So what are master's-level psychology practitioners doing? Surveys of employers and recent graduates in North Carolina.

Abstract

In response to questions regarding the marketability of master's-level psychology practitioners, 2 surveys were conducted: 1 of prospective employers of master's-level psychologists and 1 of recent graduates of the University of North Carolina system's master's in psychology programs with clinical emphases. Results indicate that graduates face a healthy job market in the public sector and have a good reputation for value in the marketplace. Graduates reported finding desirable work shortly after graduation, primarily in the public sector. Few described any difficulties with the state-mandated supervision requirement or managed-care reimbursement, perhaps because most public-sector settings provided for both. The data represent the collaborative effort of 1 state's university-system's psychology master's programs to assess employment experiences and marketplace trends. SALLY JOY MACKAIN received her PhD in clinical psychology in 1987 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and is the coordinator of graduate clinical training. Her clinical and research interests include psychiatric rehabilitation for the severely mentally ill in inpatient, correctional, and community settings. RICHARD G. TEDESCHI received his PhD in 1976 from Ohio University. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research interests include posttraumatic growth in response to bereavement and other traumatic events. THOMAS W. DURHAM received his PhD in clinical psychology in 1977 from Florida State University. He is an associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychology at East Carolina University, where he has been director of the clinical psychology graduate program since 1986. His research interests focus on psychological assessment. VINSTON J. GOLDMAN received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984. He is associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychology at North Carolina Central University and serves as the coordinator of the psychology graduate program. He has research interests in ethics and professional issues. WE WISH TO THANK Lee A. Jackson,

Job Satisfaction Among Psychologists Working in State Prisons

“…The majority of respondents (47%, n = 34) were women (17%, n = 12 did not respond to the question); 73% (n = 53) had master's degrees and were licensed psychological associates (LPAs). In North Carolina, master's-level psychologists practice under the supervision of doctoral-level psychologists, although supervision requirements can be as little as 1 hour per month for LPAs who have accumulated at least 7,500 clinical hours and been licensed a minimum of 5 years (MacKain, Tedeschi, Durham, & Goldman, 2002). Service with the DOC ranged from 6 months to 36 years (M = 10 years, SD = 9.81, Mdn = 7 years), although 50% of the sample (n = 36) had worked 6.5 years or less.…”

Master’s-level psychology training in substance use disorder treatment: One model for expanding the workforce.

“…UNCW worked closely with the six other clinical psychology master's programs in the state to monitor employment prospects and identify challenges for our graduates (MacKain et al, 2002). Over the past 12 years, all but one of the six other master's-training programs in North Carolina have implemented or are in the process of planning doctoral-level programs.…”

“…In North Carolina, licensed psychological associates (LPAs’ master’s-prepared psychologists) may use the title psychologist and practice psychology under supervision of a doctoral-level licensed psychologist. Historically, master’s-level psychologists have filled staffing shortages in prisons and community mental health centers in North Carolina (MacKain, Tedeschi, Durham, & Goldman, 2002), and these shortages persist (Domino et al, 2019). Under a graduated supervisory-level system, LPAs at Level 1 must have 4 hr per month of supervision, and after 5 years and 7,500 hr of supervised practice, they require as little as 1 hr per month of supervision.…”

“…The practicum and internship opportunities are consistent with those described by Martin, Burrow-Sánchez, Iwamoto, Glidden-Tracey, and Vaughan (2016); UNCW interns receive a minimum of 1 hr per week from a licensed psychologist (LP) or LPA and 1 hr per week supervision from a licensed clinical addictions specialist certified clinical supervisor (LCAS-CCS). Once the internship is completed and students meet all other graduation requirements, they are eligible to apply for the LPA and LCAS in North Carolina, and many become employed at their internship sites (MacKain et al, 2002). Nearly all the program directors and supervisors at the training sites are graduates of the UNCW master’s program and hold both the LPA and the LCAS-CCS.…”

The Time Is Now: The Emerging Need for Master's-Level Training in Forensic Psychology

“…Just as the field of clinical psychology has changed dramatically since the inception of the Boulder model (as the roles for clinical practitioners expanded exponentially), the delivery of psychological services has changed over the past few decades. Increasingly, doctoral-level psychologists are in supervisory roles and master's-level clinicians (including social workers) are providing direct services (Colliver, Havens, & Wesley, 1985;MacKain, Tedeschi, Durham, & Goldman, 2002;Steir, 1998;Trent, 1993). This trend has been apparent both in forensic and non-forensic settings.…”