Objectives

We strive to provide closely supervised clinical training experiences in the practice of psychology, with gradually increasing independence as competence is achieved. Through a planned, incremental, and progressively challenging series of training experiences, interns will achieve competence as a generalist, with experience in psychological assessment, clinical interventions, and consultative skills necessary for interacting with a variety of clinical disciplines and service systems.

 

MP900387781

Training Expectations

  1. Interns participate in 24 hours of structured, didactic and experiential formal orientation at Western State Hospital, including but not limited to the following topics: History of Western State Hospital, Mission Statement, Confidentiality, The Experience of Mental Illness, Patient Rights and Ethics, Recognition and Prevention of Abuse, Suicide Prevent, EEO/Affirmative Action/ADA, Incident Management, Environment of Care, Hazardous Materials, Cultural Diversity 1 and 2, Age-Specific Competency, Anti-harassment, Infection Control and Employee Health, AIDS Education, Drug Testing 101, and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) Training (Level 1 and 2).

2. Interns shadow supervisors for a training period at the offset of new rotations or services experiences.

3. Interns conduct services in the presence of supervisors following shadow experiences.

4. Interns participate in daily individual supervision of inpatient work, with verbal and written case presentations following in- room supervision.

5. Interns participate in weekly group supervision related to individual therapy cases for the duration of their training year.

6. Interns participate in weekly didactic seminars designed to support clinical work by augmentation of understanding of issues related to theory, practice, models of intervention, ethical practice, patient rights, multicultural competence, supervision, and leadership, for the duration of their training year. Please visit www.WSHIP.org for a sample schedule.

Interns are provided closely supervised clinical training experiences in the practice of psychology, with gradually increasing independence as competence is achieved.

 

Professional Competency

By the end of internship, interns should achieve competency in the following profession wide competencies as set forth by the APA in the Standards of Accreditation:

a. Research

b. Ethical and Legal Standards

c. Individual and Cultural Diversity

d. Professional Values, attitudes, and behaviors

e. Communication and Interpersonal Skills

f. Assessment

g. Intervention

h. Supervision

i. Consultation and inter-professional/interdisciplinary skills.

 

Program Specific Aims and Competencies

In addition to the profession wide competencies laid out above, the program is designed to help Interns achieve competency in the following areas:

  1. Foster and develop independent professional skills in diagnostic interviews.
    1. Builds rapport with intake patients in inpatient and outpatient settings.
    2. Gathers thorough historical information and detailed impressions of current symptoms to facilitate diagnosis and risk assessment.
    3. Develops appropriate and concise case conceptualizations based on history, data, and, and behavioral observations, to facilitate diagnosis, care decisions, recovery planning, and consultation with other disciplines.Makes appropriate treatment decisions and recommendations.
    4. Demonstrates the ability to write clear, concise, and objective intake notes and reports.
    5. Demonstrates knowledge of current diagnostic terminology and use appropriate and accurate diagnostic terminology supported by reported clinical evidence.
  2. Foster and develop independent professional skills in psychological assessment.
    1. Establishes or clarifies concise questions.
    2. Selects measures appropriate to age.
    3. Selects appropriate measures to explore assessment questions.
    4. Forms effective rapport to facilitate testing.
    5. Gathers adequate information and history to substantiate diagnostic impressions.
    6. Performs adequate mental status examination.
    7. Performs adequate risk assessment.
    8. Maintains focus in clinical interview and testing session, completes measures in estimated time frames.
    9. Accurately scores and interprets measures.
    10. Clearly communicates history, clinical observations, interpretations, impressions, and recommendations in oral and written format.
    11. Provides accurate diagnoses with adequate substantiation.
    12. Considers and accurately reflects multicultural factors influencing presentation and results.
    13. Uses correct current diagnostic terminology.
    14. Formulates appropriate recommendations based on findings.
    15. Clearly addresses and communicates patient strengths, building on these in recommendations.
    16. Identifies and arranges for specialty assessment, when indicated.
  3. Foster and develop independent professional skills in recovery planning and clinical interventions.
    1. Demonstrates ability to use scholarly inquiry (literature review, gathering and analyzing experiential data) to determine range of potential interventions.
    2. Selects interventions and therapeutic styles appropriate to patient age, developmental level, needs, and belief systems.
    3. Uses evidence-based interventions, including trauma-informed care and recovery-based principles.
    4. Forms effective rapport to facilitate assessment of stage of recovery.
    5. Assists patients and/or primary supports in clarifying strengths, resources, and patient-driven goals appropriate to stage of recovery.
    6. Accurately, regularly, and adequately assesses progress toward patient-driven goals, revising goals to reflect progress or lack of progress.
    7. Completes concise and informative documentation following each therapeutic session or intervention, consistent with site policies.
    8. Maintains appropriate therapeutic boundaries in all aspects of therapeutic sessions and interventions.
    9. Demonstrates ability to work within recovery teams to advocate for patient-driven goals and supports.
    10. Demonstrates ability to assist patients in using a broad spectrum of supports available in an integrated community health model.
    11. Demonstrates ability to use scholarly inquiry to explore alternatives if recovery progress becomes static.
    12. Demonstrates awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences, and uses culturally competent knowledge, skills, and attitudes in all aspects of recovery planning and interventions.
    13. Demonstrates understanding of how personal values interact with and potentially conflict with patient values, and addresses these issues in supervision.
    14. Demonstrates ability to work effectively with patients representing diversity of level of symptoms, economic status, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual practices, culture, ethnicity, disability, age, spirituality, and other areas of diversity.
    15. Demonstrates competence in discussing diversity issues with patients, and comfort in seeking resources (such as education, translation services, therapeutic supplies) from supervisory staff and consortium agencies to meet patient needs.
  4. Foster and develop independent professional skills in program development, professional development and identity, and leadership.
    1. Demonstrates ability to complete and report upon comprehensive case reviews, and to design comprehensive system-wide intervention and recovery plans based on such reviews.
    2. Demonstrates understanding of and can articulate patient care and service issues related to continuity of care across an integrated health system.
    3. Demonstrates understanding of clinical demands of and roles of multiple disciplines in an integrated health system.
    4. Participates in departmental and program development meetings, reviews program data, and demonstrates understanding of data trends within programs.
    5. Demonstrates ability to form and maintain positive, productive, and effective working relationships with all staff and treatment disciplines, manage conflict, and show sensitivity to and respect for cultural differences.
    6. Presents and comports in a professional manner in the workplace.
    7. Demonstrates professional and ethical online presence, and understands current issues related to online activities.
    8. Organizes schedules, prioritizes or seek assistance with prioritizing, and manages multiple clinical responsibilities and assignments.
    9. Readily accepts and incorporates supervisory feedback.
    10. Readily pursues scholarly inquiry to further personal knowledge, knowledge of field, and improved patient care.
    11. Recognizes limits of competence.
    12. Demonstrates self-care to maintain professional functioning, including the ability to set appropriate limits when taking on tasks, seeks supervision and/or peer or professional support when needed, and engages in personal renewal with appropriate planning and coverage for clinical duties.
    13. Articulates a coherent, recognized model of supervision as a foundation for supervisory practices.
    14. Demonstrates knowledge of and compliance with APA and Kentucky state ethical principles and codes of conduct in all aspects of clinical activities.

 

Community Involvement

Interns may participate in additional hours of community orientation and experiential leadership training based on interest, including but not limited to military immersion training (directly dependent upon offerings from Fort Campbell, cannot be guaranteed), police ride-along, SWAT demonstration, K-9 demonstration, attendance of Drug Court, attendance of civil court for commitment and guardianship proceedings, presentation to high school, community college, and university students interested in psychology careers, and attendance of nursing skills fairs and rural community health fairs. Additional orientation experiences are fully elective, intended to be enrichment experiences to further intern-specific interests, and may not be part of work hour totals.