Graduate Course in Clinical Geropsychology

This article describes a graduate course in clinical geropsy, chology that combines classroom, practicum, andfield,visit components. Thecourse provides clinical andapplied devel, opmental students with an overview of the major research andclinical topics of the field, asweU asfirsthand exposure to the setting of the nursing home, its residents, andstaff. Older adults comprise an ever-greater proportion of the U.S. population, with Census Bureau estimates projecting 71.5 million persons older than age 65 by the year 2030, more than double their number in 2000 (Administration on Aging, 2003). Consequently, there is an increasing need for professionals trained in addressing this population's mental health prob-lems. For example, studies (e.g., Gallo & Lebowitz, 1999) have documented clinically significant depres-sive symptoms in 16 % to 20 % of older adults. Reflecting this need, clinical geropsychology-the subfield devoted to the assessment and treatment of psychological disorders in the elderly-has become a growth area within clinical psychology. Inspection of the "Position Openings " section of two recent APA Monitor issues (September and October 2006), for in, stance, revealed an average of 13 (15 and 11, respec-tively) announcements for clinical geropsychologists in the United States, some being multistate employers. Given these circumstances, combined with many psychologists ' desire to work with older adults although feeling unprepared to do so (Qualls, Segal, Norman, Niederehe, & Gallagher-Thompson, 2002), compe-tent training is ethically necessary for offering proper care (Yarhouse & DeVries, 1998). These conditions have prompted efforts to create educational experi-ences for both current psychologistsand trainees. Grad-uate schools, however, have responded slowly, with surveys revealing a shortage of clinical geropsycholog