Preliminary Validation of a Tool To Assess Competencies for Professional Geropsychology Practice

Psychologists will need to develop increased competencies for Geropsychology practice to serve the behavioral and mental health care needs of an aging population. The Council of Professional Geropsychology Training Programs (CoPGTP) developed the Pikes Peak Geropsychology Knowledge and Skill Assessment Tool to help psychologists and geropsychology trainees evaluate professional geropsychology competencies and related training needs. In this study, geropsychologists and geropsychology trainees were asked to complete the competency tool to evaluate its psychometric properties and to assess users' perceptions of its utility. The sample (N = 109) consisted of 75 professionals and 34 graduate students who completed the tool through an online survey. Results provide preliminary support for use of the tool as a self-evaluation instrument for psychologists and graduate students who want to identify areas of continuing professional development in geropsychology. As expected, psychologists rated themselves as having more advanced geropsychology competencies than did graduate students, F(5, 96) = 27.18, p < .01. For psychologists, overall self-rated competency was predicted by extent of formal clinical training and proportion of one's practice devoted to older adults, but not by years in practice or informal training. For graduate trainees, overall self-rated competency was predicted by formal clinical training experiences but not by coursework or clinical hours. Participants provided generally positive feedback about the tool's utility. Results suggest that formal clinical training is a critical contributor to self-perceived geropsychology competence. Innovative models of continuing professional development will be important to help psychologists develop competence for professional geropsychology practice.