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This special issue of Practice Innovations is dedicated to the problems and prospects confronting the field of continuing professional development across the broad range of health professions. Attention to issues of diversity and science figure prominently in relation to the otherwise varied perspectives that advance the development, demonstration, and documentation of continuing professional competence. By infusing the field with conceptual clarity, empirical rigor, and express attention to diversity and cultural humility, these contributors envision alternative futures for the field of ongoing professional development that embrace, and advance, the long-standing objectives and aspirations of the field. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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Principles of adult learning and, in particular, the concept of andragogy have direct application to the design of quality continuing education (CE) programming but have received little attention in health service psychology. This article provides a framework for identifying the underlying structure and successful programmatic application of adult learning principles to CE in health service psychology. Adult learning theory including a focus on the concept of “andragogy” as applied to CE program design is explored first. Examples from the literature of the use of andragogy principles for CE program design and outcomes of such learning opportunities will be presented across several professions. Recommendations will be offered for the application of andragogy principles as the foundation of an evidence-based, scientific approach for CE program design in health service psychology including discussion of its incorporation into technology-based programming. Challenges to integrating andragogy into CE programs are discussed with suggestions for mitigating them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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This article explores the credit hour system’s historical development, challenges, and transformations, emphasizing the Competency-Based Education shift. The traditional credit hour, initially designed to standardize academic progress through time spent in class, is critiqued for prioritizing seat time over actual learning outcomes. The article discusses the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Outcome-Based Continuing Education (OB-CE) Model, which focuses on skills mastery rather than time-based metrics. The article highlights the role that the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s OB-CE Model has in transforming nursing professional development. The potential benefits of the OB-CE Model, including personalized learning pathways, flexibility, and alignment with professional competencies, are examined. The future of Competency-Based Education in professional development and its implications for various fields are also considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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The first study aimed to evaluate the impact of deliberate practice (DP) training during the 2 and 3 years of a bilingual clinical existential therapy program. The evaluation focused on its influence on facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS), as perceived by 14 participants and assessed by three independent raters. The second study explored the subjective experiences of 12 participants, with particular emphasis on strategies for repairing ruptures in the therapeutic alliance, while also evaluating their FIS. Each week, participants engaged in DP training and recorded their responses to video stimuli from the FIS task, which simulated therapeutic encounters. In the second study, participants also documented their reflections on the program. In the first study, improvements were observed in various dimensions of FIS, although participants’ self-perception of their abilities declined over time. In the second study, only verbal fluency showed significant improvement, with no changes in other dimensions. Participants’ feedback on the training revealed two key themes: promotion of skill acquisition and perceived obstacles and challenges, comprising 19 subcategories. The findings suggest that DP training can improve specific interpersonal skills, but its impact on self-perception may not be consistent. Further research is needed to explore the factors influencing skill development and participant perceptions in DP training. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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This article will explore the application of deliberate practice in spiritual and religious competencies for professional psychologists. This theoretical article focuses on continuing education of spiritual and religious competency skills, specifically the interpersonal dimensions. This experiential learning method framework complements didactic continuing education learning methods. The sequence of this article will follow this order: (a) a need for deliberate practice in spiritual and religious competencies; (b) an overview of deliberate practice particularly within psychotherapy; (c) an outline of deliberate practice in spiritual and religious competencies; (d) two sample exercises for the practice of spiritually integrative reflections and eliciting emotions of spirituality; and (e) limitations and future directions of deliberate practice in spiritual and religious competencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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Continuing education (CE) has historically been the primary avenue by which continuing competence of the workforce has been facilitated. Currently, CE is undergoing a period of reappraisal as more is learned about what helps to maintain competence. Efforts have been directed toward (a) aligning CE methods with its objectives, (b) positioning CE as an evidence-based enterprise that articulates with, and is responsive to, knowledge gains and skills application, (c) maximizing the responsiveness of CE to the evolution of social and cultural, as well as empirical, developments, and (d) broadening the understanding of CE to include experiences outside of traditional classrooms, in recognition of the principles of adult learning. Consistent with these objectives, this study examined the extent to which the 11 creditable continuing professional development (CPD) activities proposed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards were perceived by a sample of 668 practicing psychologists as contributing to the maintenance of their competence. Results revealed wide variability, with some activities (e.g., formal CE and peer consultation), being perceived as significantly greater contributors to competence than others (e.g., serving on professional boards or conducting patient outcome assessments). Significant differences, however, were found across demographic groups, suggesting that various CPD activities may contribute differentially to perceived professional competence for different individuals. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed in relation to developing a rational system of CPD that is responsive to knowledge gains and maintenance of competence, as well as individual differences within the field of professional practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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Mental health professionals’ developing competencies in relation to immigrant mental health are outpaced by the expanding need for psychological services in this area (Cadenas et al., 2022). The ongoing development of immigrant mental health competencies provides foundational guidance (Mercado et al., 2022). In this exploratory study, we identified five domains of experience (i.e., education, career, professional role, immigrant community, and lived experience with marginalization) that may promote immigrant mental health competencies. We assessed 755 mental health professionals (practitioners, academics, and graduate students) on three foundational competencies for working with immigrant populations (i.e., awareness, knowledge, and systemic self-efficacy). A series of factorial multivariate analyses of variance probed interaction effects, suggesting that full-time practitioners and individuals with greater immigrant community experience displayed greater competencies than other professionals. Higher levels of education (i.e., graduate training) and career experience were associated with higher knowledge regarding immigrant populations. Latinx and Asian psychology professionals reported greater competencies compared to White professionals. Among part-time providers, women reported higher self-efficacy than men. These findings have implications for developing training to promote immigrant mental health competencies tailored to the nature and extent of prior lived experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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The present article draws on an integration of the multicultural orientation (MCO) framework and learning science to consider how to improve the field’s ability to serve marginalized groups. We explore seven sources of leverage that might enhance the quality of training of psychologists throughout their careers. These sources include aligning continuing education with basics of learning science, integrating MCO into ethics training, prioritizing performance feedback, focusing practice on challenging cultural situations, using critiques of MCO for conceptual refinement, enhancing feedback through peer consultation, and fostering a communitarian approach to training. By implementing these principles, we envision a future where the field of psychology is better equipped to provide culturally humble and effective care for diverse populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)
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Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT