Getting licensure in CA with out of state training

[bethlizzy]

Hello everyone!

I recently moved to CA after completing internship in PA. Like most other dutiful people out there, I thought to jump right on to registering for the EPPP. However, I am being stymied by the CA Board of Psychology.
I have tried to contact them over the last 2.5 months (by email - no response, by phone - they never pick up and they have no voicemail. I also completed the online registration, paid the $40, and sent them my official transcript but no one ever responded with confirmation of receipt of my materials).
Now I know that I need to submit a verification of experience form and a supervision agreement from my internship, but I am not sure what is considered an acceptable supervision agreement (the BOP website indicates that alternate supervision agreements need to be approved by the BOP but, since I can't get a hold of them, I don't know what they would accept). I also don't know whether to send my internship's version of a supervision agreement and the verification of experience form anyway as it sort of feels like sending things into the ether.
How have other transplants navigated the frustrating road towards licensure in CA? Do you advise sending my verification of experience form and our supervision agreement anyway?

So confused by this all!

Thanks,

Elizabeth

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[cara susanna]

I did my internship outside of CA and I asked my former TD to send in the verification of experience form. I didn't send any supervision agreements from internship or anything. Once I sent in my application, I was approved to take the EPPP within a few weeks.

 

[foreverbull]

Same here. Did my intership in another state, and did a quick search to find the California board's Verification of Experience form, gave it to my intership supervisor:

http://www.psychology.ca.gov/forms_pubs/prior_verofexp.pdf

My supervisor didn't have to send anything else in. The California BOP did not acknowledge receipt of my materials initially, so I think I contacted them via email a few times to see if they were received. After that, search for postdoc/psychological assistant positions and get registered with the board as a Psychological Assistant or Registered Psychologist once you find a job (your employer will know how to help you complete the application and which designation you should be). Then it's all about getting your 1500 hours and getting ready for the EPPP, CPLEE, and taking a few BS online courses that California requires above your graduate education. It's a pain, but doable.

 

[bmedclinic]

OP,
In my experience, this is typical, across most psychologists and most states.
Not to overgeralize too much, but one could easily make a case for the type of person who chooses to take the job coordinating the BOP, and it's not hard to understand why they might not want to respond, set up vm, etc. I wouldnt want that job, and I hate voicemail, too.

For me, in 2 states, and having observed colleagues in a variety of other states, CA is the norm rather than the outlier.
In my dept, the person who has run the BOP is loathed on a first name basis.
I do appreciate that she informed me I was licnesed two months after the fact, though.

Take heart, however. In 6-24 months, they'll get your application squared away.

 

[entitlement]

Just to echo what everyone else said, your experience is pretty typical with the CA BOP. Just keep calling and emailing them - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The only thing that might trip you up coming from out of state is if you did not take a course in your grad program on substance use. It is the only required BS course that you actually have to take for credit. Find the cheapest, online course available, lots of local professional schools offer it. The cheapest option I found for the other online courses is www.ce4less.com.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Just to echo what everyone else said, your experience is pretty typical with the CA BOP. Just keep calling and emailing them - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The only thing that might trip you up coming from out of state is if you did not take a course in your grad program on substance use. It is the only required BS course that you actually have to take for credit. Find the cheapest, online course available, lots of local professional schools offer it. The cheapest option I found for the other online courses is www.ce4less.com.

So I was told very recently that the online substance abuse coursework is no longer accepted. did you take this and use it during the past 2 years?

 

[cara susanna]

Yeah, the substance abuse course has requirements that the other courses don't.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Yeah, the substance abuse course has requirements that the other courses don't.

Right. Several of my colleagues need to take it and were hoping they could take a quarter long online course.. what have people used? Several of my licensed colleagues have said that it has to be in person. It's hard to get a clear answer.

 

[cara susanna]

My post doc (which is in CA) offered it themselves so I was able to take it that way. That probably isn't very helpful to you, though.

 

[entitlement]

I did not have to take it because I took a course for credit in it already as part of a previous Master's I had earned prior to pursuing the PhD. My colleagues, at least 1-2 years ago when we were all working on getting our license, I'm pretty sure, all took an online course for credit, I think through Alliant or one of those other professional schools. I'm guessing some of these same places might offer stand alone, in person courses now that this is a requirement. The course requirements really irritated me about the entire licensure process here. If you have a degree from an APA accredited program, I am not sure why coursework needs to matter. We really need to get aligned with the medical profession and just have uniform requirements across states.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

My post doc (which is in CA) offered it themselves so I was able to take it that way. That probably isn't very helpful to you, though.

That's really awesome. Are you at a university for postdoc or are they somehow offering it in another placement? I don't personally need to take it but am trying to help peers who aren't sure where to do it. If it was a quarter long CE, if there is such a thing, my postdoc could set something up.

 

[cara susanna]

That's really awesome. Are you at a university for postdoc or are they somehow offering it in another placement? I don't personally need to take it but am trying to help peers who aren't sure where to do it. If it was a quarter long CE, if there is such a thing, my postdoc could set something up.

It's at a VA that's affiliated with a university. There are even certain requirements about the type of institution you take it from, iirc.