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Psychology > Graduate Programs > Clinical Respecialization Program

Clinical Respecialization Program

General Description

The Clinical Studies Respecialization Program provides clinical training for individuals holding a Ph.D. in a basic area of psychology from a regionally accredited university (or foreign equivalent). Individuals who are already licensed in psychology or who hold an applied degree (e.g., Ed.D., Psy.D.) are not appropriate for this program. Upon satisfactory completion of core clinical courses, practica, and internship, the Respecialization student receives a certificate from the University of Hawaiëi Graduate Division and is competitive for clinical research and teaching positions as well as eligible to sit for licensure in most states. CSP is APA-approved and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. The CSP follows a scientist-practitioner, broadly-behavioral, dual specialty approach to training, in which it is encouraged of all graduate and respecialization students to integrate the literatures of a basic area of psychology with related clinical phenomena.

Clinical Training

Respecialization Students are enrolled in practicum courses in their first year whenever feasible. Students receive training offered at a variety of settings in Honolulu, such as the Department's Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, the state hospital, mental health centers, schools, hospitals and medical centers, a veterans outpatient clinic, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Health, and Mental Health Clinics. Each student will be affiliated with a clinical training center for 10-20 hours per week for at least two academic years, although extensive summer training is sometimes possible. These centers provide experiences with a variety of populations and behavior problems such as children, families, veterans, outpatient and inpatient adults, substance abuse, eating disorders, medical/psychological disorders (e.g., pain, headaches, hypertension, smoking), school behavior problems, depression, and marital and family distress.

The required clinical core courses are as follows and typically require two years of on-campus training in the conceptual, practical and empirical bases of clinical psychology:

The Respecialization student is required to complete a 2000-hour APA-approved internship in clinical psychology (PSY 778). The number of APA-approved internships in Hawaiëi is extremely limited and individuals should be prepared to go elsewhere for this aspect of training. Students may apply for a non-APA approved internship only after successfully petitioning the CSP faculty.

Admission Procedures

Admission to the Clinical Studies Respecialization program is competitive. Application forms and related information may be accessed via the Psychology Department and Graduate Division websites. Individuals should apply as a Special Nondegree Student. Application deadlines are the same as those for graduate student application.

Clinical Studies Program Faculty

Clinical Studies Program (CSP) faculty members have diverse academic backgrounds and research interests and provide theoretically integrative training with applied-empirical, modern behavioral and biopsychosocial orientations. In addition to teaching and research, the clinical faculty provides service to the community, including assessment and therapy, program evaluation, external grant activity and agency consultation. Many also serve on editorial boards and are active in professional organizations.

Of the eleven faculty listed below, eight are full-time members of the Department, and three are joint appointments with the Department of Health.

Deborah B. Altschul (Ph.D., University of Georgia). DOH-UH Joint Appointment.
Cultural competency in mental health delivery; treatment outcome effectiveness.
Bruce F. Chorpita (PhD, SUNY–Albany)
Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, behavior therapy, development and structure of anxiety and depression, actuarial approaches to clinical decision-making.
Keith H. J. Claypoole (Ph.D., Wyoming). DOH-UH Joint Appointment.
Empirical determinants of improved mental health service and outcome evaluation, jail diversion program development for mentally ill offenders; neuropsychological assessment of diffuse cognitive disorders; treatment of depression; pharmacological and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS); telepsychiatry, brief psychiatric screening and evaluation measures.
Stephen N. Haynes (PhD, University of Colorado)
Chair, Department of Psychology; Psychopathology, behavioral medicine, assessment.
Elaine M. Heiby (PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago)
Depression, compliance to health-related regimens, measurement of self-control, assessment, integrated behavioral theory chaos theory.
Velma A. Kameoka (PhD, Hawai'i)
Cross-cultural, assessment, statistics and methodology, program evaluation, substance abuse prevention.
Janet D. Latner (Ph.D., Rutgers University)
Obesity and eating disorders; stigmatization, self-help treatments.
Charles W. Mueller (PhD, Iowa State University)
Director, Clinical Studies Program; Psychological adjustment to life threatening events or illness; health promotion and illness prevention; disruptive behavior disorders; family violence; mental health service delivery and social support and social burden networks.
Jason E. Schiffman (PhD, University of Southern California)
Associate Director, Clinical Studies Program; The impact of biological and environmental factors influencing development in children who developed schizophrenia in adulthood; connecting theoretical aspects of research with practical applications of therapy by applying knowledge of early signs of pathology towards primary prevention in children.
John J. Steffen (Ph.D., Rutgers). DOH-UH Joint Appointment.
Mental health service delivery, schizophrenia, eating disorders.
Kelly M. Vitousek (PhD, University of Minnesota)
Eating and anxiety disorders, cognitive-behavioral treatments.