APTC NEWSLETTER

June 2010

 

 

Editor:  Phyllis Terry Friedman

Associate Editors:  Don Morgan, Vic Pantesco

Web Master:  Michael Taylor

 

President’s Column 

Eric Sauer, Ph.D.

Eric Sauer, APTC’s new president, outlines his vision for APTC. The fact that he was inaugurated within a stone’s throw of Mickey Mouse does not, in any way, diminish this vision. 

 

New Name, New URL

Our new domain, aptc.org, is now up and running. Our old URL (adptc.org) is or will soon be defunct. The next step will be to change the http to https, for added security, but we’d been holding off on that until we were able to make this switch.  Soon…hopefully before the next dues are to be collected, so that everyone can make online payments with added protection.

 

Clinic Profile:  Clinica Viktor Frankl

Universidad Francisco Marroquin

Phyllis Terry Friedman, Ph.D.

This is the first of a 2 part series about consultation at the Clinica Victor Frankl in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  Part I describes the clinic and the educational model used to train psychologists.  Part II (November 2010) discusses the consultation experience.  And I barely speak Spanish. 

 

The Briar Patch:  Thorny “Minor” Challenges for Directors

Getting Shredded in the Corporatization Grinder

Vic Pantesco, Ph.D.

If you have been detecting some subtle or not-so-subtle pressures “from the top,” it may be that a national trend in universities has come to your door.

 

Business Meeting Minutes

Colleen Byrne, Ph.D.

Minutes from the 2010 APTC Business Meeting held Thursday, February 11th, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Hilton Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL. 

 

Treasurer’s Report

Bill Rae, Ph.D.

Bill stays on his horse and keeps us roped in (see picture in New Officers section).  APTC in the black again. 

 

APTC Liaison Committee Report

Tony Cellucci, Ph.D., ABPP

Hear what other training groups are doing.

 

New Officers

Come meet the new people who make up the Executive Committee. (We begged Bill to not use his formal getup for the pix.)

 

CCTC:  MAKING HISTORY

A vintage Bob Hatcher interview, reflecting on historical and current connections with the Council of Chairs of Training Councils and APTC’s shared history of late.  We also see Bob and celebrate his new Directorship.

 

Research in the Training Clinic A Proposal

Jennifer Callahan & Eric Sauer invite us into a new research enterprise and APTC’s emerging leadership voice in it.  Climb aboard. 

 

Little Reviews of Cool Stuff

Don Morgan, Psy.D.

(Sneak Peek:  you have to read about Melody Gardot)

 

 

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President’s Column 

Eric Sauer, Ph.D.

 

My term as APTC president, started with a bang last February at the 2010 Joint Conference of Training Councils in Psychology at Walt Disney World.  I am, however, trying not to attach too much meaning to starting my tenure in the shadows of Mickey Mouse! Although the unseasonably frigid temperatures sent many of us rushing out to buy warmer, highly overpriced Disney logo gear, the meeting was wonderfully enriching. APTC was instrumental in planning this meeting and several of our members also presented papers and symposia at the conference.  This historic conference provided rich opportunities for our members to interact with educators from all areas of professional psychology across all levels of training.  

APTC is a vibrant and healthy organization.  Thus, it seems that my main job is to keep us going on this same path. Our growth in the last 10 years has been remarkable and we have now become central players in national discussion about issues such as competency benchmarks, assessing competencies, and model licensing laws.  Despite this growth, we have not lost our basic mission, which is to support and represent our member directors and their clinics. I honestly think any of us would be hard-pressed to find a more collegial, supportive and sharing organization than ours.

In terms of vision, I have previously outlined several areas that I will focus on during my time as president.  I will not reiterate these here but wanted to underscore an exciting development. By now, all of you have received an invitation from Dr. Jennifer Callahan and me join our collaborative research project titled Improving Mental Health Services in Psychology Training Clinics.  This project, which we plan to launch this fall, marks the beginning of a collaborative research network for psychology training clinics. In this study, we will examine critical factors relevant to training clinics such as premature termination, pre-treatment client education, and recovery rates.  

I hope to see many of you at the APA conference this summer in San Diego.  The weather promises to be far better than Orlando. Several of our members will be presenting at APA and APTC is planning a social hour and planning breakfast – the details of all of these will be posted on our website and listerv soon.  

Eric

 

 

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New Officers

Meet the new people who make up the Executive Committee.

 

Eric.JPG                                                        colleenAPTCphoto[1].JPG

Eric Sauer, President, relaxing in Napa.                                                       Colleen Byrne, President-Elect, on her way to/from

                                                                                                                                                 working for APTC.

 

Erica-Cape Tribulation Aus                                                       Glenn.jpg         

Erica Weiss, Past President, at the edge of the                                                               Glenn Askenazi, Member-At-Large.

Daintree Rainforest in North Australia.                                                                           Glenn is the one on the left.

 

 

Karen Saules.JPG                                                          Don.Guatemala.JPG

Karen Saules,(center), Member-At-Large, with students.                                             Don Morgan, Secretary, in Antigua, Guatemala.

                                                                                                                                                

 

BillRae.JPG                                                                                     

Bill Rae, Treasurer, in the great state of Texas                                                              

 

 

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Clinic Profile:  Clinica Viktor Frankl

Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guatemala City

Phyllis Terry Friedman

          

I’m at the museum Popol Vol on campus at the Universidad Francisco Marroquin where I  spent two weeks consulting at la Clinica Viktor Frankl, the training clinic where clinical psychology students at receive their practical training.  For proof, go to:

http://noticias.ufm.edu/index.php/Phyllis_Friedman%2C_en_la_Cl%C3%ADnica_V%C3%ADktor_Frankl

 

 

 

Model of Training

Professional education and training in Guatemala, as well as India, Mexico, Central and South America, begins right after high school.  Instead of 4 years of undergraduate education followed by graduate school, as in the United States, students in psychology, law, medicine, and other professions go directly from high school to university where they begin professional training.  At the end of a 5 year program, clinical psychology students in Guatemala receive a Licenciatura, an academic degree conferring full independence to practice psychology.  After receiving the Licenciatura students work in schools, at clinics, or in private practice.

           Students take 6-7 courses for 20 week semesters for 4 years, then work in the clinic in their 5th year while still taking 4-5 courses per each semester.   Some courses are general, such as philosophy, literature or math, but most are geared toward professional training.  At UFM course work includes 2 semesters of cognitive testing, 2 semesters of projective (although the Rorschach is not taught), 2 semesters of Research Methods, 4 semesters of psychotherapy interventions, and 4 semesters of psychopathology, as examples.  Some courses are equivalent of an undergraduate course in the U.S.  For example, one of the semesters of Psychopathology is equivalent to an undergraduate Abnormal Psychology taught in the U. S.  Students elect to train as clinical psychologists, much as U. S. student selects a major: it is the student’s choice, rather than the program’s.

 

Practicum

Practicum training in the clinic takes place in the 5th year and is concurrent with classes such as Child Therapy.  Students are required to have 300 hours of face-to-face practice.  Fifty of these hours are for psychological assessments.  Students, supervisors, the clinic director and the Dean all agree that practical training is too limited.

           At present, supervisors provide approximately ½ hour of supervision per week, and students may carry 7 or 8 clients.  Whether supervision is group or individual is at the discretion of the supervisor.  Most supervisors, including child psychologists, are psychoanalytic, specifically Lacanian.  Others identify themselves as humanistic, integrative or cognitive-behavioral.  

           Clients are from the community and are typically referred by other clients.  Most clients are children, with learning problems or experience of abuse, family violence and/or trauma (from kidnappings, for example).  Adults come to the clinic for treatment for violence, trauma, anxiety, depression and divorce,  and for parent education.  The clinic operates on a sliding fee basis, but income is considered a very private matter and an insult to ask about.  Consequently the therapist asks indirect questions (“Do you have a car?”) to determine the fee.

 

Challenges

The profession of psychology in Guatemala is in it’s infancy.  Approximately 1% of Guatemalans go to University, and there are few Ph.D.s in the country, primarily because the Licenciatura is the necessary degree for practice.  A psychological association was established only a few years ago, with hopes of developing psychology in the country.

 

 

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The Briar Patch:  Thorny “Minor” Challenges for Directors

Vic Pantesco, Ph.D.

 

The Thorn: Getting Shredded in the Corporatization Grinder

The energies producing and sustaining “corporatization” dynamics in universities will not leave Directors of Clinics immune.  They may arrive with abrupt speed and immobilize us, much like we might freeze at the sudden appearance of a mugger on the street.  Driven typically and predictably by a money motive, these are powerful and symptomatic of the current cultural and economic milieu affecting universities.  Recent conversations with both colleague Directors and various university faculty acquaintances suggest these are not just local anomalies but more reflective of national activity.

           What form might these take?  Decisions made without consultation; invisible decisions regarding budget and resource reduction; attitudinal disregard for a history of good work and stature among colleagues; clear, perplexing rewarding of political maneuverers; blaming or putting responsibility for harsh measures on a Board of Governors or some other "them," "national trends," etc.; startlingly rapid decay of culture of compassion and respect; proliferation of initiatives, evaluation measures, or forms, for example.

           The arena most activated of course is that of budgets.  Many things can be justified in the name of saving money, or, its twin, generating more income.  Can one argue against anything done in the name of these sacreds? 

           Within that context, many things may alter or suffer within the culture.  Sense of value, including professional, programmatic, and personal, may all get worked over.  One’s orientation also gets challenged in terms of the “rules” having changed, and very quickly.  Certain language begins to gain traction, with particular phrases and initiatives assuming canonical stature: to challenge or violate them is to risk excommunication (sometimes literally from the job or institution). 

          

To Dull the Pain

I found myself talking to friends and colleagues in Orlando in February.  As usual, this wonderful group candidly and sensitively shared their experiences of these things during the past couple of years.  I was both comforted and disturbed that such respected friends with national stature were not immune to these dynamics.  The comfort lay in the peace afforded by communal awareness.

           A second anodyne is a reliable compass in distress and disorientation:  reading.  I found Gaye Tuchman’s excellent sociological book:  Wannabe U., and Cary Nelson’s No University is an Island

           The political and economic forces mobilized in the University position Directors, I think, as particularly vulnerable. My friends and books also stir within me a desire for some action amidst the clearer evolving picture of money and power.  I am not sure what it can or will be, but just thinking about it makes me feel better.  To the degree clinics and departments are under siege by these described corporatization dynamics, the feeder systems of the profession may be at risk.

 

Vic getting some much-needed therapy from his rock troll therapist on Block Island, RI.

 

 

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CCTC:  MAKING HISTORY

Friday, February 12, 2010

Hilton Hotel, Walt Disney World

http://www.psychtrainingcouncils.org

Seven hundred members from eleven psychology training councils, including internship directors, directors of clinical training, school psychology programs, counseling psychology programs, professional schools, and the VA training council, came together in Orlando, Florida, to discuss the future of psychology training.  Competency, core knowledge and skills needed to prepare trainees for careers in professional psychology were central issues of the joint conference. 

 

The following is an interview with Bob Hatcher, left, who chaired the conference.  Bob is currently director of the Wellness Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

 

Phyllis Terry Friedman:  Congratulations on your new position as director or the Wellness Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York!

 

Bob Hatcher:  Yes, after 22 years at the University of Michigan, it’s quite a change.

 

PTF:APA has talked about this meeting as the opportunity for different training councils to discuss shared vision and interests, particularly around the area of competencies.  But what do you think it accomplished for APTC?

 

Bob:  It raised awareness in the broader training community about our organization and what we do.  Relative to other groups, we had a higher percentage of presentations by our group, and presented a wide mix of approaches to clinical training.  We were right there for people to see – the energy and vitality of our group.  We impressed people with who we are and what we do.

 

PTF:  And that’s important because. . .

 

Bob:  In the day-to-day, we can lose sight about where we fit into the larger training world.  Everybody being in one place – meeting one another – helps APTC see ourselves as part of the broader training world.  It also raises consciousness about practicum training. 

 

PTF:  But why is this important for a director who’s already pulled in a thousand different directions just trying to operate a clinic?

 

Bob:  I don’t want to lose sight of that, certainly.  That’s our reason for being.  But it’s important also not to lose sight that we’re part of a larger community and have a role to play because we’re part of a whole training experience.

 

The conference was designed to highlight the sequence of training and each step is important for preparing student in the profession.  Practicum training is the first step, the first experience.  And first experiences are powerful.  The first training experience influences later training.  We introduce students to professional values – reflection, diversity, service to others, ethical thinking.  These are formative experiences.

 

PTF:  Sometimes I lose sight of that in the day-to-day dealings with budgets and HIPAA and dysfunctional web cams.

 

Bob:  Right.   My other thought about the big picture is that APTC, is, in some way, a model for how people from different training models can work well together.  The kinds of tensions present between different training councils – we’ve managed to deal with this.  Our membership cuts across all training models.  It has great spirit, creativity, and we’re productive and collaborative.  We, in a sense, are not a bad model for how the profession could work together more broadly.

 

Double Bracket: Presentations by APTC Members at Joint Sessions:
Welcome and Joint Meeting Overview
Cindy Juntunen, CCTC Chair Bob Hatcher, Program Chair
Competency Benchmarks: Putting it into Practice in Doctoral Programs
Philinda Hutchings
Diversity Competence: Diverse Perspectives, Models and Methods
Jim Dobbins, David Rollock, & Erica Wise (Chair)
Beyond Individual Psychotherapy: Using Training Clinics to Promote Clinical Competence in Research, Program Evaluation, and Supervision
Jennifer Callahan & Eric Sauer
Organizational Structure, Business Models, and Finances of Training Clinics
Colleen Byrne & Phyllis Terry Friedman (Chair)
Integrating Student Competency Evaluations into Training 
Lee Cooper, Rob Heffer (Chair), Brian Lewis, & Douglas K. Snyder
Practicum Training in HIV Care Serving the Ryan White Patient Trends in the Training and Education of Professional Psychologists
Deborah Bell, Kathy Bieschke, Claytie Davis, Bob Hatcher, & Emil Rodolfa (Chair)

 

 

 

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Business Meeting Minutes

Colleen Byrne, Ph.D.

In Attendance: Arnold Ables, Glenn Askanazi, Pamela Banks, Colleen Byrne, Jennifer Callahan, Linda Campbell, Tony Cellucci, Mary Alice Conroy, Stephen Cook, Lee Cooper, Randall Cox, Michelle Curtain, Corey Fagan, Leticia Flores, Karen Fondacaro, Phyllis Terry Friedman, Cindi Gliden-Tracey, Cathi Grus, Scott Gufstafson, Louise Hartley, Bob Hatcher, Rob Heffer, Maureen Lafferty, Brian Lewis, Kelly McDonnell, Richard Morrissey, Victor Pantesco, Bill Rae, Don Robertson, Jennifer Robohm, Eric Sauer, Karen Saules, Brian Sharplesss, Patricia Stankovitch, Michael Taylor, Debbie Thurneck, Jill Waterman, Karen White, Douglas Whiteside, Erica Wise, Michael Wolf, and Mark Zentner

 

1:00 – 1:05 Overview, Erica Wise

 

1:05 – 1:10 Friend of APTC Award, Bob Hatcher

Bob presented the Friend of APTC Award to Cathi Grus, expressing deep appreciation for her “pervasive attention” to APTC. Cathi commented on APTC’s energy and dedication to promote practicum training.

 

1:10 to 1:20 Friend of APTC Award, Eric Sauer

Eric presented the Friend of APTC award to Frank Collins. Jennifer Callahan accepted the award on his behalf. Stephen Cook, Rob Heffer, Randy Cox, & Erica Wise gave tributes to Frank.

 

1:20 to 1:25 Jean Spruill Award, Erica Wise

Erica presented the Jean Spruill Award to a very surprised Karen Saules and thanked her for her tireless work over the years on APTC’s behalf.

 

1:25 to 1:30 Opening Remarks, Erica Wise

Erica thanked Mike Taylor and Karen Fondacaro for all their hard work in putting the conference together.

 

1:30 to 1:35 New Executive Committee, Rob Heffer

· Rob introduced the new Executive Committee

o  Immediate Past President--Erica Wise

o  President--Eric Sauer

o  President Elect--Colleen Byrne

o  Treasurer--Bill Rae

o  Secretary--Don Morgan

o Members-at-large-- Glenn Ashkanazi and Karen Saules

 

1:35 to 1:40 Words for Erica Wise, Eric Sauer

Eric offered praise to Erica for her work as APTC President. He expressed appreciation of her unique ability help members connect while simultaneously reaching out to other organizations.

 

1:40 to 1:45 Roast of Erica Wise, Bill Rae, Rob Heffer, and Eric Sauer

In a star-search-worthy performance, Bill, Rob, and Eric crooned and cajoled Erica to the tune of “A, You’re Adorable (The Alphabet Song).”

 

1:45 to 1:50 Future Directions for APTC, Eric Sauer

· Eric will lead APTC these next two years and hopes to focus on the following:

o    Expanding ADPTC and its membership,

o    Using the practicum competencies document and our collective experiences to promote excellence in practicum training

o    Building strong relationships within professional psychology through active networking and liaison work

o    Promoting science through our APA symposium series and other collaborative research scholarship efforts

o    Expanding our co-sponsorship of the new training journal, Training and Education and Professional Psychology

o    Providing training and mentoring to new directors

o    Advocating for highly relevant programming at our mid-year meetings, and Exploring the best ways to infuse technology into our training clinics

 

Reports from other organizations

1:50 to 2:00 Report from the APA Education Directorate, Cathi Grus

· This past year the Education Directorate has been focusing on K-12 psychology education, quality in practicum training, and the internship match imbalance.

· A TEPP special issue focused on competence this year.

· The Education Directorate is working on a Psychology Internship Development Toolkit.

· CESA, the Office of CE Sponsor Approval, has an online application system.

· There is a movement to credential High School teachers of psychology classes.

· APA published a new book, “Undergraduate Education in Psychology.”

· The APA Education Directorate has a new website.

· Regarding the Education GRO, there is a $6 million grand to higher education for suicide prevention.

The 2010 GPE Program was increased from $2 million to $2.95 million.

 

2:00 to 2:10 Report from ACCTA, Maureen Lafferty (President-Elect of ACCTA)

· Their membership is up to 158.

· The October, 2010 conference will be held in Portland, OR.

· Maureen hopes to make the most of liaison relationships with APTC and APPIC.

· In addressing changes in laws regarding licensure of psychologists, ACCTA will address the issue of how to train psychologists to do supervision.

· There has been a noticeable increase in the clinical severity and diversity on campuses nationwide.

· Paul Castillo and WVU  will lead the Diversity Mentorship / Scholarship program.

ACCTA is working with CCTC to address the internship match imbalance.

 

2:10 to 2:20 Report from APPIC, Arnold Ables

· Launch of the online internship application has been successful; a survey of 400 applicants produced very positive feedback.

o  APPIC solicits input from APTC regarding the online application.

o  There will be changes in the internship clearinghouse for next year.

o  Online applications will be used to create a 2nd match and result in faster fill-up.

o  Approximately 300 slots are expected.

o     The supply-demand issue remains about the same with similar numbers unmatched this year as in 2009.

 

Reports from the Committee Chairs

2:20 to 2:25 Newsletter, Phyllis Terry Friedman

· The newsletter will add a Directors Toolbox section.

o  Phyllis is asking for a volunteer to edit this section.

o  There will also be a new Directors subsection in the News section.

o  Rob Heffer will monitor the listserv for news.

Colleen Byrne is working on an APTC page for Facebook.

2:25 to 2:30 Website/Listserv, Karen Saules

· There will be a new section for archiving listserv history such as PDFs of meeting minutes and Treasurer’s and Liaison’s reports.

· The Clinic Guidelines document will be made accessible to the public.

A change in the URL is coming soon.

2:30 to 2:35 Treasurer’s Report, Bill Rae

· Bill is still waiting to learn the final costs for this meeting; current estimate is approximately $30,000.

· There are many details to deal with regarding the name change to APTC.

· Our non-profit status is in question.

· Bill will serve as head of the committee to negotiate with Pearson.

o  Leticia Flores, Karen Saules, & Colleen Byrne will join Bill on a conference call with Pearson.

o  The committee hopes to communicate to Pearson that their current regulations on discounts for training do not fit with us.

o  The committee will survey clinics to demonstrate that most clinics do not conform to Pearson’s new regulations.

2:35 to 2:40 Research, Eric Sauer

· Eric feels as if the original PRN push was too early, but the time is right now.

· The OQ analyst is available to training clinics at a significant discount.

· The committee wishes to connect directors who want to do research.

· There is no stimulus money yet.

The committee remains interested in how best to test and evaluate competencies.

2:40 to 2:45 New Director Support, Stephen Cook and Leticia Flores

· The committee wishes to identify what will be most useful to new directors such as the option to save costs by rooming together at meetings.

· The practice of having restaurant sign-up sheets will continue as it has gotten positive feedback in the past.

· The committee solicits feedback from members.

Louise Hartley wants APTC to highlight how our group does things differently.

2:45 to 2:50 Liaison Report, Tony Cellucci

· Tony worked with Sharon Berry and Bob Hatcher to get the joint conferences to happen; he expressed his appreciation to Mike Taylor and Karen Fondacaro for all of their hard work

(Please refer to the Liaison report submitted by Tony for details)

2:50 to 2:55 Programming, Karen Fondacaro and Mike Taylor

· Karen and Mike offered thanks to all who helped with programming, specifically Erica Wise, Kris Morgan, Bill Rae, Tony Cellucci, and Rob Heffer.

· Next year’s meeting will be in March, most likely in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area of AZ.

· A Social Hour is planned for APA in San Diego.

· The committee is soliciting programming ideas from the membership.

o  Phyllis Terry Friedman would like to see us regroup with an internal focus at our next meeting.

o  Bill Rae would like to revisit internal Clinic issues at breakfast groups.

o  Tony Cellucci would like to make the Guidelines more publically visible.

o  Randy Cox wants the Diversity Committee to have a better focus.

 

 

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Treasurer’s Report

February 2010

 

 

Income:

 

 

 

 

 

9/24/09

Transfer from Scardapane

$18,000

2/9/10

Income from Conference & Dues

$29,200

2/10/1

Anticipated Transfer from Scardapane

$6,086

 

 

 

 

TOTAL:

$53,286

 

 

 

Expenditures (Approximate):

 

 

 

 

 

11/9/09

ACCTA Travel (Wise)

$1031

11/25/09 & 1/18/10

APPIC Payment-Conference

$1275

1/15/10

APA (Journal Cost)

$7740

1/19/10

ELC Travel (Sauer)

$244

2/9/10

APA Business (Hatcher)

$524

2/9/10

Credit Card Fees (anticipated)

$750

2/10/10

Hilton Catering Charges (anticipated)

$11,079

2/10/10

Audio-Visual Charges (anticipated)

$513

 

 

 

 

TOTAL: (est.)

$23,156

 

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:

 

$30,130

 

(This is an estimate; many additional conference expenses are anticipated.)

 

 

 

 

Additional Tasks Anticipated for 2010-2011

Obtain new DBA for APTC

Open new Citibank account with new organization name

Obtain new Tax ID Number

Transfer all account transactions with credit card via Authorize.net

Explore becoming a Tax Exempt Organization

 

 

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APTC Liaison Committee Report

Tony Cellucci 

 

CCTC Conference Planning Group

My own activities this year were focused on helping Bob and CCTC Planning Group, specifically by serving on the logistics subcommittee, chaired by Sharron Berry (APPIC).  We held a number of phone conference meetings throughout the summer and fall. As CCTC group had already made initial commitments to Hilton organization this became a complicated process of developing a memorandum of agreement between all groups and hiring a conference planner. Although folks were concerned with costs and related issues, Sharron and the larger group pulled it off!!  Also, APTC formed its own internal planning group who worked with Kris.   Thank Michael for all his efforts.

Tony Cellucci, Ph.D.

 

APPIC Meeting – April, 2009

The APPIC meeting is a large and busy meeting, held in 2009 in Portland, Oregon. I attended the APPIC board meeting as the ADPTC liaison; the key topics for discussion were the ongoing issue of the internship match imbalance, the new on-line AAPI, and the ASPPB Practicum Guidelines. The CCTC had initiated a meeting of APPIC and the major training councils to work on solutions to the internship match imbalance. A CCTC committee, headed by Clark Campbell, has developed an “Internship Toolkit,” with information helpful to sites that want to develop accredited internships; this based on an idea proposed by NCSPP. Everyone agreed that this would be helpful. The on-line APPI is now up and running as we all know. APPIC has many questions about the ASPPB Practicum Guidelines; Emil Rodolfa, who headed the ASPPB effort on this, was there to explain the aims of the document: protect the public, given the unevenness of practicum training nationally; help state licensing boards develop uniform rules so as to limit damage to licensure mobility that ASPPB has worked so hard to develop. At the plenary sessions, Liz Klonoff talked about the future of clinical training;  Nadya Fouad presented about the Competency Benchmarks; and Steve Behnke spoke about impaired trainees (have rules, and document carefully).

Robert L. Hatcher, Ph.D.

 

CCTC Meeting – October, 2009

The Council of Chairs of Training Councils met in DC. The major agenda items were: (1)further discussion of the internship imbalance issue, following up on the major councils’ meeting where each group pledged to take action steps. The goal was to keep this initiative rolling. (2) planning for the CCTC 2010 conference; and (3) discussing the need for a national training conference to work further on the issues of how better to organize the sequence of training in professional psychology. The obvious disjunctures are: graduate program-internship; practicum-graduate program; practicum-internship. The program-internship disjunction is exacerbated by the separate accreditation of these two elements of training.

Robert L. Hatcher, Ph.D.

 

ACCTA: 2009

The annual meeting of the Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies (ACCTA) was held October 4-8, 2009 in Austen, Texas. The formal title of the conference:  Passages of ACCTA: Honoring our past, embracing the present and looking ahead to the future, was indeed the primary focus of the conference. There was a panel of former presidents who talked about the early days of ACCTA and there was a lot of discussion of how far the organization has come. A glimpse into the then-soon-to-be-present included a detailed live demonstration of the on-line AAPI. Other workshops focused on integrating competency evaluations into training, self-care for training directors and supervision. I was delighted to co-present a workshop entitled “Training interns for ethical practice: Present and future” with my colleague Meredith Mayer from the UNC Counseling Center internship. We have many issues in common with ACCTA and I am always struck by how much I learn at their conference that I am able to bring back to ADPTC. As always, there was ample time for informal networking. I am especially delighted that current ACCTA president Maureen Lafferty will be attending as our liaison at the current meeting.

Erica Wise, Ph.D.

 

Educational Leadership Conference (APA)

Eric Sauer represented APTC at APA’s Educational Leadership Conference this year which dealt with health initiatives and psychology’s role in our health care system.

 

 

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Research in the Training Clinic:  A Proposal

Jennifer Callahan & Eric Sauer

 

For the past ten years or more APTC's research subcommittee has been discussing the importance of forming a national research network among our affiliated clinics. The goal has been the creation of a national repository for client outcome data. One of the major obstacles to that goal, however, has been financial hardship among many of our clinics. Jennifer Callahan and Eric Sauer have pursued grant funding as a result, but have not yet been successful, although the quest continues.        

           It was suggested during the research subcommittee meeting at the mid-winter conference in Orlando that APTC go ahead and start collaborating among clinics that already have resources available, targeting clinics that have already implemented routine usage of the OQ (Lambert's Outcome Questionnaire; sometimes called the OQ45.2).

           If you are at a clinic that already gathers the OQ at each session, we would like you to consider the attached proposal. The attachment is 10 pages and provides considerable detail as we appreciate that some might want/need to provide it to chairs, DCTs, or other faculty to consider prior to making a decision.

           If you think your clinic might want to participate, please read the proposal carefully. If after full consideration it is determined that your clinic would like to participate, please contact Jennifer Callahan or Eric Sauer ASAP.

           Our plan is to begin the study with the fall semester, which means that local IRB approval would need to be gathered this summer at each site (by you or another person willing to serve as your site PI). We are happy to assist you as needed with questions that may arise in the IRB approval process (e.g., providing some standard language to common questions, helping you address idiosyncratic questions that might arise at your clinic). Although not required for participation, we are planning to attend APA this summer and would enjoy informally gathering with site representatives prior to the fall launch. Once the study launches, we would expect sites to maintain monthly contact with us for the duration of the study so that we have a quality study experience at each clinic and for each client.

           We are very excited about this project and hope you will join us! We would also appreciate any feedback that you may have about this project.

Double Bracket: For the actual proposal, go to the APTC  Members page (http://aptc.org/?module=Members), log in, look under “5 newest resources” and click a PDF file:  APTC Research Proposal: Improving Mental Health Services

 

 

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(One Not-So Little) Review of Cool Stuff

Don Morgan, Psy.D.

 

The story of vocalist Melody Gardot is a remarkable testimony to a young woman’s spirit and strength, and also to art as a refuge and transforming path. Born in New Jersey in 1985, she studied piano as a child and played as a youngster around Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock and pop.  At age 19 while a college student in Philadelphia, she was riding her bicycle when a driver made an illegal turn and hit her, leaving her in the street for dead. Hospitalized for months with serious head injuries, no speech and multiple pelvic fractures, music therapy was suggested in order to help her speak again. While in her hospital bed for nearly a year in a body cast, she taught herself guitar and wrote and recorded songs that would become the EP, Some Lessons. Upon her eventual release from intensive care, her cognitive powers slowly returned and since then she has made her way back into her world of musical artistry. She is blessed with a one in a million voice and profound insight as a songwriter that touches the soul.  When listening to her, one hears the sensibility of someone much older and experienced than a young woman in her mid 20’s.  It appears that the suffering and pain of a life changing tragedy was also a crucible in which something deep emerged.  Gardot is now hypersensitive to light and noise, and must wear dark glasses and use a cane to walk. On stage she requires a special seating unit and wears a transcutaneous electrodermal nerve stimulator to help her neuralgic pain. When she sings, her bluesy style embodies not only her pain, but also acceptance and joy, expressed in beautiful music that is quite original. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities in the US and Europe.  In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell, Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill, an album full of great songs.

Melody's debut album, Worrisome Heart, introduced, in The Sunday Times' words: "…a remarkable talent by any measure”, with songs of quiet, wistful poetry in arrangements that "ooze after-hours sophistication". Yet the follow-up,My One And Only Thrill, marks a substantial leap forward.  It is an intensely creative milestone, transcending genre distinctions of jazz and blues to offer a haunting personal musical statement that will appeal to all music lovers. As in her acclaimed live shows, the recording captures and holds the listener in the palm of her hand.  These eleven songs, covering a wide range of emotions, are all her own except for an irresistible Brazilian take on “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”.  It is hard to imagine a listener being unmoved by the poignant title track “My One And Only Thrill,” and the lush arrangement of “Our Love is Easy” captivates us.  When the album is finished, in the words of Irving Berlin, the song is over, but the Melody lingers on.

 

Melody Gardot’s recordings are at Amazon.com and iTunes for download.