Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge

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Online - Chicago - Los Angeles - Irvine - Washington D.C. 

Program Overview

The rapidly growing field of Forensic Psychology focuses on the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge program will allow students having graduated from the MA Forensic Psychology Non-Licensure Track to return to TCSPP, have appropriate courses affiliated from the Non-Licensure Track to the Licensure Track, and complete requirements for licensure eligibility.  Returning students may associate up to 20 credits from the core curriculum and 10 credits from electives toward the certificate and meeting licensure requirements in their states.

Program Philosophy 

The curriculum exposes students to the relevant psychological and counseling theoretical principles, scientific research, and practice skills that enable students to apply the science and practice of psychology to issues of law and the legal system, and to assume professional responsibilities in a variety of forensic settings. The program emphasizes critical thinking, sensitivity to ethical principles, the role of personal values, and cultural diversity and endeavors to be flexible in order to adapt course content to reflect developments in the field. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program students will be able to:

Professional Practice

• Demonstrate fundamental knowledge of psychometric theory, assessment techniques, and forensic literature to evaluate various dimensions of human experience, outcomes of interventions, and psycho-legal issues.
• Integrate a basic knowledge of theory, research, and professional literature to guide interventions and promote optimal mental health and well-being.

Diversity

• Recognize and respect individual and group differences as well as practice with cultural competence. 

Professional Behavior

• Organize professional activities by ethical and professional codes, standards, and guidelines; statutes, rules, and regulations; and relevant case law.
• Develop and maintain effective professional relationships with clients, peers, supervisors, faculty, and other professionals.

Scholarship

• Demonstrate an understanding of the research methods in the social and behavioral sciences, the benefits and limitations of research, and the scientific and professional literature relevant to the field of forensic psychology.

Licensure

The online and on-ground Forensic Psychology Licensure Track Bridge Certificate program aligns with the degree and coursework requirements for professional counseling licensure in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,  Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Only the on-ground Forensic Psychology Licensure Track Bridge Certificate program aligns with the degree and coursework requirements for professional counseling licensure in Illinois and California.

Applicants for licensure in the aforementioned locations may also be required to complete a minimum number of hours of post-master’s professional counseling experience within a specified time period, as well as other state-specific requirements.

The online and on-ground Forensic Psychology Licensure Track Bridge Certificate program do not meet current state requirements for professional counseling licensure in Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, and New York. The Forensic Psychology Licensure Track Bridge Certificate program was not designed to meet professional counseling licensure standards outside of the United States of America.

It is the student’s responsibility to determine the licensure requirements for any state not listed above.  The Forensic Psychology Licensure Track Bridge program may meet some or all of the requirements of states not listed, but additional state-specific approvals or coursework and/or practicum hours may be required beyond the program’s graduation requirements.  Some state licensing requirements include the following: completion of a master’s degree, post-graduate field work, examination, and application for license. Students should contact the specific state licensing board directly to verify information regarding professional licensure. A list of state board contact information is available via The American Counseling Association.

Admission Requirements

For information on where The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is currently authorized, licensed, registered, exempt or not subject to approval, please visit https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/why-us/accreditation/

Application to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Certificate in Forensic Psychology - MA Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge is open to any person who has earned the Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology (Non-Licensure Track) or the Master’s Degree in Applied Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and who meet other admission requirements. 

Some credit for coursework completed in the MA Forensic Psychology Non-Licensure Track may be applied to the requirements of the Certificate program, subject to the TCSPP policy on Course Association  which includes these stipulations:

• No credit hours will be transferred for coursework that is more than 7 calendar years old at the time of matriculation.
• The Department Chair of the program determines courses to be associated.

Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to successfully complete graduate work and clinical practice training. Factors and materials to be considered for admission will include:

• Application
• Application Fee: Waived
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Graduate GPA 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 point scale
• Official TCSPP Transcript

Applicant Notification

The Chicago School reviews applications on a rolling basis. Once review begins, complete applications will be considered by the Admission Committee and students will be notified regarding the admission decision. The Chicago School does not share information or provide any feedback regarding admission decisions.

If a student is offered admission and in order to secure a place in the incoming class, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $250 will be required by the deposit deadline indicated in the offer of admission. The non-refundable deposit will be applied in full toward the student’s tuition upon enrollment.

Degree Completion Requirements

• Successful completion of coursework requirements 
• Successful completion of 100 hour practicum and 600 hour internship
• Successful completion of Forensic Competency Examination 
• Successful completion of the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) 
• Successful completion of two mandatory residencies at one of The Chicago School ground campuses (Online students Only)

Policies

The following policies are located under Academic Policies and Procedures  : Academic Calendar, Admissions Requirements, Attendance, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Service Learning, and Transfer Credit/Course Waiver. Click the link above for detailed information.

Ethical Guidelines

Students are expected to adhere to the ethical and professional behavior guidelines as set by the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Code of Ethics.

Reference will be made to additional ethical codes, such as the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologists (American Psychological Association, 2013), and international codes as applicable. Acceptable student conduct is derived in large part from these sources of information.

Please refer to the policies located in the Student Rights and Responsibilities and section of the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook.

Student Professional Evaluation and Student Review Process

The course content and experiential activities offered by the Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge program are designed to afford students the opportunity to advance their intellectual and professional development and functioning. Throughout the program of study, students are given feedback concerning their personal, academic, and professional strengths, developmental needs, and performance. This feedback will come from a variety of sources and may include faculty, supervisors, peers, and/or clients. Students are expected to respond and incorporate this feedback in a mature and professional manner. Throughout their matriculation in the program, students are expected to explore and recognize the effects their personal beliefs, issues, emotions, and behaviors have on others and on their ability to function as a professional. Students are also formally evaluated with regard to their professional comportment at the end of specific courses in the curriculum. Additionally, all students are reviewed by program faculty and administration with respect to their overall program performance during the student review process. 

Practicum/Internship for Professional Counselor Licensure Track Students

The Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge program is committed to training highly competent and ethical clinicians who will ultimately contribute to the mental health field. Toward that end, students are required to complete relevant coursework in combination with clinical training for successful completion of this certificate program to the licensure requirements in a chosen aligned state. Full‐time students traditionally complete their practicum and internship experience during the second year of the academic program. Part‐time students work closely with their academic advisor, Department Chair, and Director of Clinical Training to determine the most appropriate time to complete training requirements. Students must receive and accept an official offer from a prospective practicum site per the timeline that the Director of Clinical training and site indicate.

Forensic practicum/internships are closely supervised educational and training experiences in which the knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed in the classroom can be directly applied to forensic and/or clinical populations. All sites are approved by the Office of Placement and Training (OPT) and allow students the opportunity to work with high‐risk populations in an array of settings, such as prisons, jails, detention centers, police departments, special treatment units, state psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse facilities, and community‐based programs for victims and offenders. These formative experiences integrate the science and practice of forensic psychology and counseling in real world situations. Through close supervision and mentorship, students continue to develop their professional identities, clarify their professional strengths and weaknesses, and understand their roles as clinicians and/or providers of forensic psychology services to a broad range of populations within a variety of settings.

To complete the certificate, students must accrue 700 hours of clinical training under the supervision of a master’s level licensed clinician or psychologist (e.g., LCSW, LPC, LCPC, LPCC, LMFT, or licensed psychologist). Please note that some states require 1000 hours of practicum/internship to be eligible for licensure. The Director of Clinical Training will advise students of the state’s training requirements and students will learn to keep abreast of their state’s licensure requirements. Students are expected to attend practicum between 16 to 24 hours per week and must participate in at least two hours of weekly individual supervision. In addition, students should dedicate at least 280 hours to direct client contact, which could include a variety of clinical activities such as diagnostic interviewing; individual, group, or family therapy; crisis intervention; intake interviews; and note taking. Students are also typically responsible for administrative and case management tasks, such as victim advocacy, consultation, applied research, and/or court attendance.

Students must express their intent to apply for practicum/internship (see the OPT Training Manual). Faculty reviews each student’s progress in the program to inform decisions regarding student’s readiness to apply to practicum/internship.

More specific information is located in the campus specific training manuals. Students registered in this program incur a one-time $195 Experiential Learning Technology Fee.

Forensic Competency Examination (FCE)

Students who complete a practicum and internship are required to pass the Forensic Competency Examination (FCE), a program capstone with the purpose of demonstrating proficiency in the core competencies of the program. The FCE is completed during the spring semester of the student’s clinical training experience in order to fulfill program requirements. Students must pass at least one practice FCE prior to completing the final examination.

The objective of the FCE is for the student to demonstrate the ability to apply relevant theory, empirical literature, assessment, and intervention to a case formulation. In addition, the aim of the FCE is for the student to demonstrate an understanding of professional practice (e.g., ethical behavior), clinical dynamics (e.g., client/therapist relationship), broader systems (e.g., family, school, community, court, political, other treatment professionals/programs), and areas of diversity and difference (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status) as contextual variables.

More specific information is provided to students during the practicum and internship training experience.

Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) 

All students are required to successfully complete The Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE)’s Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE). CPCE scores are reported based on the core areas of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) to help students study and prepare for the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE). The CPCE test items measure a student’s knowledge of the eight core curriculum standards defined by CACREP:

• Human Growth and Development
• Social and Cultural Diversity
• Counseling and Helping Relationships
• Group Counseling and Group Work
• Career Development
• Assessment and Testing
• Research and Program Evaluation
• Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice

The CPCE is administered at least twice a year and is taken during the last year of enrollment in academic coursework. Students must be in good academic standing to be eligible to take the CPCE. Students who have not successfully passed the CPCE are not eligible for degree conferral and must retake the exam during the next scheduled administration.