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Becoming an ACT Trainer | Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
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Becoming an ACT Trainer

Submitted by admin on August 20, 2007 - 2:08pm
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Click on an option below to get more information on the process of becoming a Peer Reviewed ACT Trainer:

 

Why join the ACBS training community?

Being listed as a trainer on the ACBS site is meant as a pragmatic way to help learners find high quality ACT training. The ACT Trainers in this community are committed to training with high fidelity to the model and work from explicit, agreed-upon shared values as they train others in ACT. Anyone is free to do/provide training in ACT without undergoing peer review or joining this training community. This peer review process is a voluntary method trainers choose to undergo because it fits their own professional development goals.

 

What are the requirements to apply?

You are welcome to join this training community and be listed as an ACT trainer. Five criteria must be met to do so:

  1. Agree to the list of values and principles for ACT trainers
  2. Have a terminal degree in a behavioral health field
  3. Be known to be of good character
  4. Be highly effective in the core skills and competencies of an ACT therapist
  5. Be highly effective in training others in ACT

The ACBS training community uses a process of peer review to determine whether a trainer meets these criteria. The spirit of the peer review process is to protect the high fidelity of ACT training through review of the accuracy and quality with which a trainer shares the ACT model while simultaneously promoting a non-proprietary open community that encourages new talent and innovation.

 

How do I know if I am ready to apply?

If you are interested in joining the training community and being listed as a trainer, a good place to start is with self-assessment. To self-assess your qualifications:

  1. Review the values statement to see if these are values you endorse (at the end of the application)
  2. Assess yourself against the list of therapist competencies and trainer competencies to see if you would rate yourself highly

Criterion re ‘Terminal Degree in Behavioural Health Field’

One of the criteria to be listed as an ACT trainer is that the applicant’s terminal degree be in a behavioural health field. This is meant to ensure that trainers have relevant underpinning theoretical and applied knowledge of behaviourism. Applicants with degrees in other areas of applied psychology (e.g. Organisational, Counselling, Health, Sports, Forensic or Developmental) may be able to show that their training has the relevant knowledge and application of behavioural principles to their field of expertise. Applicants with terminal degrees in other fields may have some difficulty showing this competence. If your final degree is not in a behavioural health field, you should contact the Chair of the Training Committee in advance of preparing any application, to determine if your underpinning knowledge and competencies will be likely to fit this criterion. In emailing the Chair, it would be useful to describe your training to date, your degree, the nature of your work and any subsequent courses of study or experience acquired that can testify as to your underpinning skills in the theory and application of behavioural psychology. The current Chair is David Gillanders david.gillanders@ed.ac.uk Tel: 0044 (0) 131 651 3946.

If you view yourself as qualified, please consider requesting peer review of your skills as an ACT trainer.

 

Why peer review and how does it work?

The ACBS community uses a peer review process to balance the need to protect and foster the high fidelity of ACT training with the need to keep the community open to new talented, innovative, qualified trainers. Peers review the materials the trainer submits. A positive review means that peers view the trainer’s work as of the soundest quality. Real effort is made to have the decision to list a trainer on the ACBS website under the influence of the data/argument in the work rather than personal or political factors like who you know or where you trained.

Here’s how the peer review process works:

  1. Candidates self-assess their qualifications relative to the evaluation criteria and submit their application for peer review to join the ACBS training community and be listed as an ACT trainer on the ACBS website.
  2. The Chair of the Training Committee initiates a review by reviewers from among currently listed trainers on the ACBS website. Each application is independently reviewed by two currently listed trainers.
  3. The Reviewers receive the invitation by e-mail. The Reviewer agrees or declines to review.
  4. If the Reviewer agrees, he or she reads the application and completes the peer review rating form, selects a recommendation, and submits the review to the Training Committee. Reviewers are expected to keep the information in applications they review confidential.
  5. The Committee Chair makes the final decision relying on peer-review feedback to guide the decision and will send a summary letter to inform the applicant of the decision along with each reviewer’s blind comments to the applicant (The same summary and each others’ comments are sent to reviewers). Applicants are encouraged to use reviewers' comments as suggestions regarding where they could further refine skills and competencies. The Committee Chair may need to occasionally resolve issues related to conflict of interest among reviewers. Reviewers’ identities are generally not revealed to applicants in order to free reviewers from any social pressures, allowing them to consider only the quality of the application.
  6. Trainer profiles of those approved by the review process are posted on the ACBS website.

The following forms are used to determine the skills of the applicant:

  1. Peer Reviewer Observation Form (available in .doc format at the bottom of this page)
  2. Peer Reviewer Form (available in .doc format at the bottom of this page)
  3. Guidelines for Observers and Reviewers

 

How do I apply for peer review?

Now that you have read the information about the application process and feel that you are ready to submit your application, you can go to the peer review application form (.doc version available at the bottom of this page). The Committee Chair offers suggestions and guidance on the application process. Applicants should submit all materials at one time (not in pieces as they are completed/gathered). All materials will be submitted electronically. Contact Kate Morrison for questions or assistance on how to do that.

Please label documents to include information about the criterion they are fulfilling (e.g., Criterion1.Signed Values and Principles.pdf , Criterion3a.JaneDoeLetter.docx, Criterion5i.ACTWorkshop.ppt).

 

How can my training be observed?

As part of the peer review application, it is necessary to have two current ACT trainers review a training example. There are two options to satisfy this important requirement for peer review: live observation or video recording.

Live observations are organized by the applicant. You can use the list of peer reviewed ACT trainers to find observers in your area. Observations conducted at a World Conference will be organized by the Training Committee. Contact Kate Morrison if you are interested in having your World Conference training observed. 

Another option is to submit a previous training video/audio recording. You can submit this with your application and the Training Committee will find observers for you. It is recommended to limit the video/audio footage to 3 hours total. If you choose this option, you must submit guidelines for the observers to direct attention to specific portions that highlight the particular competencies (this is especially true if the footage is over 3 hours).

Whether the observation is done live or via video, the observer will complete the peer review observation form. The Committee Chair has provided suggestions and guidelines for observers and reviewers.

 

Who can I contact with questions?

If you have any questions about requesting peer review or joining the training community, please contact the ACBS Training Committee administrative support person, Kate Morrison.