Training and Education in Professional Psychology, Vol 19(3), Aug 2025, 163-177; doi:10.1037/tep0000514
The accreditation of Health Service Psychology (HSP) at the master’s level raises a fundamental question about how HSP competencies at both the doctoral and master’s levels should be conceptualized. Although competency models are well established as guiding frameworks for curricular design in HSP training programs, prior competency models were developed without consideration of degree types other than the doctorate. This article presents a model of competency intended to unify the field across different HSP program types (e.g., school psychology, counseling psychology, and clinical psychology) and degree types (e.g., master’s and doctoral). The proposed model is also intended to differentiate HSP from other mental health professions by defining a cohesive set of competencies that serve as a core for how HSP practitioners engage in their professional work. In contrast to prior models that focus on what HSP practitioners should be able to do by the end of their training, the proposed model emphasizes how they should be able to engage in the work of HSP. This process competency model proposes that optimal HSP work occurs when four different processes are engaged consistently and simultaneously: application of psychological science; application of psychological theory; application of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles; and application of ethical and social justice principles. Examples of how these competency processes may be operationalized are presented, as are implications for education, practice, and the field more broadly. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)