The American Psychological Association (APA) has awarded the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) at UC Santa Barbara a full ten-year re-accreditation. The APA claims, “Accreditation assures us that higher education programs and institutions meet professional standards of academic and operational integrity and quality.” The accreditation process involves a comprehensive review of the mission, goals, and processes of the department in order to ensure that the program is of high quality and that both clinical training and research objectives are being met. A ten-year re-accreditation is the highest distinction given to a program by the APA Commission on Accreditation.
“The Gevirtz School is so proud of the research and teaching accomplishments of our CCSP department,” says Jules Zimmer Dean Jeffrey Milem. “This full accreditation from APA is further and continuing evidence of the department’s national distinction. The faculty’s focus on resiliency, risk, trauma, and thriving make it unique among its peers.”
“The Commission recognizes the quality of training provided by the program and deems it in substantial compliance with the Standards of Accreditation,” the APA wrote in its decision language. “[We] extend congratulations to the faculty and students of the program for their achievements. The Commission also expresses its appreciation for your personal commitment, and the corresponding support of your administration, to develop and maintain the best possible quality of graduate education and training in psychology.”
The UCSB program first received accreditation from the APA body as a Counseling Psychology program in 1981. In 1986 and again in 1988, site visit teams from the Committee on Accreditation of the APA re-accredited the program in the same specialty area. In 1990, the Department also received a three-year provisional accreditation for the combined program (for students entering the Department in September 1991 or later). In 1994, APA gave five years full accreditation to the combined CCSP Department. Then in 2006 and again in 2013 APA conducted site reviews and CCSP both times received a full seven-year accreditation, which previously was the longest length of accreditation.