FAIRBANKS — The American Psychological Association recently granted an accreditation through 2019 to the Alaska Psychology Internship Consortium, a statewide internship program that provides the final, required training component for doctoral-level clinical psychologists, according to a joint news release from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

The Alaska Psychology Internship Consortium began in 2008 and aims to educate and retain psychologists for work in Alaska. The consortium includes the Alaska Family Medicine Residency-Providence Hospital, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Hope Counseling Center, Norton Sound Health Corporation and Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.

Before 2008, no accredited in-state internship positions were available for Alaska psychology students to complete their doctoral training without leaving the state.

The year-long internship includes supervised clinical practice, instruction and professional development at one of the five consortium locations.

The first cohort of interns began training in 2010; the third cohort began training last July. There have been 12 graduates and all but two have remained in Alaska for post-doctoral practice, according to the news release. The program was recently awarded funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to add additional training positions and allow the program to expand.