Inclusion of Trainee Stakeholders Is Necessary for Effective Change in Health-Service-Psychology Internship Training

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Professional Training
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Recent call to action highlighted critical issues in Health Service Psychology (HSP) internships from trainee perspectives.
• The field is ready for dialogue and concrete changes in HSP training.
• Commentaries on the initial article demonstrate engagement and offer actionable recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advance the dialogue on HSP internship issues initiated in a previous article.
• To respond to commentaries and further the conversation on improving HSP training.
• To emphasize the importance of including trainee stakeholders in data gathering and policy changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of commentaries in response to a previous article on HSP internships.
• Identification of recurring themes in the responses.
• Synthesis of recommendations for future action.

Main Results:

• Two primary themes emerged: the "need to know" (gathering novel training data) and the "need to act" (implementing changes).
• Commentaries provided actionable recommendations for improving HSP internships.
• The responses underscore a field-wide readiness to engage in dialogue.

Conclusions:

• Sustainable and equitable change in HSP training requires the inclusion of trainee stakeholders.
• Future efforts in data collection and policy action must prioritize stakeholder involvement.
• Collaborative approaches are essential for addressing pressing issues in Health Service Psychology internships.