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Psychology
Internship
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Competency Areas Internship Setting at UHM & CSDC Applying for Internship at CSDC-UHM
© UHM CSDC |
Goals and objectives are related to ten areas of professional competence. Each intern is expected to develop basic competencies and confidence in each of the areas. The first three areas are broad areas of professional conduct that are expected to be demonstrated across all aspects of the internship:
Professionalism, ethics, and multiculturalism are infused throughout all training activities and pervades all areas of service delivery. The next seven competency areas represent specific professional activities in which interns receive training, gain experience, and demonstrate skill development:
Each of these ten areas of professional competence will be introduced next. The training committee has identified goals, objectives, training activities, intern activities, competencies, assessment methods, and outcomes that are described in the detailed training plan in Section B4. I. Professional Conduct and Development Interns are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times during the internship. The Psychology Internship strives to increase the sense of professionalism of interns. Training activities emphasize professional judgment and behavior guided by the assumption that psychological skills and theoretical mastery must be blended with self-awareness. As interns encourage clients to engage in greater self-understanding, interns must explore their own needs, strengths, limitations, motivations, and behaviors toward the goal of personal growth and professional competency. During internship, interns are encouraged to demonstrate a concern for their own psychological and emotional development as well as the development of their intern colleagues. A significant and deliberate component of internship training is continued development of the professional identity of the intern. Supervisors intentionally monitor and assist with the professional and career development of interns and note when the training program can create experiences or provide resources to assist in this process. Intern seminar addresses topics related to professional development including the job search process and professional development after graduation. Monitoring of professional conduct and development occurs with each intern's Clinical Supervisor and with the Coordinator of Training. Other members of the training faculty are available for individual guidance at the request of the intern. Interns are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association (2002). Ethical practice guided by the APA Ethics Code is stressed within the normal course of Center operations. Discussions regarding professional conduct and ethics occur during intern operation, training seminars, staff meetings, case disposition meetings, and staff development presentations. The Training Committee coordinates an Ethics Week each semester to highlight the importance of ethics in the work of the Center and to insure that ethics are considered in the context of all aspects of service delivery and training. During this week, training seminar leaders facilitate discussions on ethics, provide written materials, and create learning opportunities to challenge interns. Ethics is also addressed in individual and group supervision as issues arise. Interns are expected to be able to provide psychological services to clients who display diversity related to race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, class status, education, religious/spiritual orientation, and other cultural dimensions. The CSDC training faculty is committed to infusing diversity awareness, knowledge, and skills into all aspects of training and expects interns to develop multicultural competencies in all skill areas. Self-examination of values, personal experiences, and areas of growth are considered basic and critical to enhancing interns’ understanding and appreciation of differences. The main venue for addressing the complexity and impact of cultural dynamics on the practice of psychology is the Multicultural Seminar. Supervisors and facilitators of other seminars challenge and support interns to integrate diversity factors into service delivery and program development. Interns are expected to evaluate the psychological needs of clients based on intakes and other clinical interviews, make accurate diagnoses, and use psychometric instruments to guide treatment. The clinical interview is the most frequently used assessment method in the agency. Interns are taught to use information gained through the clinical interview to impact the content and process of counseling and psychotherapy. Conducting intake interviews is an important way to practice interview skills, make accurate diagnosis, determine the appropriateness of agency services and make suitable case assignments. Interns are assigned three intake appointments each week and reflect on these skills in supervision, weekly disposition meetings, and clinical team meetings. Interns are also trained to use psychometric tests including the MMPI-2, Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the Strong Interest Inventory. Training in psychological assessment occurs during Intern Orientation and is the focus of Intern Seminar once a month. Group discussions on assessment relative to treatment planning also occur during disposition team meetings, clinical team meetings, and case conferences. Interns are not required to conduct full batteries but interns who want more experience in assessment can do more testing and are supported and supervised by members of the training faculty. Interns are expected to provide individual psychotherapy to diverse clients using interventions from a variety of theoretical approaches. Short-term psychotherapy is the primary means of direct service delivery at CSDC. Most clients are seen for less than 12 sessions, although interns are encouraged to work with some long-term clients. Training is organized around the theme of psychotherapy integration and interns learn how to engage in integrative treatment planning that includes a multidimensional survey and multitheoretical conceptualization. Intern orientation includes an introduction to integrative practice including a review of strategies from seven theoretical approaches: cognitive, behavioral, experiential, biopsychosocial, psychodynamic-interpersonal, systemic-constructivist, and multicultural. An integrative perspective is emphasized in case consultations that occur in Intern Seminar once a month and in formal case presentations that each intern makes once each semester. Individual psychotherapy is a central focus in clinical supervision and interns are required to share videotaped samples of their work with their supervisors. Interns are expected to provide career counseling to CSDC clients and to be able to interpret career assessment instruments. Approximately one-fourth to one-third of the individual counseling caseload an intern carries deals with career-life development issues. Career counseling involves assisting students selecting an academic major, choosing a career, exploring the self, careers, and the world of work, accessing occupational information, career decision-making, and goal setting. During Intern Orientation and Intern Seminar, interns are trained in the basics of career development theory and practice, interpretation of the standardized career assessment, and use of appropriate tools and techniques. Consultation with supervisors and other psychologists regarding career counseling and assessment occurs during the course of the training year. Interns are expected to serve as counselor-on-duty and provide crisis intervention to students experiencing acute distress. Interns serve as the Counselor-on-Duty for four hours per week. The responsibility of the counselor-on-duty is to clarify problems, assess what is needed, provide crisis intervention, and make referrals within or outside the center. Crisis intervention training occurs during Intern Orientation. Psychologists provide supervision to interns for crisis cases during clinical supervision, clinical team meetings, and weekly disposition team meetings. Members of the training faculty are always available for consultation and back-up when interns are dealing with crisis clients as part of their role as Counselor-on-Duty. Interns are expected to provide group counseling by facilitating process- or theme-oriented groups. CSDC maintains an active group counseling program and all interns gain experience cofacilitating psychotherapy groups. Interns without group experience usually cofacilitate groups with psychologists who provide supervision. Interns with experience in group psychotherapy can take the lead in facilitating group with other interns or practicum counselors. Interns participate in a weekly Group Seminar to learn skills and receive group supervision. Interns are expected to provide clinical supervision to practicum counselors who are providing services for CSDC clients. Practicum counselors provide individual psychotherapy and career counseling for 6-8 clients each per week and it is the responsibility of the intern supervisor to cover case management, assessment and treatment of clients, and general issues pertaining to their caseload and placement at the Center. Interns meet face-to-face with with practicum counselors for one hour per week and are available for additional consultation as needed. Training in the provision of supervision is facilitated through the weekly Supervision of Supervision Seminar and during clinical supervision with psychologists.
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