Goals, Objectives, and Competencies

Goal 1: Develop intermediate to advanced skills in individual psychological treatment for adults.

Objective 1.1: Demonstrate competence in conducting intake evaluations and diagnostic interviews.

Competencies:

1.1.1 Intern establishes rapport with client.

1.1.2 Intern conducts a thorough evaluation.

1.1.3 Intern makes an appropriate diagnostic assessment and presentation.

Objective 1.2: Demonstrate competence in providing effective individual psychotherapy for adults in an outpatient setting.

Competencies:

1.2.1 Intern builds and sustains the therapeutic alliance.

1.2.2 Intern attends to social and cultural factors.

1.2.3 Intern integrates historical and contextual factors into treatment.

1.2.4 Intern utilizes psychological theory, psychological research, and other professional/scientific resources to inform practice.

1.2.5 Intern demonstrates on-going case formulation and treatment planning which attends to the whole person.

1.2.6 Intern works effectively with emotions and process dynamics in treatment.

1.2.7 Intern manages risk and acuity appropriately.

Goal 2: Develop intermediate to advanced skills in group and/or couples & family therapy.

Objective 2.1: Demonstrate competence in assessment, formulation, and intervention with couples/families.

Competencies:

2.1.1 Intern demonstrates an understanding of systems theory and an awareness of circular causality in actual couple/family interaction patterns.

2.1.2 Intern demonstrates an ability to construct a 3-generational genogram with a couple/family.

2.1.3 Intern demonstrates an ability to identify and include cultural, contextual, and religious/spiritual factors when formulating a couples or family case.

2.1.4 Intern attends to and works with cultural factors, cultural differences, and power dynamics when working with couples or families.

2.1.5 Intern demonstrates an ability to form and sustain a therapeutic alliance with couples/families.

2.1.6 Intern demonstrates an ability to communicate and sustain multi-directed partiality.

2.1.7 Intern demonstrates an ability to assist couples or families to shift from adversarial blaming to empathy, acceptance, and problem solving.

2.1.8 Intern demonstrates familiarity with and an ability to apply techniques from at least two schools of family therapy.

Objective 2.2: Demonstrate competence in working with ethical and practice issues which arise when providing services to couples/families.

Competencies:

2.2.1 Intern demonstrates an awareness of unique ethical issues in couples/family therapy, e.g. confidentiality and informed consent with multiple clients.

2.2.2 Intern demonstrates an ability to modulate countertransference and maintain appropriate boundaries when conducting couples/family therapy.

AND/OR

Objective 2.1: Demonstrate competence in assessment, formulation, and intervention with groups.

Competencies:

2.1.1 Intern is familiar with types of group therapies and is able to differentially select group type to match varied client populations, presenting issues, and treatment goals.

2.1.2 Intern is able to formulate and clearly articulate the purpose of the group as perceived by the clinic and the therapist.

2.1.3 Intern is able to make use of and uphold the group contract in preparing clients for group membership and in ongoing facilitation of the group therapy.

2.1.4 Intern attends to factors of group composition (e.g. heterogeneity/homogeneity, common needs and interests).

2.1.5 Intern accurately assesses psycho-bio-social-spiritual characteristic of individual clients in order to make discerning, well-matched dispositions to particular groups.

2.1.6 Intern builds rapport and a therapeutic alliance with individual group members and the group as a whole.

2.1.7 Intern establishes goals with individual members and the group as a whole.

2.1.8 Intern is able to apply theoretical models and research-based knowledge about group therapies to clinical practice with group.

2.1.9 Intern is able to evaluate the outcomes of group therapy (e.g. group development, improved communication, mutual aid, and achievement of individual and group goals).

2.1.10 Intern attends to and works with cultural differences and power dynamics as they pertain to individual group members, group dynamics, and co-leadership dynamics.

Objective 2.2: Demonstrate competence in working with ethical and practice issues which arise when providing services to groups.

Competencies:

2.2.1 Intern is able to work effectively in a co-leadership team (e.g. establishing good communication with co-leader, sharing tasks equitably, and developing the capacity to reflect on co-leader interventions and dynamics and their impact on the group).

2.2.2 Intern demonstrates understanding of and ability to work with

- Group culture

- Individual member’s roles

- Identifying and fostering group strengths

- Facilitating the process of mutual aid

- Helping the group to deal with conflict, taboo subjects, avoidance, etc.

- The relationship between group process and content

- Stages of group development

2.2.3 Intern is able to identify ethical dilemmas in group therapy practice and engage in the ethical decision making when necessary.

2.2.4 Intern maintains ethical behavior and appropriate boundaries in conducting group therapy.

Goal 3: Development of intermediate to advanced skills in psychological assessment.

Objective 3.1 Demonstrate competence in administering, scoring, and interpreting several major cognitive/intelligence tests, neuropsychological tests, and personality tests.

Competencies:

3.1.1 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret intelligence and cognitive assessments.

3.1.2 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret the Rorschach (Exner)

3.1.3 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret other projective measures, e.g., TAT, sentence completion.

3.1.4 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret major personality and/or psychopathology measures

3.1.5 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret the Woodcock-Johnson-III

3.1.6 Intern demonstrates ability to administer, score, and interpret other neuropsychological instruments

3.1.7 Intern attends to cultural factors and diversity in designing, administering, and scoring psychological batteries.

Objective 3.2 Demonstrate competence in integrating and interpreting test results in clinically useful ways

Competencies:

3.2.1 Intern demonstrates ability to integrate and interpret data from multiple instruments and sources in a meaningful and nuanced manner.

3.2.2 Intern attends to cultural and diversity issues when interpreting and integrating test results.

Objective 3.3 Demonstrate competence in providing ethical, useful testing feedback to clients or referring parties.

Competencies:

3.3.1 Intern demonstrates ability to write thorough, integrated test reports.

3.3.2 Intern demonstrates ability to provide testing feedback in a thorough, helpful manner.

3.3.3 Intern attends to cultural factors, diversity, and power when providing testing feedback via reports or consultations.

Goal 4: Development of intermediate level skills in the practice domains of supervision, consultation, and evaluation.

Objective 4.1 Demonstrate knowledge of theory and practice principles for supervision.

Competencies:

4.1.1 Intern demonstrates knowledge of theory and practice issues for supervision.

4.1.2 Intern demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to culture, power, and difference in supervision.

Objective 4.2 Demonstrate knowledge of theory and practice principles for program evaluation.

Competencies:

4.2.1 Intern demonstrates knowledge and/or skills in program evaluation.

4.2.2 Intern demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to culture, power, and difference as relevant to program evaluation.

Objective 4.3 Demonstrate knowledge of theory and practice principles for consultation.

Competencies:

4.3.1 Intern demonstrates knowledge of theory and practice issues in consultation.

4.3.2 Intern demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to culture, power, and difference in consulting contexts.

Goal 5: Development of intermediate to advanced skills in assessing and engaging spiritual, religious, theological, and existential (SERT) factors in clinical practice.

Objective 5.1 Demonstrate a basic knowledge base of, and reflective attitude regarding, SERT resources and perspectives.

Competencies:

5.1.1 Intern demonstrates curiosity, respect, humility, and critical reflection regarding SERT issues, perspectives and practices in clinical work.

5.1.2 Intern demonstrates relevant knowledge for working with SERT issues in clinical practice.

Objective 5.2 Demonstrate awareness of one’s own SERT history, values, beliefs, or meaning system, and attention to the ways in which one’s identity informs and affects clinical practice.

Competencies:

5.2.1 Intern demonstrates awareness of her/his own SERT history, values, and identity, and incorporates her/his identity and values into practice in congruent and ethical ways.

5.2.2 Intern demonstrates an ability to engage and work with diverse SERT values, worldviews, or practices in clinical practice.

Objective 5.3 Demonstrate an ability to work with SERT issues and factors in psychotherapy in a constructive, empowering manner.

Competencies:

5.3.1 Intern is aware and respectful of individual and cultural differences when engaging SERT issues and resources in clinical practice.

5.3.2 As indicated, intern assists the client to reflect upon her/his SERT history and to identify what is meaningful.

5.3.3 Intern incorporates SERT dimensions in formulation and treatment planning as appropriate, even when SERT issues are not the overt focus of treatment.

5.3.4 Intern demonstrates skill in addressing SERT issues and incorporating SERT resources into interventions.

Goal 6: Consolidate one’s professional identity as appropriate for an entry level psychologist.

Objective 6.1 Demonstrate professional responsibility and follow-through.

Competencies:

6.1.1 Intern demonstrates professionalism.

6.1.2 Intern demonstrates responsibility and follow-through in clinical administration.

6.1.3 Intern demonstrates ethical practice and good faith compliance with relevant laws, ethics codes, and administrative policies and procedures.

6.1.4 Intern seeks consultation when appropriate.

Objective 6.2 Demonstrate investment in professional growth and professional identity.

Competencies:

6.2.1 Intern demonstrates awareness of and attention to professional identity, including guiding values and ethics, strengths, interests/preferences, and limitations.

6.2.2 Intern demonstrates a commitment to on-going learning and formation.

6.2.3 Intern demonstrates awareness of professional issues and engagement with professional organizations or other relevant resources.

Objective 6.3 Demonstrate maturity and interpersonal skills as relevant to professional practice.

Competencies:

6.3.1 Intern demonstrates appropriate interpersonal skills in professional interactions, e.g., respectfulness, assertiveness, collaboration, constructive conflict management, etc.

6.3.2 Intern demonstrates reflexivity (reflection about oneself and one’s participation).

6.3.3 Intern attends to self-care.