Intern Evaluations

Supervision and Training

Intensive direct supervision in individual and group counseling is a significant component of the training program. Training includes video supervision. Personal exploration and awareness is valued and encouraged while personal boundaries are respected. Interns receive supervision individually for two hours and as a group for two hours on a weekly basis. Individual supervision is provided by licensed counseling and clinical psychologists. Supervision for the intern group is the responsibility of the Training Director. Case consultation also occurs on a weekly basis during Case Conference Meetings with staff psychologists.

Distance education technologies are not currently used for training and supervision.

Intern Evaluations and Requirements

The Training Director coordinates the training program and reviews the progress of the interns throughout the year. At the start of the year, the Training Director reviews the opportunities available and the amount of time to be devoted to core responsibilities and to individually tailored service and training activities. Interns meet weekly with the Training Director to discuss general and specific training issues. These discussions enable the Training Director to maintain awareness of the progress and problems confronted by the intern and to process developmental tasks and issues of the intern. The Training Director will provide guidance for interns dealing with specific problems or staff conflicts, and will intervene directly when necessary.

In the context of the supervisory relationships with the primary clinical supervisor and Training Director, the intern receives ongoing feedback regarding professional strengths and areas in need of improvement, particularly in the area of counseling and psychotherapy. The Training Committee, clinical supervisors, seminar leaders, and group co-leaders meet each month to review the progress of all interns. At mid-semester the primary clinical supervisor provides informal, verbal feedback to the intern regarding progress and goals. A written evaluation and formal meeting will be scheduled if problems that require a remedial plan are identified. At the end of each semester, the clinical supervisor provides a comprehensive, written formal evaluation of the intern. The intern meets with the supervisor and Training Director to review these evaluations. Perceptual or factual differences between these evaluations are expected to be resolved during this meeting. Each training seminar leader provides a brief, written evaluation of the progress of the intern at the end of each semester.

Following the meeting with the intern and the clinical supervisor, the Training Director integrates the evaluations of the intern and meets with the intern to provide a summary evaluation which is forwarded to the academic program. The intern is provided the opportunity to review progress and negotiate new training goals. The intern is given the opportunity to provide input and suggest changes and modifications to the program. Identified concerns and suggestions may be taken to the Training Committee, the staff, or the intern group by the Training Director.

Generally, intern competence is measured by direct observation of their work; collaboration in outreach and consultation projects; co-therapy with staff psychologists; structured and narrative ratings of clinical performance; written client feedback; case presentations; intake, termination, and crisis reports; progress notes; and written summaries of experiences. Completion of training experiences and outcome criteria in all areas of the core curriculum is monitored using a checklist.