Current through Register Vol. XLII, No. 1, January 3, 2025
Section 17-3-4 - Doctoral Level Training Requirements4.1. W. Va. Code § 30-21-7 requires that doctoral level applicants possess a doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D.), or the equivalent. The Psy.D. is determined to be equivalent to the Ph.D. The Board or its Committee shall evaluate all equivalency applications. It is the responsibility of equivalency applicants to prove equivalency. The Board may not automatically grant equivalency status. Applications based on an equivalent degree may require more time to process because of the need to obtain more information.4.2. At least half of the doctoral courses completed for credit beyond the masters degree, for those with an equivalency application, shall be clearly identified by title and course content as being psychological in nature, and must have been taught by an individual with a graduate degree in psychology. The Board may interpret a specific course to be psychological in nature even though it is not labeled as a psychology course. The Board shall render this opinion if it believes that the course is psychological in content and has been taught by an individual with a graduate degree in psychology.4.3. The doctoral degree course study in psychology shall include a pre-doctoral or post-doctoral internship approved by the American Psychological Association or its equivalent. The Board shall require an applicant who has not completed such an internship to have an additional year of Board-approved supervision beyond the required one year.4.4. An acceptable formal one-year internship or its equivalent shall meet all the following criteria: 4.4.a. The internship shall be an organized training program, in contrast to supervised experience or on-the-job training, designed to provide the intern with a planned, programmed sequence of training experiences;4.4.b. Its primary purpose shall be to assure breadth and quality of training;4.4.c. There shall be a clearly designated licensed psychologist responsible for the integrity and quality of the internship program;4.4.d. Internship supervision shall be provided by a staff member of the internship agency; the staff member is clinically responsible for the cases being supervised;4.4.e. At least three quarters (75%) of the internship supervision shall be provided by two (2)_or more psychologists;4.4.f. The internship shall provide training in a range of assessment, consultation and treatment activities conducted directly with patients, agencies, or organizations seeking psychological services;4.4.g. At least fifty percent (50%) of the intern's time shall involve direct contact with clients, agencies, or organizations seeking psychological services (minimum 500 hours);4.4.h. The internship shall include a minimum of two (2) hours per week (40-hour work week) of regularly scheduled, formal, face-to-face, individual supervision with the specific intent of dealing with psychological services rendered directly by the intern;4.4.i. The intern shall participate at least two (2) additional hours per week in learning activities such as case conferences, seminars, co-therapy, group supervision, and additional individual supervision;4.4.j. The internship experience, shall be full time based on APA standards, and shall be completed within twenty-four (24) months, although the Board may waive this requirement under exceptional circumstances.4.5 When the degree held is a doctorate in philosophy or its equivalent, and the individual has completed at least 1,800 hours in a predoctoral internship, the individual may apply to the BOE to waive the year of supervision. The individual must supply documentation of his/her predoctoral internship. If working in the state of WV, the individual must identify a board approved supervisor and be supervised until the EPPP and oral examination is successfully passed. Individuals who have a doctorate in philosophy or its equivalent and have not completed 1,800 hours of predoctoral internship need to complete one year of Board-approved supervision. Applicants who have not completed an internship are required to have an additional year of Board-approved supervision beyond the required one year.