Some VA Internship Programs in Danger of losing APA accreditation…
...because they haven't paid APA
Many VA Internship Programs are in Danger of losing APA accreditation because they haven’t paid APA. Here is some more background in this 3/27/2015 Department of Veterans Affairs Memorandum.
This appears to continue to be a problem based on this email from Dr. Kenneth Jones from January 19, 2016:
Subject: American Psychological Association-Council on Accreditation – 39 VA sites in Delinquency Status
Importance: High
Dear Mental Health VISN Leaders (Designated Education Officers and Psychology Directors of Training and Chiefs are copied, also):
As you know, OAA will only fund psychology internships and residencies/fellowships that hold accreditation with the American Psychological Association-Council on Accreditation (APA) (note that new programs have three years to achieve accreditation). As a courtesy, APA has alerted OAA that 39 facilities are delinquent in either there annual reaccreditation fees or their charges for their reaccreditation site visit (two sites). Bills were sent on June 1, 2015 (for the annual accreditation) and these charges were considered to be seriously delinquent on December 31st. If APA follows their written rules, they would revoke the accreditation of the programs who are delinquent. Since there are so many psychology internships and fellowships which are in jeopardy, we are alerting you to the list of programs in a delinquent status. We ask that you work to fulfill this payment as quickly as possible.
Here are the sites in delinquency:
| Name | Director of Training Last Name | Amount | Due Date |
| Accreditation Site Visit Fees | |||
| Charles George VA Medical Center (NC) – Internship | Bringle | $3,400.00 | 09/29/2015 |
| VA Advanced Fellowship Prog MITR (MI) – Postdoctoral Residency | Bowersox | $3,400.00 | 09/29/2015 |
| Accreditation Annual Fees | |||
| VA Boston Healthcare System (MA) – Clinical Neuropsychology PD | Silberbogen | $2,550.00 | 10/30/2015 |
| VA Boston Hlthcare System (VABHCS) (MA) – Postdoctoral Residency | Silberbogen | $2,550.00 | 10/30/2015 |
| Atlanta VA Medical Center (GA) – Postdoctoral Residency | Michels | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Atlanta VA Medical Center (GA) – Internship | Michels | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Central Texas Veterans (TX) – Internship | Andrews | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Charles George VA Medical Center (NC) – Internship | Bringle | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery (MS) – Postdoctoral Residency | Burke | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Gulf Coast Veterans (MS) – Internship | Fussell | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Harry S. Truman (MO) – Postdoctoral Residency | Brownlee-Duffeck | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Iowa City VA Medical Center (IA) – Internship | Stormoen | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Lexington VA Medical Center (KY) – Internship | Phillips | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Michael E. DeBakey (TX) – Postdoctoral Residency | Teng | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Michael E. DeBakey (TX) – Clinical Neuropsychology PD | Collins | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Minneapolis VA Healthcare System (MN) – Postdoctoral Residency | Siegel | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| South Texas Veterans (TX) – Internship | Ruha | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| South Texas Veterans Hlth Care Sys. (TX) – Postdoctoral Residency | McCoy | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Southern Arizona VA (AZ) – Postdoctoral Residency | Cole | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (AL) – Internship | Austin | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Long Beach Healthcare System (CA) – Internship | Sholty | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Long Beach,(CA) – Postdoctoral Residency | Horin | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Maine Healthcare System (ME) – Internship | Sholtz | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Maine Healthcare System (ME) – Postdoctoral Residency | Sholtz | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA New York Harbor Health Care (NY) – Internship | Pfaff | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA New York Harbor Health Care (NY) – Internship | Hostetter | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA North Texas (TX) – Postdoctoral Residency | J. Jackson | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA North Texas Health Care System (TX) – Internship | J. Jackson | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Sepulveda Ambulatory (CA) – Internship | Kulick | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Sierra Nevada Hlthcare System (NV) – Internship | V. Williams | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend (TX) – Internshio | Jensen | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Valley Mental Health (UT) – Internship | McGill | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| VAMC – Dayton (OH) – Postdoctoral Residency | Bischoff | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Vanderbilt University/VA (TN) – Internship | Jimenez | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| MIRECC Veteran Integrated Services (CO) – Postdoctoral Residency | Olson-Madden | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Washington Veterans Affairs Medical Center (DC) – Internship | Zapata | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham (NC) – Postdoctoral Residency | Shaw | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport (NY) – Internship | Eschen | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Veterans Affairs New Jersey, East Orange (NJ) – Internship | Mosley | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Veterans Affairs Palo Alto, MIRECC (CA) – Postdoctoral Residency | Fairchild | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
| Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Washington (DC) – Postdoctoral Residency | Zapata | $2,250.00 | 12/31/2015 |
As many of these fees are under the 3,000 credit card payment limit (which triggers the need for a contract), it is a bit confusing why these payments have not be executed.
We in OAA are well aware of the difficulties in processing these payments, especially the larger site-visit payment. We are in the process of forming a national contract, which we hope will centralize and streamline payment of these fees. Until we have that contract in place, however, each facility will need to continuing paying these bills independently.
I have also attached a memo from last year stating 10N’s perspective that these payments need to be executed.
Kenneth R. Jones, Ph.D.
Director, Associated Health Education
Office of Academic Affiliations (10A2D)
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20420
Office phone: (202) 461-9493
FAX: (202) 461-9855