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Internship
Program in Clinical Psychology |
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INTRODUCTION
AND PROGRAM´S MISSION
Ponce School of Medicine (PSM) is a freestanding,
non-for-profit institution of higher learning accredited by
the Middles States Commission on Higher Education and
authorized by the Council on Higher Education of Puerto Rico
to offer doctoral education in medicine (MD Program),
Clinical Psychology (PsyD Program), Biomedical Sciences
(PhD), Public Health (PH), and a Professional Post-graduate
certificate degree in Family and Couples Therapy. Ponce
School of Medicine began its Clinical Psychology Program in
1999. By the year 2004, the program had received APA
accreditation and for the 2007 re-accreditation process, the
program was re-accredited for seven years.
To address the training needs of the students of the
Clinical Psychology Program and to address the psychological
services needs of the neighboring community, a mental health
clinic was created in 2000, the Center for Psychological
Services (CSP). In 2002, an Internship program (PSM-IP) was
developed to address the advanced training needs of the
Clinical Psychology Program students. PSM-IP operates within
the CSP facilities. These facilities include nine therapy
offices, one administrative office, an interns’
office/lounge, a record room, office space for a
receptionist, and a patient waiting / reception area. The
mission that guided the development of the PSM internship
program is:
To provide a solid clinical, professional and learning
experience for the PSM Clinical Psychology students during
their internship year by providing the necessary
opportunities for the consolidation of prior knowledge,
skills and attitudes, and for further development of the
Clinical Psychologist professional role.
Consistent with the basic concepts of professional training
in Clinical Psychology elaborated at the Boulder Conference
(Raimy, 1950) on the role of internship programs in graduate
training, PSM-IP provides its interns the opportunity for
further development of the Clinical Psychologist role. The
internship strives towards strengthening students’ identity
as ethical and self-respecting psychologists. It provides an
opportunity for integrating the extensive theoretical
information received during the years of academic training,
with the skills and ethical attitudes of the field. The Cube
Model, with its emphasis on the development of foundational
and functional competencies (Rodolfa, et.al., 2005) is used
by PSM-IP for the elaboration of its goals, objectives and
training activities.
By the end of the internship program the predoctoral intern
has had the opportunity to become what the 1987 Gainesville
Conference delegates described as “an individual who has
demonstrated the capability to function autonomously and
responsibly as a practicing psychologist" (Belar et al.
1987).
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PROGRAM VISION
Consistent with the training tradition in professional
psychology and with the current trends in the field, the PSM
IP holds as its guiding vision that:
PSM Clinical Psychology Internship Program will develop
diversity-sensitive Clinical Psychologists who, within a 12
or 24 month period, will be prepared to assume multiple
roles in diverse clinical, academic and professional
settings, and who will be capable of setting a new standard
of excellence in the practice of Clinical Psychology in
Puerto Rico and abroad. The internship program will be known
for providing opportunities for the development of the
multiple skills and attitudes needed to practice Clinical
Psychology based upon a biopsychosocial/systemic model.
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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals that guide this program are designed to help staff
and students fulfill the program’s mission. Each goal is
divided into objectives that solidify the assessment of the
stated goals. Consistent with the Cube Model for competency
development (Rodolfa, 2005) the objectives are constructed
on the bases of functional and foundational competencies.
The Internship goals and objectives are described below:
Goal I: To prepare clinical psychologists to be able to
competently integrate the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
values that serve as the foundation of clinical practice
through the provision of a broad-based training experience.
Objective 1: The intern will develop/consolidate reflective
practice-self-assessment competencies as evidenced by
his/her professional conduct, lifelong learning commitment,
engagement in scholarly work, and critical thinking.
Objective2: The intern will develop/consolidate scientific
mindedness and apply scientific and evidence-based
methodology in their clinical practice.
Objective 3: The intern will develop/consolidate the
personal and professional characteristics that enable the
formation and maintenance of professional relationships with
clients, colleagues, supervisors, faculty, multidisciplinary
healthcare team professionals, and community members.
Objective 4: The intern will develop/consolidate the
capacity to successfully manage complex ethical reasoning
and decision making in their clinical practice.
Objective 5: The intern will develop/consolidate awareness,
attitudes of respect, and appropriate responses regarding
all dimensions of diversity (e.g. gender, socioeconomic
status, affective orientation, ethnicity, physical and
mental capacities, religion, spirituality, and age) in their
clinical practice.
Objective 6: The intern will develop/consolidate the ability
to recognize and engage in opportunities for effective
collaboration with other professionals toward shared goals.
Goal II: To prepare clinical psychologists for the ethical
delivery of evidence-based psychological services in diverse
clinical situations through the provision of a wide variety
of sequential, organized, and supervised training
experiences.
Objective 1: The intern will develop/consolidate
understanding and solid command of clinical assessment,
diagnosis and case conceptualization adapted to particular
populations and/or problems.
Objective 2: The intern will develop/consolidate the skills
and knowledge to appropriately select and execute
evidence-based psychological interventions as well as to
document and evaluate therapeutic progress accurately.
Objective 3: The intern will develop/consolidate the
knowledge to articulate, implement, and evaluate
consultation services/ interventions applying a variety of
intervention models.
Objective 4: The intern will develop/consolidate the ability
to evaluate and apply current research to their clinical
practice and exercise command of different methods of
scientific inquiry in clinical settings
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Objective 5: The intern will develop/consolidate the ability
to utilize appropriate supervisory and teaching
strategies/skills in enhancing the professional functioning
of 1st and 2nd years Clinical Psychology graduate students
who are beginning to acquire basic clinical skills.
Objective 6: The intern will be able to develop and/or
consolidate administrative skills and will learn to apply a
variety of models appropriate to lead the delivery of
professional services.
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MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM
The PSM Internship program (PSM IP) is designed as a
Generalist/Practitioner Internship program. However,
students have the opportunity of exploring a number of areas
including, Family Therapy, Health Psychology, Mental Health
Administration, and Psychological, Psychoeducational and/or
Neuropsychological Assessment. The internship is currently
considered captive since it is only accepting students from
the Clinical Psychology Program at Ponce School of Medicine.
As stated in its vision and mission, the IP aims at
providing the intern with the opportunity (in terms of
setting, experience, and supervision) to begin assuming the
professional role of a psychologist consistent with the
Practitioner/ Scholar model of training. |
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Clinical
Students in the PSM IP are expected to invest a minimum of
13 hours per week in face-to-face patient contact hours.
Such experience includes a wide range of clinical activities
including:
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Psychotherapeutic
interventions: Individual, marital, family and group
modalities
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Psychological
assessment: Intelligence, personality, psychoeducational,
and neuropsychological testing along with
psychodiagnostic report preparation.
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Consultation with
collaterals: Relatives, schools, courts, medical staff
and other relevant individuals.
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Advanced
Trainings for Interns
The program includes a sequence of didactic experiences
designed to enhance the intern’s theoretical background and
capacity to apply knowledge to specific clinical populations
and situations. At this level, the intern is expected to
integrate multiple sources of information into a coherent
and readily accessible frame of reference. Therefore, a
sequence of clinical workshops is provided to achieve this
goal. Furthermore, the didactic component includes
opportunities for interns to present cases and to obtain
feedback from peers and supervisors on how he/she applies
the knowledge and techniques acquired through the training
program to specific clinical situations. The main focus of
the didactic component is the acquisition and consolidation
of theory and clinical models to guide specific
interventions within the framework of Evidence-Based
Practice (EBP). To this end, advanced trainings are divided
in Modules and General Topics to allow flexibility for areas
identified in need of reinforcement. The modules offered
address the following areas:
Module I. Organization Skills for Interns
Module II. Evidence Based Practice in Psychology
Module III. Advanced Conceptualization and Treatment
Planning
Module IV. Legal Aspects of Clinical Practice
Module V. Advanced Psychological Testing
Module VI. Cognitive Functioning in Old Age
Module VII. Evidence Based Interventions for Affective,
Anxiety, and Personality Disorders
Module VIII. Interventions with Families and Couples
Module IX. Models of case consultation and management
Module X. Models of Clinical Supervision
Module XI. Development of Private Practice in Clinical
Psychology
Family Team
Interns participate in bi-weekly family team interventions
supervised by Dr. Nydia Ortiz. Family therapy sessions are
conducted by interns, with Dr. Ortiz acting as “family
consultant”. Interns not doing interventions with a family,
participate in the training session as members of the Family
Therapy Reflective Team who sit inside the therapy room with
the family and the supervisor/consultant (Andersen, 1991)
and reflect on the situations presented by the family. The
other interns observe the sessions through the one way
mirrors.
Academic
Interns have the opportunity to explore the academic world
by utilizing their clinical and academic experience in the
supervision of entry-level graduate students and serving as
Teaching Assistant to professors. The internship program
provides for such experiences and encourages interns to
develop basic teaching and supervisory skills.
Dissertation Time
All interns are provided four hours per week of free time to
work on their dissertation or to engage in one of the CPP´s
research activities. These hours need to be authorized by
the dissertation committee member or by the professor in
charged of the research project.
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THEORETICAL APPROACH
The PSM IP subscribes to a biopsychosocial orientation with
a systemic approach. Within this orientation, supervisors
and professors emphasize a variety of treatment frameworks
and modalities, mostly those that adhere to Evidence Based
Practices. These modalities include; Cognitive and
Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, Short term Psychodynamic,
Systemic, and Postmodern approaches. The emphasis is on
accurate diagnosis, conceptualization, and utilization of
evidence-based techniques.
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APPLICATION PROCESS
The PSM IP utilizes the Association of Psychology
postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) application
process and format. The PSM Clinical Psychology students
applying for the internship must submit a curriculum vitae,
three letters of recommendation, an official transcript,
copy of a complete clinical intervention or case write-up
(without testing) and two psychological reports that include
psychological tests. In order to apply for the internship
program the student must have approved all academic courses
and must have passed the Clinical Practice Examination.
Additionally, the student must have a dissertation proposal
approved before submitting the application.
The internship committee will review all the submitted
documents and will invite qualified students for an
interview. After all the interviews are conducted, the
Internship Committee will select the students and submit the
Rank Order List to APPIC.
The PSM IP utilizes the Association of Psychology
postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) application
process and format. The PSM Clinical Psychology students
applying for the internship must submit a curriculum vitae,
three letters of recommendation, an official transcript,
copy of a complete clinical intervention or case write-up
(without testing) and two psychological reports that include
psychological tests. In order to apply for the internship
program the student must have approved all academic courses
and must have passed the Clinical Practice Examination.
Additionally, the student must have a dissertation proposal
approved before submitting the application.
The internship committee will review all the submitted
documents and will invite qualified students for an
interview. After all the interviews are conducted, the
Internship Committee will select the students and submit the
Rank Order List to APPIC.
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GENERAL PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES
The following procedures and guidelines describe the
responsibilities of the internship and of the interns. They
are discussed at the beginning of each internship cycle and
signed by the intern and the clinic director.
Program location: PSM IP takes place at the Center
for Psychological Services which is an integral part of the
institution’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program.
Program duration: The PSM IP has a duration of 12
months for full time students or 24 months for part time
students.
Starting and ending dates: The program starts the
first week of July and ends during the last week of June of
the following year.
Work hours: Work hours are from 12:00 noon to 8:30pm,
Monday through Friday.
Schedule changes: Any change to this schedule must be
approved by the clinic’s director.
Signing in/out: The intern must sign his/her
attendance sheet at the beginning and end of the work day.
The intern must notify the chief intern and/or the clinic’s
director before leaving the clinic during work hours. Every
time the intern leaves the clinic he/she must sign out on
the attendance sheet and sign back in when he/she returns.
Changes in internship schedule: The intern must
notify the internship committee, in writing, of any change
in his/her schedule.
Absences: The intern must provide a justification or
doctor’s note for every absence exceeding 48 hours. Every
absence must be notified to the chief intern, director,
supervisor, and patients. Maternity days or hours must be
replaced.
Timeliness: The intern is always expected to be
timely. All delays must be notified to the chief intern,
director, supervisor, and patients.
Vacation: The intern is entitled to 10 vacation days.
Six (6) of these have been pre-determined by the PSM
Christmas vacation closing period. The other 4 days would be
programmed according to the intern’s petition to the chief
intern and the approval of the clinic and internship
director.
Holidays: The observed holidays during the internship
year will be provided at the beginning of each internship
cycle so that interns are able to plan accordingly.
Accountability and Report of Internship Hours:
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- The intern is responsible
to keep a precise account and report of his/her hours.
- The intern is responsible for
completing a monthly report of the work hours spent in
each of the listed clinical activities
- These reports (2 copies) are to
be handed to the Chief Intern by the first of each
month.
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Internship
documentation: The intern is responsible for maintaining all
documentation related to his/her internship up to date
(evaluations, hour reports, supervision notes, etc.).
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TRAINING PROGRAM’S EXPECTATION OF
TRAINEES
The expectations of interns are divided into three areas:
(A) knowledge of and compliance with relevant professional
standards, (B) acquisition of appropriate professional
skills, and (C) appropriate management of personal attitudes
as they relate to professional functioning.
Each of these areas is described below:
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A.
Professional Standards: In accordance to this area, interns
are expected to:
- Be cognizant of and abide by the
guidelines as stated in the APA Ethical Principles of
Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Standards for Providers
of Psychological Services, Specialty Guidelines, and the
Code of Ethics of the Puerto Rico Psychological Association
which address psychologists' ethical, personal and/or legal
responsibilities. Be cognizant of and abide by the laws and
regulations governing the practice of psychology as stated
in the pertinent legal documents. Such documents include but
are not necessarily limited to the Puerto Rico Board of
Examiners in Psychologists (Law 96).
The Internship program recognizes that mere knowledge of and
exposure to the above guidelines and standards are not
sufficient. Interns need to demonstrate the ability to
integrate relevant professional standards into their own
repertoire of professional and personal behavior. Examples
of such integration include a demonstrated awareness of
ethical issues when they arise in work with clients,
appropriate decision making in other ethical situations, and
awareness of ethical considerations in their own and other's
professional work.
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B.
Professional Competency: By the time the internship is
complete, interns are expected to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of
psychopathology and of developmental, psychosocial and
psychological problems.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the special
issues related to clinical work with disadvantaged
populations.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills in
conducting diagnostic procedures and diagnostic techniques
including psychological assessment and psychodiagnostic
interviewing with children, adolescents, and adults.
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills in
providing therapeutic interventions including individual
psychotherapy (various modalities), case management, family
therapy, group psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and
consultation with children, adolescents, and adults.
Interns are expected to make steady progress throughout the
year in the acquisition and mastery of these competencies.
Interns are expected to achieve the expected levels of
competency in each area by the end of the internship year.
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C. Personal
Functioning
The training program recognizes that there is a strong
relationship between the level of personal functioning and
effectiveness as a professional psychologist, most notably
as it relates to the professional roles to be assumed in the
delivery of mental health services to clients. Physical,
emotional and/or educational problems may interfere with the
quality of an intern's professional work. Such problems
include but are not limited to a) educational or academic
deficiencies, b) psychological adjustment problems and/or
inappropriate emotional responses, c) poor management of
personal stress, d) inadequate level of professional
development, and e) inefficient use of and/or response to
supervision.
When supervisors or other staff members detect that personal
issues significantly interfere with an intern's professional
functioning, such information will be communicated to the
intern, initially through verbal communication and in the
event the problem persists, through written communication.
The training program, with the participation of the intern,
will formulate strategies for ameliorating the difficulties
or problems, and will implement the selected strategies and
procedures. If such attempts do not restore the intern to an
acceptable level of professional functioning within a
reasonable period of time, consideration will be given to
discontinuation from the program. The specific procedures
employed for the acknowledgment and amelioration of intern
deficiencies will be described later in this document (see
evaluation and grievance procedures).
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TRAINING PROGRAM
RESPONSIBILITIES
A major focus of the PSM-IP is assisting interns in
integrating their personal values, attitudes and functioning
as individuals with their professional identity and
performance. The training program is committed to providing
the type of learning environment that allows interns to
meaningfully explore personal issues which relate to their
professional functioning. To address these expectations, the
training program assumes a number of responsibilities. The
responsibilities correspond to the three general expectation
areas (Professional Standards, Professional Competency, and
Personal Functioning) and are described below:
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A. The training program will
provide interns with information regarding relevant
professional standards and guidelines and will provide
appropriate forums to discuss the implementations of
such standards.
B. The training program will provide interns with
information regarding relevant legal regulations that
govern the practice of psychology and will provide
opportunities for the analysis, discussion and
appropriate implementation of these regulations.
C. The training program will provide written evaluations
of the intern's progress with the timing and content of
such evaluations designed to facilitate interns' change
and growth as professionals. Evaluations will address
the interns' knowledge of and adherence to professional
standards, their professional skill competency, and
their personal functioning as it relates to the delivery
of professional services.
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SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION
REQUIREMENTS
To complete this internship program the interns must satisfy
the following requirements:
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- Satisfy the minimum requirement
of 13 hours per week of face to face interventions with
patients and their collaterals for a minimum of 500
hours for the internship cycle.
- Write a minimum of ten
psychological assessment (testing) reports.
- Participate in all required
training programs, staff meetings and case conferences.
- Demonstrate a commitment towards
professional and personal growth
- Demonstrate ethical behavior in
all endeavors related to professional and personal
behavior while at their training sites and in the
community
- Comply with all supervision
requirements
- Utilize prescribed remedies
(described in pages 11-15) in the due process section of
this manual) to address conflicts or difficult issues
with patients, staff or with supervisors
- Satisfy the time requirement of
2000 hours of documented internship activities.
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INTERNSHIP STAFF AND
AREAS OF INTEREST |
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Internship Interim Director |
Rank |
Areas of Interest and Expertise |
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José
Pons Madera, Ph.D. |
Full
Professor Clinical Psychology |
Psychological Testing, Clinical Neuropsychology,
Mental Health and Academic Administration, Rorschach
& Personality Psychology, Addictions Psychology,
Consultation. |
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Supervisor and Professors |
Rank |
Areas of Interest and Expertise |
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Pura
Dedós López, Psy.D. |
Assistant Professor -Director of Center for
Psychological Services |
HIV/AIDS,
Group processes, Health Psychology. |
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Nydia
Ortiz-Pons, Ph.D. |
Associate Professor – Director of Family Therapy
Certificate |
Family Therapy and Systemic Interventions,
Postmodern and Narrative Therapies, Addictions in
Adolescents, Organizational Issues, Team Building
and Academic Administration, Teaching of Psychology.
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Axel
Santos, Ph.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Psychological research, Depression and Mood
disorders, Socio-historic Models of Intervention. |
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Luisa
Ferder, M.D. |
Associate Professor |
Psychoanalysis, Child Analysis and Play Therapy,
Pediatrics, Short-Term Dynamic Therapy, |
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Leida
Matías, Ph.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Psychological Assessment and cultural adaptation of
tests, School psychology, research in mental health
service utilization. |
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Nanet
López, Ph.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Health Psychology, Psycho-oncology, psychological
testing |
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Beatriz Cintrón, Psy.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Psychotherapy, Projective Personality Assessment,
Neuropsychological assessment, Clinical
Neuropsychology. |
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Maria
Garrido, Psy.D. |
Associate Professor |
Objective Personality Evaluation, Forensic
Psychology, CT and CBT therapy, Evidence-based
treatments |
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Nydia
M. Cappas, Psy.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Psychotherapy, Trauma, Poverty and Diversity,
Recovery from severe mental illness, Brain-Based
Psychotherapy |
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Giselle Medina, Psy.D. |
Assistant Professor |
Child
development, assessment of pre-schoolers,
psychological and psychoeducational testing,
individual, family and couples psychotherapy.
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Walter Rodríguez, Psy.D |
Assistant Professor |
Neuropsychological Assessment and peri-surgical
assessment of neurological patients,
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, Cognitive
Psychology. |
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CULTURAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC
DIVERSITY
The PSM Internship program intends to prepare psychologists
for practice in different cultural contexts. In the context
of Puerto Rico, diversity is reflected on the many ethnic
backgrounds that compose our culture, the varied
manifestations of affection and love, and the difference in
access to resources in our community. Exposure to patients
from different socio-economic backgrounds is expected from
all interns. However, exposure to patients from different
ethnic backgrounds might not be a frequent experience during
a particular year due to the ethnic homogeneity of the
community the program serves. Nonetheless, most interns will
work with persons who have had migratory experiences and who
have multiple experiences of oppression and
disenfranchisement.
Discrimination and oppression manifest in the context of
Puerto Rico in ways that are both, similar and different
from USA. A predominant manifestation of oppression is the
variations in access to fundamental resources such as
education and health. Discrimination also manifests through
racism, sexism, ableism, and heterosexism. PSM IP is
committed to promote culturally competent services
respectful of all manifestations of diversity in our
students, clients, and staff.
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SUPERVISION
Interns obtain two hours of individual supervision per week
and two hours of group supervision. Interns are expected to
be fully prepared for supervision. They are expected to
explore the literature to address particular issues they
confront while in clinical practice. Supervisors are to
serve as mentors but are also to expect compliance with
recommendations and assignments. Supervisors are
knowledgeable of the competencies required by interns and
are prepared to assist in their development.
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THE EVALUATION PROCESS
D. Evaluation of student by supervisor - Formal evaluations
are conducted three times in the internship year. The first
evaluation is performed at the beginning of the internship
to develop a baseline of the intern’s competencies. The
other two evaluations are conducted at the end of each
internship semester. During the process of evaluation,
supervisors will discuss the areas of strength and the areas
in need of further improvement. The evaluation form is
completed and signed by both parties. Although the formal
process of evaluation is conducted twice a year, students
will frequently receive feedback during weekly supervision
sessions. To address areas identified in need of
improvement, a corrective plan will be developed between the
student and the supervisor. If discrepancies in the
assessment process occur and these are not solved through
informal negotiations, the grievance procedures (page 11-15
of this manual) should be followed.
E. Evaluation of supervisor by student – Students evaluate
their supervisors and the supervision experience
semi-annually through a written evaluation. The evaluation
is analyzed by the Internship Coordinator who will be in
charge of integrating the feedback and discussing any
concerns with internship supervisors. Any mayor concern that
cannot be solved through this process should be channeled
through the process described in PSM Faculty Manual and page
11-15 of this manual.
F. Evaluation of internship experience by student – Students
also evaluate the internship experience. This process serves
as feedback to the program and provides the Internship
Committee an opportunity to identify the program’s strengths
and the areas in need of improvement. The Internship
committee is in charge of evaluating the information
provided by students and implementing appropriate
suggestions.
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DUE PROCESS GUIDELINES
Definition of Problem
For purposes of this document trainees’ problem is defined
broadly as an interference in professional functioning which
is reflected in one or more of the following ways:
- An inability and/or unwillingness
to acquire and integrate professional standards into
one's repertoire of professional behavior,
- An inability to acquire
professional skills in order to reach an acceptable
level of competency, and/or
- An inability to control personal
stress, psychological dysfunctions, and/or excessive
emotional reactions which interfere with professional
functioning.
While it is a professional judgment as to when an trainee's
behavior becomes more serious (i.e., problematic) rather
than just of concern, for purposes of this document a
concern refers to a trainees' behaviors, attitudes, or
characteristics which, while of concern and which may
require remediation, are perceived to be not unexpected or
excessive for professionals in training. Problems typically
become identified as problems when they include one or more
of the following characteristics:
- The trainee does not acknowledge,
understand, or address the problem when it is
identified,
- The problem is not merely a
reflection of a skill deficit which can be rectified by
academic or didactic training,
- The quality of services delivered
by the trainee is sufficiently negatively affected,
- The problem is not restricted to
one area of professional functioning
- A disproportionate amount of
attention by training personnel is required,
- The trainee's behavior does not
change as a function of feedback, remediation efforts,
and/or time,
- The problematic behavior has
potential for ethical or legal ramifications if not
addressed,
- The trainee’s behavior negatively
impacts the public view of the agency,
- The problematic behavior
negatively impacts the trainee’s class.
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Grievance Procedure General
Guidelines
The guidelines described in this section are designed to
ensure that decisions made by programs about interns are not
arbitrary or personally based. When grievance procedures are
considered or initiated, the following guidelines should be
employed:
- All actions taken by the program
and its rationale process must be documented, in writing
and to all relevant parties.
- The program's expectations
related to professional functioning must be presented to
the intern, supervisor and/or staff in writing.
- All procedures and actions
involved in making decisions regarding the problem will
be available to the intern, supervisor and/or staff and
parties involved.
- The graduate program should be
informed early and often, about any suspected
difficulties with interns, seeking input from the
graduate program about how to address such difficulties.
- A remediation plan for identified
inadequacies, including a time frame for expected
remediation and consequences of not rectifying the
inadequacies must be communicated in writing to the
intern, supervisor and/or staff and all parties
involved.
- The intern, supervisor and/or
staff must be provided with a written procedure which
describes how to appeal the program's action.
- Interns, supervisors and/or staff
must have sufficient time to respond to any action taken
by the program.
- Using input from multiple
professional sources when making decisions or
recommendations regarding the intern, supervisor and/or
staff performance is encouraged.
- Whenever possible, the least
restrictive/punitive alternative should be considered.
- Grievance procedures should be
considered only after other alternatives (direct
communication, mediation) are exhausted or when it is
not possible to engage in this action because of the
nature of the problem.
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Supervisor’s or staff grievance with a student
The following guidelines govern the process of a
supervisor’s or staff grievance with a student. There are
two principal situations in which a supervisor or staff
member is compelled to present a grievance with a student:
(1) Inadequate performance is consistent and has not
improved after completion of the initial remedial plan; (2)
Unethical or legal violation of professional standards or
laws, professional incompetence, or infringement on the
rights, privileges or responsibilities of others. Every step
should be evidenced by written documents that explain the
actions taken, decisions made, agreements and outcomes:
Step I: The supervisor or staff person will bring the
issue with the Internship Coordinator.
Step II: The Internship Coordinator will inform the
issue in writing to the Internship Committee and the
student. The student should have time (at least 10 days) to
react to the letter with the Internship coordinator.
Step III: The Internship Committee will meet along
with the Internship Coordinator, the Clinic Director and a
faculty of the student’s choosing. The Committee can
recommend, but is not limited to one of the following
actions:
- Increased supervision with one
or more supervisors
- Change in format, emphasis and/or
focus of supervision or training
- Recommendation/requirement of
personal therapy when the problems are psychological in
nature
- Reduction of the intern's clinical or
other professional duties
- Addition of special academic
coursework or other remedial activity
- Recommendation, when appropriate, of
a leave of absence and/or a second internship at another
setting.
Step IV: When a combination of the above
interventions does not, after a reasonable time period,
rectify the impairment, or when the trainee seems unable or
unwilling to alter her/his behavior, or improve his/her
skills, Step II will be repeated. The Internship Committee
may need to take more formal action, including:
- Giving the intern a limited
endorsement for employment or letters of reference,
specifying those settings in which she/he could function
adequately.
- Communicating to the intern and
academic department/program that the intern has not
successfully completed the internship
- Recommending and assisting in
implementing a career shift for the intern
- Terminating the intern from the
internship training program.
All the above steps need to be
adequately and appropriately documented in ways that are
consistent with due process procedures.
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Student’s grievance with a supervisor or staff member
The following guidelines state the process of a student’s
grievance with a supervisor or staff member. Every step
should be evidenced by written documents that explain the
actions taken, decisions made, agreements and outcomes:
Step I : Student should discuss the issue with the
supervisor or staff member and attempt to resolve the
problem. If the matter is not resolved, proceed to Step II.
Step II: Discuss the issue with the Internship
Coordinator. If the matter cannot be resolved, or if the
Coordinator of Internship is the object of the grievance, or
is unavailable, the issue should be raised with the Program
Director. The Internship coordinator and or the Program
Director will attempt to resolve the issue through mediation
or taking appropriate actions. If this attempt at solving
the problem is not successful, proceed to step III
Step III: If mediation fails, the Internship
Coordinator will raise the matter with the Internship
Committee. The committee will review all written materials
and will interview the parties involved if needed. The
student can request that a faculty member of his/her
choosing participate in the review. The internship committee
will have an opportunity at its discretion to interview the
parties or other individuals with relevant information The
Internship Committee will recommend the appropriate course
of action to the Internship Director. The Internship
Committee along with the Internship Director have final
discretion regarding outcome.
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Appeal
The intern can appeal the Internship Committee decision
within 10 days of receipt of the decision. The student has
to inform the Internship Coordinator, in writing, of such a
challenge.
- Internship Coordinator will
convene a Review Panel consisting of two faculty members
selected by the Internship Coordinator and two faculty
members selected by the intern, supervisor and/or staff.
The intern, supervisor and/or staff retain the right to
hear all facts with the opportunity to dispute or
explain his or her behavior.
- A review hearing will be
conducted, chaired by the Internship Coordinator, in
which the challenge is heard and the evidence presented.
Within 15 days of the completion of the review hearing,
the Review Panel submits a written report to the Program
Director, and Internship Coordinator including any
recommendations for further action. Decisions made by
the Review Panel will be made by majority vote. The
intern, supervisor and/or staff are informed of the
recommendations.
- Within 5 days of receipt of the
recommendations, the Program Director will accept the
Review Panel's action, reject the Review Panel's action
and provide an alternative, or refer the matter back to
the Review Panel for further deliberation. The Panel
then reports back to the Program Director within 10 days
of the receipt of the Program Director's request for
further deliberation. The Program Director makes a
decision regarding what action is to be taken and that
decision is final.
- Once a decision has been made,
intern, supervisor and/or staff, sponsoring university
and other involved parties are informed in writing of
the action taken.
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