Program Goals and Objectives

Goals/Objectives A

To develop students/graduates who are well grounded in the science of psychology, including:

1. Biological Bases of Behavior
2. Social Bases of Behavior
3. Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior
4. Individual Differences, developmental, personality, psychopathology
5. History and Systems

Goals/Objectives B

To develop student/graduates who demonstrate competence in (1) relationship, (2) assessment, (3) intervention, (4) research and evaluation, (5) consultation/education and management/supervision.

1. Relationship - students demonstrate mastery in:

a) The elements of effective therapeutic communication including: establishing a safe environment for another person; obtaining background information; handling intense emotion; facilitating communications with diverse populations; assessing and managing an emotional crisis.
b) The ability to establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance with clients and to recognize and deal effectively with transference and countertransference issues in the therapeutic process.
c) The ability to understand the therapeutic process, its stages and what makes for therapeutic outcomes.
d) The ability to understand and be sensitive to the role of ethnicity and culture in establishing and maintaining relationships with clients.

2. Assessment - students demonstrate mastery in: 

a) The ability to understand concepts and methods of test construction.
b) The ability to administer a standard test battery, to interpret results, and based on the findings, complete a psychological report in an objective and accurate manner.
c) The ability to identify assessment tools appropriate to the clinical questions presented and to administer or arrange for the administration of an assessment battery tailored to these specific needs.
d) The ability to develop a diagnostic impression based on DSM-IV criteria from data obtained during intake interviews, from psychological testing, from review of prior treatment records, and/or from observations during psychological treatment sessions.
e) The ability to understand the effects of race, class culture and gender on assessment procedures and outcomes.

3. Intervention - students demonstrate mastery in:

a) The ability to plan and carrying out a course of treatment that is informed by current clinical research and to summarize key aspects of the treatment both orally and in writing.
b) The ability to discuss clinical case material and plan a course of treatment using a specific theoretical framework and at the same time be conversant with the limitations of that theoretical framework and alternative models and explanations.
c) The ability to examine and present clinical case material in a manner that reflects knowledge of psychotherapy literature that is accurate, current, and scholarly.
d) The ability to apply research on psychopathology to clinical diagnosis and case formulation.
e) The ability to take into account the effects of race, class, culture and other social/cultural factors in planning and carrying out a course of treatment.

4. Research and Evaluation - students demonstrate mastery in:

a) The ability to read and critically review psychological literature.
b) The ability to understand statistical concepts and the use of statistics, know where to go to identify appropriate statistical procedures, and are able to read, understand and evaluate the significance of statistical descriptions and analyses.
c) The ability to synthesize and integrate research findings from different sources and to pose theoretical, clinical or predictive questions and draw conclusions.
d) The ability to demonstrate in writing and orally the application of research findings to clinical phenomenon and/or practice.
e. The ability to critically assess the application of research findings to diverse ethnic and cultural groups.

5. Consultation/ Education and Management/Supervision - students demonstrate mastery in:

a) Understanding the role of the psychologist in complex systems.
b) Understanding general principles of consultation, education, management and supervision.
c) Providing consultation, education, management and supervision for a specific population and/or setting 

Goals/Objectives C

To develop student/graduates who have the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to function professionally in a multicultural society. Students demonstrate mastery in:

1. The ability to recognize their own attitudes about age, gender and ethnically, culturally, sexually diverse, or handicapped populations and to understand concepts of power and privilege as they apply to interventions with these populations.
2. The ability to understand clinical phenomenon within social and cultural context.
3. The ability to plan and carry out a course of treatment that is responsive to the clients gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, physical and mental capacities and age.
4. The ability to recognize the limits of their own clinical competence and to identify appropriate referral resources and or case consultation resources when needed.

Goals/Objectives D

To develop students/graduates who have professional problem solving skills and attitudes essential for life long learning and scholarly inquiry. Students develop mastery in:

1. Understanding and adoption of values of life-long learning and the role of the clinical psychologist as a “local clinical scientist”.
2. The ability to understand, evaluate, organize, and synthesize psychological literature.
3. The ability to identify challenges and problems in clinical practice and to undertake self-directed education to resolve these challenges and problems.
4. The ability to present results of self-directed education in educational presentations both verbally and in writing and through written documents incorporating scholarly integration of practice theory and research findings.
5. The ability to inform practice with results of self-education. 

Goals/Objectives E

To develop students/graduates who use ethical principles as a guide for professional practice and self-evaluation as a basis for professional growth. Students demonstrate mastery in:

1. The knowledge and adoption of values and ethical principles of practice and research as outlined in the APA Code of Ethics.
2. The knowledge of, and conformity to legal and state regulations pertaining to psychological practice and research.
3. The ability to recognize and describe an appropriate course of action for the legal and ethical issues associated with psychological practice.
4. The ability to use supervision to reflect on their own interpersonal skills and to non-defensively accept feedback on how they might be improved.
5. The ability to use supervision in a reciprocal fashion, evaluate supervisory feedback, and select an appropriate action.
6. The ability to reflect, orally and in writing, an awareness of self as a significant factor in the therapeutic relationship and to critique their own therapeutic work.

Goals/Objectives F

To develop students/graduates who are able to intervene, using multiple methods, with diverse populations, across many settings and in changing and evolving context. Students develop mastery in:

1. The ability to practice in diverse clinical settings.
2. The ability to practice with a breadth of clients.
3. The ability to apply more than one major theory of intervention/development to practice.
4. The ability to modify treatment interventions based on ongoing assessments of outcomes.
5. The ability to appropriately consider time limitations, resources constraints and community resources in the choice of interventions.
6. The ability to integrate patients’ expectations into interventions when appropriate.