18th Annual Mid-Winter Meeting - Virtual
2025 Mid-Winter Meeting
February 26-27, 2025
12:00 - 4:00 PM EST
Virtual Meeting
Clinical Health Psycholog
Evolving Competencies and Training Modules for the Next Generation
This meeting will build on our series of Midwinter Meetings to inform clinical health psychology training programs on innovations and developments in training related to health service psychology.
Day 1: Wednesday, Feb 28 (1 - 4:45 pm)
APA Education Update
Sue Orsillo, Ph.D.
Head of Education, American Psychological Association
The presentation “Broadening and Diversifying the Psychology Workforce in a Shifting Educational Landscape” addresses the critical mental health crisis in the United States and the insufficient size of the psychology workforce to meet population health needs. It explores multifaceted solutions to broaden and diversify pathways into the field, considering factors such as the demographic cliff, return on investment for psychology degrees, and student loan debt. The presentation discusses various strategies to enhance career outcomes for psychology majors, including creating opportunities informed by the population health model and considering outreach at earlier educational stages. It highlights the potential of community colleges and high school psychology courses as overlooked segments for recruitment. The presentation also examines the current educational and practice landscape, discussing the concept of psychology as a multi-tiered profession and the efforts of the American Psychological Association (APA) to provide guidance on this approach.
Accelerating the Rate of Progress in Reducing Mental Health Burdens: Recommendations for Training the Next Generation of Clinical Psychologists
Howard Berenbaum, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
The presentation " Accelerating the Rate of Progress in Reducing Mental Health Burdens: Recommendations for Training the Next Generation of Clinical Psychologists" addresses the need to revamp clinical psychology training. It highlights the significant burden of mental health conditions and the limitations of traditional training methods. The proposal suggests restructuring training into phases: a foundational phase focusing on core skills, a focused competency phase for specialization, and post-doctoral training for further development. It also advocates for expanding career possibilities beyond traditional client care, including non-traditional research and alternative roles. However, implementing these changes faces challenges such as resistance to change and constraints in modifying doctoral programs. The goal is to better prepare psychologists for evolving mental health needs and expand their career paths.
Pathways Toward the Specialty: A Changing Landscape
Lloyd Berg, PhD, ABPP
Chair, Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Council (CHPSC) Division Chief of Psychology, Dept. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School
The University of Texas at Austin
Mark Vogel, Ph.D., ABPP
Past President, Society for Health Psychology
Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine
The presentation "Pathways Toward the Specialty: A Changing Landscape" discusses the evolving field of clinical health psychology (CHP). The session focused on continuing the sharing of information learned in the 2024 Society for Health Psychology Education and Training Summit held in New Orleans. It covers current and future workforce trends, changes in teaching methods, and emerging areas of practice and research. The presentation introduces the Education and Training (E&T) Taxonomy for CHP, which aims to standardize program descriptions and help learners navigate their educational path. It also addresses challenges in CHP training and themes from the APA Summit on the future of education and practice. The presentation explores board certification requirements for CHP, including changes expected in 2024 and 2025. Finally, it offers recommendations for moving forward in health psychology education and training, emphasizing the need for adaptation to meet evolving workforce demands and practice areas.
Summary of 2024 SfHP Education and Training Summit
Day 2: Evolving Competencies & Career Trajectories Thursday, Feb 27
Complexities of Assessing Competencies in Clinical Health Psychology
Kevin Larkin, Ph.D., ABPP,
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of West Virginia
The presentation “Complexities of Assessing Competency in Clinical Health Psychology” focuses on the current state and future challenges of Clinical Health Psychology (CHP) training and practice. It begins by discussing the historical development of CHP, including the Arden House beginnings and the Tempe Summit, which established competencies for entry-level CHPs. The presentation then outlines the traditional specialty training model and examines where CHP training occurs, including accredited Health Service Psychology programs. The current state of CHP training is analyzed, highlighting the reality of training programs and the types of doctoral training available. The presentation addresses the need for verifying individual and program outcomes, as well as issues related to competencies of individuals and program curricula. It also discusses the accuracy of training program descriptions and workforce projections for the field. Other important topics covered include the lack of specialization designation in workforce analyses, credentialing of master's level psychological practitioners, and the distinctive competencies of CHPs. The presentation concludes by examining postdoctoral training in CHP and board certification issues, emphasizing the importance of ongoing evaluation and verification in the field.
AI and Digital Health Tools in Clinical Psychology: Evolving Competencies for Ethical Integration
Jessica Jackson, Ph.D.
SCEO/Founder Therapy Is for Everyone Psychological and Consultation Services
Dr. Jackson opened the discussion by examining how AI and digital health tools are rapidly reshaping clinical psychology, health psychology, counseling psychology, research, and applied psychology. As AI becomes more prevalent in these fields, trainees must develop essential competencies for its responsible use. She outlined three core ethical principles that should guide AI integration and explored strategies for incorporating AI training into clinical education programs. Additionally, she discussed how trainees can critically evaluate evidence-based approaches to AI implementation in psychology. The session provided clear definitions of key terms, including machine learning, natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and generative AI (deep learning). Opportunities for AI in clinical practice were explored, highlighting the existing training gaps in preparing future clinicians to effectively apply these technologies. Dr. Jackson emphasized three core ethical competencies essential for AI integration: privacy, informed consent, and patient-centered care.
Bridging Gaps: A Panel Discussion on Transforming Training for Broader Impact (Panel Discussion)
Patrick DeLeon, PhD, MPH, JD
Past President, American Psychological Association
Jennifer Kelly, Ph.D., ABPP,
Director, Atlanta Center for Behavioral Medicine Past President, American Psychological Association
Sharon Berry, Ph.D., ABPP
Large Group Discussion
CCHPTP Business Meeting
Program Chairs:
- Rosemary Estevez Burns, PhD, DBSM, Maj, USAF
- Danielle Miller, PhD
- Zachary Magin, MS
CE Credits
CE credits available through Wayne State University for those who attend the program. The Department of Psychology at Wayne State University is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Department of Psychology at WSU maintains responsibility for the program and its content.
