Getting Licensed through psych assistanship in a private/group practice

[PHD12]

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Hi Everyone:

I have several opportunities now through group and private practices to get my post-doctoral hours for licensure. I need 1500 hours to get licensed in the state of California. These hours do not need to be face to face hours. I am very interested to hear whether people were able to get hours for licensure through informal psychological assistant positions in private/group practices?

How long did it take you to get licensed this way?

What type of salary range is expected?

Did the board accept your post-doctoral hours? Did you encounter any difficulties?

Is there anything else I should know that would be important before taking on a position as a psych assistant?

Thanks so much in advance!!!

 

[JeyRo]

Hi Everyone:

I have several opportunities now through group and private practices to get my post-doctoral hours for licensure. I need 1500 hours to get licensed in the state of California. These hours do not need to be face to face hours. I am very interested to hear whether people were able to get hours for licensure through informal psychological assistant positions in private/group practices?

How long did it take you to get licensed this way?

What type of salary range is expected?

Did the board accept your post-doctoral hours? Did you encounter any difficulties?

Is there anything else I should know that would be important before taking on a position as a psych assistant?

Thanks so much in advance!!!

I always heard that getting postdoc hours via a psych. assistantship was a more challenging way of satisfying the postdoc hour requirement for California (as opposed to getting a formal postdoc., say, in an academic medical center) but for the life of me I've forgotten exactly why.

I do know that supposedly the California BOP is becoming much more tyrannical about auditing paperwork, so be vigilant (for example: http://clinicallawyer.com/2009/11/i...ychological-assistants-and-their-supervisors/).

Would be curious to hear how it works out for you.

 

[PHD12]

I always heard that getting postdoc hours via a psych. assistantship was a more challenging way of satisfying the postdoc hour requirement for California (as opposed to getting a formal postdoc., say, in an academic medical center) but for the life of me I've forgotten exactly why.

Was wondering if anyone on this forum has first-hand expereince with doing a psych assistantship in CA?

 

[sydb1367]

Was wondering if anyone on this forum has first-hand expereince with doing a psych assistantship in CA?

right here.

accruing pd hours as a psych asst is one of the most common ways it is done in CA. even if you are at a "formal" pd, chances are you are working as a psych asst. the exceptions being if you are working at an exempt setting (government or university) or a site that is at least 25% government funded.

I haven't finished accruing hours yet, so I can't speak first hand to the OP's questions regarding time or difficulty in getting approved.

as JeyRo's link pointed out, be sure to have your SPE forms signed and approved before commencing hours, and make sure to get copies of everything, and double check that your supervisor is up to date on their supervision CEs (I had a friend lose 1500+ hours because her supervisor wasn't up to date).

I only do assessments and have 3 different positions under which I am accruing hours in order to get the max 44 hours per week. pay varies greatly. I have different arrangements with each of my supervisors ranging from a flat rate per assessment to 60% of the collected fees. I know of folks making as little as 20k per year (given that they work over 40 hours per week, that's less than $10 an hour!), but mid 30's to low 40's seems common.

 

[MyriadBlaze]

Hi Everyone:

I have several opportunities now through group and private practices to get my post-doctoral hours for licensure. I need 1500 hours to get licensed in the state of California. These hours do not need to be face to face hours. I am very interested to hear whether people were able to get hours for licensure through informal psychological assistant positions in private/group practices?

How long did it take you to get licensed this way?

What type of salary range is expected?

Did the board accept your post-doctoral hours? Did you encounter any difficulties?

Is there anything else I should know that would be important before taking on a position as a psych assistant?

Thanks so much in advance!!!

Hey PHD12,

I was wondering how you found out about these opportunities? I am looking to accrue my post-doc hours in CA and am having a difficult time (as I am currently in OR) finding these types of opportunities! Any suggestions?

 

[PHD12]

Hey PHD12,

I was wondering how you found out about these opportunities? I am looking to accrue my post-doc hours in CA and am having a difficult time (as I am currently in OR) finding these types of opportunities! Any suggestions?

I found out about these opportunities through networking and talking to practicing psychologists that I know. I did not contact people out of the blue. Talk to licensed psychologists you know in the field and use your school's alumni network.

 

[PHD12]

right here.

accruing pd hours as a psych asst is one of the most common ways it is done in CA. even if you are at a "formal" pd, chances are you are working as a psych asst. the exceptions being if you are working at an exempt setting (government or university) or a site that is at least 25% government funded.

I haven't finished accruing hours yet, so I can't speak first hand to the OP's questions regarding time or difficulty in getting approved.

as JeyRo's link pointed out, be sure to have your SPE forms signed and approved before commencing hours, and make sure to get copies of everything, and double check that your supervisor is up to date on their supervision CEs (I had a friend lose 1500+ hours because her supervisor wasn't up to date).

.

How do you check that your supervisor has completed the supervision CEs aside from trusting her? It seems so unfair to have to start over because the supervisor was irresponsible.

 

[sydb1367]

How do you check that your supervisor has completed the supervision CEs aside from trusting her? It seems so unfair to have to start over because the supervisor was irresponsible.

contact the CA board of psych. I find email to be the most effective route.

and while myriadblaze appears to only be interested in PHD12's experience 🙄 I'll throw my two cents in anyways. I found one of my positions through a posting on a local county psych association's listserv. the others were via contacts made during practica. One of my cohort sent out cover letters and CVs to half a dozen psychs practicing in his area (East Bay) whom he did not know at all. He received a couple of responses/offers, and took one. So I wouldn't rule out "cold-calling" folks. Also I'd recommend joining the local psych assoc for any counties you are looking to work in and get on their listserv . If you don't see any positions being offered, you can always send out a message of your own saying you are looking for supervised PD hours. I also did this and received about 6 or 7 responses. good luck.

 

[PHD12]

Sydb, with your multiple arrangements, are you able to accrue the hours to get licensed within one year?

Thanks!

 

[sydb1367]

I really can't say at this point, I'll let you know in 9 months 🙂