Core Competencies

Level 1: Advanced competency areas required of all programs at the postdoctoral level

Competency 1: Integration of science and practice 

Goal: Fellows will demonstrate knowledge in both research and clinical practice including relevant theories and empirical support for various therapeutic methods.  

Objectives:

1. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to apply scientific studies and empirical evidence into day-to-day practice.
2. Fellows will integrate science and practice, where the relationship between the two is carefully considered as it pertains to clinical work.
3. Fellows will use data and data analysis to inform differential diagnosis and treatment planning.
4. Fellows will use data to evaluate the treatment success of patients.
5. Fellows will create or assist with research projects/data collection relevant to patient outcomes.

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Competency 2: Culturally competent patient care

Goal: Fellows will provide high-quality patient care that is patient- and family-centered, compassionate, equitable, appropriate, effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health, and that takes into consideration cultural differences.  

Objectives:

1. Fellows will demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences that are common in patient care.
2. Fellows will demonstrate respect while interacting with diverse patient populations, such as patients from diverse socioeconomic, racial, cultural, age and ability backgrounds.
3. Fellows will consider the unique background and needs of every client to develop an individually-tailored treatment plan and approach.
4. Fellows will take a strengths-based approach that optimizes each patient’s success in treatment.
5. Fellows will seek to identify preconceived and implicit biases and continuously work to challenge such biases to ensure equality and respect with all patients.
6. Fellows will use supervision, and seek additional supervision as needed, to process biases to ensure cultural competence.

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Competency 3: Ethical and legal behavior

Goal: Fellows will demonstrate professionalism across settings and interactions and adhere to ethical and HIPAA guidelines. 

Objectives:

1. Fellows will have knowledge of the APA Code of Conduct and follow these guidelines accordingly.
2. Fellows will demonstrate adherence to HIPAA rules and regulations and standards for maintaining confidentiality, as well as all other guidelines required by TidalHealth and The Child & Family Center.
3. Fellows will be on time, dressed appropriately and focused during all interactions.
4. Fellows will not engage in behaviors that reflect poorly on them or the postdoctoral program.

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Competency 4: Communication and leadership

Goal: Fellows will demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, allied health professionals and colleagues.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will tailor their language to meet the needs and abilities of each patient with whom they interact. 
2. Fellows will demonstrate active listening skills during all patient encounters, as well as when interacting with other providers and team members.
3. Fellows will effectively and respectfully engage with a multidisciplinary care team to provide the best treatment for each patient.    
4. Fellows will effectively communicate assessment findings and clinical opinions in a respectful and collaborative manner.  

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Competency 5: Personal and professional development

Goal: Fellows will continuously engage in self-reflection and supervisory experiences for ongoing development and growth as professionals and leaders within the field of psychology.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will actively engage in weekly individual supervision.
2. Fellows will be receptive to and implement constructive criticism in a non-defensive manner.
3. Fellows will actively engage with and participate in weekly didactic trainings as well as other offered trainings and case consultation experiences.
4. Fellows will utilize feedback during supervision and evaluations to set and update progressive learning and personal goals.
5. Fellows will actively seek feedback to enhance personal and professional development.
6. Fellows will utilize scholarly resources and educational experiences to enhance their training, professional skills, and competence.
7. Fellows will recognize gaps in their knowledge base, seek to fill in those gaps and avoid practicing outside of their competencies.

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Level 2: Program-specific or area of focus competencies

Competency 6: Psychological assessment/consultation

Goal: Fellows will offer comprehensive psychological assessments and consultations to inform accurate diagnosing and treatment planning.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will be familiar with diagnostic categories, specific diagnoses within the DSM-V, and the diagnostic criteria needed to make a formal diagnosis.
2. Fellows will offer comprehensive and empathic interviewing skills while obtaining detailed historical information pertaining to a patient’s mental and behavioral health.
3. Fellows will understand the complexity of co-occurring disorders and understand the rules that govern dual-diagnosis and symptom overlap to inform accurate diagnosing.
4. Fellows will understand the importance of and demonstrate competence in collecting collateral information by means of interviews and record reviews to inform diagnostic considerations and recommendations.
5. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to incorporate data collected from a thorough psychiatric interview, psychological measures and collateral information to make informed diagnostic decisions and to inform treatment planning.
6. Fellows will take into consideration the overlap between medical conditions and psychiatric symptoms to inform diagnostic decision-making and recommendations.

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Competency 7: Comprehensive assessment skills

Goal: Fellows will demonstrate the ability to complete a wide variety of assessment measures to conduct developmental, psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will demonstrate a strong knowledge base regarding the principles of assessment, data analysis, and incorporating multiple sources of information to make informed diagnoses and treatment recommendations.
2. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to conduct assessments with fidelity, following standardized protocols.
3. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to formulate a comprehensive assessment plan based upon the presenting concerns of/for the patient.
4. Fellows will take into consideration the overlap of social, emotional, behavioral and cognitive functioning when completing comprehensive assessments.
5. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to convey assessment data and results in well-written and thorough reports to be shared with families and allied professionals.

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Competency 8: Liaison/care coordination

Goal: Fellows will assist in developing a patient’s treatment team to inform effective care coordination within postdoctoral sites, as well as the community.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will understand and be responsive to the larger systems within the hospital and be able to tailor their practices to meet the needs of patients within each behavioral health department.
2. Fellows will develop relationships with allied professionals within the hospital and CFC to facilitate appropriate care coordination.
3. Fellows will develop relationships with community agencies and allied professionals in the community to facilitate appropriate care coordination.
4. Fellows will demonstrate an understanding of the resources available within the local community that meet the unique needs of each individual assessed.

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Competency 9: Application of empirically supported treatment approaches

Goal: Fellows will demonstrate a broad knowledge base regarding empirically supported treatment approaches and how to offer them successfully in individual and group therapy formats.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will have a strong knowledge base of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and how to apply it successfully with patients of different ages, backgrounds and diagnoses.
2. Fellows will demonstrate therapeutic skills in other treatment modalities, such as behavior therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and trauma-informed care, or TF-CBT.
3. Fellows will demonstrate flexibility and creativity in treatment approaches based upon the unique needs of each patient.
4. Fellows will enhance their knowledge base and/or training in other treatment modalities, such as brief solution-focused therapy, play therapy, EMDR, CISM, family systems therapy and/or attachment-based parenting, based upon their individualized program goals and plan.

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Competency 10: Supervision of trainees

Goal: Fellows will offer new clinicians and clinicians in training empathic and constructive supervision.

Objectives:

1. Fellows will engage in training opportunities to learn supervision skills and how to implement a structured supervision program.
2. Fellows will demonstrate a good understanding of the training background of each supervisee they have and how to tailor supervision skills to the supervisee’s training and skill level.
3. Fellows will demonstrate the ability to mentor and oversee other clinicians in a supervisory capacity for a small caseload of patients.
4. Fellows will use supervision and engage in other trainings to learn how to navigate challenges with supervisees.

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Level 3: Specialty competencies

Competency 11: Specialty competency/expertise

Goal: Fellows will hone their skills in an identified specialized area of interest. This may be working with a specific population, honing a specific therapeutic technique and/or enhancing another skill within the field of psychology (e.g., supervision, research, management).

Objectives:

1. Upon commencement of the program year, fellows will identify specific areas of interest in which they desire more training and expertise.
2. Fellows will assist in developing a graduated training experience that will lead to expertise related to this area(s).
3. Fellows will engage in activities to enhance their skills related to a specialized area of interest.
4. Fellows will seek and utilize additional supervision and training opportunities to enhance their skills in this area(s).