The training program formally and informally assesses each intern throughout the year as to their progress in mastering all profession-wide and program-specific competencies. Interns are expected to grow professionally and build on existing skills over the course of their training year, and BCC makes every effort to provide supervision, didactic activities, and a learning environment that promotes this change/growth, accompanied by appropriate support, guidance, and challenge. Evaluation is intended to be a collaborative process with interns and supervisors completing evaluations of one another and providing feedback to one another consistent with their respective roles. The feedback provided is to facilitate the professional and personal growth of interns, and thus will ideally be timely, objective, constructive, comprehensive, and ongoing.
The most intensive and continuing evaluation is done on a daily and weekly basis by individual supervisors as part of the supervisory experience. Supervisors also discuss the progress of each intern at regularly scheduled supervisor meetings, which might entail comments from individual supervision, staff observations, etc. The designated primary supervisor shares this feedback with each trainee in their weekly supervision. BCC understands that in any supervisory relationship trust and safety have to be developed and nurtured over time. The cultivation of a safe and supportive training environment makes the evaluative process meaningful and growth producing.
Evaluation includes assessment of intern's strengths and demonstrated progress toward the intern’s individual training goals, required profession-wide and program-specific competencies, areas for further growth and development, and areas of concern. Intern competencies are measured in multiple ways including direct observation of their work, utilization of video recordings, review of written reports and progress notes, formal case presentations, collaborative efforts in outreach and consultation, collegial relationships, etc. BCC supervisors and the Director of Internship Training discuss and complete the Intern Competency Assessment Form for each intern in January and at the end of their training year, then meet and review their feedback with each intern. These forms are sent to the interns' graduate program to provide written feedback about the trainee's progress.
BCC has identified minimum levels of performance necessary to successfully complete our internship. Input from all primary, secondary, and specialty supervisors is used to determine whether the intern has met the minimum threshold for competency. If at any point during the internship year an intern’s performance falls below what is developmentally expected and is not improving at the expected level with targeted supervision, a formal remediation plan will be initiated.
Description of Competency Ratings:
4 Advanced - refining competence, skillful negotiation of challenging cases, ready for autonomous practice as a licensed psychologist utilizing consultation as needed.
(post-doc exit to licensed level)
3 Entry-Level - well-developed competence, independent and professional clinical functioning sufficient for early-career practice. Consultation/supervision may be necessary to strengthen and refine competence with more complex cases or to further hone advanced skills. (intern exit to post-doctoral level)
2 Intermediate - growing competence, professional functioning in a range of clinical situations with routine supervision of activities and responsibilities.
(intern entry to mid-year level)
1 Beginner - emerging competence, basic clinical abilities that require close, structured supervision. (practicum level)
0 Deficient - little or no competence, ineffective clinical skills and/or problematic behavior requiring extensive supervision and remediation.
ND No Data - No opportunity to observe behavior related to this item, or no data available for supervisor to assess intern performance.
Minimum levels of performance necessary to successfully complete internship:
At mid-year, at least 50% of ratings on the BCC Intern Competency Assessment Form must be greater than or equal to 3 (entry-level or advanced) with no ratings of 1 or 0 (beginner or deficient).
At year-end, in order for an intern to successfully complete the internship program, all ratings on the BCC Intern Competency Assessment Form must be greater than or equal to 3 (entry-level or advanced) with no ratings of 2, 1 or 0 (intermediate, beginner or deficient).
See pages 23-28 of our BCC Doctoral Internship Training Manual.
The training program is committed to providing an optimal learning environment to promote interns’ developmental changes and growth over the course of the training year. While we regularly and formally assess the progress of our interns, we also regularly and formally assess the components of, and the comprehensive nature of, our training program. We attempt to elicit information and feedback from interns that allows us to adequately assess our training program and ensure that we are providing the necessary opportunities to develop the clinical competency, multicultural competency, and professionalism necessary to transition from graduate psychology students into entry level health service psychologists.
At the completion of Orientation, interns complete an evaluation which provides feedback about Orientation to the Internship Training Director. This feedback is utilized in planning future orientations and includes information about the highlights and/or most helpful aspects of Orientation, suggestions for improvement, and any other feedback the interns might provide.
Interns are asked to provide written evaluations for all of the Training Modules at the midpoint and conclusion of the training year. The information in the evaluations is reviewed by the Internship Training Director and a summary of the feedback is given to each Training Module presenter. This feedback is utilized in planning future modules and includes information about the highlights and/or most helpful topics and/or presenters of training modules, suggestions for improvement, and any other feedback the interns are willing to provide.
At the midpoint and conclusion of the training year, interns are asked to provide written feedback for each supervisor. Interns are encouraged to be candid with their input regarding areas where supervisors might need to enhance their skills or adjust their supervision style. Interns are also asked to provide written feedback regarding the training program at the midpoint and conclusion of the training year. Feedback includes all aspects of the training program such as the general work environment, supervision and didactic activities, training program coordination and leadership, etc. Interns also meet regularly with the Internship Training Director to share feedback, make suggestions, and reflect on their training experience. At the end of the training year, interns engage in a group feedback session with the Internship Training Director, providing an additional opportunity for them to share their thoughts for improving the program.
Biola University