Clinical Psychologist work as school psychologist?

[BrownEyedGrl28]

In NY state is it possible for a person to get a Psy.D in clinical psychology and work in a school as a school psychologist? I am in my last few weeks of undergraduate studies at a psychology major and originally intended to obtain a masters in school psychology and then a Psy.D in clinical then was advised otherwise to get only a clinical psychology degree.

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[AcronymAllergy]

Could be an obvious question, but is there any particular reason you're wanting to go into a clinical psych program instead of a school psych program?

 

[FadedC]

My understanding is that it's possible for a clinical psychologist to get school psychologist certification as long as they get enough school based field experience as part of their doctorate program. If they graduate without getting this experience, then it will be very difficult for them to be certified without returning to school.

 

[BrownEyedGrl28]

AcronymAllergy, I was told that it may be smarter and financially better to go straight for a Psy.D in clinical psychology. I want the clinical because I want to option of being able to work in settings other than a school. I currently intern in a psychiatric hospital and love it so I want to ability to work there as well or instead of a school.

FadedC, do you know if I would need any certifications to work in a school with the clinical degree?

Thank you

 

[ThirdLittleBird]

You can go for a recertification as a school psychologist. The University of Northern Colorado has a program. Not sure of other schools, but I am sure they are out there.

For UNC, you must be a licensed psychologist or be eligible to become a licensed psychology (i.e., graduated from a Ph.D. or Psy.D. program, and fulfilled the appropriate internships).

Their recertification program includes 4 courses, 2 of which are online, and the other 2 are on weekends. In addition, you must complete a 1200 hour internship. If you have an appropriate amount of compatible hours with your Psy.D. practicum/internship, these hours can be reduced to 600.

So basically, for an additional year and nominal financial investment, you could be a licensed psychologist and a licensed school psychologist. I understand the desire to do it this way, as it maximizes your earning potential as well as allows you to work in a multitude of settings.

 

[aagman01]

On the flip side, you could get your phd in school psychology and still get licensed as a psychologist. 🙂 Thats my plan. I will be starting predoctoral internship this summer. My primary rotations will be within an inpatient unit and medical school.

In NY state is it possible for a person to get a Psy.D in clinical psychology and work in a school as a school psychologist? I am in my last few weeks of undergraduate studies at a psychology major and originally intended to obtain a masters in school psychology and then a Psy.D in clinical then was advised otherwise to get only a clinical psychology degree.

 

[FadedC]

You just need a school psychology certification, which I believe you can get around the time you graduate if you meet the requirements. Technically school psychologists are certified rather then licensed (though of course many certified school psychologists are also licensed psychologists). This means that the job is protected and not just the name.

As Aaagman said, a PhD in school psychology might be the superior option, particularly somewhere with a less traditional focus. The downside is that it will take longer. Not sure how long most PsyD programs take, MA school psych degrees are 3 years.

There are also a lot of combined school/clinical PsyD programs in NYC.

 

[lazure]

I have a PhD in clinical-developmental psych in Ontario, Canada and I simply applied to work at a school board with no additional training. I am currently in my supervision year and have declared both school and clinical competencies given that I do a little private practice on the side in therapy 🙂

 

[aagman01]

I am not sure how Canada works, but in the US every state differs on requirements. Most states require some sort of practicum in school settings (I've heard of ranges between 0 hours and 800 practicum hours, differing by state--with most states requiring at least a few hundred school practicum hours). I am not sure what the internship requirements are, by state. I think some states just require "an internship" while others require specific internship hours in a school. NASP certification requires minimum of 1200 hours, 600 of which must be in a school. In addition, different state departments' of education have different requirements in terms of courses that are required - some have none, and other require numerous different courses in child/adolescent testing, development, etc. My suggestion - look into the state department of education requirements in NY or wherever you want to work. Good luck!

I have a PhD in clinical-developmental psych in Ontario, Canada and I simply applied to work at a school board with no additional training. I am currently in my supervision year and have declared both school and clinical competencies given that I do a little private practice on the side in therapy 🙂

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Even if the state doesn't require significant addition training and experience in the school system, I'd encourage anyone interested in working as a school psychologist to pursue additional training/mentorship. I spent my first two years of clinical and research training in school settings, and I still would feel woefully underprepared to step into a traditional school psychologist position. I think it may be easier to do "assessment only" type work, though that still can involve things like IEP planning and interventions that are unique to a school setting.