Curriculum and Supervision

Typical work hours are approximately 40-50 hours/week with approximately 75% time in direct face-to-face psychological services and 25% in supervision, professional development, didactic and other related activities.

Areas of training include:

• 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 working with faculty on Q/I and research projects.
• Time allocated for additional conferences and training.

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 around three or four hours. Inpatient consults are completed as time is available throughout the day and after clinic. Clinical rotations last three to six months depending on fellows’ training goals and clinic needs. Fellows work with the Training Director to choose the rotation schedule. Clinical activities include face-to-face psychological services, case conceptualization, targeted readings and report writing, scoring and interpretation.  Please see a sample of a rotation schedule showing all rotation options.

Pediatric Psychology Fellowship | Weekly Clinic Schedule (SAMPLE)

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 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.

Didactic and 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 and 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 two to three hours per week. Fellows meet individually for at least one hour weekly with the Primary Supervisor with a focus on monitoring the progress of all required activities, ethical and best practice skills, setting and tracking professional development goals and mentoring. Fellows spend one to two hours per week 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 four 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 one hour of group supervision where Fellows bring clinical, ethical and professional development questions for discussion with faculty.