News from the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (ABCCAP)


Board certification through ABCCAP a growing trend in pediatric psychology.

By Michael C. Roberts, PhD

Many of your colleagues in pediatric psychology are becoming board certified through the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (ABCCAP). P ediatric psychology specifically is included in the coverage and mission of ABCCAP, and as a result, pediatric psychologists comprise about 50 percent of those who are board certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology. The current ABCCAP governing board has a number of members who identify themselves as pediatric psychologists and represent their interests.

ABCCAP has been an active participant at three national conferences serving the specialty. These include the National Conference in Pediatric Psychology (hereinafter to be called SPP Annual Conference), the National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and the Niagara in Miami Conference on Evidence-based Treatments for Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Problems. In addition to providing financial support for these conferences and information to prospective candidates, ABCCAP offers oral exams at these conferences as a convenience to applicants who are at the last stage of the certification process.

Over the past few years, ABCCAP has become aware that more hospitals and mental health agencies are requiring board certification for employment and/or promotion, and we might anticipate that this will be an increasing trend because of the need for quality assurance. ABCCAP has noted that being licensed is distinct from being board certified whether in medicine or psychology.

Over the next year, ABCCAP will try to hold exams at the Niagara in Miami Conference (in early winter 2014), the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference in Philadelphia (March 2014) and at the National Conference in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (October 2014 in Lawrence, Kan.).

Please check out all the information you need to start the process of board certification at our updated website or at our parent organization. We encourage you to take a look — the website makes a strong case for obtaining your ABCCAP credentials and describes the procedures to start the process.

We extend congratulations to our recently boarded clinical child and adolescent psychologists.

  • Maysa Akbar
  • Holly Antal
  • Steven Behling
  • Jennifer Burger
  • Ginger Carlson
  • Leafar Espinoza
  • Celeste Flachsbart
  • Scuddy Fontenelle
  • Rod Gragg
  • Roseanne Lesack
  • Elizabeth McQuaid
  • Eric Oglesbee
  • Lisa Schilling
  • Carnigee Truesdale
  • Gia Washington
  • Karen Weiss
  • Krystal White