Curriculum and Supervision

Competencies

Competencies expected for postdoctoral fellows are outlined within the goals and objectives noted in the Fellowship Handbook and are consistent with APA Core Competencies guidelines suggesting advanced practice in the areas of patient care, clinical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice (please also see Methods of Evaluation). This fellowship satisfies guidelines for postdoctoral training and supervision in the state of Arkansas. Fellows will be evaluated at the end of each rotation by all supervising faculty (copies of the evaluation forms can be found in the Handbook). Additionally, Fellows will evaluate their supervisors at the end of each rotation and conduct an exit interview to give their feedback on the Fellowship program.

Summary of Clinical Training and Supervision

Typical work hours are approximately 40-50 hours/week with approximately 75 percent time in direct face-to-face psychological services and 25 percent in supervision, professional development, didactic, research and other related activities. All activities are outlined below, including example rotation schedules and didactic trainings.

Areas of Training

• Diagnostic interviews, consultation, and brief interventions within outpatient medical subspecialty clinics;
• Psychoeducational, developmental, neuropsychological, and behavioral assessment, outpatient psychotherapy, and inpatient hospital consultation liaison.
• Interprofessional development and collaboration.
• Program development with possibilities for work with faculty on Q/I and research projects.
• Time allocated for additional conferences and trainings.

Direct Clinical Services

Fellows provide direct face-to-face clinical services in outpatient hospital clinics as well as inpatient consultations (Little Rock only). Each clinic is scheduled for a half day and typically lasts 3-4 hours. Inpatient consults are completed as time is available throughout the day and after clinic. Clinical rotations last 3-6 months depending on Fellows’ training goals and clinic needs. Fellows work with the Co-Directors of Training to choose the rotation schedule. Clinical activities include face-to-face psychological services, case conceptualization, targeted readings and report writing, scoring and interpretation. Fellows are expected to provide coverage for inpatient consults as a backup if/when needed. This expectation does not apply if the fellow has received prior approval from the attending supervisor to be excused from consult duties due to conference attendance and being out of the office, vacation, or personal illness.

Curriculum and Learning Activities

Fellows begin the training year with a three-week orientation period where they can shadow faculty in clinical areas where they provide direct services, didactic lectures on specific medical populations and evidence-based behavioral interventions. In the fall, the Psychology Section conference offers opportunities for fellows to learn from faculty peer-review case presentations. Over the course of the year fellows transition to leading the peer-review cases and educational presentations to facilitate discussion in a collegial manner. Fellows also participate in the Child Development and Behavioral Conference (CDBC) which focuses on clinical skills and developmental theories in the fall and progress toward specific clinical and ethical considerations in the spring.

Samples of the Psychology Conference and CDBC calendars

Fellows participate in a series of didactic and training activities (see below table for descriptions) including LEND training, pediatric and psychosocial grand rounds, a monthly administrative meeting, monthly peer review/case conferences and psychology presentations. Numerous additional presentations are also available in various specialty areas. Fellows spend two to six hours per week in direct learning activities.

Training activities focus on

• Clinical experience in a variety of medical and developmental clinics
• Participation in multidisciplinary team assessment and treatment planning
• Direct observation of clinical skill
• Core reading manual and supplemental readings
• Case presentation/peer reviews
• Required presentation to the section with evaluation/feedback to the trainee

Supervision

All supervision is conducted following the ASPPB Supervision Guidelines (ASPPB, 2015) and meets the APPIC standard of a minimum of 2-3 hours per week. Fellows meet individually for at least 1 hour weekly with the Primary Supervisor with a focus on monitoring progress of all required activities, ethical and best practice skills, setting and tracking professional development goals and mentoring. Fellows spend 2 hours per week minimum, with a range of 2-6 hours depending on training needs, in individual supervision for direct clinical services with a licensed psychologist. Primary and scheduled clinical face-to-face supervision occurs during Fellows’ administrative time. Faculty are also available throughout the week as needed via phone, email, and unscheduled face-to-face supervision. All supervision is more intensive during the first and second rotations with Fellows spending closer to a minimum of 4 hours weekly in individual face-to-face supervision. As Fellows’ competence increases and they move toward independent licensure, supervision is less intensive. Fellows meet weekly for 1 hour of group supervision where Fellows bring clinical, ethical, and professional development questions for discussion with faculty.

Didactic and Learning Activities