A major milestone for mental health care on the island as the Guam Psychology Internship program has been officially accredited by the American Psychological Association.

The internship consortium, led by the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center and supported by Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, trains doctoral students to deliver culturally competent psychological services in Guam's unique healthcare setting.

The program accepts two interns per year with training that spans GBHWC, the Department of Corrections, and the Department of Youth Affairs.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero praised the accreditation, saying it strengthens the island’s capacity to provide evidence-based, accessible mental health care.

“The Guam- PIC began with leadership having the vision to believe building Guam’s mental health professional workforce requires investment at home to build professional training opportunities,” said Dennis Mohatt, Vice President for Behavioral Health for WICHE. “By training in Guam, we ensure students learn how best to serve the diverse people of Guam through a hands-on experience.”

“This accreditation would not have been possible without the unwavering commitment of our staff, whose expertise and compassion make a difference in the lives of those we serve every day, ” said GBHWC Director, Carissa Pangelinan. 

Building the internship has been a labor of many hands and voices including GBHWC Psychologists Dr. Mary Fegurgur and Dr. Angela Laygo; and the WICHE team including Dennis Mohatt, Dr. Ericia Leeper, Dr. Neal Bowen, and Vanessa Roup. 

The APA Accreditation decision is retroactive to the date of the Board Action in April 2025, allowing the current cohort of two interns to graduate from an accredited internship program in August 2025.

For more information regarding the APA Accreditation or the Guam-PIC, visit ww.guam-pic.org or gbhwc.guam.gov.