Post-Internship Fellowship

The mission of UC CAPS is to achieve excellence through a community-based, integrated care approach to psychological services and training that creates an optimal healthy environment for students to grow. We focus on psychological, relational, and intellectual growth, as well as students’ ability to achieve wellness and academic success. CAPS encourages students to engage in relationships and experiences that add to their positive growth and promote contributions to our campus and community. We seek to support holistic well-being through psycho-education, community outreach & consultation, and direct clinical services. UC CAPS is committed to personal growth, human development, and promoting understanding and respect for differences.

CAPS strives to be a system that encourages emotional, psychological and relational health, and builds a responsible and compassionate community that supports the holistic development and academic success of students. As such, we have identified the following values of our center:

1. Organized Teamwork: We rely on teamwork and collaboration which values different ideas, actively engaged communication and organized action between CAPS staff, the UC community and most importantly students

2. Care and respect in all our relationships: we value all experiences and respect and value all individuals, groups and ideas with compassion and care. We value openness, honesty, and genuine care and concern for each other

3. Student-centered: We meet students where they are and respond to their needs with open communication and respect. We encourage autonomy and informed choice

4. Community & Belonging: We contribute to a welcoming campus that values student belonging in programming, service provision, recruitment, curriculum involvement, and advocacy.

5. High Quality Accessible Services: dedicated to reducing stigma and barriers to create high quality accessible services

6. Data-informed: we encourage innovation, creativity, and quality services that are always informed by data, research, and best practice

7. Contemplative Practice: We value presence in our work and a focus on joy, mindfulness and meaningful interaction

8. Graduate Training: CAPS is focused on contributing to quality, multi-disciplinary graduate training focused on integrative practice and inter-professional education

CAPS services take place at 225 Calhoun St, Suite 200, Cincinnati, OH, 45219. We are a large university counseling center with multiple offices, two group rooms, and a meditation room. Fellows have access to all of these rooms. CAPS is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of staff clinicians that come from psychology, clinical counseling, and social work backgrounds. We have support staff team and an office manager who help us with administrative tasks and facilitate insurance and check-in duties, managing insurance, and financial matters.

Clinical fellows have access to offices where they conduct individual therapy sessions. Their offices are complete with a computer, telephone, bookshelf, desk chair, and two counseling chairs. Fellows are encouraged to personalize their offices with items of their choice. Each office is equipped with a computermounted camera to record counseling sessions. Recordings are saved to an encrypted file within our network, accessible only to fellows, their supervisors, the training director, the associate director and executive director of UC CAPS. Fellows are also provided with a unique user ID for the University of Cincinnati system, which requires that they create a password. Fellows are not to give this password out to anyone else, and it is their responsibility to keep it confidential.

Fellows have two office mailboxes, one for regular correspondence and one for confidential information. The UC CAPS mailroom also has a printer and a fax machine available for fellows to use. UC CAPS also has a refrigerator in file room off of the mailroom, and fellows have access to both that refrigerator as well as the refrigerator and microwave in the central break room. The UC CAPS file room has one large storage room for basic office supplies; the fellows have access to these materials. If fellows need supplies that are not in inventory, they can place a special order request with the Program Manager.

CAPS has purchased several books and videos for training purposes. They are kept in the trainee suite which houses offices for practicum students, and part-time counseling and social work interns. Clinical fellows may borrow these books at any time. Fellows also have access to all of the resources available to anyone who works at the University of Cincinnati, most notably, library resources and access to the extensive online journal database.

The clinical fellowship has its foundation in a generalist, practitioner-scholar model, which is a refinement of the traditional scientist-practitioner model and incorporates a developmental learning model. The primary mission of CAPS is direct service to the University of Cincinnati community. The fellowship is designed to maximize quality service to that community and provide a challenging and supportive learning environment for fellows. Our developmental, practitioner-scholar model views learning as cumulative and sequential with an emphasis on providing a level of support for each fellow based on his/her/their individual learning needs and style. We assist our fellows with the advancement of their clinical skills and professional identity by offering supportive collaboration, consultation, and modeling with our senior staff clinicians.

The interdisciplinary staff at CAPS provides fellows the opportunity to work with mental health and wellness professionals from a wide array of theoretical backgrounds and professional interests. CAPS uses a stepped care model of treatment that presents client with a variety of therapeutic support options to meet the level of their needs. This model includes, but is not limited to, access to meditation resources, participation in group therapy, and short-term individual therapy. We offer fellows opportunities to participate in all of these modalities of treatment. In addition to providing therapeutic interventions, fellows are heavily involved in professional activities and programs in the university community via outreach and liaison relationships.

RACs are intended to be a brief assessment of client risk factors as well as a short-term problem solving session in which CAPS clinicians work with clients to clarify presenting concerns and provide brief 8 interventions. Fellows begin observing RACs during their first weeks post-orientation, and have the opportunity to both see how other staff members conduct these appointments, as well as be observed by staff members when they conduct their first RACs. After completing their observation period, fellows conduct up to 8 RACs per week.

In cases where therapists need diagnostic clarification or more thorough history, fellows may provide thorough intakes/initial assessments prior to the start of therapy. Fellows may observe initial assessment appointments early in their fellowship year, and complete a process of observing and being observed conducting intakes prior to completing them on their own. Fellows always have senior staff members available to them for consultation during these initial assessment appointments (as well as all other appointments).

Fellows spend majority of their time conducting individual counseling. Individual counseling includes RACs, Initial Assessment, ongoing individual counseling sessions, as well as all follow-up interventions, such as brief case-management appointments. CAPS follows a brief-therapy model of treatment that allows for flexibility in services including services as short as a single session, as well as ongoing therapy appointments to address short-term concerns. Generally, individual therapy occurs with about six sessions or fewer, and occurs on a bi-weekly basis. With consultation from their supervisors, fellows will have the opportunity to hone their initial assessment skills, their clinical decision making about a client’s appropriateness for our center, and their individual therapy skills. All individual therapy is videotaped as part of the training program.

Groups run during Fall and Spring semesters, and some groups run during the summer semester as well. Fellows co-facilitate groups with other senior staff members, and usually facilitate one group in the Fall semester and one group in the Spring semester. For a current listing of groups, please visit our Meet with a Counselor page. All group therapy is videotaped as part of the training program.

Fellows participate in providing Counselor on Duty (CoD) coverage. CoD coverage includes providing on-call crisis care for students who walk in to CAPS during the on-call hours, as well as conducting phone consultations with students, staff, family members, etc. who call for support. All on-call coverage takes place during regular business hours, and fellows will always have senior staff members with whom they may consult during this experience. No on-call hours occur outside of business hours because CAPS contracts with an outside counseling agency to address crises that are reported during evenings, overnight, and on weekends.

All fellows will conduct outreach presentations to the greater UC community as part of their fellowship program. Fellows typically participate in at least three outreach presentations each semester, along with all of the large-scale outreach activities that CAPS participates in as a whole staff. Common outreach topics have included: overview of CAPS services, stress management or identifying students in distress. Fellows have a liaison relationship with another part of the greater UC community, and outreach may also include collaborating with those campus partners to facilitate an event.

Although most of their time is spent in clinical duties, fellows may participate in training provided by CAPS to the whole staff to aid in the honing of their skills and knowledge. These occur sporadically, and are generally center-wide trainings that trainees are welcome to attend.

Staff Meetings: Fellows participate in weekly staff meetings, during which time all members of UC CAPS come together to check in on how we are feeling, discuss news related to CAPS and the greater UC community, introduce and discuss new policies and procedures, discuss ways that we are collaborating with campus partners, and recognize positive actions taken by fellow CAPS members. All CAPS members, including permanent staff, training staff, and support staff are included in this meeting.

Clinical Team Meetings: Clinical team meetings occur weekly. They are a part of fellows’ supervision hours, given that the content of these meetings includes presentation and discussion of complex, challenging, or high-risk cases that clinicians have encounters. In these meetings, trainees and staff members consult with each other and give feedback to each other. The entire clinical staff is broken into two separate groups to facilitate small-group discussion. 

Fellow/Training Director Check-In: This meeting is discussion based, and intended to be a way that fellows have regular, formal contact with the Training Director. The content includes exploring how fellows are feeling with their transition to UC CAPS, discussing their goals for themselves during the year, as well as progress they are making, processing challenges that

The CAPS fellowship is a full-time, paid, year-long experience. Because disciplines and state laws vary, you are responsible for ascertaining the requirements of the specific states and discipline in which you wish you practice in the future, and for meeting all of those requirements. When planning your hours, it is best to plan to accumulate the majority of these clinical hours during Fall and Spring semesters, because CAPS typically sees fewer clients in the summer. Additionally, with annual August orientation, no-show appointments, semester breaks, University holidays, and vacations, it is important for fellows to accumulate their required clinical and total hours in a deliberate, planned manner.

Additionally, fellows are encouraged to check the licensure supervisory requirements of the state/province in which they plan practice. Some states require that doctoral clinical hours are completed under the supervision of someone licensed for a certain number of years. At CAPS, OH licensure requirements are prioritized; there currently is no stipulation about post-licensure years of experience for supervisors. CAPS will try to accommodate special requests for working with a particular supervisor but there are no guarantees. For more information on licensure supervisory requirements, consult with the state board for your area of discipline.

CAPS hours of operation are usually Monday to Friday 8:00am-5:00pm. However, there is a rotating late day by semester basis that will be 10:00am-7:00pm.

The Clinical Fellowship is a 12-month program that receives $19.23/hour (approximately $40,000 if the fellow completes 52 weeks and 40 hours/wk). At UC, fellows are classified as full-time staff with the designation of clinical fellow as their professional title while working at UC.

•  Medical health insurance
•  Vacation Time (20 days), in addition to university holidays **
•  Sick Leave (Time)**
•  5 days Professional Development
•  Negotiate leave time for dissertation work, job search and graduation
•  Technologically-equipped office
•  University library privileges
•  *** Reduced rate for UC Metro Program (transit system):                                           
             http://www.uc.edu/af/facilities/services/ucmetro.html

* A minimum of 5 vacation days must be used at the very end of the fellowship year to facilitate ease ofjob search and transition time.
** No vacation, holiday time, or sick leave is eligible for cash payout if unused.
*** Subject to change.

Vacation
You need to request vacation time in advance by sending your supervisor and the Training Director an email listing the particular dates for approval. An official request must be submitted through UCFlex (https://www.ucflex.uc.edu) for final approval. Once approved, you are responsible for marking yourself out in Titanium and for managing your client schedule, so that clinical needs of clients can be covered in your absence. You are required to save at least 5 vacation days to be used at the end of your fellowship experience to facilitate ease of job search and transition. For more information please visit this link: Vacation and Accrual Schedule (sharepoint.com).

Leave
If you are ill, you are encouraged to call off. However, it is to your advantage to work as many days as possible in order to accumulate the hours of clinical and training experience that you need for your fellowship. In the event that you are out of the office due to an unplanned need, such as illness or an emergency, it is your responsibility to call/text your supervisor and directors, as well as call and leave anmessage for the administrative staff (513-556-0648) before 8:00 am to inform them of your absence and ask that they inform your clients, and anyone with whom you had a meeting that day. The administrative staff will cancel your appointments for the day, so please be sure to keep your client contact information and other appointments updated regularly in Titanium. Please be sure when you contact the administrative staff that you inform them of any higher risk clients on your schedule that day so that they can offer services with the Counselor On Duty, if needed. This leave must be requested through UCFlex (https://www.ucflex.uc.edu) to obtain your Sick Time if available. For more information please visit this link: Sick Leave (Time) (sharepoint.com).

Holidays
You are required to take all 14 official University holidays.

As mentioned above, in order to compensate for vacation time and official University holidays, and tocomplete your fellowship hours, you can and should:

1) Document time that you happen to be working on fellow-related tasks outside of your regular work hours;

2) Count professional development time (e.g., professional conferences or workshops, dissertation defense, job interviewing) toward your total fellowship hours;

Due process protects the rights of both trainees and the UC CAPS training program, while also carrying responsibilities for both. Due Process procedures are not intended to punish trainees; these procedures are intended to support trainees and the UC CAPS training program by giving guidelines and assistance on how to remediate concerns that arise.

Trainees have the right to:
    1. Be treated in ethical, respectful, and professional ways.
    2. Receive constructive and timely feedback about their performance.
    3. Address concerns prior to, during, and after the formal evaluation period.
    4. Be given every reasonable opportunity to remediate problems.
    5. Participate in Due Process procedures
    6. Appeal decisions that the trainee disagrees with, within the limits of this policy.
    7. Enlist the support of the Ombuds office at any point in time during due process, appeal,         or grievance procedures. Contact information for the UC Ombuds office can be found         here: https://www.uc.edu/campus-life/ombuds-office.html
    8. As members of the UC community you are entitled to a workplace free from Gender         Equity and Inclusion (Title IX) violations. That includes a workplace free from         discrimination on the basis of your actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity,         gender expression, or sexual orientation, as well as free from sexual violence, dating or         domestic violence, and stalking. 

Trainees have the responsibility to:
    1. Engage with UC CAPS in a way that is ethical, respectful, and professional.
    2. To be alert to personal problems that may interfere with professional functioning.
    3. Make every reasonable attempt to remediate concerns regarding their behavior and         competency.
    4. Endeavor to meet the aims and objectives of the training program.
    5. Create and contribute to a workplace that is free from Title IX violations. That includes a         workplace free from discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sex, gender,         gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, as well as free from sexual         violence, dating or domestic violence, and stalking.  

UC CAPS training program has the right to:

1. Be treated in ethical, respectful, and professional ways.
2. Implement Due Process procedures in the manner ascribed below.
3. Maked decisions related to remediation for a trainee, including probation, suspension, and termination, within the lmits of this policy.    

UC CAPS training program has the responsibility to: 
    1.Treat all trainees in ethical, respectful, and professional ways.
    2. Uphold the integrity of the training program and its commitment to providing quality                 training to trainees by requiring standards of practice and behavior that meet         competency benchmarks.
    3. Make every reasonable attempt to support trainees in remediating behavioral and 26     competency concerns.
    4. Support trainees to the extent possible in successfully completing the UC CAPS training     program.  

When a trainee’s progress is considered “unsatisfactory”, it typically falls into one or both of two areas.

    1. Trainee problem behavior
    2. Skill deficiency

Definition of Problem Behavior
Behaviors are identified as problem behaviors if they include one or more of the following characteristics:

    1. The trainee does not acknowledge, understand, or address the problem when it is         identified.
    2. The problem is not merely a reflection of a skill deficit that can be rectified by academic         or didactic training.
    3. The quality of services delivered by the trainee is sufficiently negatively affected.
    4. The problem is not restricted to one area of professional functioning.
    5. A disproportionate amount of attention by training personnel is required.
    6. The trainee's behavior does not change as a function of feedback, remediation efforts,         and/or time.
    7. The trainee’s behavior negatively impacts the public view of the agency.
    8. The problematic behavior negatively impacts other trainees.
    9. The problematic behavior potentially causes harm to a client.
    10. The problematic behavior violates appropriate interpersonal communication with         agency staff.

Definition of a Skill Deficiency
Skill deficiencies may be identified at any point in time in the training year, including, but not limited to times of formal evaluation. If, during the process of formal evaluation, a trainee receives a rating of “1” (Remedial) or “2” (Beginning/Developing Competence) in a competency area, then due process procedures are triggered to ensure that a trainee receives adequate support to improve their skills.  

When supervisors or other faculty/staff members believe that a trainee’s behavior is becoming problematic or that a trainee is having difficulty consistently demonstrating the expected level of competence, the first step in addressing the concern should be to raise the concern with the trainee directly and as soon as feasible in an attempt to informally resolve the problem. This may include increased supervision, didactic training and/or structured readings. The supervisor or faculty/staff member should inform the Training Director of the action/plan taken so that proper documentation can be kept and to assure that the trainee is receiving the adequate support needed. The supervisor or faculty/staff member who raises the concern will monitor the outcome. If the person who raised the concern is not the supervisor of the trainee, then they will monitor the outcome in conjunction with the trainee’s supervisor. The monitoring of the concern raised should be accompanied by utilization of the evaluation form on Appendix B to track trainees progress. The supervisor is also encouraged to bring the concern to the Supervisor’s Meetings so as to identify additional clarity of thought and consultation regarding the concern. Most concerns that occur during the training year are typically resolved through informal intervention; however, if the problem behavior or skill deficiency persists following an attempt to resolve the issue informally, the supervisor will meet with the Training Director and through discussion they must both agree that a more formal process is needed. If the supervisor is the Training Director, then the supervisor will meet with the associate director and through discussion they both must agree that a more formal process is needed. In the case of all steps of Due Process, if a faculty/staff member involved in the Due Process procedures is unavailable, then that person, or the Executive Director may name a person to serve to role of the unavailable person. If a more formal process is needed, then the faculty/staff member, or another person named by the Executive Director will contact the Labor and Employees Relations Division and the following procedure will be followed: 

1. Notice: The trainee will be notified that the concern has been raised to a formal level of review, and that a Hearing will be held. 
2. Hearing: The supervisor or faculty/staff member will hold a Hearing with the Training Director and trainee within 10 working days of issuing a notice of Formal Review to discuss the problem and determine what action needs to be taken to address the issue. If the Training Director is the supervisor who is raising the issue, an additional faculty member who works directly with the trainee will be included at the Hearing. The trainee will have the opportunity to present their perspective at the Hearing, and/or to provide a written statement related to their response to the problem. 
3. Outcome and Next Steps: The result of the Hearing will be any of the following potential action steps listed below, to be determined by the Training Director and other faculty/staff member who was present at the Hearing. This outcome will be communicated to the trainee in writing within 5 working days of the Hearing.  
    

Potential Action Steps as a Result of a Hearing
One or more of the following responses will be made following a Hearing.

1. Acknowledgement Notice – the trainee is given formal acknowledgement that a skill deficiency or problem behavior exists. This notice a. Informs that UC CAPS is aware of and concerned with the problem. b. Describes the unsatisfactory behavior or skill deficiency. c. Informs that UC CAPS will work with the trainee to specify the steps necessary to rectify the problem or skill deficits d. Includes a statement that the problem is not significant enough to require further remedial action at this time. e. This step does not include or necessitate notifying the trainee’s home graduate program.

2. Remediation Plan – the trainee is given formal acknowledgement that a skill deficiency or problem behavior exists and that the trainee will be placed on a Remediation Plan. The Remediation Plan requires that the supervisors and Training Director will actively and systematically monitor, for a specific length of time, the degree to which the trainee addresses, changes, and/or otherwise improves the problematic behavior or skill deficit. The implementation of a Remediation Plan will represent a probationary status for the trainee. The length of the probation period will depend upon the nature of the problem, and will be determined by the trainee’s supervisor and the Training Director. A written Remediation Plan will be shared with the trainee and the trainee’s home graduate program including: 

        a. Notification that the trainee is on a remediation plan for a problem behavior or skill             deficiency.
        b. Description of the behavior or skills associated with the problem
        c. Description of the actions required to correct the behavior or skill deficiency
        d. Time frame during which the problem behavior or skill deficiency is expected to be             ameliorated
        e. The procedures that will be used to identify whether the problem has been             appropriately remediated.
        f. Possible consequences if the problem is not corrected.
        g. Remediation Plans may (but are not required to) include Schedule Modification as             described below:
                i. Schedule Modification occurs when the trainee’s schedule is modified to allow the                   trainee to focus on remediation of the area of concern. It may occur at any time                 during the Due Process Procedures, but is most likely to occur as part of a                 remediation plan. Examples of possible modifications include:
                                1. Increasing the amount of supervision, either with the same or other                                     supervisors
                                2. Changing the format, emphasis, or focus of supervision
                                3. Recommending personal therapy
                                4. Reducing the trainee’s clinical or other workload.

    Within 5 working days after the end of the time frame identified by “d” above, the Training     Director will solicit input from the trainee and will hold a meeting with the supervisor to     determine whether or not the problem has been ameliorated. The training director will     then provide a written statement to the trainee indicating whether or not the problem has     been remediated. This statement will become a part of the trainee’s permanent file, and will     be shared with the trainee’s home graduate program. If the problem has not been     remediated, the Training Director may choose to move to one of the higher levels of     intervention listed below, or may choose to extend the Remediation Plan. The extended     Remediation Plan will include all of the information mentioned above, and the extended     time frame will be specified clearly.  

3. Clinical Privileges Suspension – the trainee is suspended from all clinical service for a designated period of time. During that time the program may support the trainee in obtaining additional didactic training, close mentorship or engage in another form of remediation. The length of the suspension period will depend upon the nature of the problem and will be determined by the trainee’s supervisor and the Training Director, in consultation with the Labor and Employees Relations division. The trainee will be given a letter specifying the suspension plan, which will include the following:
    a. Description of the unsatisfactory behavior
        1) Actions required to correct the unsatisfactory behavior
        2) Timeline during which the problem is expected to be ameliorated
        3) Explanation of the procedure that will be used to determine whether satisfactory             progress has been made
        4) Possible consequences if the problem is not corrected within 5 working days after the             end of the suspension period, as designated by the timeline identified in “2)” above,             the Training Director will provide to the trainee and the trainee’s home graduate             program a written statement indicating whether the problem has been remediated to             a level that indicates the suspension of clinical activities can be lifted. The statement             may include a recommendation to place the trainee on probationary status with a             remediation plan. In this case, the process in #2 above would be followed. This             statement will become part of the trainee’s permanent file.  

4. Termination - If the problem is not rectified through the above processes, or if the problem represents gross misconduct or ethical violations that have the potential to cause harm, the trainee‘s placement within the training program may be terminated. The decision to terminate a trainee’s position would be made by the Training Committee in consultation with the University of Cincinnati’s Labor and Employee Relation’s Division. It would represent a discontinuation of the trainee’s participation in all aspects of the training program. The Training Committee would make this determination within 10 working days or at the next soonest Training Committee meeting, whichever occurs first. The Training Director may decide to suspend a trainee’s clinical activities during this period prior to a final decision being made, if warranted. The training program will notify APPIC and the trainee’s home graduate program of the decision.

All time limits mentioned above may be extended by mutual consent within a reasonable limit.  

Appeal Procedures
If a trainee does not agree with a decision made at any step during the Due Process procedures, the trainee may request an Appeals Hearing before the Training Committee. This request must be made in writing to the Training Director within 5 working days of notification regarding the decision with which the trainee is dissatisfied. If requested, the Appeals Hearing will be conducted by a review panel convened by the Training Director (or designee) and consisting of him/her/themselves and at least two other members of training faculty who work directly with the trainee. The trainee may request a specific member of the training faculty to serve on the review panel. The Appeals Hearing will be held within 10 working days after the trainee’s request. The trainee may submit to the committee any written statements deemed appropriate. The review panel will review all written materials and have an opportunity to interview the parties involved or any other individuals with relevant information. The review panel may uphold the decisions made previously or may modify them. Decisions made by the review panel will be shared with the trainee and the trainee’s home graduate program within 5 working days after the Appeals Hearing.

If the trainee is dissatisfied with the decision of the review panel, he/she/they may appeal the decision, in writing, to the Executive Director. The trainee must make this request to the Executive Director within 5 working days after they were informed of the decision made by the review panel in the Appeals Hearing. The Executive Director has final discretion regarding outcome. He/she/they will interview the parties involved and any individuals with relevant information, and will make a decision within 5 working days after receiving the appeal request from the trainee. Decisions made during these appeal processes will be shared with the trainee and the trainee’s home graduate program.  

Racial or Sexual Harassment Procedures
The training program is committed to maintaining an atmosphere conducive to personal and professional development. This requires an environment in which each trainee feels safe and respected. All complaints related to racial or sexual harassment that involves trainees, whether the trainee is the alleged victim or perpetrator, will be handled in strict compliance with college procedures described in the University of Cincinnati’s Discriminatory Harassment Policy located here: https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/hr/labor_and_employee_relations/policies/11_02_discriminatory _harassment.pdf or
the University of Cincinnati’s Policy Statement on Sexual Harassment, located here: https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/hr/labor_and_employee_relations/policies/11_03_policy_statem ent_sexual_harassment.pdf. The university’s procedures take precedence over the conflict resolution steps mentioned previously.
If you would like to know more about your rights and resources on campus you can consult the UC Notice of Non-Discrimination at http://www.uc.edu/about/policies/nondiscrimination.html or you can consult the Title IX office at https://www.uc.edu/titleix.html.

Storage
All due process documentation is maintained indefinitely by the Training Director and stored with the intern’s training documents in a secure, digital file at UC CAPS. 

Formal Review:

A. If a trainee has a complaint regarding the training program, the training environment, a training decision, their supervisor, another staff member, or a fellow trainee that cannot be resolved using informal means, they may submit a letter of complaint to the Training Director. In the event that the complaint is regarding the Training Director, then this letter should be submitted to the Executive Director.

B. Within 5 working days after receiving the letter, the Training Director or Executive Director will call a meeting with the leadership team (Training Director, Executive Director, and Associate Director) to determine whether it is appropriate for CAPS to follow up on the grievance. Examples of times when CAPS may not follow up on a grievance include: the grievance has no merit or the grievance must be handled through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access because it deals with racial or sexual harassment.

C. Within 5 working days after the meeting, the Training Director will inform the trainee whether or not CAPS will be following up on the grievance and will inform of next steps, if any. If CAPS is not following up on the grievance, the Training Director will inform the trainee why.

D. If CAPS will be following up on the grievance, then the Training Director will inform the grieved person (also within 5 working days after the meeting of the leadership team) that they have a grievance brought up about them, and that they will have 5 working days to submit a response in writing. 

E. After the grieved person has submitted their response, or after 5 working days pass, whichever occurs first, The Training Director (or Executive Director, if appropriate) will have 10 working days within which to meet with the trainee and the individual being grieved. In some cases, the Training Director or Executive Director may wish to meet with the trainee and the individual being grieved separately first. The goal of any of these meetings is to develop a plan of action to resolve the matter. The plan of action will include:

            a. The Behavior/issue associated with the grievance.
            b. The specific steps to rectify the problem.
            c. Timeframe during which the problem will be rectified.
            d. Procedures designed to ascertain whether the problem has been appropriately                 rectified.

F. The Training Director or Executive Director will document the process and outcome of the meeting. The trainee and the individual being grieved, if applicable, will be asked to report back to the Training Director or the Executive Director in writing within 10 working days regarding whether the issue has been adequately resolved.

G. If the trainee is dissatisfied with the decision of the Training Director and/or the plan of action fails, the Training Director or Executive Director will convene a review panel consisting of him/her/themselves and at least two other members of the training faculty within 10 working days. The trainee may request a certain member of the training faculty to serve on the review panel. The review panel will review all written materials and have an opportunity to interview the parties involved or any other individuals with relevant information. The review panel has final discretion regarding outcome.

H. If the trainee remains dissatisfied or the review panel determines that the grievance cannot be resolved internally or is not appropriate to be resolved internally, then the issue will be turned over to Human Resources to initiate the university’s due process procedures.  

Racial or Sexual Harassment Procedures
The training program is committed to maintaining an atmosphere conducive to personal and professional development. This requires an environment in which each trainee feels safe and respected. All complaints related to racial or sexual harassment that involves trainees, whether the trainee is the alleged victim or perpetrator, will be handled in strict compliance with college procedures described in the University of Cincinnati’s Discriminatory Harassment Policy located here: https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/hr/labor_and_employee_relations/policies/11_02_discriminatory _harassment.pdf or
the University of Cincinnati’s Policy Statement on Sexual Harassment, located here: https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/hr/labor_and_employee_relations/policies/11_03_policy_statem ent_sexual_harassment.pdf. The university’s procedures take precedence over the conflict resolution steps mentioned previously.
If you would like to know more about your rights and resources on campus you can consult the UC Notice of Non-Discrimination at http://www.uc.edu/about/policies/nondiscrimination.html or you can consult the Title IX office at https://www.uc.edu/titleix.html.

Storage
All grievance documentation is maintained indefinitely by the Training Director and stored separately from the intern’s training documents in a secure, digital file at UC CAPS.

Training of counselors is an area particularly vulnerable to multiple relationship issues. Consultation with the Training Director and/or Training Committee should be sought when there is a question about a potentially problematic multiple relationship involving trainees or potential trainees. The mental health graduate departments at the University of Cincinnati (e.g., Clinical Psychology, Social Work, Counselor Education, Mental Health Counseling) have been informed of our policy below which prohibits the involvement of their students in the CAPS training program should their students seek counseling services at CAPS. Faculty members in those departments have been asked to communicate this information to their current and incoming students to help ensure that their students can make informed decisions about pursuing counseling services. The following guidelines will be used in the determination of applicant eligibility: 

• Relinquishing future training opportunities: UC students, including graduate students from any of the University of Cincinnati’s mental health graduate departments, who engage in CAPS clinical services (beyond an intake session or crisis services) will not be eligible to apply for a future practicum or internship position at CAPS. 
• Seeking counseling after receiving training: Any practicum student or intern at CAPS is not eligible for any current/future clinical services at CAPS. 
• Referrals: A list of community referrals will be provided to any current/past trainee if they are in need of mental health services. 
• Changes to this policy: CAPS reserves the right to identify additional academic programs that apply to this policy in the future, given the potential for other types of training experiences that may create problematic dual relationships, or changes in names of academic programs.

Some additional standards to minimize or prevent problematic relationships are listed below: 

• It is unethical and prohibited for a professional CAPS staff member to engage in a sexual relationship with a CAPS trainee. 
• CAPS trainees must not provide services (e.g., counseling, teaching, workshops/ outreach) to graduate students from their own training program/academic department or students from related departments with whom they may share courses. 
• CAPS counselors should not provide therapy to UC students enrolled in a class they are currently teaching.