Interprofessional Education in Psychology Doctoral Programs, Internships, and Postdoctoral Training: A Survey of Training Directors

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is intended to prepare health professionals for teambased care. Little is known about IPE offerings for psychology trainees. The article reports on a survey of training directors (263) from graduate school, internship, and fellowship programs about IPE in a 39-item survey. Most programs have IPE activities across 17 types (e.g., classroom didactics, IP team care, Grand Rounds, simulations, etc.), though 34% reported no or poorly coordinated IPE. Barriers included limited funding/protected time and conflicting student schedules. Resources needed for implementing IPE included incorporating IPE into clinical settings, curricular materials, and evaluation tools. Only 15% felt institutional leadership considered IPE a high priority. Training directors need leadership engagement and support, protected time, and administrative support as well as faculty development for event design and facilitation skills. This study is an exploratory first step, more granular investigation of quality and quantity of IPE from training directors’ perspectives is needed.