Serving the Graduate Psychology Community since 2003

  • Executive Committee Leaders
    Contact us to know more about how to get involved!
  • Join us for our events.
    See our calendar for meetings and CE/CEU events!
  • Bringing a Sense of Community
    We are dedicated to the training community and are here to help with the externship process.
  • ACEPT Conference
    2020 Conference details to be announced.
< >

Welcome to ACEPT!

The Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training Sites (ACEPT) was formed in November 2003 by psychology graduate programs and training sites seeking to improve the structure and ethical standards of the practicum application process for graduate students. The graduate programs and training sites that have agreed to adhere to the following standards have committed themselves to abiding not only to the letter of the guidelines, but also the spirit as well.


ACEPT promotes ethical and respectful conduct throughout the practicum application process. Constructed in an atmosphere of mutual collaboration between schools, sites, and students, these guidelines clarify the responsibilities and roles of all parties, specify acceptable and unacceptable conduct, and promote professional courtesy.

COVID-19 UPDATES:

Given the unpredictability of the year ahead, ACEPT has been working on options for virtual meetings, etc, in order to continue our tradition and commitment to a sense of community.  We feel that even though we may not be able to be together in person, we can still create and maintain a solid connection with one another.  Please check for updates regarding upcoming meetings as well as this year's practicum fair.  We hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during this unpredictable time.  

Posting Open Externship Positions (Fall 2020):
ACEPT acknowledges the especially challenging landscape of COVID19 and its impact on clinical training. When reviewing student applications for practicum or for internship, we ask that you keep in mind that student training has been disrupted. Please consider this with regards to direct clinical hours in particular. ACEPT also asks that training sites put trainee safety and health first and follow the CDC/IDPF guidelines in accordance with exposure to COVID, following protocol if/when trainees fall ill or are exposed to COVID. It is important to note that trainees are a vulnerable population as many do not have access to health care due to their role as students.

We also acknowledge that some students have been displaced from their practicum sites due to various concerns that have arisen in relation to the health crisis. We ask for flexibility and understanding due to these unusual circumstances. If any sites have additional flexibility to offer training, please fill out the form HERE. We will be posting lists of practicum openings on our website over the next few weeks.

**To search open positions by site name click here**

2020 Practicum Fair Information


We very much hope you enjoyed meeting others in the community, prospective trainees, and learning more about our field in the CE presentation at the 2019 Practicum Fair!  This year, we will need to be more creative with our Practicum Fair and we are working on the option of a virtual platform for the fair.  Thank you for your patience and we will keep you updated as we navigate this interesting time.  

Virtual Practicum Fair CE Presentation Details


Date & Time: December 4, 2020 1pm - 2:30pm

Title: Telepsychology Amidst COVID-19: Training Considerations and Clinical Interventions 

Presenter:  Colleen Monn, Psy.D.


Click HERE for more details. 

ACEPT membership benefits your training programs in a number of ways.  A one-year membership as a clinical training site includes a table for your site at the Annual Practicum Fair to network with sites and meet prospective applicants; quarterly meetings with CE/U speakers and events pertinent to clinical training; a forum to discuss and problem solve issues related to training; a venue to network with training directors and supervisors from the schools and clinical sites; and use of the ACEPT website and google group to post information and advertise services. 


ACEPT provides guidelines around the practicum match process; supports students, graduate programs, and sites in this process; and promotes a welcoming training community emphasizing togetherness and belonging.  ACEPT does not oversee the appropriateness of sites for placing students or graduate programs.  For more information, please visit our Membership Tab above.  


Questions about membership may be directed to ACEPT Secretary listed under Executive Committee. Member registration form and schedule of dues are listed above in Membership Renewal.

We regretfully had to cancel the ACEPT Conference in 2020; and although we are hoping to be in person in May 2021, we are not posting details on this until we have more information. 

Save the Dates

When we can we do our best to offer two sites for our meeting dates in order to accommodate our community's work locations and schedules.  All meetings with two locations have web-meeting capabilities.  

2020-2021 Meeting Dates


- August 7 - 

Virtual Meeting


- November 6 - 
General Meeting and Virtual Open Forum

- December 4 - 
Virtual PRACTICUM FAIR

- February 5 - 
Location TBD or Virtual 

- May 14 - 
ACEPT CONFERENCE at Loyola University in Chicago or Virtual


2020-2021 Practicum Guideline Dates


Coming Soon!

Match/Directory Committee Recommendations

The Match/Directory Committee compiled the feedback from the ACEPT community about the potential to develop a practicum, match process and/or a universal site directory, and discussed the benefits and drawbacks of both options. See the committee's recommendations below:


Match/Directory Committee Recommendation to the ACEPT Executive Committee

 



ACEPT Application Guidelines  Dates 

 

Renew your membership for 2017-18 here