations in their entirety. Further, I affirm that our program is now consistent with accreditation standards or is actively preparing for consistency based on guidance published by the CoA to facilitate transition from the Guidelines and Principles to the SoA.

All accredited programs will receive an email notice from the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation in late April reminding them of this new requirement. The ARO opens May 2, 2017, and closes on Sept. 14, 2017.