Co-Teaching a Joint Graduate Practicum in Community and Applied Developmental Psychology

Abstract

A graduate practicum combining community psychology and applied developmental psychology perspectives is described. Through classroom and practicum components, we attempted to provide clinical/ community and developmental psychology students with an appreciation of the importance of incorporating and integrating community constructs (e.g., primary prevention and competence building) and developmental constructs (e.g., life-span orientation and developmental processes), as well as constructs common to both (e.g., systems-based analyses), in designing applied interventions. Evaluation data indicated the course was generally successful in increasing the value of conceptual frameworks, knowledge bases, and professional skills of community and applied developmental psychology for both clinical/community and developmental psychology students. Implications for graduate training and the promotion of integrationism in psychology are considered.