ABSTRACT
State certification and licensure are critical credentials that grant authorization for professional practice involving mental health services. Just as a physician must possess appropriate state licensure to practice medicine, and just as teachers must acquire state certification from the state department of education to teach in the public schools, so too, school psychologists must acquire appropriate state regulatory credentials to practice school psychology with children and families in the public schools (Tharinger, Pryzwansky, & Miller, 2008). Almost uniquely, because school psychologists work within public schools, whereas clinical psychologists work outside the schools, practitioners in school psychology must acquire individual state credentialing granting authorization for professional practice in schools, through either the state department of education or other credentialing body. In addition to such state credentialing, various national certifications are available to authenticate training at the highest training standards and practitioners with appropriate doctoral degrees and postdoctoral residencies may acquire licensure from the state Department of Health Services as a licensed psychologist. Unfortunately, a growing proliferation of state and national credentials, as well as debates and confusion among doctoral and nondoctoral practitioners and organizations, has created confusion for the public, as well as for students and faculty (Hall, Wexelbaum, & Boucher, 2008). This chapter is intended to help provide clarification on the issues.
