2012-2013 ACEPT Application Guidelines_ Conduct Pledge and

							Application Guidelines, Conduct Pledge and Information for Sites (page 1)
Dear Practicum and Externship Selection Committee,
As an applicant from (Student’s academic training program/School), I have agreed to abide by the practicum
application Uniform Notification Guidelines set forth by the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum
Training (ACEPT). 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.
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. The purpose of these guidelines is to help ensure that the application process goes smoothly for both
training sites and students by providing a structure that helps sites and students manage the decision-making process
fairly in light of the “goodness of fit” between each applicant and each training site.
As an applicant, I pledge to abide by the following guidelines:
   I may begin submitting practicum applications on Monday, February 4, 2013.
   I understand that no offers can be received or accepted prior to 9 a.m. on Monday, March 18, the beginning of
    the Notification Period.
   I agree to respond to an offer for a position within 24 hours of the offer being sent. I understand that I have
    three options when responding to an offer:
               Option 1: I may accept the offer via email.
               Option 2: I may decline the offer via email.
               Option 3: I may hold the offer for up to 24 hours from the time the site sent the email. 

   If I fail to accept or decline an offer by 24 hours after it is sent, I understand the offer becomes void and
    is assumed to be declined. 

   I understand that all communications during the Notification Period between students and training sites and
    which concern the acceptance, decline or hold of an offer should be conducted by email and that I should
    maintain a record of these emails for a period of three months.

   I agree to hold no more than one offer at a time.

   Once I accept an offer, I agree to immediately contact all of the other sites where I have interviewed to let them
    know that I should be removed from consideration of the position so that these sites can make an offer to the
    next candidate on their ranking list.

   I understand that the offer process will end at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 22, even for offers made less than 24
    hours prior, and that I will not be allowed to apply for open positions or accept offers between Friday, March 22
    at 9 a.m. and Monday, March 25 at 9 a.m. I understand that the Clearinghouse process will begin at 9 a.m. on
    Monday, March 25, 2013.

My signature below confirms my pledge to follow the above guidelines:




Printed Name                          Signature                                    Date
Application Guidelines, Conduct Pledge and Information for Sites (page 2)
Sites must notify all applicants (by e-mail, copying an ACEPT e-mail account) at the beginning of the Notification
Period, Monday, March 18, of the status of their application. All applicants must be formally told if they are 1)

                                    Application Guidelines, Conduct Pledge and Information for Sites                     page 1
getting an offer from the site, 2) being considered as an alternate should a position become available and the
applicant has not yet accepted a position, or that 3) the applicant is no longer being considered for a position. If a
site is not going to grant an applicant an interview, the site is strongly encouraged to let the applicant know prior to
the Notification Period; however, all applicants should be informed of their status no later than the beginning of
Notification Period, even if they have not been interviewed.

   If a training site offers a student a position, the student may hold one, and only one, offer for up to 24 hours
    from the time that the site indicates they have sent the offer on the “Offer Position” email, but may accept or
    decline the offer at any time prior to the 24 hour deadline. If a student has not accepted or declined an offer by
    24 hours after the offer is sent via email, the offer becomes void and is assumed to be declined.

   If a training site has made an offer to a student and that student declines the offer, the training site may
    immediately make an offer to a different applicant. As stated above, that applicant then has 24 hours from
    when the new e-mail is sent to accept or decline and it is assumed that if they do not respond within 24 hours
    that the offer is declined.

   Once a site has filled all of its positions it must contact all of its alternate applicants to let them know they will
    not be receiving an offer from the site.

   The offer process will end at 9 am on Friday, March 22.

   If a site has unfilled positions after the offer process has ended, the site can choose to enter the Clearinghouse.
    The ACEPT Clearinghouse Form listing open positions should be sent to the training directors at the various
    academic institutions. The Clearinghouse process will be unstructured and ACEPT will not have a role in
    coordinating it. It is assumed that each academic institution will work with its own students and any training
    sites that have remaining open positions to facilitate the Clearinghouse process.

In order to facilitate compliance with the Uniform Notification Guidelines outlined above (Complete guidelines are
also available online at www.acept.us), provide clarification, and/or respond to any questions or concerns, each site
is being provided with contact information for an ACEPT liaison familiar with ACEPT Uniform Notification
Guidelines. If any questions or concerns arise, please contact the liaison assigned to your training site setting:


Corporations & Private Practices:                                 Hospitals & VA Medical Centers:
Heather Sheets, PsyD, TCSPP, Director of Training                 Paul Cantz, PsyD, Supervising Psychologist, Partial
HeatherSheets@thechicagoschool.edu, 312-467-2381                  Hospitalization Program, Hartgrove Hospital
                                                                  pcantz@adler.edu
Court Setting & Prison/Correctional Facilities:
Rita Gray, PsyD, Corrections Psychologist & Coordinator           Schools & Residential Facilities:
of Training, Will County Health Department                        Cindy McKinzie, PsyD, Staff Psychologist, Counseling and
rgray@willcountyhealth.org, 815-727-5904                          Psychological Services, Northwestern University
                                                                  c-mckinzie@northwestern.edu
Social Service Agencies & Domestic Violence Agencies:
Eunice Kim, Psy.D., Director of Training, Adler School for        University Counseling Centers:
Professional Psychology                                           Tim Mulligan, PhD, Assistant Director for Training,
eukim@adler.edu, 312-662-4215                                     Counseling Services, Valparaiso University
                                                                  tim.mulligan@valpo.edu, 219-464-5002




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