Grant Program for School Psychology Internships

Division 16 (School Psychology) has developed a Grant Program for School Psychology Internships (GPSPI) to assist in the predoctoral internship crisis in the U.S. Please find a thorough overview of the program (including a logic model and demonstrated impact) here.

The GPSPI is supported by:

– APA Division 16
– Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs (CDSPP)
– National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
– Trainers of School Psychologists (TSP)
– American Board of School Psychologists (ABSP)

The GPSPI’s primary aim is to provide funds and consultation for developing new APPIC School Psychology Internship Programs that will eventually obtain APA Accreditation. Internship programs that accept doctoral students from more than one doctoral program are preferred (non-captive programs). 

The GPSPI also may provide funds and consultation for expanding existing APPIC School Psychology Internship Programs that will eventually obtain APA Accreditation.

Division 16 believes that doctoral school psychology is best served by a workforce trained in evidence-based practices that meet the CDSPP and Health Service Psychology (HSP) internship standards. The GPSPI is one mechanism, among other professional psychology resources (i.e., APA Grants for Internship Program; Graduate Education Program), that are available to address, support, and partially fund the shortage of accredited internships in schools. GPSPI is designed as a Phase1 grant program that directs University school partnerships to collaboratively develop high quality internships that meet APPIC internship standards addressing CDSPP and HSP priorities with the goal of eventually obtaining APA Accreditation. APA Grants for Internship Program is viewed as a Phase 2 grant program that provides seed money for internship programs that have: (1) met APPIC membership criteria or (2) are in the early stages of development of obtaining APPIC membership criteria. Ultimately, we anticipate GPSPI-funded internship programs will eventually obtain APA accreditation.

Note: APA Accredited Internship programs are eligible for additional funding through the recently approved Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) program by HRSA, which provides additional funding for APA accredited internships and trainees. School psychology internships may be eligible for this funding. Please see: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/grants/mentalbehavioral/gpe.html

Additionally, the Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training (MBHET) grant program can be used to strengthen the clinical field competencies of graduate students in accredited master’s degree program of social workers and accredited doctoral level psychology program who pursue clinical service with high need and high demand populations, including rural, vulnerable and/or underserved populations, and veterans, military personnel and their families. Eligible applicants are accredited schools and programs of social work, and accredited doctoral psychology schools, programs and pre-degree internship organizations (public and private nonprofit). Psychology schools, programs, and internship organizations must be accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Please see: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/grants/mentalbehavioral/mbhet.html

The GPSPI welcomes grant applications that intend to meet CDSPP, APPIC, APA, and HSP internship standards. GPSPI grants will be limited to internship sites that are operated by nonprofit entities to assist with expenditures such as:

  • APPIC Membership Application ($300)
  • APPIC National Match ($240)
  • Webdomain name ($55)
  • Fiscal Sponsorship fee
  • Other consortium fees and expenses (e.g., meetings with collaborative school districts)
  • Consultation fee (e.g., travel, consultation, generating written plans)
  • APA Application Fee for Applying for Eligibility Status ($1,000)
  • APA Application Fee for Applying for Accredited Status ($1,000)
  • APA Self Study ($2,250)
  • APA Site Visit Fee ($3,400; 2 visitors)

The GPSPI will provide consortium consultation and mentorship (via telephone and Skype) to grantees in the design and implementation phases of the programming.

Applicants can apply for grant up to $10,000 each. Programs that are awarded grant funds expected to submit for APA accreditation within five-years. Internship programs awarded grants will be required to provide annual reports and budget expenditures to the GPSPI review committee. Internship programs will be required to annually post on the Division 16 website progress made towards internship development goals (including barriers, lessons learned) so others may learn from their process.

Application Requirements include:

  1. Faculty member or doctoral program in school psychology identified for the collaboration
  2. Two or more school training sites or school-related training sites to begin an internship
  3. Letters of cooperation from participating training sites indicating their interest
  4. Detailed training plan (e.g., scope and components) showing sites are aware of and prepared to commit to the resources needed for the project
  5. Detailed information on licensed psychologist (i.e., names of supervising psychologists, state license numbers and/or license status)
  6. Detailed timeline for recruitment, implementation, and evaluation
  7. Characteristics of populations to be served
  8. Sustainability plan

Annual Grant Deliverables include: 

  1. Narrative report that includes: (a) training and supervisory scope and components/credentials; (b) student applicant numbers and characteristics; (c) student recruitment process and (d) sustainability plans (maximum 5 double spaced pages)
  2. Annual itemized budget expenditures with justifications
  3. Internship program progress towards APPIC credentials
  4. Internship program progress towards APA Accreditations

GPSPI applications (Word Document Download – ~19KB) must be received by December 1, 2024Please submit proposals to: LReddy@gsapp.rutgers.edu

Past Recipients

2023

Connecticut School Psychology Consortium
Contact: Dr. Jacquelyn DuBois
Email:  j.dubois@eastconn.org

2022

University of Arizona Psychology Internship Consortium
Contact: Dr. Jennifer Kirkpatrick

Colorado School Psychology Internship Consortium (CoS-PIC {Formerly Aurora Urban PIC}
Contact: Dr. Franci Crepeau-Hobson

2021

Berkeley Psychology Internship Consortium (B-PIC)
Contact: Drs. Kate Perry & Shea Pilgrim

2020

Jordan School District Doctoral School Based Internship in Health Service Psychology
Contact: Fulvia Franco, PhD

2019

Aurora Urban Psychology Internship Consortium (PIC)
Contact: Franci Crepeau-Hobson, PhD

Tucson Psychology Internship Consortium (PIC)
Contact: Richard J. Wagman, PhD

2018

Santa Barbara – Psychology Internship Consortium
Contact: Erin Dowdy, PhD

2017

North Kansas City Schools Internship Program
Contact: Pamela August, PhD

Mid-Michigan Psychology Internship Consortium
Contact: Jana Aupperlee, PhD

Temple University Consortium for Internships in School Psychology
Contact: Patricia Feuerstein, PhD
Temple University

Ball State University Internship Consortium 
Contact: Janay B. Sander, PhD
Ball State University

2016

High Plains Psychology Internship Consortium
Received APA Accreditation
Contact: Robyn S. Hess, PhD, ABPP
University of Northern Colorado

Pittsburgh Psychology Internship Consortium (P-PIC)
Received APA Accreditation

Contact: Sally Hoover, PhD
Quaker Valley School District

Great Lakes Psychology Internship Consortium (Michigan)
Contact: Katrina Rhymer, PhD
Central Michigan University 

Guilford County Schools 
Psychological Services Doctoral Psychology Internship
Received APA Accreditation

Contact: Alexander Tabori, PhD
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School Psychology Program

2015

Avondale Elementary School District School Psychology Internship
Received APA Accreditation
Contact: Neil Stafford, PsyD
University of Arizona

Boston Schools Internship (BSI)
Contact: Melissa Pearrow, PhD
University of Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology,
Boston Public Schools, Boston Children’s Hospital, Franciscan Children’s Hospital

Iowa Internship Consortium
Contact: Kathryn Gerken, PhD
University of Iowa

Minnesota School Psychology Internship Consortium
Contact: Annie Hansen-Burke, PhD
University of Minnesota

Pleasantville Union Free School District Internship
Received APA Accreditation
Contact: Carolyn McGuffog, PhD, EdD
Teachers College Columbia University and St John’s University

Rutgers School Psychology Internship Consortium*
Contact:  Susan Forman, PhD
Rutgers University

Stephen F. Austin State University Charter School*
Received APA Accreditation
Contact: Robbie Steward, PhD
Stephen F. Austin State University

* Program received 2014 APA predoctoral internship grant.