Part time postdoc clinical work

[cotn_psych]

Hello all,

I am looking for advice before pursuing more clinical work as a postdoc. I finished internship last year and am now in a research postdoc in a good psychology department (very happy and hope to stay in this job for another year or two before going on the TT job market). However, my current postdoc supervisor does not have a HSP and after being in the postdoc about 8 months, I realize I would like to do some clinical work part time towards eventually getting licensed. Optimally, this clinical work would happen in the afternoon/evenings and involve a mix of telehealth (for now) and later in person (once coronavirus clears). I have connected with a supervisor in private practice who'd is willing to let me join them and supervise. My question is what steps do I need to take to make sure I can get licensed later? A provisional license seems too time limited for me as I'd probably not get the number of hours needed in a year to apply for licensure. The other options, to my understanding, are a psychological examiner or psychology assistant working under the supervisor's licensure? Has anyone been in this position before and have suggestions for how to proceed to get extracurricular clinical hours under a supervisor with an eye towards licensure? I am in TN.

Thanks for your help!

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[AbnormalPsych]

1) What is an HSP? How does this relate to licensure?
2) Sounds like you have an opportunity. If that doesn't work, keep reaching out to private practices, they are likely the only place you would get flexibility to do part-time clinical work that fits in with your other schedules. Clinics/agencies will want you there at certain times and more often that you can probably give.

I'd recommend looking at all states you'd potentially live in and see what their minimum requirement hours are for clinical service. Figure out how to get those hours before you get licensed ANYWHERE.

 

[Ollie123]

I assume HSP = Health Service Provider (NC and a few other states do this).

Does the university have an attached medical school or does the psychology dept have an in-house clinic? This is a super common situation so I would encourage you to raise the issue with your supervisor if you have not yet to see what options they suggest. I was brought in as a research post-doc by someone who hadn't seen a patient in 10+ years, but was connected to someone else who had an active clinic and I was split between the two. Just depends what you are willing to do - getting enough hours for licensure in some states would require a LOT of evening/weekend hours. More than I was willing to do (and I am very used to exceeding 40 hours by a fairly wide margin).

Unless you are adamant about not wanting to do so for one reason or another, I would explore in-house options first before just assuming you need to go the PP route.

 

[cotn_psych]

Thank you for the advice! An HSP is a licensed psychologist with a health service provider designation. In TN at least, you have to have an HSP to provide psychological services and supervise. I have access to a clinical population through research and supervision of clinical assessments with grad students. I had not yet asked my supervisor to put me in touch with a clinical supervisor in the dept to ask them to supervise me. That is a good idea for increasing my hours once we go back to work.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I assume HSP = Health Service Provider (NC and a few other states do this).

Correct. They do this in Mass. as well. I have an "HSP" designation on my license to distinguish me from the dwindling pool of licenced psychologists who are not qualified to provide clinical services.