Program Philosophy
In the School and Child Clinical Psychology program, we believe that psychology cannot be taught solely as fixed set of skills. The discipline is changing rapidly and is becoming increasingly complex. We expect that our graduates will be continual learners throughout their careers. Given this assumption, we feel that it is important, not only to give students the basic skills of the profession, but also to give them a general conceptual framework. The framework for SCCP rests on the notions of development, diversity, and ecology:
Development: Professional work with children requires a foundational understanding of the normal stages of development.
Diversity: Children have individual learning, social, and emotional needs and show considerable diversity in the way they approach their world.
Ecology: Children's needs must be understood within the larger context of the family, the school, and the social and cultural environment in which they live.
These three notions are evident in the selection of courses that are included in the program as well as in the composition of individual courses.
This framework specifies a systemic approach to assessment and intervention, in which the educational and emotional needs of children are seen as intertwined. Thus we view the knowledge and skills necessary for the practice of school psychology and child clinical psychology as largely overlapping and we teach our students a core set of skills that are common to work in both types of settings.
Program Overview
At the MA level, the curriculum provides basic training in:
In addition, the program provides theoretical and professional training in:
The Ph.D. curriculum builds on the MA foundation. It provides training -- common to all psychologists in:
In addition, the program provides theoretical and professional training in:
Opportunities are available for research and clinical work with young children, school-age children, adolescents, and families.
The Setting
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is situated in a 12 storey building in downtown Toronto. Metro Toronto has a population of over two million, and is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. OISE/UT's central urban location provides students with access to a wide range of schools and clinics that serve as placement sites for the development of their professional experience.
The OISE/UT library contains an extensive collection in the fields of psychology, education, and related social sciences and humanities. Also students have access to the University of Toronto's 8 million library items contained within the library network.
SCCP students have unlimited access to PC and Macintosh computers, laser printers, e-mail, and the Internet.
SCCP students also have access to the extensive academic and athletic facilities of the University of Toronto.
The Training Model
Four components form the basis of the training model of the SCCP program:
1. School and Child Clinical Psychology
A central feature of the SCCP program is that we are training candidates to become competent in school psychology and child clinical psychology. Although we recognize that there are some knowledge and skills which are more likely to be needed by school psychologists (e.g., understanding of the social ecology of schools, instructional interventions) and child clinical psychologists (e.g., individual and group psychotherapy), we are able to train students in both fields because the basic knowledge and skills of both fields overlap extensively.
The following are some of the core knowledge and skills that psychologists practicing in both fields need:
At the outset of our program, students are informed that they are all being trained to work in school and child clinical settings, and that there are no courses attached to specific tracks. Recent entrants to our program are also required to complete two practica, one in a school setting and one in a clinical setting, prior to embarking on their internship.
2. Scientist-Scholar-Practitioner Model
Our training model reflects the belief that empirically based knowledge in psychology should inform professional training and, at the same time, applied research should be informed by professional experience. The training model adopted by the program is the Scientist-Scholar-Practitioner model, an extension of the Boulder Scientist-Practitioner model. It emphasizes the interaction of practice and theory. The goal is to develop professionals who are clinically competent and intellectually curious, and who are able to provide services which enhance the well being of children, to use research to critically inform practice, and to conduct applied and theoretical research relevant to the practice of psychology. These components are complementary, and training occurs in each of the components in an interwoven fashion throughout a student's program.
We interpret the components of the scientist-scholar-practitioner model as follows:
Scientist. Research is a crucial element of the SCCP program. Students are expected to gain broad knowledge in the areas encompassed by school and clinical child psychology, and to develop a firm foundation in the philosophy of science and scientific methodology. They are expected to become educated consumers of research as well as competent researchers themselves. Students are taught to critically evaluate and apply research through their substantive courses. The skills needed to conduct research are developed in research methods courses, colloquia, graduate assistantships, research groups, attendance at conferences, and masters and doctoral theses.
Scholar. The program emphasizes the importance of developing a breadth of basic and applied knowledge across several areas of psychology, including child development, developmental psychopathology, individual differences, social and biological bases of behaviour, and research and quantitative methods. The scholar can generate questions from issues of practice and place these concerns in an appropriate theoretical perspective so as to guide the search for answers. Graduates are expected to be able to integrate knowledge from different domains and to interpret problems he or she encounters in a meaningful way.
Practitioner. Students develop competence in the practice of school and child clinical psychology through practicum courses, practicum field experiences, and internships.
3. Tree-structured curriculum
Our metaphor for the program is that of a tree. The roots of the tree is the background preparation our students have prior to entry. All students are required to have the equivalent of a four year honours degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. This involves taking at least 6 full-year (or 12 one semester) courses in psychology. Students who do not have undergraduate courses in developmental psychology, and the history of psychology, or a senior undergraduate course in statistics must add those requirements to their program.
The curriculum is designed to establish a strong foundation (or trunk) of core knowledge and skills early in the program, with students free to specialize (or branch out) later on. This approach addresses the requirement that students develop core professional skills with the opportunity for them to begin to establish their own professional direction and become deeply involved in scholarship and research.
4. Mentorship
A mentorship model, which emphasizes the development of knowledge and skills through professional relationships, is utilized in the SCCP program. Students are initially sponsored into the program by a faculty member who shares their area of interest and agrees to function as program advisor. This advisory relationship assumes importance as students decide upon their areas of professional specialization and develop thesis topics. Students become involved in their advisor's research through participating in research groups, through graduate assistantships or externally funded assistantships, an involvement which typically leads to the development of dissertation research. Faculty often continue to be mentors for our students following completion of the program. They work together on collaborative research, and faculty provide support regarding career development and dealing with professional issues.
The core program faculty have developed strong international reputations for their work with a variety of typical and atypical populations including children with learning disabilities, children with ADHD, deaf and hard of hearing children, children with externalizing disorders, children with anxiety and depression, young offenders, and children and families from a variety of cultural backgrounds. All of us are skilled at working with school-age children and adolescents, and some of us have expertise in working with preschool children. Associated faculty have been recruited to the program because of their expertise in working with children who have developmental disabilities and gender identity disorder as well as children who have suffered from neglect and abuse. Consequently, students wanting training in working with any of these populations are well-served by our program. In addition, the faculty is diverse in terms of the approaches taken to prevention and intervention. These approaches include behavior and cognitive behavior therapy, systemic family therapy, psychodynamically-based psychotherapy, and sytemic approaches to school-based instructional and psychosocial interventions. Using a developmental psychopathology framework, we believe that we are especially strong at teaching students about the developmental correlates, antecendents and consequences of the disabilities or disorders described above, policy issues, assessment, prevention and intervention.
THE SCCP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The SCCP Program is not currently accredited; however we are in the process of seeking. Accredited status. We anticipate applying for accreditation through the American Psychological Association (APA) in April, 2000. The address of the Committee on Accreditation is:
Master of Arts
MA level entry to the profession. In addition to the program philosophy and training model, the curriculum reflects the fact that, within the province of Ontario, the MA degree represents an entry point to professional practice. Thus students are trained to meet general basic competency requirements for the practice of psychology at a terminal MA level. Currently, about 50% of our MA graduates proceed immediately to the Ph.D program. The remainder leave to gain work experience, often returning to the doctoral program several years later.
The MA program involves two years of full-time study; it comprises 11 half-courses including a practicum course. It also requires a thesis. The program is designed to meet the requirements for registration in Ontario as a psychological associate.
Program Requirements
Courses
In the first year of the MA program students are required to take the following: an introductory course in school and child clinical psychology; a course on research methods and thesis preparation; two courses related of psychoeducational assessment one of which requires that the student complete an assessment with a client; a course on ethics; and a course on the psychology and education of children with learning disabilities.
In the second year of the MA program, students are required to take the practicum course and two additional required courses: Approaches to Psychotherapy across the lifespan and psychopathology for school and child-clinical practice. At this level, students select optional courses on topics such as: behavioural and cognitive-behavioural interventions, child abuse, developmental disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, and gifted children.
Practicum
All MA students are required to undertake a practicum in the second year of their program. Students spend a minimum of one day per week in their practicum setting (totaling approximately 250 hours). Typically students select a school site for their first practicum placement.
Thesis
Students are initially sponsored into the program by a faculty member who shares their area of interest and agrees to function as their program advisor. This advisory relationship assumes importance as students decide upon their areas of professional specialization and develop thesis topics. Students become involved in their advisor's research through participating in research groups, through graduate assistantships or externally funded assistantships, an involvement that typically leads to the development of a thesis topic. Undertaking the research methods course in the first year of the MA, provides additional support for the planning an execution of the thesis in the second year.
Note: Continuation from the MA. to the Ph.D. program is not automatic; graduates from the MA. program are considered each year in a pool with all other applicants to the program.
Doctor of Philosophy
Like the master's program above, the Ph.D. program is intended to prepare the student for psychological work with children in schools, clinics, and research settings. Graduates of this program would assume positions of greater professional and administrative responsibility than would graduates of the master's program. They would be engaged in activities that put a premium on the knowledge of psychological principles and the ability to use them in a systematic way. The Ph.D. program is intended to meet the academic requirements for registration as a psychologist in Ontario.
Program Requirements
Courses
The Ph.D. program is comprised of eight half-courses (including a practicum course), a comprehensive examination, a doctoral dissertation and an internship, and is normally undertaken on a full-time basis. Students are expected to complete the comprehensive examination before the end of their required period of full-time study. Students are also required to take courses within the areas of psychological assessment and intervention, cognitive/affective foundations of psychology, social foundations of psychology, advanced research methods, biological foundations of psychology, and history and systems of psychology.
Students in the 1st year of the Ph.D. program are required to take the Ph.D. practicum course and a research proseminar in Human Development and Applied Psychology.
To complete their program, Ph.D. students select the remaining seven courses from a menu of courses offered in each of the following areas: Psychosocial Interventions; Instructional Interventions; Advanced Assessment; Social Foundations of Psychology; Advanced Research Methods; Biological Foundations of Psychology.
Practicum
All Ph.D. students are required to undertake a two-day per week practicum. This is typically completed in the first year of the Ph.D. program. Students gain approximately 500 hours of experience in their placement. The majority of students select a clinic site for their Ph.D. practicum.
Comprehensive Examination
The purpose of the comprehensive examination is twofold: (a) to ensure an adequate level of psychological knowledge for professional functioning as a practitioner, academic, or researcher; (b) to demonstrate an ability to integrate information at the accepted standard for a doctoral student.
Students are expected to complete the comprehensive examination by the end of their residency period. Normally the examination is taken before commencing data collection for the thesis or undertaking an internship. The examination is a take-home format; students have one week to write the examination and submit their answers
Internship
All Ph.D. students are required to complete at least 1500 hours of supervised internship in an approved training center. This is preferably accomplished in one full-time, twelve-month internship.
Doctoral Thesis
Often students continue with their MA thesis supervisor for their Ph.D. thesis. Others students, perhaps because of a change in research interests, may opt to switch supervisors. Ph.D. thesis candidates are expected to undertake research that is both original and has the potential to make a significant contribution to the literature. A proposal is approved by a thesis committee consisting of the thesis supervisor and two additional faculty members and/or associated staff with OGS status. Final approval of the research requires an oral defense attended by the core committee and two additional examiners, one from within the University of Toronto and one external to the university.
Preparation for Professional Practice (The Role of the College of Psychologists of Ontario)
Students whose plans include preparation for professional practice in psychology should note the following:
The practice of psychology in the province of Ontario is regulated under the Statute Law of Ontario. Graduation from a doctoral or master's program or from any graduate program in psychology does not in itself qualify a person to practice as a psychologist or a psychological associate. The professional practice of psychology in Ontario is regulated by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Following graduation, the College determines whether candidates can practice independently as psychologists and psychological associates in Ontario.
Admission Requirements (MA)
Admission to the MA program normally requires a University of Toronto four-year bachelor's degree in Psychology, or its equivalent, defined as six full courses in psychology, including one half-course in research methods and at least three full courses at the third and fourth year level. The usual admission standard is equivalent to a University of Toronto A- or better. Applicants who have at least three years of successful post-bachelor's relevant professional experience may be admitted with a slightly lower standing if they can document to the satisfaction of the admissions committee that they can meet the standards of the program in terms of research and applied work. Most applicants will have evidence of relevant professional experience. Applicants are requested to submit, in addition to the required letters of recommendation, a letter of recommendation from an applied setting.
Admission Requirements (Ph.D.)
Admission to the Ph.D. program normally requires a University of Toronto four-year bachelor's degree in Psychology or its equivalent and an OISE/UT MA. in School and Child-Clinical Psychology or its equivalent. The usual admission standard is standing equivalent to a University of Toronto A- or better (in the master's degree). A limited number of outstanding applicants holding equivalent bachelor's and master's degrees in Psychology from elsewhere may be considered. However, if the master's program was not equivalent to the OISE/UT MA in School and Child-Clinical Psychology, the student may be required to take additional courses to receive equivalent training.
Financial Assistance
All students in the School and Child Clinical Psychology Program, including incoming students, are eligible to apply for support through several sources. OISE/UT scholarships and graduate assistantships (G.A.) are awarded on the basis of merit (e.g., academic standing, relevant research and clinical experience). OISE/UT scholarships are valued at $10,500 per year, with eligible incoming MA. and Ph.D. students receiving the scholarship for 2 years. Incoming MA. students apply to receive a G.A. for 2 years (valued at $8,000/yr), with eligibility to apply again for one more year, while Ph.D. students apply to receive a G.A. for 3 years, with eligibility to apply for 2 more years. Students can also apply to receive a G.A. during the summer months (May-August) on a competitive basis.
All students are also strongly encouraged to apply for outside sources of financial support (e.g., Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Ontario Mental Health Foundation fellowships). In addition, bursaries are awarded by the department of Human Development and Applied Psychology twice a year on the basis of financial need. Faculty members with external research grant funding may also employ students.
Application for Admission to the Program
In order to apply, SCCP candidates are required to submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions. Also required are: a curriculum vita, three letters of recommendation (two from a research/academic setting and one from a professional setting), and a statement of interests and experiences.
For application information, contact:
Additional information can be obtained at http://www.oise.utoronto.ca
Core Faculty in the School and Child Clinical Psychology Program
The SCCP program has a large faculty. In addition to the following core faculty, the program also has a number of associated faculty that are actively involved in teaching and research. Students who are interested in pursuing the possibility of conducting research with a specific faculty member should contact that person to determine if they are taking on new students.
Name | Research Interests |
Ducharme, Joe | Development of new, non-intrusive, and developmentally-sensitive prevention and treatment approaches for child psychopathologies; Strategies for enhancing compliance with treatment regimens; Parent, teacher, and staff training interventions. |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2265 | |
jducharme@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Geva, Esther | Cognitive and linguistic processes in normally achieving and learning disabled children; First and second language learners; Cross-cultural psychology; Identification and intervention of at-risk ESL children. |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2480 | |
egeva@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Humphries, Tom | Learning disabilities; Treatment intervention; Learning and behavioural correlates of medical conditions |
(416) 813-6318 | |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2741 | |
thumphr@sickkids.on.ca | |
Jenkins, Jenny | Development psychopathology; Basic emotion processes; Family interaction and relationships; Risk and resilience |
(416) 934-4504 | |
jenny.jenkins@utoronto.ca | |
Link, Nancy | Contrast between psychodynamic and scientific forms of thought: Understanding emotions from an evolutionary and a developmental perspective |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2227 | |
nlink@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Musselman, Carol | Linguistic, academic and socioemotional development of deaf children and adolescents; Psychotherapy with learning disabled adults |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2448 | |
cmusselman@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Peterson-Badali, Michele | Social-cognitive development in children and adolescents; Knowledge, reasoning, perceptions, and experiences of social institutions and phenomena (esp. legal, medical/mental, health); Children's rights |
(416) 923-641, Ext. 2586 | |
mpetersonbadali@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Volpe, Rick | Human development; Self-concept; Social cognition; Family relations; Child abuse; School/community interface; Evaluation research; Qualitative methods |
(416) 934-4511 | |
richard.volpe@utoronto.ca | |
Wiener, Judy | Peer relations and social adjustment of children with learning disabilities and ADHD; Social and affective impacts of inclusion; Beliefs of children with learning disabilities and with ADHD about their difficulties |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2492 | |
jwiener@oise.utoronto.ca | |
Willows, Dale | Basic processes in reading; Reading/writing disabilities; Classroom reading/writing instruction; Assessment and remediation approaches to written language difficulties |
(416) 923-6641, Ext. 2611 | |
dwillows@oise.utoronto.ca |
Associated Faculty in the School and Child Clinical Psychology Program
Name and Institutional Affiliation |
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Atkinson, Lesley, Ph.D. Psychologist, Family Court Clinic Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Clarke Division |
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Benson, Nancy, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Psychology Department University of Toronto |
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Brandys, Clare, Ph.D. Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Acquired Brain Injury Program |
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Bruto, Venera, Ph.D. Psychologist Toronto General Hospital |
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Caspary, Art, Ph.D. Psychologist Hincks-Dellcrest Centre (Jarvis Site) |
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Cole, Ester, Ph.D. Psychologist The Toronto District School Board |
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Corter, Carl, Ph.D. Professor OISE/University of Toronto |
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Day, David, Ph.D. Ryerson Polytechnic University |
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Keith, Eileen, Ph.D. Psychologist Surrey Place Centre |
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Malone, Molly, Ph.D. Psychologist The Hospital for Sick Children |
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Matthews, Dona, Ph.D. Psychoeducational Consultant Private Practice |
Teaching |
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Mendlowitz, Sandra, Ph.D. Child and Adolescent Family Services Markham Stouffville Hospital |
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Miezitis, Solveiga, Ph.D. Professor, Dept. of Adult Education, Community Development, & Counselling Psychology OISE/UT |
Teaching |
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Ozols, Edie, Ph.D. Psychologist Toronto District School Board |
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Perlman, Nitza, Ph.D. Psychologist Surrey Place Centre |
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Perry, Adrienne, Ph.D. Psychologist/Coordinator of Research Teaching Thistletown Regional Centre |
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Rovet, Joanne, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics University of Toronto The Hospital for Sick Children |
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Schachar, Russell, M.D. Professor, Institute of Medical Science University of Toronto |
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Siegel, Linda, Ph.D. Professor University of British Columbia |
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Schneider, Barry, Ph.D. Professor University of Ottawa |
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Spiegler, Brenda, Ph.D. Psychologist The Hospital for Sick Children |
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Tannock, Rosemary, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry University of Toronto The Hospital for Sick Children |
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Worling, James, Ph.D. Psychologist, SAFE-T Program Thistletown Regional Centre |
Teaching |
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Zucker, Kenneth, Ph.D. Psychologist, Child Psychiatry Program Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Clark Division |
Teaching |
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