Defining and Implementing Standards-Based Practicum Competencies at a University Counseling Center 2007 APPIC Membershi

1. Defining and Implementing Standards-Based Practicum Competencies at a University Counseling Center2007 APPIC Membership Meeting and Conference Presented by: Jerry Shih, PhD, LP & Matthew R. Hanson, PhD University Counseling and Consulting Services University of Minnesota April 14th, 2007

2. Primary Objective Explain the process of applying ADPTC competency recommendations to a college counseling practicum and integrating competency-based standards into the training program at a college counseling center.

3. UCCS Practicum Overview • Practicum students • Counseling psychology PhD students; first practicum. • Supervision team • Interns, senior supervisors, training committee. • Didactic and experiential components • Weekly seminar • Live observation model • Evolution of model

4. Competency Standards Overview • Previous efforts to standardize training: • NCSPP (1995), APA (1996, 2002), ADPTC (2005), CCTC (2007) • Defining and developing core competencies for psychology training and practice. • Accreditation and licensure are based on competencies. • Ensures professional practice and promotes confidence in profession. • Applying ADPTC benchmarks not only to practicum but all of training program. • Assessment skills (agency wide). • Diversity—Individual and cultural differences. • Ethics

5. Committee Formation/Process • Forming a working group • Members of training committee: Training Director, Practicum Coordinator, Seminar Instructors. • Comparing ADPTC recommendations with trainees experience and relevant documentation: • Policy and procedure manual, evaluations • Other examples: seminar syllabus, orientation material. • Objective: • Identify which recommendations were covered, missing, and not applicable for UCCS.

6. Competency Comparison Document ADPTC Recommendations UCCS Policies and Procedures Manual Language UCCS Evaluation Item • Intervention Skills • Ability to formulate and conceptualize cases. • Ability to plan treatments. • Ability to implement intervention skills, covering a wide range of developmental, preventive and “remedial” interventions, including psychotherapy, psychoeducational interventions, crisis management and psychological/psychiatric emergency situations, depending on the focus and scope of the practicum site. • Knowledge regarding psychotherapy theory, research and practice. • Knowledge regarding the concept of empirically supported practice methods and relationships. • Basic Counseling Skills • Fall Semester: • Counselor demonstrates the ability to use basic counseling skills in interview. Frequently checks perceptions through use of open-ended questions, paraphrasing, and restatement. Able to identify, label, and reflect surface feeling of client. • Spring Semester • Counselor demonstrates appropriate timing and proficient use of basic counseling skills. He/she is able to reflect underlying and mixed feelings accurately. Counselor has awareness of and begins using his/her own feelings and non-verbal behavior as monitors on the interview process. Counselor is able to set appropriate and time-limited goals with the client. • Conceptualizing Skills • Understands which goals or directions make sense for clients. • Develops coherent & time limited treatment plans. • Evaluates the effects of counseling techniques implemented.

7. Areas of Strength • Assessment of baseline competencies • Transcript review, letters of recommendation, interviews. • Assessment of basic counseling • Direct observation, formal case presentation, evaluation process. • Develop skills in providing psychoeducation • Career, academic skills, personal concerns (e.g., stress). • Individual counseling and outreach. • Diversity • Agency norm, seminar/case presentation, supervision

8. Potential Gaps in Evaluation Note: Issue appeared to be less about training content, and more about how trainees’ performance was evaluated. • Relationship/Interpersonal Skills • Support staff, teams, professional community. • Application of Research/Intervention • Explicitly addressing Local Clinical Scientist model. • Leadership and Supervision skills. • Not expected for beginning practicum, but will be addressed at higher levels of training (e.g., internship).

9. Changes made to program • Incorporating principles of Local Clinical Scientist model more explicitly in practicum and training manual. • Seminar content, case presentations, individual/group supervision. • Changes made to evaluation to better reflect ADPTC recommendations. • ADPTC heavily focused on diagnosis; rewording emphasized developmental models appropriate to assessment process. • Add evaluation of psychoeducational efforts. • Add item for evaluated skills related to effective case presentation. • Increased specific focus on ethics and self-care. • Inclusion of seminar instructors in evaluation process.

10. Changes to Evaluation Items Original version: “Counseling Skills” Revised version: “Psychological Assessment Skills” • Chooses assessment instruments appropriately. • Explains and interprets assessment tools effectively. • Selects and implements multiple methods and means ofassessment in ways that are responsive to and respectful of diverse clients. • Uses systematic approaches to gathering information. • Understands psychometric issues and bases of assessment methods. • Integrates data from different sources for assessment purposes. • Understands issues pertinent to integration of different sources for assessment purposes.

11. Considerations/Conclusions ADPTC documentation generated discussion about: • Agency approach to training. • Expectations/evaluations for trainee performance. • Seminar content. • Training team roles and collaboration. • Review and evaluation of documentation.

12. References/Resources • Hatcher, R. L., & Lassiter, K. D. (2007). Initial training in professional psychology: The practicum competencies outline. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1, 49-63. • Kaslow, N., Borden, K. A., & Collins, F. L. (2004). Competencies conference: Future directions in education and credentialing in professional psychology. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60, 699-712. • Rodolfa, E., Bent, R., Eisman, E., Nelson, P., Rehm, L., & Ritchie, P. (2005). A cube model for competency development: Implications for psychology educators and regulators. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36, 347-354. • Stricker, G., & Trierweiler, S. J. (1995). The local clinical scientist. American Psychologist, 50, 995-1002. Additional contact: www.ucs.umn.edu Jerry Shih: shihx008@umn.edu; 612.624-9545 Matt Hanson: hans1053@umn.edu; 612.626.0150