Training, Certification and Supervision

ANNOUNCEMENT:ISST Certification in Group Schema Therapy
As a result of almost two years of work by a board appointed committee of senior schema therapists working in the group modality certification in Group ST has been approved by the ISST Executive Board in our 2-19-2013 meeting. This certification is a separate and parallel process to the existing certification that focuses on Individual ST. The details about the requirements for Group ST Certification can be found in the pdf below. There will be a grandfathering period for those who have attended training and supervision before this date.

Additional specialty areas for certification in Child, adolescent and Couples ST are expected to follow.

Questions and comments can be directed to Joan Farrell STIM-indpls@sbcglobal.net or farrell@iupui.edu

There may be a slight delay in response to certification applications late February and March as I am in Europe giving training. Joan

Changes in language for certification qualifications
Please see the tab under the training area for individual certification for changes in the language describing the qualifications to apply for certification in ST.

REMINDER: One of the requirements to qualify for ISST certification in Schema Therapy is that you are a Full member of ISST. If you have Supporting membership you must change to Full in order to be certified.
Please address membership questions to George Lockwood glockwood@chartermi.net and address
certification questions to Joan Farrell at stim-indpls@sbcglobal.net.

CLARIFICATION AND BROADENING OF PATIENT DIAGNOSES FOR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The ISST Executive Board at our October 22, 2012 meeting voted to change the required diagnoses for training programs and certification requirements. This was done for consistency and to meet the needs of schema therapists in training who see less severe patients who nonetheless can benefit from mode work. These new requirements will go into effect for those who begin ST training after January 1, 2013. Because they are more flexible than the former requirements, those currently in training may also use them to replace the former more specific requirements (e.g. that one tape rating be on a Borderline Personality Disorder patient). It is also clarified that Advanced level Certification Schema Therapists are expected to demonstrate competence with Overcompensating Coping Modes and the Avoidant/Surrender Coping Modes.

NEW PATIENT REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING

Standard certification level
1. Patients treated requirement: One patient with a personality disorder or significant personality disorder features and one patient who is appropriate for Schema Mode work due to complication, chronicity, failure to respond to treatment or relapse.
2.Tape rating requirement: A patient who is appropriate for Schema Mode work due to complication, chronicity, failure to respond to treatment or relapse.

Advanced Certification Level
1. Patients treated requirement: One patient with a personality disorder or significant personality disorder features and the remainder patients who are appropriate for Schema Mode work due to complication, chronicity, failure to respond to treatment or relapse.
2.Tape rating requirement: One patient with a personality disorder or significant personality disorder features and one who is appropriate for Schema Mode work due to complication, chronicity, failure to respond to treatment or relapse.

3.Applicants at the Advanced level are expected to demonstrate competence with both the overcompensating modes and the avoidant/surrender modes.

Clarification of Tape requirement Advanced levelThe two required tapes must be scored by two different raters. This requirement was stated in some listings of requirements and not in others.

DIAGNOSES TO BE COVERED IN TRAINING PROGRAMS The curriculum of ISST Approved Training Programs will include work with patients by schema and modes. The current models for personality disorders that have empirical validation must be covered (at this time only BPD, Cluster C results are under review but not yet published). Personality disorders with models described in the current ST literature should also be covered or at least referred to. Research that indicates the modes present in the various personality disorders should also be referred to. Schema Therapy can be used across diagnoses, so empirical validation of its application to other disorders is expected and training curricula should be updated regularly to include these developments.

NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED TRAINER/SUPERVISORS TO BEGIN IN 2014 HAVE BEEN APPROVED 2-19-2013
As our society grows we are discussing the issues of ongoing evaluation and continuing education for our certified supervisor/trainers. Our desire is to balance the important issue of quality control with the need in some countries for more supervisors to meet the demand for training and supervision in schema therapy. To this end, the Training Committee, which has representatives from all the countries of membership (see list below), proposed additions to the requirements for Trainer/Supervisor certification, which have been approved by the ISST Executive Board. These changes are not retroactive, with the exception of the continuing education requirement, which will apply to all trainer/supervisors. Some countries already include supervision training in their licensing requirements. Where this is the case, other supervision training can be considered in meeting some of the requirment that is not specific to ST. An "honor system" will be employed for the report of any new requirements, allowing members to report on their supervision training and continuing education activities. This reporting would be combined with a random audit of a small percentage of members in which they are required to supply documentation. We are also looking at evaluating the training workshops provided as this too is part of the general standard for providing continuing education used by most professional societies.

The requirement of the ISST Supervision Training Webinar (or in person seminar) has been in effect since 2011 and is being reviewed for expansion and improvement.

ISST ST CERTIFICATION & TRAINING COMMITTEES 2012-2014
The ISST Board has made some changes in the way that applications for individual or training program certification are reviewed. We are doing this for two main reasons:
1. To enlarge the Training and Certification (T&C) committee to include representatives from the various countries with members of ISST. This will ensure that the T&C Coordinator is made aware of the various additional requirements in other countries and any specific licensing requirements or categories. It also allows for greater member input into the T&C area.
2. To limit the length of time for certification review to no more than 3-4 weeks for individuals and 4-6 weeks for Training Programs from the time the complete application is received via email.

PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATION
Applications should be sent via email attachments to the T&C Coordinator(currently Joan Farrell at STIM-Indpls@sbcglobal.net or farrell@iupui.edu ). Please type the application form if at all possible or write legibly and fill in answers to all questions completely.
1. Complete the new application checklist (pdf below) and email it with the application form and required documentation.
2. Receipt of your application will be acknowledged via email.
3. Your application will first be sent to one of the country representatives listed below for review. . You will be contacted by the country representative if anything is missing or unclear. This feedback will also be forwarded to the T&C Coordinator.
4. The T&C Coordinator will then conduct a final review of the application and contact you if there are any further questions or issues to be resolved.
5. If your application is approved, you will be notified.
6. If there are any remaining problems or issues with your application that warrant further discussion, these will be presented to the ISST Board for a decision.
7. You will be kept informed of any issues or problems, decisions made, and the rationale for these decisions. You will also be given an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you have with the T&C Coordinator.
8. Once certified, you will be able to specify how your name is listed on your certificate and a formal certificate will be sent to you. If you are certified at an Advanced level, you will be given the option of being listed as an Advanced Certified Schema Therapist on the ISST website. You will be asked to submit the content of that listing.

TRAINING/CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS and COUNTRY(IES) COVERED
Joan Farrell (chair)- Russia, Poland, Eastern Europe
Christine Zens & Friederike Vogel - Germany
Christoph Furhans- Switzerland, France, Austria, Belgium, Lichtenstein
Eelco Muste & Remco van der Wijngaart- the Netherlands
Jeff Conway -USA
Ida Shaw- USA, Canada,
Graham Taylor-Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, S. Korea, Asia
Alessandro Carmelita- Italy, Greece, Croatia, Turkey
Vartouhi Ohanian-UK, N. Ireland, Irish Republic, Scotland
Dave Edwards- Africa
Offer Maurer- Israel, Middle East
Lydia Tinneo- S. America, Mexico, Spain
Carl Gyllenhammar- Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark

The ISST Board has added several T&C subcommittees with the task of addressing various issues and areas in training and certification. The purpose of the subcommittees is to discuss the issue and make recommendations to the T&C Coordinator who will take their proposals to the ISST Board. Our intent is to add additional opportunities for member involvement in our society. Of course, all members are welcome to contact the T&C Coordinator, any Board member or the President with questions, concerns, or suggestions pertaining to training and certification.

TRAINING/CERTIFICATION SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS
Board representatives
Joan Farrell, chair USA
Chris Lee AUS
Advisors
Arnoud Arntz NL
Jeff Young USA
Trainer/Supervisor Committee
Jeff Conway , Chair USA,
Ida Shaw USA, Canada
Poul Perris Sweden
Vartouhi Ohanian UK
Christine Zens Germany
Joan Farrell, Board Rep USA
Group Schema Therapy Certification/Training Curriculum Committee
Christoph Fuhrhans, Chair Switzerland
Gerhard Zarbock Germany
Neele Reiss Germany
Eelco Muste Netherlands
Kerry Beckley UK
Certification of Other Professions Committee
Friederike Vogel, Chair Germany
Christoph Fuhrhans, Switzerland
Ida Shaw USA
Eelco Muste NL

In addition to the Training & Certification committees listed above, there is a joint committee with Science & Research.

JOINT COMMITTEE: TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION AND SCIENCE AND RESEARCH AREAS
Evaluation & Research of ST Training/Supervision, Competency Rating Scale
Neele Reiss, Chair Germany
Chris Lee, Board rep Australia
Joan Farrell, Board Rep USA
Gerhard Zarbock Germany
Dave Edwards S. Africa
Erlend Aschehoug Norway
Graham Taylor Australia

The ISST has several types of committees as well as special interest groups. Some, such as those listed above, are ISST Board appointed; others, such as Special interest groups, are open to all ISST members and are listed on the ISST website in the Special Interest Group area.
I hope that this clarifies the changes that we have made to continue improving the functioning of ISST. Please feel free to send me any comments or questions at the emails listed above.

Joan Farrell
September 25, 2012

Updates from the new Training & Certification ISST Board Representative - Joan Farrell
I can be contacted for questions or comments at STIM-Indpls@sbcglobal.net

For those applying for certification as schema therapists or for a training program - email me and I will send you a checklist of the documentation needed with a description of where to find the needed forms. I look forward to working with you and expanding the number of certified schema therapists and training programs to meet the growing international need for ST.

To become an ISST-certified Schema Therapist on the standard or advanced level you will need to attend an ISST-approved certification training program in order to satisfy the ISST-requirements you find in the PDF below. Approved Training Programs and Supervisors may be accessed via the drop down menu uner the Training tab of the website. If you want to apply based on individual studies you are responsable that your personal curriculum contains all the required content. See more details and explanations in the passage at the end of the page or enter here. Enter here to access the New Application Forms.

Members, who achieve the advanced certification and wish to become trainers/supervisors in ISST-approved training programs must participate in a "Supervisor Training Workshop"" via skype teaching (or in-person where available). You will find the content of the supervisor training in Wendy´s slides and more information in the section "guideline for certification (training program)" in the top navigation or if you enter here. Tape Raters find the STCRS there too. A Training & Certification committee is currently looking at revising the requirements for the Trainer/Supervisor level as well as some ongoing evaluation of the quality of trainer/supervisors and training programs.

In an effort to clarify the confusion regarding applying for ISST certification, I have posted the “steps for application” on the ISST Web-Site and below…

If you have completed your requirements for Standard or Advanced level certification you will need to take the following steps:

1. Enter here to access the new application form.
2. Request 2 letters of verification to be sent from (1) your supervisor who worked with you during the required 20 or 40 hours of supervision. And (1) from your tape rater. Both letters need only to be about 2-3 lines stating that the applicant has satisfied all of the requirements of their certification training, supervision, and has received a rating of 4.0 (Standard level) or 4.5 (Advanced level) on each of their final taped sessions.
3. A copy of the final schema therapy competency rating scales should also be included in the packet.
4. Your name and credentials as you would like them to appear on your certificate, for example: John Smith, PhD or
John Smith, PhD – “Clinical Psychologist).
5. Where should we email your certificate
6. If you would like to be placed on the public "Find a Schema Therapist" registry on the ISST Web-Site:
We will need:
 Name/Credentials/License (if applicable)
 E-Mail Address
 Telephone Number
 Location: Address or General Vicinity
 Area of Specialization (if applicable)

Remember that the register is open to be viewed by anyone visiting the site who may be looking for a certified schema therapist!

All of the information contained above should be sent to Joan Farrell (Training & Certification Representative on the ISST Executive Board) STIM-Indpls@sbcglobal.net

Also –
You must be a member of the ISST to become a certified Schema Therapist and to maintain your certification.

Best wishes,
Joan

Joan Farrell, Ph.D.
ISST Executive Board Representative for Training and Certification
Director, Schema Therapy Institute Midwest - Indianapolis Center
Training & Research Director
Center for BPD Treatment & Research
Indiana University School of Medicine and Midtown CMHC
http://www.BPD-home-BASE.org
(317) 283-3623
Specializing in Training in Group Schema Therapy, Self-therapy groups and Borderline Personality disorder.