Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

SUPERVISION

Interns and supervisors and are expected to meet regularly each week during protected times, resulting in a minimum of four hours of supervision each week.  Interns have at least one hour per week of individual supervision for clinical rotations, outpatient clinic, and assessments. This results in three hours per week of individual supervision with licensed psychologists. Your supervisor will change based on your rotation and allow you to experience different supervisory styles. Interns also have weekly group supervision headed by the Director of Training. This experience provides for group interaction and learning, as well as addressing program evaluation, professional development, and any other issues that may arise over the course of the year.

Your supervisors will help structure your internship experience, provide guidance, advocacy, continuity, and feedback.  It is helpful to discuss your areas of strength and gaps in your training to set goals with your supervisor at the start of each rotation. Supervision activities may include case consultation, live observation, review of reports and progress notes, and listening to audio recorded or videotaped sessions.  Your supervisor is legally and ethically responsible for all your clinical behavior while you are in the supervisory relationship. Clear, open communication; mutual respect; and supportive relationships are key!

Additionally, you will have access to the faculty psychiatrists for consultation of emergency department evaluations and disposition planning. Interns are encouraged to seek peer supervision and arrangements can be made to regularly schedule this time.

EVALUATIONS

General Principles:

1. The primary aim of evaluations is to provide interns feedback regarding their progress in the program to further their development as emerging professionals.  Evaluations are also used to strengthen the training program and to identify any problem areas that need to be addressed with interns or staff.
2. Interns are under continuous evaluation through their day-to-day interactions with the faculty, staff, other trainees, and patients.
3. Supervisors are responsible for providing interns with continuous feedback regarding their progress in the specified domain of supervision.
4. Interns are responsible for self-monitoring in addition to supervisor feedback.
5. Formal written evaluations are completed at the end of each 4 month rotations.  Supervisors rate interns on their performance of competencies demonstrating each of the program’s goals and objectives. Interns also rate their competencies as well as their training experiences, including supervision.

Intern Evaluation Procedures:

• Informal Evaluation: This is ongoing and happens primarily through discussions with supervisors and other faculty.  Each intern is expected to regularly assess his/her own strengths and weaknesses and to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of the training program.  Faculty discuss interns’ performance and progress in their monthly faculty meetings.
• Written Evaluations: Supervisors will complete written evaluations of the interns at the end of each 4-month rotation.  These should be discussed in a supervision session.  It is recommended that supervisors and interns discuss interns’ skills regarding the identified competencies at the start and mid-point of each rotation, as well.
• Evaluation Session with Faculty:  The psychology faculty as a group meets with each intern at the end of each 4-month rotation period to provide comprehensive feedback and address any areas of concern or particular strength.  If not already done, interns and supervisors sign their written evaluations in this session.
• Feedback to Graduate Programs: If the intern’s graduate department requires feedback, it will be provided on their appropriate evaluation forms.  The Director of Training will initiate written feedback to the Director of Clinical Training of the intern’s graduate program if an intern fails to achieve goals in a written remediation plan (see below).  All communications with the academic department will be reviewed and signed by both the Director of Training and the intern.  If the intern declines to cosign the report, this will be noted on the form and the report will be forwarded to the academic supervisor.

Supervisor and Program Evaluation Procedures:

• Informal Evaluations: This is ongoing and happens primarily through discussions with supervisors and other faculty.   Each intern is expected to provide feedback regarding the effectiveness of the training program and address any concerns with supervisors or the Director of Training.   Group supervision with the Director of Training provides a helpful forum for such discussions.
• Written Evaluations: Interns will complete written evaluations of their training experiences at the end of each 4-month rotation.  The Director of Training will review the evaluations and provide feedback to supervisors after the interns have left the program unless there is an immediate area of concern that needs to be addressed.
• Evaluation Session with Faculty:  The psychology faculty as a group meets with each intern at the end of each 4-month rotation period.  This is a time for interns to share their experiences and appraisals of the training program.
• Former Intern Surveys:  The program periodically surveys former interns to help gauge our success in training interns for careers in child clinical and pediatric psychology.  The input of past interns once they have developed new perspectives as early career psychologists is invaluable.  Please keep us posted with a current email address and respond to any requests for feedback.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

Interns must complete the full 12 months of the internship (minus allotted vacation and professional leave).  Interns are expected to achieve minimum ratings of 4 on all outpatient evaluations by the end of the third rotation and ratings of 3 on testing and clinical rotation evaluations to pass internship.

DUE PROCESS: REMEDIATION AND INTERN DISMISSAL PROCEDURES

If, in the opinion of the internship faculty, an intern fails to perform in a satisfactory manner, such feedback would be given informally by the concerned supervisor or Director of Training with guidance as to how to better meet program expectations.  If the intern’s performance continues to be inadequate, he/she will be notified in writing.  In addition, a formal meeting would be scheduled with the intern and the psychology faculty to discuss the areas of deficiency and to develop a written remediation plan. A period of time would then be specified in which the intern is expected to show significant progress towards remediation of their deficiencies as measured by clearly stated goals.  Should the intern fail to show expected progress, formal contact would be made via written communication with the intern’s Training Director at their home University, specifying the concerns and remedial efforts.  If the intern fails to meet these expectations by the specified date, the Psychology Faculty may elect to obtain outside consultation, either from APA regarding procedure, or an inside clinician to evaluate the intern’s strengths and weaknesses so as to assist the intern and faculty with remediation.  However, the faculty may also elect to formally dismiss the intern from the program, by a majority vote of the faculty and with the advice and approval of the Director of Child, Adolescent, and Family Psychiatry and the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.  In the unlikely event of dismissal, the Director of Training would notify the intern’s home university in writing (doctoral interns only).  Moreover, informal contact via telephone communication may be conducted to enable the Training Directors of both the internship and the graduate program to address mutual concerns and consult with regard to remedial efforts.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES AND PROBLEM RESOLUTION

The problem resolution process is intended to provide an effective means of bringing all problems to the attention of those responsible for the Center’s day-to-day operation as well as the Board of Directors and/or University Administration, if necessary.

Most misunderstandings or complaints can and should be solved on an informal basis with the employee’s/trainee’s supervisor.  However, more formal provisions have been made to resolve any difficult problems.  A complaint or misunderstanding is defined as any condition of employment/training or employee/trainee feels is unjust or inequitable.  There will be no discrimination against any employee/train for his or her part in the presentation of a complaint.

The procedure for presenting a complaint is as follows:

1. The employee/trainee should discuss the matter with his/her immediate supervisor.  The supervisor will conduct an investigation of the complaint and give an answer as soon as possible.  (It is recognized that there may be times when an employee/trainee feels he/she cannot take a complaint to the immediate supervisor.  In such instances, the employee/trainee may go directly to the next level.)
2. If a complaint cannot be resolved with the immediate supervisor, an employee/trainee may meet with the next level supervisor.
3. If a complaint cannot be resolved satisfactorily at this level, an employee/trainee may present the complaint to the Executive Director of Bingham Clinic/Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
4. If a complaint cannot be resolved with the Executive Director/Director, the employee/trainee may present the complaint in writing to any member of the Personnel Committee of the Board of Directors or to the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

If the response is not received within three working days from any level, the employee/trainee may proceed to the next level of the resolution process.

If the complaint results from action taken in violation of the written policy of the Clinic/University, the employee/trainee will be advised of the corrective action to be taken.  If there is not a written policy on the subject of the employee’s/trainee’s complaint, then appropriate steps shall be taken by the Executive Director/Director or Personnel Committee/Chairman to resolve the employee’s/trainee’s  complaint.

Any employee/trainee may feel free to get assistance in writing regarding a grievance may bring anyone who is knowledgeable about the matter to any meeting.

NOTE: Not every problem can be resolved to everyone’s total satisfaction, but only through understanding and discussion of mutual problems can employees/trainees and management faculty develop confidence in each other.  This confidence is important tot eh operation of an efficient and harmonious working/learning environment.