Training Approach - Frontier Health

Training Approach

DOCTORAL INTERNSHIP IN PSYCHOLOGY

The internship year is a time of substantial professional development in which the intern translates prior academic and clinical training into skills and confidence needed for professional practice.

Supervision is conducted from a developmental perspective that recognizes each intern’s unique strengths and interests and reaffirms the primacy of the intern’s individual growth as the core of FHSDIP’s mission.

FHSDIP embodies a practitioner-scholar model of training (VAIL Conference) that promotes clinical development via scholarly inquiry. This model emphasizes the importance of basing clinical work on the extant literature, which requires capability in accessing and understanding scientific articles and in translating this information into the appropriate clinical context.

Supervision provides opportunities for discussing the relationship between the literature and the interns’ work, and developing strategies for adapting the intern’s work to better reflect the best understanding of evidence-based practice.

CORE VALUES

People come first, are treated with dignity and respect, and are encouraged to achieve their full potential.
Employees are recognized as our greatest assets.
Service Excellence is our foundation for the quality of care for individuals.
Healthier Communities are supported through partnerships and educational programs to promote improvements in the overall quality of life.
Excellence and Efficiency are achieved through integrity, teamwork, leadership, creativity, continuous improvement and a strong work ethic.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

To prepare interns for entry-level practice of professional psychology within a generalist framework, with particular emphasis on diagnostic and clinical skills needed in a rural context.
To provide effective supervision and sufficient clinical opportunities that guide interns towards development of a breadth of scientific knowledge and clinical skills in the practice of professional psychology, enabling interns to conceptualize diagnosis and treatment on the basis of social, psychological, biological, and systemic factors.
To prepare interns for their career goals by ensuring readiness to apply for licensure as professional psychologists
To increase the number of psychologists competent to provide quality services to underserved populations in rural regions.
- To promote interns’ recognition of the valuable contributions psychologists can make in community mental health centers
- To develop intern’s ability to understand and apply ethical standards in the practice of professional psychology, particularly with respect to the unique challenges presenting in community mental health centers and rural areas.
To promote interns’ professional development in the following areas:
- Evidence-Based Intervention: The intern will deliver interventions based on evidence-based practices that promote individual well-being and success.
- Evidence-Based Assessment: The intern will demonstrate skill in diagnosis and assessment as evidenced by administration and interpretation of psychometric tests, writing comprehensive psychological reports, and communicating assessment results with others.
- Ethical and Legal Standards: The intern will display knowledge of ethical principles and legal issues and incorporate this knowledge into professional practice.
- Individual and Cultural Diversity: The intern will demonstrate awareness and sensitivity of issues related to cultural diversity through interactions with individuals and other professionals.
- Evaluation/Research: The intern will evaluate the efficacy of professional activities and use research to inform the professional practice of psychology.
- Professional Values and Attitudes: The intern will display professionalism, cultural sensitivity, and respectful behaviors in interactions with individuals and others.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills: The intern will demonstrate verbal and nonverbal skills needed to effectively communicate with individuals and others.
- Consultation: The intern will provide culturally sensitive, professional guidance and information that supports the individuals’ goals for treatment.
- Supervision: The intern will receive training in evidence-based models of supervision and demonstrate competency in comparing and contrasting different approaches to supervision.

METHODS

Using self-assessment and informal discussion, increase awareness of each interns strengths and areas for development. Promote opportunities for growth during the internship year.
Provide interns with regular, intensive supervision from a developmental perspective, including weekly individual supervision.
Provide individualized experience in addition to core training
Provide ample opportunity for translating theoretical knowledge of evidence-based treatment into practical knowledge and skills. Support healthy scientific inquiry and observation.
Monitor each intern’s progress throughout the internship and adjust training as appropriate to ensure that the intern’s professional development remains the first priority. Ensure that each intern stays on track to achieve a rating of at least Entry Level Competency by the end of the internship year
Provide supervision from at least two different psychologist supervisors during the course of training and opportunities for additional supervision by Licensed Senior Psychological Examiners and Licensed Clinical Social Workers.

The Frontier Health training program is committed to share relevant resources, promote evidence-based practice, and take a strengths-based approach. The goal is to assist interns to identify, test and refine best practices in psychology with empirically supported approaches.

Professional identity and development are vital components of the intern’s experience. Therefore, interns participate in weekly didactic trainings given by a variety of professionals in the region. Interns participate in APA-approved continuing education programs multiple times throughout the year.

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