Psychology department’s doctoral program fully accredited

Marshall University’s Psychology Department has received notification from the American Psychological Association that its doctoral program in clinical psychology has been fully accredited.

In 2001, Marshall received approval for the doctoral program from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and classes began in the fall of 2002.

“This is a major step for the program, coming in the very first year that we were eligible for accreditation,” said Dr. Marty Amerikaner, chair of the psychology department.  “Earning accreditation as quickly as we did means that all of the students who have been enrolled in the program from the beginning will end up graduating from a nationally accredited program.”

Accreditation for doctoral programs in psychology from the APA is the nationally accepted standard for excellence in clinical training, Amerikaner said. The accreditation is of particular importance to students, he added.

“For students this will help open the door to a variety of internships, post-doctoral training centers, job opportunities and licensure flexibility in states around the country that would otherwise not be available to them,” he said.         

Dr. Marianna Footo-Linz, the program’s coordinator, said the accreditation will help make people aware of the mission of the program and its significance to the state and to other rural regions, especially those in Appalachia.          

“The program takes as one of its primary missions the preparation of doctoral-level practitioners to work in rural and underserved regions,” she said.  “Many in the field of behavioral health agree that there is a quiet crisis in our more isolated regions.  Doctoral-level psychologists in particular are in short supply.”

Footo-Linz said Marshall’s program encourages graduates to establish innovative programs that meet the unique needs of rural communities.

“We encourage students by giving them exposure to rural work in the practicum experiences and also by helping them to develop skills such as needs assessment, program planning and evaluation, and grant writing that will enable them to establish programs in underserved areas,” she said.

Since many of the students enrolled in the doctoral program are from West Virginia and other rural Appalachian regions, they already have a sensitivity to more isolated areas, Footo Linz said.

“We hope to give them the tools to provide services in these areas that many already call home,” she said.      

Amerikaner gives credit to Footo-Linz and the rest of the faculty and staff of the psychology department for their significant contributions to the development of the program.

“Our students also have been exceptionally involved in helping us achieve this important milestone and the university’s administration has been extremely supportive of the program’s development since the outset,” he said.  “It’s hard to overstate the importance of APA accreditation for doctoral programs in psychology.” 

For more information about the program, persons may call the psychology department at (304) 696-6446.