The IACS Site Visit: Preparations and Experiences

1. The IACS Site Visit:Preparations and Experiences Cindy Cook, Ph.D. University of Houston-Clear Lake Rebecca MacNair-Semands, Ph.D. UNC Charlotte Paul Polychronis, Ph.D., ABPP University of Central Missouri

2. Benefits of Accreditation General Benefits Peer review process / accountability Quality assurance Highest standards of practice in field Credibility / status Increase or maintain staff Administrative support, resources, public relations Risk management Positive Outcomes from the site visit process Why IACS vs. other accreditation (e.g. CAS)? Each person add possible benefitsEach person add possible benefits

3. Review of Standards and Site Visit Purpose Review of current standards Relationship to the university /college community Roles and functions Ethical standards Counseling services personnel Related guidelines Special consideration – merged centers Possible upcoming changes to standards What if all the standards are not met? Purpose of the site visit Approach of site visitors Handout of current standards (Cindy will make) Handout of current standards (Cindy will make)

4. Schedule and Pre-arrangements How to set up the schedule Who else does IACS meet with and what to they want to know from those meetings? How to prepare others (AVP, student services personnel, support staff) for the site visit Should we show a sample schedule? Everyone share tips, experiences with meetings with people outside the counseling centerShould we show a sample schedule? Everyone share tips, experiences with meetings with people outside the counseling center

5. IACS Checklist - PRIOR Plan a field visit schedule with staff, administrators, etc. and discuss it with the field visit chairperson. Make any changes you have agreed upon and notify all concerned. Mail schedule to field visitor(s). You may choose to provide lunch on-site for the visitor(s) (but you are not obligated to incur this expense) or suggest local restaurants where visitor(s) may conduct a working lunch. Have a staff member designated to “host” the field visit. This person should be available to escort the team from one interview (or site) to another. Arrange for transportation of the field visitor(s) between airport/train station, etc. to hotel and from the hotel to your center (you may choose to provide personal transportation or inform the visitor(s) of an easy, inexpensive way to travel to the hotel and the center.

6. IACS Checklist – the day before Have documents such as case records, testing and research information, etc. organized and accessible to the field visitor(s). Remind administration, staff members and other interviewees about the field visit. Confirm lunch arrangements if needed.

7. Sample Schedule – 1 day visit 7:45 Tour guide to pick up from hotel and transport to campus 8:00 Meet with Director, Career and Counseling Services (CCS) 8:45 Tour facility 9:30 Meet with counseling staff 10:30 Meet with career staff (part of CCS office) 11:00 Lunch break and records review 12:30 Phone meeting with consulting psychiatrist 1:00 Meet with Associate Vice President for Student Services  2:00 Meet with student services directors (Health and Disability Services; Student Life Office, Multicultural and International Student Services, Dean of Students) 2:45 Meet with CCS support staff 3:15 Wrap-up preparation 4:00 Wrap-up / feedback session with counseling staff and director 5:00 Transport back to hotel

8. Sample Schedule – 2 Day Visit DAY 1   9:00 AM Associate Vice Chancellor for Heath Programs and Services and Director, Counseling Center   10:00 AM Psychiatrist   10:30 AM Psychologist and Training Director   11:15 AM Predoctoral Interns   12:00 Lunch   1:00 PM Psychologists   2:00 PM Associate Director, Staff & Student Development; Housing and Residence Life   3:00 PM Office Manager   4:00 PM Coordinator of Multicultural Programs   4:30 PM Associate Director, Counseling Center DAY 2   8:00 AM University Career Center   9:00 AM Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs   10:00 AM Break   10:30 AM Director, Student Health Center   11:00 Dean of Students   12:00 Lunch   1:30 PM Wrap-Up – Available Staff   2:30 PM Director, Counseling Center

9. What are site visitors looking for? Site visitor checklist Types of questions they might ask Be prepared to address problem areas and have a plan for how to address them Other helpful hints Sample list of questions from Cindy? Any other helpful hints about site visitSample list of questions from Cindy? Any other helpful hints about site visit

10. What happens after the visit The field visit report will be mailed to you approximately one month after the visit takes place. In order to complete the field visit process, you will be asked to submit a written response to the report. Once your response to the visit is forwarded to the Chair of the Accrediting Board, a final review will be conducted by members of the Board. You will receive a decision letter from the Board Chair (a copy of which will be sent to your administration) communicating the status of accreditation and any other information or suggestions the Board wishes to convey.

11. How to use the information gained from the site visit Write response letter Make internal changes With administration

12. Sample response letter Thank you for forwarding the IACS Field Visit Report and providing this opportunity to respond.   I and the staff of the Counseling Center are gratified to hear the that the reviewers had a generally positive impression of our Center. We also appreciate that the reviewers identified several areas of concern, all of which we have begun to address:   1. Staffing: As the university has grown rapidly, the ratio of professional staff members to students has continued to fall below IACS recommendations. An increase in staffing at the Counseling Center has recently been identified as the number one priority for funding in the Division of Students Affairs for the coming fiscal year. Our proposal to add a professional staff position is likely to be approved, and it is our hope that we will conduct a search this Fall. In addition, we are exploring ways to increase the number of hours of psychiatric services we have available to 40 hours per week in the near future. We are exploring the possibility of increasing the student health fee in order to fund this increase.   Despite the poor staff to student ratio, we appreciate the reviewers’ acknowledgement that we have been able to function without a waiting list for services. Hide this slide in the presentation but make it available online for people to look at?Hide this slide in the presentation but make it available online for people to look at?

13. 2. Building Access: We share the reviewers' concern about the lack of automatic door openers for the building. The situation was reviewed by our administration within the past three years, but no action was taken. I have written a memo outlining our ongoing concern to our facilities management administrator which I am enclosing with this letter, and we will continue to pursue a remedy to this situation.   3. Research Policies: We have revised our research policies in accordance with the reviewers’ recommendations. I am enclosing the revised policy.

14. 4. Confidentiality/Informed Consent:  a. We have revised our Release of Information form to include a place where explicit permission is given for information to be faxed. The revised form is enclosed. b. We have developed a separate form on which a student can explicitly authorize an exchange of information between the Counseling Center and our Students Health Services. This authorization form, which has been reviewed by our University legal counsel, is enclosed.  c. As suggested by the reviewers, we have created procedures to inform clients of the name of the supervisor of their therapist if the therapist is a trainee. Students who see a trainee for intake will see the name of the supervisor on the intake consent form. Students who are assigned to a trainee after intake will be given a disclosure form that includes the name of their therapist's supervisor. Both forms are enclosed.  d. We have changed the language describing the exception of confidentiality regarding abuse and neglect as per the recommendations of the reviewers. The revised language appears on the enclosed consent form.   5. Training Program: Our Training Director is developing a brief feedback form to be used in each seminar. A draft of that form is enclosed.   It is my hope that the concerns raised by our reviewers have been adequately addressed. Please be in touch if you or the Board requires additional information. Again, we appreciate the benefits that our Center has derived from this process.

15. Questions and Discussion