Midyear Meeting: San Diego April 2007
Presentations
Meeting with APPIC: Steve McCutcheon (pictured above), APPIC President, was enthusiastic:
"It took awhile for us to get together as Boards but it turned out better than any of us could have expected. At least, that's the feeling of the APPIC folks. We are super pleased with the entire conference, and in particular, that we were able to conduct this jointly with ADPTC. I think it really will be a model for the other training councils to follow and could lead to real integration of the different parts of the (education & training) ‘elephant'."
Training for the Difficult Professional Encounter: A Competence Whose Time has Come
Vic Pantesco, Ph.D. and Kim Fuller, Ph.D., ABPP (discussant); Kim Lassiter, Ph.D. assisted in preparing the seminar but was unable to attend.
Based on the premises that all ethical complaints and litigations may be traced back to some failed or avoided confrontation, and that little if anything is done specifically in training to prepare professionals for the emotional challenges to courage and action within the problem, this presentation focused on the cultural and individual pathways to thought, discussion, and practice for this important skill. Considering this as a possible competence for adptc's consideration occupied most of the discussion. Slides and references may be accessed on the website.
Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP)
Frank Collins, Ph.D., President
Frank Collins discussed the overlapping interests between CUCDP and ADPTC. He noted that we share concerns about practicum (documentation, amount quality and competencies) and the role of the training clinic. He voiced his opinion that CUCDP and ADPTC should work together to enhance the integration of the Training Clinic with the Training Program and suggested regular liaison activities, shared meeting times, allow board members to work on similar projects, have joint social hours.
Ethical Challenges in the Training Clinic
Erica H. Wise, PhD., Robert W. Heffer, Jr., PhD., & Tony Cellucci, Ph.D., ABPP,
Following a brief overview of ethical reasoning and decision-making, this interactive workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss ethically challenging supervision vignettes in small groups (vignettes are below). The supervision vignettes highlight issues related to the multiple roles often assumed by faculty in professional training programs, the challenges raised by trainees who are experiencing personal problems and supervision in high risk urgent care situations with children and families. In addition, strategies for integrating ethical competencies into the supervision process were considered.
Vignette: Surprised
You are clinically supervising a very capable female student who is also your graduate teaching assistant. She has just begun to see a new patient who was sexually victimized and is presenting for help with trauma. In discussing the case, your supervisee says, "I have never told anyone, but I was raped during my senior year in college". You fumble and instead of directly responding to her disclosure, you continue to talk about her session interactions and treatment plan.
Would you bring the subject up again? If so, what would you say?
How would the situation be different if it was an academically weaker supervisee or if you had concerns about her ability to conduct appropriate therapy?
Are there any circumstances in which you would share this information with fellow supervisors, the full faculty or the DCT?
Vignette: Concerned
You are supervising a second year student in the clinic who is also your thesis student. He needs to defend his thesis by the end of the semester in order to be within temporal guidelines. Unfortunately, he has just learned that he did not pass comps and appears to be upset with the committee. You are offering him emotional support and have encouraged him to retake his comps when they are offered again. You notice that his clinic paperwork (session notes and test reports) is now behind. When you talk to him, he apologizes for having fallen behind, but tells you that he is depressed and overwhelmed and that his priority is to catch up on his academic requirements.
How much would you accommodate his academic stress in terms of his practicum requirements?
Do you have any difficulty pressuring him to make progress on the thesis when supervising him clinically?
As supervisor, how do you respond to his negative mood state?
Would you share your observations with other clinical supervisors, the DCT or other faculty? Why or why not?
Would you recommend he seek treatment?
Vignette: Adolescent
You are supervising an accomplished senior graduate student with whom you have ample previous supervisory experiences. She has served a 15-year-old female client in the recent past. This client was abandoned by her mother two years ago and she moved in with her father. She has an acceptable relationship with her father, but had not spent much time with him previously. Therapy included the young woman most of the time, with some sessions with her and her father. Adjustment and developmental issues, including some risk behaviors, were targets in therapy. Attendance was somewhat inconsistent. A few months ago, phone calls from the therapist to reschedule were not returned. Today, the young woman called the Clinic and left a message for the therapist. She (age 16) is now living with her "fiancé," not her father and is pregnant (due in 3 months). She would like to resume services with the therapist.
What are ethical/legal issues involved in this situation?
What resources could you and the therapist use to clarify actions to be taken?
Who are you obligated to include in the information the young woman has now shared over the phone?
How can you teach important decision making and therapeutic skills to this student and to other graduate students?
The Changing Face of Psychology Practice
Russ Newman, Ph.D., J.D., APA Exec. Dir for Professional Practice
Russ Newman talked about the changing healthcare system and implications for psychology practice and training. He discussed how we are moving towards an integrated, primary health-oriented, market-driven, employer-focused, (consumer-directed) information technology-assisted, evidence-based, culturally competent delivery system. The implications for psychologists are the need for:
- Diversification
- Psychologist as a comprehensive healthcare provider...and beyond
- Lifestyle and behavior issues related to health/health promotion
- Disease management
- Experts in behavior
- Prescriptive authority
- Business oriented
- Employer/purchasers as "customers"
- Consumer-driven/patient-centered healthcare
- Cultural Competence
All the presentations and handouts as well as photos from the San Diego meeting can be found at http://www.adptc.org/orb/resources/main/35/. Log in and then click on "Presentations and Photos."
Very relaxed directors having lunch in the warm California sun
