Time for accreditation - KKI Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress

[ProfessionalStudent5]

Has anyone accepted an internship at a site that wasn't accredited when they started but was accredited by the time they finished? I'm interviewing at Kennedy Krieger Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress and it is not accredited yet but the website states that they are currently making an application for accreditation. I was curious about anyone's thoughts or experience with this type of scenario. The program is new and looks amazing but I am unsure of how long it normally takes for a program to get accreditation. For example, is it even possible that the program will become accredited by the end of my internship year if I match there. Thanks for all of your help.

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[deleted343839]

It's a gamble, but the Kennedy Krieger Institute already has a psychology internship and hopefully this bodes well for the new program. I would ask why they are creating a separate site as opposed to adding a track to the existing internship. I would also ask when they submitted their self-study and when their site visit is scheduled. If they're not yet on the site review calendar, I'd be very concerned.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I did, but it was quite a while ago. Everything was in place when I accepted (final site review done, with good feedback; well established, solid program).

 

[psych.meout]

Maybe I'm too conservative and risk averse, but something like this seems like too much of a gamble to me. The APA-accreditation status of one's internship so drastically changes one's later career prospects that it really seems like something that is not worth risking on a pending accreditation.

 

[WisNeuro]

Depends on the status. If it's "Accredited, on contingency" it usually just means that it's a new(er) program and is essentially a done deal. It counts as accredited. If they are merely "intent to apply" I would shy away for now.

Decoding Intent to Apply, “Accredited, on Contingency,” and Full Accreditation

 

[psych.meout]

Depends on the status. If it's "Accredited, on contingency" it usually just means that it's a new(er) program and is essentially a done deal. It counts as accredited. If they are merely "intent to apply" I would shy away for now.

Decoding Intent to Apply, “Accredited, on Contingency,” and Full Accreditation

I read it as the latter based on what OP wrote:

the website states that they are currently making an application for accreditation

If it was the former, I probably wouldn't have any qualms about the site.

 

[WisNeuro]

Yeah, I don't see it on the list at all, looks to be the former. I'd stay away, it will be an unaccredited internship.

 

[ProfessionalStudent5]

Thanks everyone

 

[debbicakes353]

I’m at KKI right now, and the current internship is all behavioral psych focused which is why they didn’t just add it on. Also, since it is a new site, they need at least one intern cohort to go through everything before they can get their final stamp of accreditation. So essentially it wouldn’t be until you’re almost done with internship that they would be able to know if they’re approved for accreditation, if that makes sense.

 

[psych.meout]

I’m at KKI right now, and the current internship is all behavioral psych focused which is why they didn’t just add it on. Also, since it is a new site, they need at least one intern cohort to go through everything before they can get their final stamp of accreditation. So essentially it wouldn’t be until you’re almost done with internship that they would be able to know if they’re approved for accreditation, if that makes sense.

But have they submitted their application yet? It sounds like they are still putting it together from the OP.

 

[dynamicdog]

Has anyone accepted an internship at a site that wasn't accredited when they started but was accredited by the time they finished? I'm interviewing at Kennedy Krieger Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress and it is not accredited yet but the website states that they are currently making an application for accreditation. I was curious about anyone's thoughts or experience with this type of scenario. The program is new and looks amazing but I am unsure of how long it normally takes for a program to get accreditation. For example, is it even possible that the program will become accredited by the end of my internship year if I match there. Thanks for all of your help.

I did this at a site a few years back. It was in it's 3rd or 4th year running and everything in terms of paper work was submitted. I forget if the site visit was already scheduled, if not then there was a sense it would almost definitely happen during my internship year. Btw, if the site visit occurs during internship year, even if accreditation occurs after you have finished, it will still count as APA-accredited for you. As others have said it is a gamble. For me, I took the gamble 1., Because the chances of accreditation were so high 2., It was in my home city/city I planned on staying after graduation and 3., it was a particular kind of site with opportunities that mirrored my professional goals.

 

[ProfessionalStudent5]

I’m at KKI right now, and the current internship is all behavioral psych focused which is why they didn’t just add it on. Also, since it is a new site, they need at least one intern cohort to go through everything before they can get their final stamp of accreditation. So essentially it wouldn’t be until you’re almost done with internship that they would be able to know if they’re approved for accreditation, if that makes sense.

Yea. I was told that earliest date on which self-study materials can be submitted is Match Day, depending on whether a full class is committed on that day. If not, self-study materials are submitted as soon as an internship class is committed. Then they expect to submit in the week following Match Day or Secondary Match Day- that is, by the end of March, 2018. They are currently unaware of when the site visit will occur but it will likely in the spring of 2019- if all goes well. They also told me that they were working very closely with the other Kennedy Krieger track clinical directors to make sure they have everything in order.

I really liked the program during the visit but I’m not sure what to do.

 

[smalltownpsych]

Yea. I was told that earliest date on which self-study materials can be submitted is Match Day, depending on whether a full class is committed on that day. If not, self-study materials are submitted as soon as an internship class is committed. Then they expect to submit in the week following Match Day or Secondary Match Day- that is, by the end of March, 2018. They are currently unaware of when the site visit will occur but it will likely in the spring of 2019- if all goes well. They also told me that they were working very closely with the other Kennedy Krieger track clinical directors to make sure they have everything in order.

I really liked the program during the visit but I’m not sure what to do.

Rank them behind the APA sites.

 

[debbicakes353]

But have they submitted their application yet? It sounds like they are still putting it together from the OP.

I’m not sure! I can try to pick my current training directors brain about it. I think they’re working closely together to make sure everything goes smoothly. I believe KKIs behavioral psych track is one of the oldest appic approved sites? So they have a great model to follow.