Core Competencies for Psychologists: How to Succeed in Medical Settings

Abstract

Over the last decade, the field of professional psychology has made advances in specifying and elaborating on the core competencies and associated behavioral benchmarks required to function effectively and ethically as professional psychologists. Further refinement of professional competencies has been undertaken within specialty areas of professional psychology, including the specialty of clinical health psychology. Clear competencies and associated benchmarks provide essential guidance for training programs, supervisors, students, and psychologists wishing to expand their scope of practice. With the growing interest in incorporating psychology into a variety of medical settings, and the movement of clinical psychologists, many of whom have not had specialty fellowship training in clinical health psychology, into roles and positions within medical settings, the issues surrounding professional competencies for psychological practice in medical settings remain important. The current chapter aims to present a brief overview of the professional psychology competency literature, with a particular emphasis on additional competencies specific to clinical health psychology. Several competency areas not previously described in the literature will be proposed. Finally, core competencies for psychologists in medical settings will be illustrated using two detailed applied case examples. Core competencies essential for integration into medical settings and gaining acceptance and credibility as part of a medical team are highlighted.