For Psychologists new to the Field of Clinical Geropsychology

Thank you for visiting our website.  The Council on Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP) is dedicated to promoting training in geropsychology on four broad levels: academic, pre- and post-doctoral programs, and post-licensure. 

We have known for some time that psychologists are not being trained in adequate numbers to meet the mental health needs of the aging population.  Fortunately, there is an ever-increasing number of graduate programs and pre-licensure training opportunities available throughout the U.S. for those entering the field of geropsychology.  And, for licensed psychologists without formal training in this area, there are now many resources to help develop basic competencies to work effectively with this age group.  This website provides an overview of geropsychology training for psychologists who are interested in expanding their professional activities with older adults.

Incentives for Post-licensure Training

There are many benefits to specialized training in geropsychology, including:

• Improved care to population – older adults welcome mental health services, and greatly benefit from our professional interventions;

• Better collaboration and interaction with other disciplines – older adults are frequently at the nexus of many systems, including medical, psychosocial, legal, and financial, and our ability to integrate our  unique perspectives with those of others ultimately benefits the older population;

• Leadership opportunities – regardless of the health care environment we are involved in, an increased proficiency in geropsychology will always be in demand;

• Improved job satisfaction – improvements in our knowledge base and skills about mental health services with older adults fosters a greater sense of professional reward and satisfaction;

• Financial incentives – demographics favor the development of at least a sub-specialty in this area, given the favorable trends of Medicare and other private payers for mental health services;  
  

• Improved training of other caregivers – whether working with other professionals, paraprofessionals, or family caregivers, geropsychologists can offer both formal and informal training on essential aging and mental health topics.

Here are some steps you can take:

• Familiarize yourself with the Geropsychology Competencies.
  

• Use the Geropsychology Knowledge and Skill Assessment Tool for a self-evaluation of your own level of expertise in recommended competencies, and to define ongoing learning goals and training needs.

• Look through the Training section of the CoPGTP website to locate a collection of conferences and workshops, web-based training opportunities, and other continuing study programs in clinical geropsychology.

• Review the list of Recommended Readings for additional books and journal articles that address broad overviews and specific competencies related to geropsychology.

• Contact one of the consultants available thru this website for individualized mentoring and training, and guidance and supervision (see Geropsychology Consultants)

Thank you for your interest.  We look forward to your continued involvement in the field of clinical geropsychology.