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Below are frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) about the CAPIC online match process.  For more information on a particular phase of the CAPIC match process, go to that particular page or the match overview page:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)   (Last updated 12/15/2017)

Click a question to see the answer. 

1:  How does a student identify which internship programs are participating in the online match process? 

Answer:  CAPIC has two online platforms for its online match process.

  • The official platform for the CAPIC online match process is InternFit: https://capic.internfit.com. InternFit is where registration, application creation & submission, ranking and matching occur.   This is also where the official list of participating internships are given — on either the “Select Internship” or the “Submit Applications” tabs.  Registration and login are required to access these services.
  • CAPIC also maintains a publicly available online profile directory of its internship and postdoc program at https://programs.capic.net.  No login is required to view these profiles.
    • Advanced search options (e.g. region, internship type, etc.) of CAPIC internship and postdoc profiles  are also available with this online directory.
    • Internships are responsible for updating their online profiles to indicate any change in participation. The CAPIC Office assists internships to make these updates when needed, to help ensure an accurate list of participating internship programs for students.
  • Please note that the official match info (e.g. participating internship/track names and # of open positions) is on the InternFit platform, and supersedes info on the online profile directory platform. (The two platforms are not fully synched at this time, so rely on info on the Internfit platform.)
  • Please also note that internships may change their participation in the match process at any time, just like students.

2:  How does a student know whether a CAPIC internship program will meet her/his academic and/or professional needs? 

Answer:  The student should consult with her/his DCT to determine whether a CAPIC internship provides the right experience for their professional needs and personal aspirations.

  • We believe that the supervision and training at CAPIC internships are on par with APA-accredited and APPIC internships.  We encourage students and DCT’s to review our material on CAPIC’s unique place in internship training in California.

For specific internships, the student should first review the internship’s online profile, and then work in consultation with her/his DCT to ensure those internships meet the student’s needs.

  • The first/main page of an internship’s online profile, provides a great deal of info, including:
    • Contact Info, Agency Description, Agency Mission, Types of Training, Population Served, Required Attendance Days and Times, Training and Education Offered, Cross-Cultural Training, Responsibilities, Prerequisites and more.
  • Importantly, the internship’s online profile also indicates the Status for which it is approved by CAPIC  (i.e. Full-Time, Half-Time 1-Year and/or Half-Time 2-Year.).  Programs may only offer internships that correspond with their approved status.  Programs can request status changes to be approved for another internship status, but should not offer such positions until they are approved by the CAPIC board.   This status can only be changed by the CAPIC office, based on the decisions of the CAPIC board.
  • The internship’s online profile also indicates what types of positions are currently available (aka being sought by the program).
    • While a program may be approved for Full-Time, Half-Time 1-Year and Half-Time 2-Year Status, it may only be seeking one type (e.g. Full-Time) during  any given time.  Internships decide for themselves what types of positions are currently being sought and should update their online profile accordingly.
  • Internships sometimes also restrict intern applicants to students from specific doctoral academic programs or schools.
    • This restriction is usually done under a separate agreement with the school, which may have analogous restrictions for its students.
    • This info is also provided on an internship’s online profile.
  • Students should review their internships of interest with their DCT before submitting applications to individual internships/tracks to ensure applications are only submitted to qualified ones.
  • Students should also review their internship rankings with their DCT to ensure only qualified internships are ranked — and possibly matched.
    • An online match constitutes a binding internship agreement, and reneging on a match is a violation of CAPIC’s Offer and Acceptance policy.
      • Violations of CAPIC policies may result in remedial or disciplinary actions, up to and including expulsion or exclusion from membership or participation in CAPIC.
      • A violation could result in a student or program being ineligible to participate in future CAPIC matches and/or stipend award programs.

3: Where does a student start an application for the CAPIC online match process?

Answer: Students start by having their DCT send them an Invite to Register for the CAPIC match.

  • Starting with the 2018 CAPIC Match, DCT’s must log in to InternFit and invite students to participate in the upcoming CAPIC online match process.
  • Students who were previously registered, must be re-invited and must re-register each year.
  • Registration allows students to create their application materials for the online match process (generally starting in November).

5:  Can I obtain a CAPIC internship outside the CAPIC match process?

Answer:  Generally, No.

  • All applicants must apply to CAPIC internships through the CAPIC website during all phases (i.e. Match I, Match II, Clearinghouse and Post-Clearinghouse).
    • Online ranking and matching only occurs in Match I and II  (if two rounds are held), but the CAPIC website must still be used after Match II for creating a complete set of application materials.
    • This is done to ensure that all necessary parties, including the doctoral academic programs, are part of the process for creating an internship match.
  • CAPIC internship programs cannot accept doctoral internship applicants from non-CAPIC doctoral academic programs, unless it is an eligible doctoral academic programs (e.g. out-of-state, APA-accredited programs) that attests that it understands CAPIC internships and accepts CAPIC purview over the internship.  More detail on this point is provided on our Out-of-State Doctoral Academic Program webpage.
  • CAPIC internship programs may accept students from its Doctoral Academic Programs via the APPIC match.  Those students are generally not considered CAPIC interns, although CAPIC accepts such interns for maintaining an internship program’s Active CAPIC status and meeting its minimum cohort requirement.
  • Students can obtain internship training for licensure in California outside the CAPIC match process by following California Board of Psychology (BoP) regulations (e.g. registering with the CA BoP as a Psychological Assistant), but it would not necessarily be considered a CAPIC internship. Students pursuing this route should contact the CA BoP directly for further info.

6:  Do I use the online match process to obtain a CAPIC POSTDOC position?

Answer:  No.  The online match process is only for doctoral internships.  There is currently no postdoc match process organized through CAPIC.   Students may use the online directory to view info on potential postdoc programs, but should not use the online match process.

  • CAPIC also provides contact info on its CAPIC postdoc members on its public website, as well as other non-CAPIC programs offering postdoc fellowships.
  • Students seeking postdoc positions should contact these programs directly, and NOT use the online match process.
  • See the Postdoc Program webpage for more info.

7: Is there a fee to Register?

Answer:  No.  There is no fee for students to Register to access CAPIC online directory of internship programs and to start preparing their CAPIC Uniform Application (CUA) for the online match process.

8: What is the application fee and when do I need to pay it?

Answer: The application fee is $200 and is required later in the process, when the student submits her/his CAPIC Uniform Application (CUA).  This application fee covers the creating of a student’s online application materials, as well as the online submission of her/his materials and the online ranking and matching process.  This application fee requirement is only waived for new participants entering the match process at CAPIC Post-Clearinghouse, which is after the Match I, Match II and Clearinghouse phases. NOTE: This application fee is non-refundable, so be sure you intend to participate before paying it.

9: What happens when I pay the application fee?

Answer:   Payment of the application fee automatically triggers:

  • The submission of the CUA to CAPIC;
  • The sending of any Letter of Reference (LOR) requests;
  • The sending of the CERF verification request to your DCT.

 Note: These email requests are NOT sent until the fee is paid. Once submitted, students should continue working on their other application materials.

10:  Must my dissertation proposal be accepted by by DCT in order to apply for my final CAPIC internship? 

Answer:  Yes. Students must have their dissertation proposal accepted by their doctoral institution prior to application to a full time doctoral internship, a second half-time doctoral internship or the second year of a half-time 2-year internship prior to graduation.

  • If a student is only applying for his/her first half-time internship, then this requirement is not yet applicable.
  • Doctoral Academic Programs determine what constitutes acceptance of the dissertation proposal.
  • It is critical that a student who is not ready for internship, not participate in the ranking and match process.
  • A match is a binding agreement, and it would create a hardship for an internship program to match with a student only to later learn that she/he was not qualified and should not have participated.  Such a reneging on a match is also a violation of CAPIC’s Offer and Acceptance policy.

11:  Once I submit my CUA, can it be modified?

Answer:  Yes.  After being submitted, the student’s CUA will remain unlocked until the student’s CERF (CAPIC Eligibility and Readiness Form) has been formally verified by the DCT.  This is intended to allow the DCT and student to discuss any concerns about the submitted CUA and to allow the student to make any necessary modifications.  When the CERF is formally verified by the DCT, the student’s CUA will then be locked and no further modifications may be made to it.  Any updates, clarifications or corrections to a student’s CUA after that point will need to be addressed in the student’s Cover Letter to individual CAPIC internship programs/tracks.

12:  What constitutes clinical hours on my CUA?  Do I enter total number of hours or sessions or what?

Answer:  It depends.  Different questions are asking for different types of info.

  • In the first section, we are seeking the number of unique clients per type of therapy or the number of distinct sessions, not the number of hours.
  • In the final three questions under clinical experience), we are seeking hours:
    • Total Hours of Supervision Professional Experience (SPE) by a licensed psychologist. This does not include peer supervision or supervision by other allied mental health professionals.
    • Total Hours of Direct Intervention experience. This refers to direct intervention with clients. This does not include support activities such as program development/ outreach programming, outcome assessment of programs or projects, system intervention/organizational consultation, or performance improvement.
    • Total Hours of Assessment experience. This includes direct experience with clients, but does not include support activities such as scoring and report writing.
  • In all cases, students should include separate figures for experience accrued while in terminal masters or doctoral academic programs.  When in doubt, students should consult with their DCT.
  • NOTE:  Immediately below Clinical Experience on the CUA, there is also a narrative section for entering “Other experiences of note.” Students may choose to put additional relevant experiences there.   Students may also provide these additional details in their cover letter and/or CV, as appropriate.

13: When is the deadline for students to submit their application materials for the CAPIC online match process?

Answer:  For the 2019 CAPIC match, the deadline for students to submit applications is 11:59 PM PST on March 5, 2019. Students need not wait until this deadline to submit their applications.

  • There is one universal application deadline for all CAPIC programs per match round.  APPIC may have multiple application deadlines, but CAPIC has only one.

14: Do I have to complete my CUA Essays by the time I submit my CUA?

Answer:  No, the CUA essays (Biographical Statement and Theoretical Orientation) have been separated from the CUA itself. This was done so the student may submit the CUA and then continue to work on these essays.

15: How many words do my CUA Essays need to be?

Answer:  There is no formal template or limit to the length of the CUA essays.  Students should simply bear in mind that these essays will be read by Internship Programs as part of the evaluation process.

16: How do I submit my requests for Letters of Reference (LOR’s)?

Answer:  As part of the CUA application, the student identifies three Referees (name, phone, email) to whom to send Letter of Reference (LOR) requests. These LOR requests are automatically sent by the CAPIC system via email once a student submits his/her CUA.

  • Students should double-check the email address for the Referee to ensure the email is properly delivered.
  • Students should alert the Referee to expect a LOR email request from capicadmin@capic.net.
    • Referees should check their email Spam/Junk folders if expecting a LOR request.
  • Students may submit additional LOR requests (or re-submit ones if email was previously mistyped) after the CUA has been submitted.
  • Students are responsible for following up with the Referee to ensure the needed LOR’s are received in time for the student to meet the Application Submission deadlines.
  • Referees must submit the LOR by using the link provided in the LOR email request from CAPIC.
  • Referees must upload a LOR in PDF format on the InternFit website.
    • CAPIC does not restrict the type or format of a LOR that may be used by a Referee.
    • The specific link used and procedures to follow are explained in the LOR email request itself.
    • The CAPIC Office will not upload any LOR’s on behalf of any Referees or students.
  • Once the Referee reviews and then submits the LOR, it is immediately added to the student’s online application materials on the InternFit website.

17: What are supplemental application materials and how are they used?

Answer:  Beyond the core required CAPIC application materials noted above, some internships request additional materials (e.g. transcripts or battery tests).  CAPIC allows for three supplemental documents to also be uploaded to a student’s profile and submitted online with their required application materials.    

  • Note that these are not three wholly different documents for each submission to internship programs, but two documents overall to supplement the student’s entire set of application materials.
  • For this reason, we recommend students upload common documents likely to be requested by multiple internships (e.g. transcripts) as their supplemental docs.  Most CAPIC internships allow for informal transcripts uploaded directly by the student. When students submit their applications online to individual programs/tracks, they will decide then which supplemental docs should be included with each submission.
  • Any information that cannot be included as a supplemental document can alternatively be incorporated into the Cover Letter, since a student may create and submit a unique Cover Letter for each submission.

18: How do I include a transcript or other application materials beyond the ones required by CAPIC?

Answer: Students may also upload up to three supplemental documents of their choosing (including transcripts) to address requests for supplemental materials.

  • The “Application Procedures” section at the bottom of the main page provides this info, including any additional required application materials, such as transcripts.
  • Regarding transcripts:
    • Transcripts are not part of the minimal required CAPIC application materials, although some internships do require them.
    • If an internship requires transcripts, a non-official transcript is acceptable.
    • CAPIC will not upload transcripts. Do not have them sent to CAPIC.
    • CAPIC cannot verify the authenticity of non-official transcripts, but internship programs are aware of this limitation. Students remain bound to follow ethical guidelines throughout the CAPIC match process, including not altering with any authenticated documents, such as transcripts.
  • Regarding multiple supplemental documents:
    • CAPIC allows three supplemental docs as part of a student’s set of application materials.
    • CAPIC recommends that documents which would likely be requested by multiple internship programs/tracks (e.g. transcripts) be combined into one file/doc when possible and uploaded as a supplemental doc.
    • Unique documents that are requested by only one or two internship programs/tracks (e.g. battery test or additional essay) may be added to the end of any Cover Letter for the individual internship program/track requesting it.
    • Using the Cover Letter in this manner is always an option for including additional materials requested by a specific internship program/track.

19:  How do I know when my application materials are complete? 

Answer:  When students log on to the InternFit website, the “Application Materials” tab/page will indicate which materials are complete and which ones are not.

  • Students are responsible for ensuring all required materials are received in time for the student to meet the Application Submission deadlines.
    • Violations of CAPIC policies may result in remedial or disciplinary actions, up to and including expulsion or exclusion from membership or participation in CAPIC.
    • A violation could result in a student or program being ineligible to participate in future CAPIC matches and/or stipend award programs.

20:  How do I know which programs have multiple tracks? How do I submit to a specific track?

Answer:   Info on multiple tracks is found in the middle section of the BAP (Brief Agency Profile) and on the EAP (Q. 14b).

  • When students go to submit applications to individual programs/tracks (once their materials are complete), they will do so by selecting the program/track from a drop-down list.   This drop-down list includes a separate entry for each sub-tracks, wherever multiple tracks exist.
  • Students must submit applications to the specific desired track(s) within a given program, if the program has multiple tracks.

21:  Why would an internship program, want to use multiple tracks? 

Answer:   Multiple tracks are useful if an internship program wishes to separately rank different groups of applicants within its overall program. If your program wants to rank some applicants for one position and other applicants for another position, then you will need to create separate tracks in order to be able to rank and match these different groups of applicants.   Examples include:

  • Half-time vs Full-Time internships;
  • Distinct, substantive programs (e.g. Adult Outpatient, Elder Care, Child/Youth, Equine) ;
  • Unique needs (e.g. Spanish vs. English vs. Cantonese, etc.).
  • Again, different tracks within the same internship program are treated as distinct and separate entities and are ranked separately.

It is up to each internship program to determine whether to use multiple tracks.

Again, if an internship program has multiple tracks, students must submit applications to the specific track(s) within each program.

22:  If I am already at an internship program and wish to continue there a second year, do I need to go through the CAPIC match process? 

Answer:   It depends.

  • If your original internship contract was for two years and you are currently in your first year, then you are already under contract for a second year there and you do not have to go through the match process again.
  • However, if your original internship contract was for one year and you wish to continue there, then you must go through the online match process.    Also:
  • The internship program must be approved for the status in question (e.g. HT-2 Year).  CAPIC will assist programs with the status change review and approval process, but without it, your SPE hours may not count.
  • You must also obtain approval from your Doctoral Academic Program for your internship.  This approval is obtained through the CAPIC match process.
  • As previously noted, all applicants must apply to CAPIC internships through the electronic match process up until the first 30 days of Clearinghouse have passed

23:  What is the “Do Not Intend to Rank” Deadline and how does it work?    

Answer:   It is a soft deadline to assist students and internships to focus their ranking decisions. If a student knows that an internship does not intend to rank her/him, it allows her/him to focus on those internships who do. The same logic applies for internships.

  • The “Do Not Intend to Rank” deadline is required for Internships and recommended for students.
    • If an internship has not yet determined an intent not to rank, it should let student know when it does decide, even if it is past this deadline.
      • Similarly, if a student has not yet determined an intent not to rank, she/he should do so when she/he does decide, even if it is past this deadline. We are aware that APPIC results may come out after this deadline.
    • Also, if a student matches with APPIC, she/he must withdraw from the CAPIC match. The withdrawal process (on our ranking vendor’s website) serves to inform internships of a student’s intent not to rank, by removing that student from the list of ranking choices.
  • Internships and students are not allowed share their ranking intentions, beyond whether or not they intend to rank, period.
    • Keep in mind:
      • The default assumption is that there is an intention to rank.  If in doubt of the other’s intention, it is generally better to rank.
        • If one side does not rank the other, an online match cannot occur.
      • Internship programs/tracks cannot see student rankings, and visa-versa, and beyond the “intent to rank/not rank,” rankings should not be discussed by either students or internships.
      • Internships should only rank those students they are willing to have at your internship program/track, and visa versa for students.
        • An online match constitutes a binding internship agreement.

24:  Can a student serve at two CAPIC internships concurrently?    

Answer:   No.

  • Membership criteria for CAPIC internships require that the internship training be demonstrably sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity.  (See posted Internship Membership Criteria #13, which added this requirement in 2013)  The training at two concurrent internships cannot by definition be sequential.  Further, the student’s training experience at each internship would both be starting at the same introductory level.
  • Historically, prior to the adoption of the “sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity” requirement in 2013, we have also found it extremely problematic for all participants (i.e. student and two internships) to manage their associated scheduling needs.  Even when both internships are in agreement with the intern, situations inevitably arise where schedule changes (by an internship and/or by an intern) create severe challenges for at least one of the parties. Resolving these challenges fairly for all sides has historically proven unfeasible.

 

 

 If you still have questions, please first review the online match documentation posted on the CAPIC website.  If you still need help, contact us!

 

 

Best of success to everyone!