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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page essay/research paper that expresses a position on the issue of whether or not professional psychological organizations should make continuing education a mandatory condition for licensing. The writer argues against this position. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khmcepsy.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
indicated in The Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act, does not require evidence of continuing education as part of the license renewal procedure (IDPR, 1997). On this surface, these facts tend to
suggest that mandatory continuing education constitutes a logical and necessary requirement for re-licensing of psychologists, counselors and therapists. However, Dr. Patrick B. Kavanaugh argues that making continuing education a mandatory
requirement for license renewal erodes the autonomy and professional standing of practice. The APA Code of Ethics details the expected codes of conduct that govern the professional life of
a psychologist and embedded within these expectations are that these professionals will be involved in a "continuing process of education, consultations when indicated and the continuous development and refinement of
clinical skills" (Kavanaugh, 2002). This observation indicates that continuing education has always been, as Kavanaugh points out, a "defining aspect of professional life as a psychologist" (Kavanaugh, 2002). Therefore,
Kavanaugh sees endeavors to institute legal mandatory requirement in regards to continuing education, not in terms associated with professional conduct and expectations, but rather as an attempt to impose "formularized
treatment plans" and other bureaucratic dictums, which are designed intentionally to erode the professional psychologists freedom to employ "individual discretionary judgment" (Kavanaugh, 2002). Rather than a step that simply promotes
continuing professional education, Kavanaugh sees such laws as limiting and eroding the "defining characteristics of the profession" (Kavanaugh, 2002). Nevertheless, professional organizations, such as the Michigan Psychological Association (MPA),
support the concept of mandatory continuing education. The MPA states that a mandatory requirement would show that the states psychologists were "upholding the highest standards of practice," and they further
argue that this law is needed in order to protect the public from "incompetent, outdated or unscrupulous practitioners" (Kavanaugh, 2002). Furthermore, there is the axiomatic rationale that "more education is
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