Chapter 9. On-Campus Practica, Externship, and Advanced Clinical Training

Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-1 Practica and Externship Chapter 9. On-Campus Practica, Externship, and Advanced Clinical Training

It is extremely useful for students to keep track of their clinical hours on an ongoing basis from the beginning of the program, to facilitate application for internships. The internship application requires an extensive documentation of hours, and a student who keeps track of hours throughout the program will find it much easier to fill out this form and will not forget any hours. The form that current intern applicants must fill out can be found at http://www.appic.org/ . The Director of Clinical Training will pass along suggested spreadsheets or databases with which to keep track of hours. For further information, see Chapter 12, Internship.

The first psychotherapy practicum in the program is the Practicum in Individual Psychotherapy (Psy 907 and 908), taken in the second year. In this practicum, the clients are CUA Counseling Center clients, with the supervision done by the core clinical faculty. Students have one supervisor in the fall and a different supervisor in the spring. Supervisors are assigned by the clinical faculty.

Clinical students are required to take one of two options for clinical training beyond this initial practicum: (1) two different advanced practica offered within the program, or (2) an externship placement. Students may, of course, do both on-campus practica and an externship.

On-Campus Elective Practica

Students may complete the clinical practicum requirements by taking both of the on-campus elective practica.

Psy 914, 915, 916 Practicum in Assessment (with Roly Díaz and Dave Missar). An assessment practicum for advanced students, in which students perform evaluations on members of the community and thus gain experience in integrating their assessment knowledge. Prerequisites: Projective Personality Assessment or Objective Personality Appraisal, with the other course recommended prior to or concurrently with the practicum; must be at least a third-year student.

Psy 928 Practicum in Family Therapy I (with Barry Wagner). Students participate in a team format treating families, using a one-way mirror and family systems approach. (Pre- or co- requisite: Developmental Psychopathology, graduate-level Family Therapy course, or graduate- level theory course in Family Psychology.) Additional semester of this practicum: Psy 929 Practicum in Family Therapy II (1 credit). Continuation of Psy 928 for those clinical students in Children, Families, and Cultures specialization. Prerequisites: Psy 928 and consent of instructor. Also available: Psy 927 Observation of Family Therapy (1 credit). Observation only--no prerequisite.

Students are evaluated at the end of each on-campus practicum with the Practicum Evaluation Form (see end of this chapter).

Externship

Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-2 Practica and Externship The externship is a two-semester placement that provides clinical training outside of the Department of Psychology. Prior to a clinical student being allowed to take a placement at an externship, the site must be approved by the clinical faculty. Most externships are 16 hours per week each semester, but they range from 8 to 16 hours, depending on the requirements of the agency. Most externships do not pay trainees, although there are one or two exceptions. Each semester of the externship is a three-credit course (Psy 909, 910), and is graded on a Pass-Fail basis.

In order to begin an externship, the student must be in good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation; see Chapter 7, Evaluation of Student Performance and Grievance Procedures). If placed on probation during the course of the externship, he or she is required to inform the training supervisor at the externship site.

Those students who decide to complete an externship training experience typically do so in their third and/or fourth year. The externship application procedure at CUA is coordinated by a member of the clinical faculty, who holds a meeting with all interested students in January or early February. There is a web site that provides information on the various externships in the area, including their application procedures: http://mason.gmu.edu/~jshort/extern.html . Additionally, most externships send information that is compiled in a notebook that is kept in the student lounge; only externships that have been approved are included in this notebook. There are many institutions that have a history of accepting CUA students. Students who have been on externships are generally the best source of information regarding particular placements. The application process begins after internship decisions (since some sites have both interns and externs), and most sites have an application deadline of early March.

In order to decide where to apply for externship, think about where you would like to work once you’re done and work backwards from there. What kind of internship would put you in the best position to get that kind of job? What kinds of externships would put you in the best position of getting that type of internship? Talk it over with your advisor and other faculty. If you are not sure what you want to do ultimately, do two different kinds of externships so you don’t narrow your options (e.g., if you’re unsure, don’t do two Counseling Center externships because that will limit your chances of getting a hospital internship if that’s what you decide you want).

Working in facilities that have not previously been approved as externship sites is possible, if the student knows of a specific placement he or she would like to pursue. The clinical faculty must approve all placements. The usual procedure to get approval for a new placement is for the proposed externship site to propose the externship in writing to the Director of Clinical Training at least 2 months before the student would accept the placement, providing information on populations served, time commitments, identity of supervisors (there must be at least one licensed clinical psychologist supervisor), and supervision hours.

Most students apply to more than one facility. Placements generally request a vita, one to three letters of recommendation, a transcript, and individual interview; beyond that, some also require procedures such as detailed written applications. It is strongly recommended that you plan ahead enough to ask for letters of recommendation more than a month before they are due. Note: a lot of the information included in the Internship chapter (Chapter 12) will be very useful for externship too, such as questions you could be asked on the interview, although externship interviews will take into account that the student has less clinical experience. There’s also a document in that chapter by alumnus Steve Wong that includes advice on long-range planning in order ultimately to make yourself a competitive internship Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-3 Practica and Externship applicant.

The clinical directors of the various programs in the Washington, DC area coordinate a common day for the notification of acceptance for externships in this area. In recent years this has been the second Monday in April beginning at 9 a.m. Placements notify students of their acceptances by telephone, and there is a time block that day within which students need to decide their choice. Students should check with the Director of Clinical Training for deadlines and procedural changes for the current year.

All externship training facilities must provide the Director of Clinical Training with a written student evaluation in December and May. Supervisors are requested to use the program’s Externship and Advanced Clinical Training Evaluation Form (the current version is at the end of this chapter).

Advanced Clinical Training

Advanced Clinical Training (ACT) is a course that is designed for students who are doing clinical training that is not part of our courses or practica, an externship that a student is registered for, or internship. Taking this course and getting the training approved by filling out the required departmental form allows the program to approve your training, verify that you are being supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist, and verify that you have malpractice insurance for it. See Chapter 4 for details on ACT. In order to be approved to supervise a student in ACT, the supervisor must agree to provide an evaluation of the student’s work in December and May. The form that is used is the Externship and Advanced Clinical Training Evaluation Form (the current version is at the end of this chapter).

A student who registers for PSY 970, 971, or 972 must get the training approved by filling out the form on the opposite side, including the section to be filled out by the supervisor, and turning it in to the Director of Clinical Training for approval. This must be done EVERY SEMESTER, even if the training has been approved before. Registration is not complete until the form is filled out by the student and supervisor and has been signed by the Director of Clinical Training.

PSY 970 is the usual course number for which to register. In general, students must take this 0- credit, 0-billing hour course along with another course or courses (such as dissertation guidance). There is just one course number for this purpose, PSY 970, regardless of whether it's for fall or spring semester. So in general, students who have not yet completed dissertation and orals and are doing additional clinical training should register for 970 in either Fall or Spring. PSY 970 can be registered for multiple times.

PSY 971, which is billed at one credit hour, would be registered for in special cases. Once in a while, there is a reason for a student to register for Advanced Clinical Training only. One situation is if the student is doing dissertation and additional training (but not currently doing internship) and will not be using faculty time in a given semester, e.g., is collecting data only. Students who are in this position but are not doing additional training often apply for "In Absentia" status for the semester, which means they are continuously enrolled but are absent, i.e., not using faculty time. In Absentia, like 971, is 0 credits but 1 billing unit. So students who otherwise would qualify for In Absentia but can't be "absent" because they also need to be registered for Advanced Clinical Training can take the 971 course number instead of applying for In Absentia. However, departmental policy on In Absentia is that it can be registered for a maximum of two semesters. We thus have the same policy for 971: the total number of semesters that a student can be registered for In Absentia AND/OR 971 Advanced Clinical Training Only is two. This means that a student can do a maximum of two semesters of In Absentia, OR two semesters Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-4 Practica and Externship of Advanced Clinical Training Only, OR one semester of each. If a student is still working on dissertation after two semesters of 971 and/or In Absentia (and is not on internship), that student must register for dissertation guidance (which costs 3 credits), plus 970 if he or she is doing additional clinical training.

The other situation in which a student might register for 971, Advanced Clinical Training Only, is a student who finishes dissertation and orals but hasn't yet done internship and thus has nothing else to register for. If such a student is doing additional training, that person should register for PSY 971, which we are calling Advanced Clinical Training Without Classes. This course is 0 credits but 1 "billing unit" (1 credit of tuition), thus maintaining the student's continuous enrollment as required by the university.

Any student who thinks he or she should register for 971 (Advanced Clinical Training Without Classes) must get permission from the Director of Clinical Training first.

For a student doing only comps and Advanced Clinical Training, there is a course number for Comps Without Courses (1 billing unit), so the student should register for Comps Without Courses and 970.

PSY 972 is Advanced Clinical Training for the summer semester. It is 1 credit and 1 billing hour of tuition.

At the end of this chapter is the current form for Advanced Clinical Training, which is shown as an example only. Be sure to get the up-to-date form from the Director of Clinical Training.

Notification to DC Board of Psychology of Supervised Practice

According to the DC Psychology licensing regulations, section 6911, http://dchealth.dc.gov/prof_license/services/pdffile/PDF_frameset.asp? strAppId=22&id=psychology/MunicipalPsychologyRegulations.pdf, students who are practicing in the District of Columbia under supervision must notify the Board of the supervision arrangements. Note that this form applies to clinical work in DC only. If your externship or Advanced Clinical Training is in MD or VA, this form does not need to be filed. The form is available at http://dchealth.dc.gov/prof_license/services/pdffile/PDF_frameset.asp? id=psychology/psychology_super_practice.pdf.

Ignore the instructions on the form that seem to suggest that students in degree programs do not need to submit it. According to the licensing board, students do need to submit it.

For practica, the program takes care of submitting the information. This form does not need to be filled out for the individual therapy practicum, the family therapy practicum, or the assessment practicum. It does not apply to courses, so even if you are doing a practicum component in a course, you do not need to do the form. Note that the form goes to the DC licensing board, to the address indicated on the form. It does not go to the DCT.

You need to be conscientious about submitting this form for every externship, ACT, or internship in the District. It is an ethical and professional requirement to practice according to the regulations of Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-5 Practica and Externship your jurisdiction. It is also possible that when you apply for licensing, they will check if you submitted forms while you were in grad school. Note that this is also the form you will use once you graduate and are accruing hours toward licensure.

It is wise to keep a copy of every form you submit. When you apply for licensure in the District, it looks like you will need to complete another type of form for each one of these forms you submit. (See the Note at the end of the introduction to the form.).

8/04 Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-6 Practica and Externship Practicum Evaluation

Therapist: Semester:

Supervisor: Practicum:

1. Prior therapy practica:

2. Caseload:

3. Ability to elicit/collect relevant diagnostic information:

4. Case formulation skills

a. Ability to conceptualize etiological and maintenance factors:

b. Ability to generate treatment plans:

5. Therapeutic skills

a. Professionalism:

b. Empathic ability:

c. Procedural skills/techniques/interventions:

d. Sensitivity to process/transference:

6. Skills in working with culturally diverse clients:

7. Development as a scientist-practitioner (use of empirical and theoretical literature to plan and support clinical work):

8. Rating of therapeutic performance relative to other trainees of a similar experience level:

9. Writing skills:

10. Supervisory relationship

a. Quality of relationship established:

b. Ability to incorporate suggestions into therapeutic work:

c. Ability to profit from constructive criticism: 11. Special concerns: Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-7 Practica and Externship

12. Recommendations regarding future training:

13. Final grade:.

______Supervisor's signature Date

To student: Please acknowledge receipt of your evaluation by signing below.

______Student's signature Date Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-8 Practica and Externship Externship and Advanced Clinical Training Evaluation

Catholic University Clinical Psychology Program

We request that the student's primary externship or advanced clinical training supervisor fill out this evaluation form. If more than one supervisor has had major responsibility for the student's supervision, we would appreciate it if you would copy this form and have both supervisors fill it out. A copy may be given to the student. (For our on-campus practica, we do give a copy to the student.) Please send the evaluation to Diane B. Arnkoff, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Training, Department of Psychology, Catholic University, Washington, DC 20064, or fax to Diane Arnkoff at 202-319-6263. Thank you very much.

Student: ______Site: ______

Supervisor's Name and Degree: ______

1. Caseload for therapy and number of assessments:

2. Ability to elicit/collect relevant diagnostic information:

3. Case formulation skills

a. Ability to conceptualize etiological and maintenance factors:

b. Ability to consolidate testing and background data into a diagnostic formulation:

c. Ability to generate treatment plans:

4. Test administration skills (if applicable)

a. Rapport building

b. Ability to administer testing materials:

c. Ability to interpret test results:

d. Ability to integrate test results into written report:

e. Ability to apply test results to make specific recommendations for treatment, etc.:

f. Ability to provide feedback to client about test results:

5. Therapeutic skills

a. Professionalism: Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-9 Practica and Externship b. Empathic ability:

c. Procedural skills/techniques/interventions:

d. Sensitivity to process/transference:

6. Skills in working with culturally diverse clients:

7. Development as a scientist-practitioner (use of empirical and theoretical literature to plan and support clinical work):

8. Rating of performance relative to other trainees of a similar experience level:

9. Writing skills:

10. Supervisory relationship

a. Quality of relationship established:

b. Ability to incorporate suggestions into clinical work:

c. Ability to profit from constructive criticism:

11. Special concerns:

12. Recommendations regarding future training:

______Supervisor's signature Date Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-10 Practica and Externship

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY Advanced Clinical Training Registration Form

See over for the policy on registration in Advanced Clinical Training. Complete this form at the time of registration and return to the Director of Clinical Training.

Student Name SSN Semester/Year ______

Supervisor Name, Degree (must be a licensed psychologist) Address, Phone

Circle Course Number: CREDITS BILLING COURSE UNITS

0 0 970 ADVANCED CLINICAL TRAINING (FALL OR SPRING) 1 1 971 ADVANCED CLINICAL TRAINING ONLY (FALL OR SPRING) 1 1 972 ADVANCED CLINICAL TRAINING (SUMMER)

Brief Description of your proposed work:

Number of hours per week:

Supervision arrangements, including number of hours per week and whether individual or group supervision:

The above licensed psychologist below has agreed to supervise me in this course. If I do not do the required work or fail to maintain contact with this supervisor, I will receive an “F” grade for this course.

You must carry malpractice insurance for this work. Do you want to buy (or have you already bought for this year, Sept.-Aug.) CUA malpractice insurance? I have bought it; I want to buy it; ___ Insurance provided by site (supervisor must indicate below); ___ I have other insurance.

If other insurance, company and policy no.

Student Signature Date

TO BE FILLED OUT BY YOUR SUPERVISOR This is to verify that I am supervising this student as described above in the indicated course. I agree to provide an evaluation of the student’s work at the end of the semester. Clinical Psychology Student Handbook 9-11 Practica and Externship My organization/practice will provide malpractice insurance for the student: ___ No Yes: indicate insurance company License No. and Jurisdiction

Signature, Supervisor Date ______

Approved:

Director of Clinical Training Date

Return this form to the Director of Clinical Training