ECU clinical psychology program accredited

The American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation has approved the full accreditation of East Carolina University’s clinical psychology program in health psychology for the next seven years. Accreditation by the APA requires full program review, including a self-study document describing the goals of training, methods of quality assessment and outcomes for students, and processes and procedures to ensure that training meets national standards.

“Our program and department believe in the East Carolina motto of ‘Servire,’ and accreditation provides further evidence that we can train our students to serve North Carolina with the highest level of both research and clinical skills,” said Dr. Susan McCammon, interim chair of the Department of Psychology.

­ECU received permission to plan the new doctoral program in 2004. Recently retired department chair Dr. Kathleen Row led efforts to build the program, recruiting nationally to add to the psychology department’s strong faculty base. The clinical psychology program has 10 core faculty members, 12 associate faculty and six affiliated clinical supervisors.

Dr. Sam Sears, director of the health psychology doctoral program said, “APA accreditation was an essential step for our program to be recognized nationally for the highest standards of quality of training.”

ECU joins Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of North Carolina at Greensboro as the only accredited training program in North Carolina for clinical psychologists. In addition, it is the only program focused on health psychology.