SPECIALTY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility criteria specific to the specialization in Police & Public Safety Psychology include the following requirements:

A.  Specialty Education & Training:

No fewer than 100 hours of formal education and supervision in Police & Public Safety Psychology is required to be eligible for specialty board certification. This criterion can be satisfied by a combination of the following methods if specifically pertinent to the specialty. Please refer to the Document Library for more detailed information in the Candidate Manual.

1. Continuing or Graduate Education
2. Direct Supervision/Formal
3. Publications
4. Dissertation
5. Board Certification

B.  Specialty Experience:

Eligibility for specialty board certification in Police & Public Safety Psychology requires: at least 3,000 hours of direct services or activities in the specialty, accrued over no less than (a) two years of full-time, postdoctoral employment as a psychologist in a police or public safety agency or (b) three years, at least two of which are postdoctoral, if the services were provided outside of full-time employment as a psychologist in a public safety agency (e.g., private practice, part-time agency employment, university employment). If employed full-time as a college or university faculty, up to 1,500 of the required hours may be earned through the teaching of courses substantively pertinent to Police & Public Safety Psychology.

Applicants must submit a description of postdoctoral employment and/or other experience to be considered in fulfillment of this requirement. Note: Full-time employment is defined as no less than 2,000 hours per year. When one or more of these years is performed prior to obtaining independent licensure (i.e., supervised postdoctoral experience), it is expected that at least 1,000 of these hours will be spent in direct service provision in Police & Public Safety Psychology and the remainder in supervision. Should additional evidence be requested, this shall consist of letters from colleagues and/or agency administrators familiar with an Applicant’s work, and documents showing contracted services.