What does “interprofessional continuing education” (IPCE) mean?
IPCE refers to programming that is designed to promote learning with, from, and about two or more professions.
If I offer IPCE, do I still need to focus my Goals statement on psychologists?
Yes, CE sponsors must ensure that the Goals statement in the application adequately reflects how the content of your continuing education program is directly related to postdoctoral learning for psychologists in light of the Principles of Standard A. Though there may be multiple professions served, CE sponsors must provide a focused description of their goals that is clearly related to psychology.
What is required for IPCE in relation to program planning?
It is essential that IPCE programming is designed by the team, for the team. This means that psychologists should be directly involved in all phases of program planning where CE credit for psychologists is offered – and those psychologists should be appropriately qualified in terms of relevant expertise for the respective program content. (See also FAQs for Standard C within this resource)
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard B. Program Management
What are best practices with respect to developing learning objectives for IPCE?
When IPCE programming includes psychologists, learning objectives should be written to clearly reflect what psychologists are expected to know and learn as a result of the CE programming. This point is true whether sessions are dedicated to psychologists or are designed as part of IPCE programming. Objectives should also clearly build upon a postdoctoral level of learning.
Can instructors for IPCE programming be non-psychologists?
Yes, instructors can be non-psychologists – and this is true for both CE and IPCE programming. However, sufficient expertise must be demonstrated to the extent that instructors are clearly able to build upon a postdoctoral level of learning for psychologists.
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard C. Educational Planning
Tip: When developing IPCE programming, sponsors must ensure that there is a ‘golden thread’ that connects Standards C and D – e.g., learning objectives should directly align with program content/narratives and, equally, references should map onto and support both the learning objectives and program content. (See also FAQs for Standard D within this resource)
How do I ensure my IPCE content is sufficiently postdoctoral and relevant to psychologists?
As noted in the FAQ for Standard B, psychologists must have direct input to all phases of program planning. Thus, it is essential that psychologists with sufficient expertise in the respective topic areas are involved in reviewing the program content to ensure that it meets Standard D.
Do I need to provide psychology-specific references for IPCE programs?
Yes, when providing your list of references for IPCE programs, there should be a minimum of three references that directly align with the respective program content for psychologists. There also must be a sufficient evidence base per D.1 requirements (e.g., for D.1.1 programming, peer-reviewed (journal article) references must be provided to adequately support any named treatments, interventions, and assessments).
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard D. Curriculum Content
Tip: When developing IPCE programming, sponsors must ensure that there is a ‘golden thread’ that connects Standards C and D – e.g., learning objectives should directly align with program content/narratives and, equally, references should map onto and support both the learning objectives and program content. (See also FAQs for Standard C within this resource)
How do I evaluate satisfaction and gather feedback from psychologists as part of IPCE programming?
Evaluation forms should include the two mandatory questions and assessment of each individual learning objective for each respective program. Evaluation forms should also include assessment of the instructor’s level of knowledge and expertise, and teaching ability.
How do I assess learning of psychologists as part of IPCE homestudy programming?
Homestudy programs must include a measure of achieved learning (e.g., post-test) AND the correct responses (e.g., answer keys) must be submitted with the application. This measure can include multiple choice, true/false, or essay questions that assess knowledge gained. Questions must be written at a postdoctoral level of difficulty and thoroughly assess the content covered in the program; thus, the involvement of a psychologist with sufficient expertise in the topic area is paramount to creating the measure.
Sponsors should include 6-8 questions for every one credit hour and only a limited number of true-false questions (e.g., no more than 1 per credit hour).
What is considered a passing grade for homestudy programming?
Sponsors are advised to have a minimum passing criterion of 75%, although you may choose to make it higher. The minimum recommended passing criterion of 70% is recommended for tests with only 10 questions. For programs that require a test of achieved learning, the specified passing criterion must be met before credit may be awarded.
What is the guidance about post-test difficulty for homestudy programming – e.g., in relation to allowing participants to retake post-tests or ‘helping’ attendees to the correct answer?
Sponsors must ensure that a postdoctoral level of learning is achieved and, thus, participants should be able to pass tests within a specified, reasonable number of attempts. It is not recommended that participants have an unlimited number of opportunities to pass post-tests. Similarly, directing participants to correct answers (e.g., via hyperlinks to specific sections with correct answers) is not sufficient to meet Standard E requirements.
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard E. Program Evaluation. Relevant resources are also located within ‘Homestudy Support Materials’ of the “Application Support Materials” panel.
What do I need to know about awarding CE credits to psychologists if I’m conducting IPCE programming?
There are a few things to know about awarding CE credits, including:
- CE programs must be at least one hour in length. Activities longer than one hour may be broken into quarter hour increments.
- CE credit for psychologists is granted on a one credit per one instructional hour basis and is awarded only for actual instructional time.
- Any program content not appropriate to be offered for CE credit for psychologists, as well as breaks and lunches, may not be included in the number of CE credits awarded.
Does my Certificate of Attendance need to meet any specific requirements if I’m offering CE credit to psychologists as part of IPCE programming?
Yes, documentation of attendance must be provided to each participant that includes the APA approval statement, the name and date of the activity, the number of CE credits earned, and a signature or other verification from the sponsoring organization. Contact information for the sponsor should also be included in the documentation.
When referring to APA approval, the following statement must be used: “(Organization name) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. This statement cannot be modified or combined with approval statements of other providers.
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard F. Awarding Credit
Is there any specific requirement or guidance for promotional materials for IPCE programming?
For sponsors who conduct IPCE programming, some requirements and guidance in relation to CE for psychologists include:
- Promotional materials and websites must clearly indicate what IS and IS NOT available for CE credit for psychologists.
- Potential attendees must be able to access information as outlined in Criterion G.1 in the Standards and Criteria (e.g., educational objectives, target audience, the number of CE credits offered for each activity). Access to information can be via materials, websites, email addresses, and/or telephone numbers for a point(s) of contact.
- Sponsors must assure that when referring to APA approval, the correct statement is used in all promotional materials such as ads, brochures, and announcements. When referring to APA approval, the following statement must be used: “(Organization name) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. (Organization name) maintains responsibility for this program and its content.” This statement cannot be broken-up or combined with approval statements of other providers.
Additional materials can be found within the Resources for CE Sponsor Approval webpage > see right-hand rail of “Application Support Materials” > Standard G. Program Promotion
