Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

COAMFTE Accreditation and California MFT Licensing Exam Success

2011; Wiley; Volume: 37; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00240.x

1752-0606

Benjamin E. Caldwell, Shelly A. Kunker, Stephen Brown, Dustin Y. Saiki,

Nursing Roles and Practices

Journal of Marital and Family TherapyVolume 37, Issue 4 p. 468-478 COAMFTE Accreditation and California MFT Licensing Exam Success Benjamin E. Caldwell, Benjamin E. Caldwell Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorShelly A. Kunker, Shelly A. Kunker Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorStephen W. Brown, Stephen W. Brown Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorDustin Y. Saiki, Dustin Y. Saiki Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this author Benjamin E. Caldwell, Benjamin E. Caldwell Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorShelly A. Kunker, Shelly A. Kunker Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorStephen W. Brown, Stephen W. Brown Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this authorDustin Y. Saiki, Dustin Y. Saiki Alliant International UniversitySearch for more papers by this author First published: 27 July 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00240.xCitations: 6 Address correspondence to Benjamin E. Caldwell, Marital and Family Therapy Graduate Programs, Alliant International University, 10455 Pomerado Rd., San Diego, California 92131; E-mail: [email protected] Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD, is an associate professor for the marital and family therapy program at Alliant International University, San Diego, California; Shelly A. Kunker, MA, is a doctoral student in the marital and family therapy program at Alliant International University, San Diego, California; Stephen W. Brown, PhD, is a professor for the marital and family therapy program at Alliant International University, Irvine, California; Dustin Y. Saiki, BA, is a student in the master's degree program in marital and family therapy at Alliant International University, Los Angeles, California. The authors thank Rajeswari Natrajan-Tyagi, PhD, for her support and helpful suggestions. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Professional accreditation of graduate programs in marital and family therapy (MFT) is intended to ensure the strength of the education students receive. However, there is great difficulty in assessing the real-world impact of accreditation on students. Only one measure is applied consistently to graduates of all MFT programs, regardless of accreditation status: licensure examinations. Within California, COAMFTE-accredited, regionally (WASC) accredited, and state-approved programs all may offer degrees qualifying for licensure. Exam data from 2004, 2005, and 2006 (n = 5,646 examinees on the Written Clinical Vignette exam and n = 3,408 first-time examinees on the Standard Written Exam) were reviewed to determine the differences in exam success among graduates of programs at varying levels of accreditation. Students from COAMFTE-accredited programs were more successful on both California exams than were students from other WASC-accredited or state-approved universities. There were no significant differences between (non-COAMFTE) WASC-accredited universities and state-approved programs. Differences could be related to selection effects, if COAMFTE programs initially accept students of higher quality. Implications for therapist education and training are discussed. References American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (2007, July/August). AAMFT's commission on accreditation: History & standards. Family Therapy Magazine, 6(4), 28–29. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. (n.d.). COAMFTE accredited marriage and family therapy programs. Retrieved June 17, 2009, from http://www.aamft.org/about/COAMFTE/Accreditation%20Trends%20Graph.pdf Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. (2009). Information for candidates: Examination in marital and family therapy, 2009–2010. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://www.amftrb.org/PDF/info4candidate.pdf Atkins, C., & Riemersma, M. (2009). Board of Behavioral Sciences update. The Therapist, 21(6), 10–11. Azusa Pacific University. (n.d.). Additional MFT requirements. Retrieved December 29, 2008, from Azusa Pacific University, Department Web site: http://www.apu.edu/bas/graduatepsychology/mft/details/additional/ Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2007). Demographic report on licensees and registrants: Summary, December 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://www.bbs.ca.gov/pdf/publications/demo_survey_2007.pdf Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2008a). MFT examination plan. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from http://www.bbs.ca.gov/exams/mft_exam_plan.shtml Board of Behavioral Sciences. (2008b). Tracking the LCSW and MFT licensing processes: A current snapshot of 2002–2004 graduates. Paper presented at the November 18, 2008, meeting of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA. Butler, M. H., Davis, S. D., & Seedall, R. B. (2008). Common pitfalls of beginning therapists utilizing enactments. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34, 329–352. Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. (2005, November). Accreditation standards, graduate and post-graduate marriage and family therapy education and training programs, Version 11.0. Retrieved January 2, 2009, from http://www.aamft.org/about/COAMFTE/Version%2011%20Standards/Master_Version_11_Accreditation_Standards.pdf Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. (n.d.). Accreditation philosophy and frequently asked questions. Retrieved October 17, 2008, from http://www.aamft.org/about/COAMFTE/Accreditation%20Philosophy.pdf Davis, M. H., Ponnamperuma, G. G., & Ker, J. S. (2009). Student perceptions of a portfolio assessment process. Medical Education, 43(1), 89–98. Glidden, R. (1983). Specialized accreditation. In K. E. Young, C. M. Chambers, H. R. Kells, and Associates, (Eds.), Understanding accreditation (pp. 187–208). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Grams, W. A., Carlson, T. S., & McGeorge, C. R. (2007). Integrating spirituality into family therapy training: An exploration of faculty members' beliefs. Contemporary Family Therapy, 29, 147–161. Hertlein, K. M., & Lambert-Shute, J. (2007). Factors influencing student selection of marriage and family therapy graduate programs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33, 18–34. Kansas State University School of Family Studies and Human Services. (2008). Introduction to the marriage and family therapy program: Master's degree program. Retrieved January 2, 2009, from Kansas State University, School of Family Studies and Human Services Web site: http://www.humec.k-state.edu/documents/fshs/mft-introduction-2008-masters.pdf Lawless, J. J., Brooks, S., & Julye, S. (2006). Textual representations of diversity in COAMFTE accredited doctoral programs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32, 3–15. Lee, R. E. (1998). The marital and family therapy examination program: A survey of participants. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 24, 127–134. Lee, R. E., & Sturkie, K. (1997). The national marital and family therapy examination program. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 23, 255–269. Lesser Bruun, E., Platt, J., Miller, J. K., & Todahl, J. (2005, October). The OSCE as a tool in family therapy education: Link to the core competencies. Paper presented at the 2005 Annual Conference of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Kansas City, MO. McGaha, S., & Minder, C. (1993). Factors influencing performance on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 24, 107–109. Miller, J. K. (2010). Competency-based training: Objective structured clinical exercises (OSCE) in marriage and family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 36, 320–332. Miller, J. K., Todahl, J., & Linville, D. (2007, October). Competency-based training: Structured clinical exercises for marriage and family therapy interns. Paper presented at the 2007 Annual Conference of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Long Beach, CA. Nelson, T. S., Chenail, R. J., Alexander, J. F., Crane, D. R., Johnson, S. M., & Schwallie, L. (2007). The development of core competencies for the practice of marriage and family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 33, 417–438. PROPHET StatGuide. (1997). Do your data violate one-way ANOVA assumptions? Retrieved June 18, 2009, from http://www.basic.northwestern.edu/statguidefiles/oneway_anova_ass_viol.html Rodolfa, E. R., & Keilin, W. G. (2006). Internship training with licensure on the horizon. In T. J. Vaughn (Ed.), Psychology licensure and certification: What students need to know (pp. 73–83). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Ross, M. J., Holzman, L. A., Handal, P. J., & Gilner, F. H. (1991). Performance on the Examination for the Professional Practice of Psychology as a function of specialty, degree, administrative housing, and accreditation status. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 22, 347–350. Russell, C. S., & Peterson, C. M. (2003). Student impairment and remediation in accredited marriage and family therapy programs. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 29, 329–337. Seattle Pacific University (2006). 2006–07 graduate catalog. Seattle, WA: Author. Sheridan, E. P., Matarazzo, J. D., & Nelson, P. D. (1995). Accreditation of psychology's graduate professional education and training programs: An historical perspective. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26, 386–392. Smith, R. A. (1971). The effect of unequal group size on Tukey's HSD procedure. Psychometrika, 36(1), 31–34. Touliatos, J., Lindholm, B. W., & Nichols, W. C. (1997). The shaping of family therapy education: An update. Contemporary Family Therapy, 19, 391–407. Young, K. E. (1983). Accreditation: Complex evaluative tool. In K. E. Young, C. M. Chambers, H. R. Kells, and Associates (Eds.), Understanding accreditation (pp. 19–35). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Citing Literature Volume37, Issue4October 2011Pages 468-478 ReferencesRelatedInformation