To serve the needs of the local community, the Center for Applied Psychology, in collaboration with other departments at the university, offers workshops, seminars, continuing education credit and professional development courses.

Statement of Goals

The Center for Applied Psychology (CAP) at The University of West Florida strives to be the most comprehensive provider of Continuing Education to Psychologists and other relevant professionals in the Northwest Florida area. The Center for Applied Psychology’s faculty members are actively involved in providing a variety of learning opportunities and experiences in an effort to broaden the horizons of the individuals and groups in the communities we serve. Our faculty members have a diverse background, encompassing multiple sub-fields of Psychology. Faculty members trained in Health, Developmental, Clinical, Cognitive, Sports, and Industrial/Organizational Psychology are extensively involved as both researchers and practitioners in their areas of expertise. Therefore, The Center for Applied Psychology is in a unique position to be able to build upon the pre-existing knowledge of Doctoral level Psychologists by presenting professionals with the most up-to-date developments within the field, and the relevancy of these changes for their practices.

Through the acquisition of new knowledge and competencies, Psychologists receiving Continuing Education from The Center for Applied Psychology at The University of West Florida will be better equipped to serve the needs of the public and contribute to the discipline of Psychology as a whole. Although The Center for Applied Psychology’s primary target audience are Psychologists, as material will be presented primarily from the perspective of individuals with a background in Psychology, several other professional groups, such as Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Therapists, Physicians, and Nurses will find the material presented directly applicable to their respective fields.

In summary, specific goals for the CAP Continuing Education Program are:

1. Provide up-to-date and scientifically-based developments within the discipline of psychology and relevant fields,
2. Provide opportunities for psychologists to acquire new knowledge and competencies, and
3. Provide assurances that offerings adhere to the standards and criteria and policies and procedures of the American Psychological Association Sponsor Approval System.

Program Management and Administration

The CAP Executive Committee provides oversight for all Center projects and CE courses. The committee holds a meeting at the beginning of each new semester and subsequently meet on an “as-needed” basis throughout the duration of the semester in order to conceptualize, plan, and coordinate all programs relating to Continuing Education.  The CAP Executive committee has created a checklist to use every time a CE course is proposed and developed. This checklist corresponds with the standards, policies, and procedures of the American Psychological Association (APA) sponsor approval program.

Dr. Laura Bryan serves as the administrator of The Center for Applied Psychology’s CE program.  By personally being involved with the selection of doctoral level speakers and presenters for The Center for Applied Psychology’s CE courses, she ensures that participants will receive instruction from individuals who are qualified and competent within their respective disciplines. As a longstanding member of the APA, Dr. Bryan is well versed in the organization’s guidelines, working to ensure that all activities that CAP engages in are conducted with utmost professionalism and respect for protocol, procedure, and ethical parameters, and continues to reference the APA as a means of upholding all current policies and regulations. Dr. Bryan utilizes the expertise of the entire CAP executive committee, local APA members, and actively seeks the input of licensed psychologists in the state of Florida for decisions about continuing education.

Grievance Procedures

Individual grievances are currently handled on a case-by-case basis, and are arbitrated by Dr. Laura Bryan. The Center for Applied Psychology utilizes a customer-driven approach to handling grievances, and will promptly work to ensure that any issues that participants have had are resolved to the satisfaction of the participant. Participants may ask for a partial or full refund, or may be offered a fee-waiver for subsequent CE programs. The APA approved participant grievance form is provided to participants on request, and will be made available via electronic or standard mail from The Center for Applied Psychology.