Doctoral in Clinical Psychology Internship Program

Interns will be able to demonstrate professional, ethical conduct and knowledge of legal matters that is reflective of the values and attitudes in the field of psychology.

Ethical and legal standards competencies:

• Interns are expected to know and understand the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct, Florida Board of Psychological Ethical Principles, and other relevant standards and guidelines, laws, statutes, and regulations.
• Interns are expected to use professional and appropriate interactions in didactics, seminars, and treatment team meetings, with peers and supervisors, and seek peer support as needed.
• Interns are expected to seek consultation or supervision as needed and use it productively when presented with ethical dilemmas.
• Interns will demonstrate positive coping strategies with personal and professional      stressors and         challenges, and maintains professional functioning and quality patient care.
• Interns will be responsible for key patient care tasks (i.e., phone calls, letters, psychological reports), and complete tasks promptly. All patient contacts, including scheduled and unscheduled appointments, and phone contacts are well documented. Records include crucial information.
• Interns will be efficient and use effective time management. They will keep scheduled appointments and meetings on time. Keep supervisors aware of whereabouts as needed. They will minimize unplanned leave, whenever possible.
• Interns will demonstrate good knowledge of ethical principles and state law. They will consistently apply these appropriately, seeking consultation as needed.

Interns will be able to work professionally with diverse individuals, groups, and communities who represent various cultural backgrounds. 

Individual and cultural diversity competencies:

• Interns are expected to consistently achieve a good rapport with patients.
• Interns are expected to be aware of their own background and its impact on clients. They will be committed to continue to explore own cultural identity issues and relationship to clinical work
• Interns are expected to be sensitive to the cultural and individual diversity of patients and be committed to providing culturally competent services.
• Interns are expected to integrate and apply theory, research, and professional guidelines when working with diverse individuals, families, groups, and members of community-based organizations.

Interns will be able to demonstrate professional values, attitudes, and behaviors that are reflective of what’s expected in the field of psychology.

Professional values, attitudes, and behaviors competencies:

• Interns will demonstrate their identity as a psychologist, which will include awareness of their competence in clinical and assessment practices.
• Interns are expected to demonstrate a professional approach that is respectful and helpful.
• Interns will demonstrate positive coping strategies with personal and professional stressors and challenges, and maintain professional functioning and quality patient care.
• Interns will demonstrate the importance of the welfare of others.
• Interns will use professional resources (such as supervision, training, and consultation) to improve clinical skills.

Interns will demonstrate professional communication and interpersonal skills that are reflective of what is expected in the field of psychology.

Communications and interpersonal skills competencies:

• Interns will demonstrate ability to develop working relationships with clients and show conflict management skills when challenges arise.
• Interns will demonstrate appropriate professional boundaries throughout the training year with peers, supervisors, staff, and community-based organizations.
• Interns will demonstrate collaboration abilities with their peers and staff.
• Interns are expected to be respectful towards supervisors, peers, support staff, and others in community-based organizations.
• Interns are expected to be active participants in supervision and work in a collaborative manner.
• Interns will demonstrate their ability to listen to supervisory recommendations and provide feedback.
• Interns are expected to communicate their needs effectively and gradually become more independent of supervisory needs.

Interns will demonstrate professional behaviors in the area of assessment and diagnosis with the population served.

Assessment competencies:

• Interns are expected to demonstrate a thorough working knowledge of psychiatric diagnostic nomenclature and DSM-5 classification. They will utilize historical, interview and psychometric data to diagnose accurately.
• Interns are expected to promptly administer commonly used tests in his/her area of practice. They will appropriately choose the tests to be administered and demonstrate competence in administering a variety of assessment measures including but not limited to intelligence and achievement tests, as well as personality/social and behavioral measures.
• Interns will be able to write well-organized psychological reports that will answer the referral question clearly and provide the referral source with specific recommendations.
• Interns will plan and carry out a feedback interview. They will explain the test results in terms that patient and/or caregiver can understand, provide suitable recommendations and respond to issues raised by patient or caregiver.

Interns will demonstrate professional behaviors in the area of diagnosis and effective psychotherapeutic interventions needed for the population served.

Intervention Competencies:

• Interns are expected to effectively evaluate, manage and document patient risk by assessing immediate concerns such as suicidality, homicidality, and any other safety issues. They will collaborate with patients in crisis to make appropriate short-term safety plans and intensify treatment as needed. They will discuss all applicable confidentiality issues openly with patients.
• Interns are expected to formulate a useful case conceptualization that draws on theoretical and research knowledge. They will collaborate with patient to form appropriate treatment goals.
• Interns are expected to use interventions that are well-timed, effective and consistent with empirically supported treatments.
• Interns are expected to effectively understand and use own emotional reactions to the patient productively in the treatment (countertransference).

Interns will be able to monitor the professional functioning of others through effective mentoring and supervision of practicum students and didactic trainings.

Supervision competencies:

• Interns are expected to demonstrate good knowledge of mentoring techniques and employ these skills in a consistent and effective manner, seeking consultation as needed. They also build good rapport with mentee.
• Interns will learn evidence based theories and models of supervision.
• Interns will utilize supervisory skills with practicum students.

Interns will demonstrate professional consultation with community members/agencies that are responsive to the needs of the individuals served.

Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills competencies:

• Interns are expected to perform an assessment of the patient referred for consultation, incorporating mental status exam, structured interview techniques or psychological assessment, as needed, to answer the referral question.
• Interns are expected to give the appropriate level of guidance when providing consultation to other health care professionals, taking into account their level of knowledge about psychological theories, methods and principles.