• Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology • Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology •
• Clinical Health Psychology • Clinical Neuropsychology • Clinical Psychology •
• Counseling Psychology • Couple and Family Psychology • Forensic Psychology •
• Geropsychology • Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy •
• Police and Public Safety Psychology • Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychology and Psychoanalysis •
Rehabilitation Psychology • School Psychology • Serious Mental Illness Psychology •
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a Specialty Council?
A Specialty Council, is a process of governance through joint sovereignty, and consists of those professional groups and organizations that represent the major educational, training, and professional constituencies and stakeholders relevant to the particular specialty in professional psychology.
What Groups Make Up A Specialty Council?
Such groups would include the ABPP Board of that specialty, the ABPP Academy of that specialty, relevant APA divisions, related organizations of training directors, and related research, educational, or training organizations.
What are the Responsibilities of a Specialty Council?
To represent all major stakeholders of the specialty area to the Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology (CoS), other professional psychology organizations, and to the general public.To develop and establish education and training guidelines relevant to a given specialty. Such guidelines should be in keeping with relevant CoS policies (e.g., the CoS Review of Specialty).To provide a bi-annual report to the CoS providing information regarding the health, relevant activities, and progress of a given specialty. These reports are to be based on existing CoS guidelines and guideline templates regarding such information as Education and Training, Practice, Specialty-Specific Accreditation Guidelines and Self-Study).To maintain the "health" of a given specialty, both internally (e.g., maintain network of relevant stakeholders) and externally (e.g., serve as the contact organization to CRSPPP). broad awareness of the nature of specialties in the practice of professional psychology within organized psychology and the general public.
What are the Relationships Between the CoS and a Specialty Council?
Each Specialty Council elects a representative of that specialty to the CoS. The term of each representative is determined by the specialty council with a maximum of two terms. Each representative should attend the CoS yearly meeting (November) in DC and meetings scheduled periodically in between annual meetings. Each specialty representative shall have one vote.
The CoS shall also provide a "structure upon which the specialties can build and develop their organization" (Mission statement #2). As such, the CoS can provide advice to those specialties experiencing difficulties in getting established, achieving their goals, or other problems.The CoS can also provide consultation to Specialty Councils in their nascent stages to aid in their development, as well as to those groups undergoing difficulties.
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