Doctoral Internship Training Program

UC CAPS achieves excellence through a community-based, integrated care approach to psychological services and training that creates an optimal healthy environment for students to grow psychologically,spiritually, and intellectually, as well as achieve wellness and academic success. We seek to encourage holistic well-being through psycho-education, community outreach & consultation, as well as direct clinical services. UC CAPS is committed to personal growth, human development, and promoting understanding and respect for individual, cultural, and role 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.  

1. Organized Teamwork: We rely on teamwork and collaboration which values diverse 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. Equity & Inclusion: We contribute to a highly inclusive campus and value equity, inclusion, and social justice 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  

The aim of the training program is to facilitate intern growth from a place of reliance on supervisors to a position of readiness to enter the profession of psychology and provide clinical services to a diverse population of clients. Our dedication to intern growth mimics the UC CAPS dedication to creating an optimal healthy environment for student growth, and our commitment to training is also echoed in the fact that UC identifies training as a part of its mission statement. Furthermore, UC CAPS’s commitment to providing understanding and respect for individual, cultural, and role differences is consistent with our desire to provide a multiculturally-focused internship program that will increase intern readiness for working with a variety of diverse clients as they move toward independent practice. Our internship program, therefore, is a natural extension of the UC CAPS mission.

CAPS is compliant with FERPA and the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) regarding our approach to confidential information. All interns will receive training on FERPA at the start of their internship, and are expected to comply with the provided guidelines for handling confidential and private information. In addition to FERPA and ORC regulations, we request that interns do not share any passwords that they may have for their computers, emails, trainings, etc., as a way to promote confidential handling of confidential and sensitive information. Per APA requirements, intern information, including a description of the training year and a copy of all evaluations and certificates are maintained indefinitely in a confidential file that is accessible to the Training Director, Associate Director, and Executive Director of CAPS.  

Cultural and individual diversity issues are highly valued at CAPS by all staff and are at the core of our training. Knowledge and skills in issues of diversity are essential in providing competent and ethical services to our campus community. Diversity awareness and competency skill-building are an emphasis on our internship program and are infused into all aspects of training. Interns at CAPS will participate in Intersectionality Seminar, in which they will be asked to reflect on their own identities as diverse individuals and as a psychologists-in-training, and explore and how their constellation of identities impacts their work. They will be exposed to ways in which to expand their knowledge, skills, and awareness of cultural diversity, broadly defined. All of our seminars will incorporate aspects of diversity so that our interns leave the internship with skills to help them improve their cultural competency as psychologists and with the understanding that working toward cultural competency is a lifelong process. Additionally, all staff at CAPS will participate in regular discussions and trainings on issues of diversity to demonstrate our commitment to learning and teaching in a competent manner. Supervision will provide a safe environment for interns to process reactions to and reflections of diversity conversations and issues. Finally, interns will evaluate staff and the training program on how well we meet our diversity training goals so we can make continual improvements to the program.

Each CAPS staff member is committed to providing assistance that is culturally-sensitive and affirming to our diverse clientele. We take a stance against discrimination and oppression in any form and we strive to create an atmosphere of openness, trust, and safety where all attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors can be openly shared and explored.

The UC CAPS Internship program’s commitment to equity and inclusion is reflective of the mission of the University of Cincinnati as a whole, as reflected in the university’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. An excerpt of that notice is included below:

“The University of Cincinnati does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or gender identity and expression in its programs and activities.

The university does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on these bases and takes steps to ensure that students, employees, and third parties are not subject to a hostile environment in University programs or activities.”  

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. Interns have access to all of these rooms. CAPS is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of staff clinicians that come from psychology, clinical counseling, marriage and family therapy, and social work backgrounds. We have a support staff team and an office manager who help us with administrative tasks and facilitate insurance and check-in duties, as well as financial matters.

The interdisciplinary staff at CAPS provides interns the opportunity to work with mental health and wellness professionals from a wide array of theoretical backgrounds and professional interests. We work closely with our colleagues at the Student Wellness Center to provide prevention services across campus and we work closely with our colleagues at University Health Services to refer for medical and medication referrals. CAPS also uses a stepped care model of treatment that presents clients 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, access to online self-help resources, participation in case management, workshops, group therapy, and short-term individual therapy. We offer interns opportunities to participate in all of these levels of treatment. In addition to providing therapeutic interventions, CAPS is highly involved in professional activities and programs in the university community via outreach and liaison relationships.

Doctoral interns have their own offices where they conduct individual therapy sessions. Their offices are complete with a computer, telephone, bookshelf, desk chair, and two counseling chairs. The interns 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 interns, their supervisors, the training director, the associate director, and executive director of UC CAPS. Interns are also provided with a unique user ID for the University of Cincinnati system, which requires that they create a password. Interns are not to give this password out to anyone else, and it is their responsibility to keep it confidential.

Interns 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 interns to use. UC CAPS also has a refrigerator in file room off of the mailroom, and interns 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 interns have access to these materials. If interns 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. Psychology interns may borrow these books at any time. Interns 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.

Interns have access to a variety of assessment instruments to be used under the supervision of the Assessment Coordinator and/or their supervisor.

The doctoral internship 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 internship is designed to maximize quality service to that community and provide a challenging and supportive learning environment for interns. Our developmental, practitioner-scholar model views learning as cumulative and sequential with an emphasis on providing a level of training to each intern based on her/his individual learning needs and style. We assist our interns with a progressive advancement and acquisition of clinical skills and professional identity by offering supportive collaboration and modeling with our senior staff clinicians. The goal is to facilitate intern growth from a reliance on supervisors to a position of independent practice and readiness to enter the profession of psychology. 

Our practitioner-scholar model views the doctoral intern as an emerging professional seeking to integrate knowledge, skills, and experiential training in the journey from student to new professional psychologist. We expect that the professional tasks of our interns will increase over time in frequency, intensity, and complexity. The internship builds on the combination of experiences the trainee brings from their previous graduate coursework, practica, research and other professional applied experiences. We stress the importance of consultation and supervision, emphasis on experiential learning, and the integration of scholarly knowledge and research into practice. Interns are encouraged to focus on ongoing growth in counseling skills and abilities via multiple formal and informal learning opportunities during the course of their training. CAPS views development as a lifelong process over one’s career and as such, continuing education with all staff is promoted through case conferences, inservice programs, and staff development activities. At CAPS, we expect our interns will consolidate their professional identity and emerge as culturally sensitive, clinically skilled, and ethical psychologists.  

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have transitioned to a hybrid model, in which we provide both in-person and virtual formats for most of our all therapy services. Our training seminars and meetings at CAPS have transitioned into this hybrid format as well. We have learned to be flexible as a result of the pandemic, and we want all individuals in training to know that we will continue to alter elements of the internship, as needed, to be consistent with university requirements for safety, as well as CAPS’s prioritization of student and CAPS staff safety. All of CAPS staff, as well as any individuals in training will be required to follow UC’s COVID Careful guidelines for safety while on campus. The core elements of our training program can be delivered both in-person and virtually, so we do not anticipate any interruptions in services even if/when COVID-19 or other concerns emerge in the future. We cannot make guarantees or predictions about the number of direct service hours that interns will accrue amidst major crises such as the pandemic; however, we can guarantee that we will do everything that we can to support our individuals in training and their goals throughout the year. CAPS will take into account intern development and skills, Ohio guidelines, OPA guidelines, guidelines from the University of Cincinnati, when making decisions about any changes to our programs or COVID-related policies.  Replace this text component with your accordion's content.

UC-CAPS received APPIC membership in Fall, 2015, and maintains APPIC membership currently. UC-CAPS is an APA-accredited program. We received APA-accreditation in 2021 for 10 years. Questions related to our accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation 

The interdisciplinary staff at CAPS provides interns 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 case management, group therapy, and short-term individual therapy. We offer interns opportunities to participate in all of these modalities of treatment. In addition to providing therapeutic interventions, interns 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 interventions. Some students engage in RAC appointments-only via our one-session-at-a-time counseling. Interns 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, interns conduct up to 8 RACs per week. 

Interns spend approximately 50% 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. With consultation from their supervisors, interns 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 typically run during Fall and Spring semesters. Interns co-facilitate groups with other senior staff members, and usually facilitate one group in the Fall semester and one group in the Spring semester. Interns may have the opportunity to design and facilitate a new group consistent with the needs of the center during the Summer semester and may have the opportunity to facilitate a group with a fellow intern at that time as well. For a current listing of groups, please use the following link: Meet with a Counselor | University of Cincinnati (uc.edu). All group therapy is videotaped as part of the training program. 

During the second half of their internship, interns may have the opportunity to participate in providing Counselor on Duty (CoD) coverage. CoD coverage includes providing on-call crisis care for students who contact 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 interns 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.  

Interns will learn the holistic process of assessment, including providing thorough, culturally and contextually sensitive interviews, choosing appropriate assessment instruments, assessing clients, interpreting assessments, writing comprehensive reports, and sharing findings with clients in therapeutic ways. Interns are expected to complete a minimum of four assessments during their internship year.  

Doctoral interns will provide supervision to a psychology practicum student or to a Masters level intern within the counseling program. They will meet with their supervisee, review tapes, and help trainees develop and hone their therapy skills and self-efficacy. Interns will receive supervision of supervision to help them feel prepared to take on this role. Supervision of a practicum student is contingent upon the recruitment of 20-hour trainees for the training year.

All interns will conduct outreach presentations to the greater UC community as part of their internship program. Interns typically participate in at least three outreach presentations each semester, in addition to the large outreach presentations that all CAPS clinicians conduct a few times per year. Common outreach topics have included: overview of CAPS services, stress management or identifying students in distress. Outreach may also include collaborating with campus partners to facilitate an event.  

Group Therapy Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information, discussion of your experiences and process in your roles as group facilitators, as well as review of video-tape for feedback and learning. The content of this seminar includes: conducting group screenings, learning the development of the group processes, learning how to utilize here-and-now techniques and conducting effective termination rituals. It also provides a place for you to receive support and provide feedback for each other in your group work. 

Intersectionality Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information, self-reflection, discussion of cases, and experiential activities. The content of this seminar includes discussion of the intersectionality of multiple facets in one’s own identity and the identity of clients, exploration of how your identity may interact with the identities of your clients. This seminar places emphasis on the importance of understanding one’s own experiences with privilege, oppression, and biases, as well as understanding how these experiences impact your experience counseling a diversity of clients.   

Assessment Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information, modeling of assessment interview and delivery practices, and discussion of cases. The content of this seminar includes increasing knowledge and skill in the area of psychological assessment. Content also includes conducting effective pre-assessment interviews, choosing appropriate tests for an assessment client, and effectively interpreting those tests. Special attention is paid to assessing clients from diverse backgrounds and making interpretations that are multiculturally appropriate.  
 
Case Conceptualization Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information, discussions of your theoretical orientation, discussions of therapy cases, and case presentations. The content of this seminar includes increasing intern knowledge of different theoretical orientations and identifying how they may be applied to conceptualize the etiology, symptomology, change process, and treatment plan for clients.  

DBT Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information, and discussion of cases. The content covered in this seminar includes the background, history, and application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. This seminar focuses on the theory of DBT and exploration of what DBT-adherent therapy could look like.  

Trauma Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information and discussion of cases. The content covered in this seminar includes the neuropsychological basis of trauma, standard assessment tools for trauma-related disorders, DSM-5 criteria for trauma-related disorders, stages of trauma and recovery, evidence-based therapy interventions and trauma-informed care, and clinical decision making based on stages of recovery. It also includes the application of trauma-informed assessment, conceptualization, and interventions to real life case presentations.  
 
Single Session: This seminar includes the didactic teaching of information and considerations of implementing RACs. The content includes increasing intern knowledge on the basis of Single Session Therapy and the application of its components with clients, specifically college students. 

AoD Seminar: This seminar includes the didactic teaching of information, case consultation, and role playing. The content includes the etiology, experience, and progression of addiction patterns, strategies for assessing and treating substance use problems, and differentiating between clients with AoD concerns who are within and outside of the scope of practice at CAPS.  

Special Topics Seminar: This seminar includes the didactic teaching of information and discussion of different applications of therapy within our field. Some of the past topics that have been included in this seminar are Art Therapy, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, and Sports/Performance- Base Psychology. 

Supervision Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information as well as discussion. In addition to didactic experiences, this seminar is embedded with an experiential self-reflective component to integrate the application and embodiment of different culturally sensitive approaches to supervision. The content covered includes laws and ethics of clinical supervision, overview of supervision models, the supervisory relationship, providing feedback and evaluation, reviewing videotape in supervision, cultural considerations, challenges in supervision, countertransference, and terminating the supervisory relationship. 

Professional Development Seminar: This seminar includes didactic teaching of information as well as discussion. The content covered includes exploring and processing the identity of being a psychology intern and moving toward the future identity of licensed psychologist, exploring the challenges of being an intern, identifying early career issues, as well as providing a space to gather practical information about EPPP preparation, applying for jobs, and seeking employment in the psychology field.

Staff Meetings: Interns 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 interns’ 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 separate groups to facilitate small-group discussion.

Intern/Training Director Check-In: This meeting is discussion based, and intended to be a way that interns have regular, formal contact with the Training Director. The content includes exploring how interns 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 arise, as well as providing space for professional development concerns or other topics that arise.

Intern Meeting/Self-Care time: Interns are provided one hour every 2 weeks to spend time together, share more of themselves with each other, and form trusting bonds with each other and support each other during this unique and intense time of training in their lives. If interns prefer, they may spend this time separately focusing on self-care activities.  

Trauma Informed Care: Although CAPS offers a well-rounded training for interns to grow in their skills as generalists, we also provide specialty training in trauma-informed care. The ARISE program supports students who have experienced sexual assault or gender-based violence. The ARISE program reduces barriers to treatment for these students and provides them with specialized care. Interns are welcome to work with ARISE clients as part of their specialized trauma training. Our trauma focused treatment includes trauma recovery groups that run each semester, ongoing liaisonships with Title IX, and connection to advocate resources available to students on campus.  

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Promotion: CAPS offers opportunities for interns to participate in suicide prevention and mental health promotion efforts with campus and community partners. We provide the Question, Persuade, Refer training (QPR) to many of our campus partners. Interns are welcome to learn and facilitate suicide prevention trainings, and are provided opportunities to collaborate with university mental health groups such as the Bearcat Support Network or the Mental Health Champions. 

The CAPS internship is a full-time, paid, 2000-hour experience, of which 25%, or 500 hours, must be direct service or “face-to-face psychological services to patients/clients.” These hours are based on APA recommendations as well as requirements in the State of Ohio for licensure purposes. Be aware that some U.S. states and Canadian provinces require different numbers of face-to-face psychotherapy hours for licensure. Interns are responsible for ascertaining the requirements of specific states in which they may wish to practice in the future, and for meeting those requirements. It is best to plan to accumulate the majority of these clinical hours during Fall and Spring semesters, since CAPS typically sees fewer clients in the summer and over winter break. Additionally, with August orientation, no-show appointments, semester breaks, University holidays, and vacations, it is important for interns to accumulate the required clinical and total hours in a deliberate, planned manner.

Additionally, interns are encouraged to check the licensure supervisory requirements of the state/province in which they plan to practice. Some states require that doctoral clinical hours be completed under the supervision of someone licensed for at least 1-3 years (depending on the state/province). 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, see the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) website: www.asppb.net

Our internship received APPIC membership in Fall 2015 and maintains APPIC membership currently.

CAPS hours of operation are 8:00am-5:00pm with rotating days per semester from 10:00am-7:00pm. Senior staff members typically work one late day per week that is decided on at the beginning of each semester, in which they arrive at 10 and leave at 7.  

Direct Service Hours:
2 Hours: Emergency Coverage (occurring in Spring semester)

4 Hours: Rapid Access Consultations/Intakes

14 Hours: Individual and Group Therapy

Subtotal = 20 hours

Training Seminars/Activities/Didactics:
Training seminars last an hour long, and interns receive two seminars per week.  Seminars occur on a rotating schedule that is described below:

Seminars occurring all year round: Intersectionality, Assessment, AOD, Trauma, Case Conceptualization, Group Therapy, and Professional Development.

Additional seminars that are included during the fall semester and spring semester include: include: Supervision 

Additional seminars that are included in the summer semester include: DBT Skills.

Subtotal = 2  hours - Rotating, two weekly

Weekly Supervision*:
2 hours individual supervision with licensed pscyhologist (all year)

.5 hours individual supervision of group therapy (with licensed group co-leader)

1 hour rotating supervision all year (Assessment, Single-Session, Intersectionality and Group clinical team rotate) 

1 hour supervision of supervision (spring semester only)

1 hour clinical team case consultation meeting (all year) 

Subtotal = 4.5 hours during the fall and summer semesters, and 5.5 hours during the spring semester. *25% of supervision can happen with another licensed mental health professional (LISW-S, LPCC-S, and LMFT) based on Ohio licensure rules and requirements.  

Other Activities
1 hour: Staff meeting

.25 (1 hour monthly): Intern/Training Director Check-in

1 hour: Professional Development/Research/Job Search (depending upon time of year)

5 hours: Lunch

.5 hour (1 hour biweekly): Intern Meeting/Self-Care time 

9.25 hours: Paperwork/Administrative Duties

Subtotal = ~19 hours

Grand Total:
45 Hours per week.  5 of those hours are set aside for a one hour lunch break per day.

Salary
Interns are paid a yearly salary of $36,588

Benefits:

• Medical health insurance
• 10 Vacation days*, in addition to university holidays ** 
• 5 days Professional Development 
• Negotiate leave time for dissertation work, job search and graduation 
• Technologically-equipped office 
• University library privileges 
• Research time: approximately 4 hours/month based on CAPS clinical flow 
• Reduced rate for UC Metro Program (transit system): http://www.uc.edu/af/facilities/services/ucmetro.html
  
  * A minimum of five vacation days must be used at the very end of the internship year to facilitate ease of job search and transition time.
  ** No vacation or holiday time is eligible for cash payout if unused.
  *** Subject to change.
  
  For more in-depth information about benefits, please see the Stipend, Benefits, and Resources Policy, and the Benefits Summary.  

The Vacation, Leave, & Holidays Policy aims to support the intern in successfully completing their 2000- hour internship, comply with University of Cincinnati’s policies and support the work life balance of the intern.  

Vacation
As Psychology Interns you receive 10 vacation days. You need to request vacation time in advance by sending your supervisor and the Training Director an e-mail listing the particular dates for 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 five vacation days to be used at the end of your internship experience to facilitate ease of job search and transition.  

Sick Leave
Psychology Interns do not accrue Sick Time as part of their benefit package offered by University of Cincinnati. Interns are encouraged to call off if they are ill. It is to the interns’ advantage to work as many days as possible in order to accumulate the hours of clinical and training experience needed to complete the 2000-hour internship, as well as manage the clinical care of clients. Time taken under sick days will not be paid during your internship by Counseling & Psychological Services.

There may be times that the intern will need to work outside of regular scheduled hours if there are several days of absence. The intern must get approval from their supervisor and the Training Director before scheduling this time, and this should be within a week of the absence.

Call off Procedure
In the event that you need to call out of the office due to an unplanned need, such as illness or an emergency, it is your responsibility to call/text your supervisor, text the training director, as well as call and leave a message 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. 

In the event that you need to leave the office due to an unplanned need, such as illness or an emergency, it is your responsibility to inform your onsite supervisor, training director, and the administrative staff of any changes made to your workday. It is also part of your responsibility to reflect these changes to your schedule. 

Holidays
You are required to take all 15 official University holidays.

As mentioned above, in order to compensate for vacation time and official University holidays, and to complete the required 2000 hours, you can and should:

1. Document time that you happen to be working on internship-related tasks outside of your regular work hours;
2. Count professional development time (e.g., APA, other professional conferences or workshops, dissertation defense, job interviewing) toward your total internship hours;

Remember that of the required 2000 hours, you must be sure that at least 500 of these hours are direct service.  

Intern will achieve competency in the area of: Research

Competency achieved by:

• Demonstrating the substantially independent ability to critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activities via professional publication or presentation at the local, regional, or national level.
• Utilizing scholarly literature and other resources to inform practice with diverse clients

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Ethical and Legal Standards

Competency achieved by: 

• Demonstrates knowledge of, and acts in accordance with the following: the current version of the APA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct; relevent laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health services psychology at the organizational, local, state, and federal levels; relevent professional standards and guidelines.
• Recognizing ethical dilemmas as they arise and applying ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve them
• Conducting oneself in an ethical manner in all professional activities

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Individual and Cultural Diversity

Competency achieved by: 

• Demonstrating an understanding of how one's own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how one understands and interacts with people different from oneself
• Demonstrating knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity
• Integrating awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles
• Demonstrating the ability to independently apply knowledge and approach in working effectively with the range of diverse individuals and groups encountered during internship
• Establishing therapeutic alliance with diverse clients

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Professional Values and Attitudes

Competency achieved by: 

• Behaving in ways that reflect the values and attitude of psychology
• Engaging in self-reflection regarding personal and professional functioning
• Demonstrating awareness of personal and professional strengths, limitations, and growth edges
• Engaging in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness
• Actively seeking feedback, consultation, and supervision when needed.
• Demonstrating openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision
• Using supervisory feedback effectively with clients
• Actively participating in and using clinical team meetings effectively
• Responding professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence while progressing across levels of training

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Competency achieved by:

• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of individuals including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services
• Effectively expressing oneself verbally and comprehending others' verbal communications
• Effectively expressing oneself non-verbally and comprehending others' nonverbal communications
• Producing and comprehending written communications
• Demonstrating effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Assessment

Competency achieved by:

• Demonstrating current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems and functional and dysfunctional behaviors
• Demonstrating understanding of human behavior within its context
• Applying knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process
• Selecting and applying assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature
• Demonstrating ability to explain the purpose and utility of different types of assessments, including cognitive, objective, personality, projectives, and other assessments
• Effectively interviewing assessment clients and gathering relevant history
• Demonstrating appropriate analysis of behavioral observations
• Effectively administering a variety of psychological tests, including cognitive, objective personality, and projective tests
• Interpreting assessment results and client history according to current research, professional standards, and professional guidelines to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations
• Incorporating aspects of multicultural identity and upbringing when interpreting results
• Communicating orally and in written documents the findings and implications of assessment in an accurate and effective manner

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Intervention 

Competency achieved by: 

• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with recipients of psychological services
• Identifying presenting concerns, obtaining thorough history, and identifying appropriate disposition for clients
• Developing evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery skills
• Implementing interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables
• Demonstrating the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making
• Modifying and adapting evidence-based approaches appropriately
• Evaluating intervention effectiveness, and adapting intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation
• Effectively refering clients to community-based services when they cannot be adequately supported within the CAPS scope

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Group Therapy

Competency achieved by: 

•  Assessing clients for group readiness and fit during group screenings
• Facilitating group establishment of norms to promote a safe climate and group interaction
• Opening group sessions in a manner that promotes interaction and disclosure
• Timing interventions to promote group development
• Effectively dealing with silence
• Intervening in a manner appropriate to the topic and overall group themes
• Effectively refering clients to community-based services when they cannot be adequately supported within the CAPS scope
• Tailoring developmental approach for individual clients within the group
• Tending to individual and group process dynamics
• Intervening effectively to stop counterproductive behavior in the group 
• Facilitating deeper levels of group interaction and emotion
•  Retaining the appropriate level of objectivity and distance; keeping good boundaries
• Increasing involvement and leadership over time as a co-facilitator in the group
  
• Closing groups in a manner that helps members summarize and integrate their learning
  
• Identifying and working effectively with diversity issues as part of the group process

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Supervision

Competency achieved by: 

• Demonstrating knowledge of supervision models and practices
• Applying knowledge of supervision in direct or simulated practice with psychology trainees or other health professionals
• Effectively identifying supervisee's strengths and growth areas
• Effectively providing feedback to a supervisee in formal (evaluation forms) and informal (ongoing throughout supervision experience) ways

Intern will achieve competence in the area of: Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills

Competency achieved by:

• Demonstrating knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions
• Applying knowledge about consultation in direct or simulated (e.g. role played) consultation

University of Cincinnati Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Training Program is committed to embracing and celebrating diversity, as well as working towards inclusivity and belongingness for all of our staff members, trainees, and campus community. We are dedicated to promoting an environment of respect and appreciation for the race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, physical/mental ability, and socioeconomic status of all. We take a stance against discrimination and oppression in any form and strive to create an atmosphere of affirmation, openness, trust, and safety where all attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors can be openly shared and explored. At UC CAPS, we believe that a diverse staff makes us stronger as a team. It challenges our own biases and increases the creativity of our practice by inviting new lenses and views. As such, it also makes us better clinicians and helps us to serve the UC student population better.

For these reasons, our training program is built on the value of diversity. We strive to infuse training with didactic and experiential activities that help to stretch our trainees to be able to work with individuals who differ from them in culture, identity, background, and role. We work to create a safe environment where trainees can examine and challenge their assumptions and biases, knowing that they will be supported in this vulnerable process. Furthermore, we strive to serve as good role models for the challenging and ongoing work of exploring our own assumptions and biases so that we can continue to grow as clinicians and model the value of this work for our trainees.

Given our value of diversity, we expect all trainees to engage in the introspection and educational activities presented as part of their training in diversity, and we require them to achieve competency in individual and cultural diversity as a part of their successful completion of the internship program. We enforce these requirements as part of our own commitment to honor diversity, and to ensure that trainees are able to provide competent psychological services to all members of the public.  

Application Process
UC CAPS currently offers 4 full-time internship positions. Students interested in applying for the internship program must submit an online application through the APPIC website (www.appi.org) using the APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI) and must also complete a short information gathering survey through the UC Jobs website.

A complete application consists of the following materials, all of which may be submitted as part of the AAPI if the applicant applies via the APPIC website:

1. A cover letter
2. A current Curriculum Vitae
3. Three letters of recommendation in the format of the AAPI Standardized Reference Form (SRF). Two of those letters must be from persons who have directly supervised the applicant’s clinical work. Please submit no more than three letters of recommendation.
4. Official transcripts of all graduate coursework.
5. A short survey of information via the UC Jobs portal.  

Application Screening and Interview Processes
UC CAPS bases its selection process on the entire application package noted above; however, applicants who have met the following qualifications prior to beginning internship are considered preferred:

1. A minimum of 400 intervention hours;
2. A minimum of 20 assessment hours;
3. Dissertation proposal defended;
4. Some experience or special interest working with diverse populations;
5. Current enrollment and good standing in an APA or CPA accredited doctoral program.

All applications are reviewed by the UC CAPS Training Committee using a standard Application Rating Scale and evaluated for potential goodness of fit with the internship program. The Training Committee meets to determine which applicant we wish to invite for interviews based upon the results of this review process. All interviews are conducted via Zoom so as to minimize the financial impact of interviewing on our interviewees. During the interview process (which lasts one hour), interviewees are asked a standard set of questions and scored by each interviewer on their Professionalism/Maturity, Openness/Flexibility/Curiosity to the Process, Diversity Focus, Clinical/Supervision/Knowledge Base, and Applicable Experience in College Counseling or Other Related Settings. Each interviewee is also provided the opportunity to speak with one of our current interns as a way to gather additional information about our site, if they desire. Their conversation with a current intern is non-evaluative and not considered part of their interview process.  

Participation in the APPIC Match
The Training Committee holds a meeting within two weeks after the final interviews have been completed to determine applicant rankings. The full application package and information gleaned from the interview process are utilized to determine applicant rankings. As a member of APPIC, UC CAPS participates in the national internship matching process by submitting its applicant rankings for two positions to the National Matching Service. UC CAPS abides by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. Questions regarding any part of the selection process or UC CAPS’s academic preparation requirements may be directed to the Training Director.

All interns who either match with UC CAPS via the National Matching Service or are offered a position via the Post-Match Vacancy Service (PMVS) must provide proof of their eligibility to work in the US and must successfully pass a fingerprint-based background check prior to beginning their employment. Instructions for completion of the background check will be sent out to individuals who are matched with UC CAPS or offered a position via PMVS. UC CAPS is unable to determine exactly which activities result in a failure to pass the criminal background check because all activities that emerge in the criminal background checks are reviewed by the UC Criminal Background Check Committee to be identify whether or not an applicant will be hired at the university.  

The University of Cincinnati Counseling & Psychological Services (UC CAPS) requires that interns demonstrate minimum levels of achievement across all competencies and training elements. Interns are formally evaluated by their primary supervisor twice annually, at the midpoint and end of the internship year. Evaluations are conducted using a standard rating form, which includes comment spaces where supervisors include specific written feedback regarding the interns’ performance and progress. The evaluation form includes information about the interns’ performance regarding all of UC CAPS’s expected training competencies and the related training elements. Supervisors are expected to review these evaluations with the interns and provide an opportunity for discussion at each time point.

A minimum level of achievement on each evaluation is defined as a 3 for each item on each competency, with no element rated less than a 3. For midterm evaluations, scores of 2 or lower on any item indicate areas in which an intern must improve prior to their completion of their internship. The final evaluation is the exit evaluation; therefore, an intern will not pass internship if they have a score of 2 or lower on any item at the end of their internship year. The rating scale for each evaluation is a 5- point scale, with the following rating values: 1 = Remedial, 2 = Beginning/Developing Competence, 3 = Proficient Competence, 4 = Advanced Competence, 5 = Area of Expertise. If an intern receives a score less than a 2 on any training element at the mid-year evaluation, or if supervisors have reason to be concerned about the student’s performance or progress, the program’s Due Process procedures will be initiated. The Due Process guidelines can be found in the UC CAPS Handbook. Interns’ final evaluation at the end of the year is their exit evaluation. They must receive an average rating of 3 or above on all competencies and no ratings below a 3 on all training elements on that exit evaluation in order to successfully complete the program.  

Additionally, all UC CAPS interns are expected to complete 2000 hours of training during the internship year. Meeting the hour requirement and obtaining sufficient ratings on all evaluations demonstrates that the intern has progressed satisfactorily through and completed the internship program. Intern evaluations and certificates of completion are maintained indefinitely by the Training Director in a secure digital file. Intern evaluations and any other relevant feedback to the interns’ home doctoral program is provided at minimum at the mid-point and end of the internship year. Doctoral programs are contacted within one month following the end of the internship year and informed that the intern has successfully completed the program. If successful completion of the program comes into question at any point during the internship year, or if an intern enters into the formal review step of the Due Process procedures due to a concern by a faculty member or an inadequate rating on an evaluation, the home doctoral program also is contacted. This contact is intended to ensure that the home doctoral program, which also has a vested interest in the interns’ progress, is kept engaged in order to support an intern who may be having difficulties during the internship year. The home doctoral program is notified of any further action that may be taken by UC CAPS as a result of the Due Process procedures, up to and including termination from the program.

In addition to the evaluations described above, interns complete an evaluation of their supervisor and a program evaluation at the mid-point and end of the internship year, in order to provide feedback that will inform any changes or improvements in the training program. All evaluation forms are available in the UC CAPS Handbook and via the UC CAPS M: Drive.  

UC CAPS provides all interns with at least four hours of supervision each week during their training year. Two of those hours are provided via weekly individual supervision with their individual supervisor, who is a licensed psychologist. One hour is provided via the weekly clinical team meeting, in which trainees present cases to receive feedback from senior staff members, and also participate in group consultation for other staff members seeking consultation. 30 minutes of supervision is provided via weekly supervision of group therapy. During the Fall and Summer semesters, the other 30 minutes is provided via the biweekly, 60-minute assessment supervision they receive from the assessment coordinator. During the Spring semester of their time at UC CAPS, they only receive 1 hour/monthly assessment supervision (for an avg of 15 minutes/wk) because they complete fewer assessments at that time so that they may focus more on their supervision of a practicum student. During that semester, they also receive 1 hour of weekly supervision of the supervision that they provide to another trainee at UC CAPS.  

Individual supervisors maintain overall responsibility for all supervision of individual clients, group therapy supervisors maintain responsibility for all group therapy clients, and the assessment coordinator maintains responsibility for all assessment clients. Interns change individual supervisors halfway through their year. They also may change group supervisors from semester to semester. They maintain assessment supervision with the assessment coordinator throughout the entire year. At the time when interns change supervisors, their new supervisor becomes responsible for all of their clients within the realm of provided supervision (i.e., group supervisor is responsible for group clients, individual supervisor is responsible for individual clients, etc). By participating in supervision with two separate individual supervisors over the course of the year, and maintaining supervision with their assessment supervisor over the course of the year, all interns receive formal supervision from a minimum of three doctoral-level licensed psychologists over the course of the year.

In addition to the aforementioned formal supervision, interns have ample opportunity for informal supervision and consultation at all times during which they provide clinical services. All supervisors are appropriately credentialed for their role in the program. Contact information for all supervisors is provided to interns at the beginning of the year and updated as it changes throughout the year. UC CAPS staff members leave their doors open when they are not seeing clients so that interns and other trainees may consult with them when needed. Supervisors also regularly check in with their supervisees outside the regularly scheduled supervision hours as needed for support with complex or high risk clients, as part of remediation plans, or for other reasons pertaining to intern support, oversight, and growth.

Interns are formally evaluated by their individual supervisor twice annually, at the midpoint and end of the internship year. Each evaluation is based in part on direct observation by the individual supervisor and is also informed by observations from group supervisors, the assessment supervisor, and any other relevant staff members. Supervisors review these evaluations with the interns and provide an opportunity for discussion at each time point. More information about intern evaluations is included in the UC CAPS Intern Evaluation, Retention, and Termination Policy.  

Intern evaluations, certificates of completion, and the intern’s individual training plan, defined by the training handbook from that year, are maintained indefinitely by the Training Director in a secure digital file on the M: drive. Records related to Due Process procedures are maintained in the same file, as described in the UC CAPS Due Process Procedures. Records related to grievances or complaints are kept in a separate secure digital file. Intern evaluations and the certificates of completion are shared with the Director of Clinical Training at the intern’s home doctoral program at the mid-point and end of internship year. Remediation plans and notices of termination are shared with the home doctoral program’s Director of Clinical Training as described in the UC CAPS Due Process Procedures. 

The clinical training program at the University of Cincinnati’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) is designed with professional and personal growth and development in mind. As a center, we understand the developmental nature of the training process and we expect that there will be some challenges that create problems that need to be addressed, either through an informal or formal process. Due Process provides a framework to respond, act, or dispute in these instances, thereby ensuring that decisions made are not arbitrary or personally based. Our Due Process procedure occurs in a step-wise fashion, such that, as problems increase in persistence, complexity, or disruption to our program, the Due Process procedures involve greater levels of intervention.  

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.  

As a center, we expect that there may be some conflict or challenges that create problems that need to be addressed, either through an informal or formal process. We encourage trainees to discuss conflicts with the associated parties and resolve conflicts informally when possible, seeking consultation as needed. When informal discussion and resolution is not possible or insufficient, this document provides a formal mechanism for the counseling center to respond to issues of concern. Trainees may raise concerns about supervisors, other faculty members, other trainees, or any other aspect of the training program. Trainees pursuing grievances should know that no negative repercussions from CAPS will result when their claims are made in good faith. In the case of all steps of the Grievance Process, if a faculty/staff member involved in the Grievance Process is unavailable, then that person, or the Executive Director may name a person to serve to role of the unavailable person. Trainees are expected to follow these guidelines in addressing any grievance: 

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.  

UC CAPS psychology interns receive a yearly salary of $36,588. As employees of UC CAPS, interns enroll themselves in a retirement plan, and are eligible to receive comprehensive health benefits for themselves and their families. Interns also receive 10 days of Vacation time, and 15 paid state holidays. Questions regarding specific benefits packages can be directed to the University of Cincinnati’s Human Resources department at benefits@uc.edu. Interns should submit requests for time off to their primary supervisor and the training director at least two weeks in advance of the anticipated leave date. Interns are responsible for communicating anticipated absences to all supervisors for whom work will be missed. Sick leave must be communicated to the intern’s primary supervisor, training director, and the administrative staff as soon as the intern is physically able to do so. The training director and supervisors are available for any questions related to time off. 

UC CAPS psychology interns have access to numerous resources. Interns have their own offices where they conduct individual therapy sessions. Their offices are complete with a computer, telephone, bookshelf, desk chair, and two counseling chairs. The interns are encouraged to decorate their offices as appropriate with items of their choice. Each office is equipped with a computer-mounted camera to record counseling sessions.

Interns have access to a variety of assessment instruments to be used under the supervision of the Assessment Coordinator and/or their supervisor. The instruments they most commonly use include: WAIS-IV, WIAT-III, WRAT-IV, Conners-3, and PAI-R. Other instruments available to them include: Assessment Interview Guide, AUDIT-C, Cognitive Symptoms Checklist, DSM-5 Cross Cutting Measure, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised (HVLT-R), Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ 45.2), Academic Competence Evaluation Scales, ADSA, Barkley ADHD Scales, CAARS, Gray Silent Reading Test, Kaufman Functional Academic Skills Test (K-FAST), Nelson Denny Reading, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA), Color Trials, Kent Visual Perceptual Test (KVPT), MAQ, MMPIII, Raven Progressive Matrix, Rey Complex Figure Test, Ruff 2+7, RULIT, SCLR 90, Stroop Colors, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), College Adjustment Scales (CAS), Cognitive Distortions Scales (CDS), Detailed Assessment of PTSD Symptoms (DAPS), Obsessional Beliefs Scale (OBS), Rorschach, Rotter’s Incomplete Sentence, Self-Description Inventory, Sentence Completion, Social Phobia and anxiety Inventory, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAXI), Social Skills Inventory, Test Anxiety Inventory, and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale.

Interns also have access to other rooms and resources provided all employees at UC CAPS. They 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 interns to use. The UC CAPS file room has one large storage room for basic office supplies; the interns have access to these materials. If interns need supplies that are not in inventory, they can place a special order request with the Program Manager. Additionally, interns have access to other CAPS rooms and resources, including the library of psychological books, the meditation room, and the biofeedback room. Interns also have access to the support staff who work with UC staff to help welcome students, manage payment and insurance, as well as schedule and cancel therapy sessions as needed.

Lastly, interns also have access to the resources provided by the University of Cincinnati, which include but are not limited to the university library system and subscription to journals, the university’s IT department and assistance, and admission to the university’s shuttle system.  

The training staff at University of Cincinnati Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) uses both inperson and telesupervision as ways to support individuals in training. Telesupervision allows individuals in training to receive supervision so that they may continue to provide high quality clinical services even when their supervisors are not present in-person. It also allows for regular professional socialization and consultation via telehealth means. In order to participate in telesupervision, all individuals in training must complete a telemental health training designated by us at CAPS and/or show evidence of having completed a previous telemental health training.

The provision of telesupervision is consistent with our training aims of facilitating growth from reliance on supervisors to a position of readiness to enter the field of psychology and provide clinical services to a diverse population of clients. Telesupervision allows our individuals in training to continue their growth and development during this time. Also, their increased familiarity with telehealth platforms increases their flexibility and competence to provide both in-person and virtual services to a diverse clientele in the future. Telementalhealth services are particularly supportive of individuals who are unable to attend traditional therapy appointments due to financial reasons (inability to take time off work), reasons related to ability status, or geographic reasons (i.e. individuals in rural areas). Because of this, telesupervision also helps to support individuals in training with their growth toward providing services to a diverse population of clients.

We view supervision as essential to the professional growth and development of all trainees and we place importance on relationship building within this process. Because CAPS is a small center, all trainees interact with all members of CAPS, including supervisors, early on throughout their orientation to our center. They also encounter multiple opportunities for informal relationship building via their mutual participation in Circle Questions, meetings, and through staff chats via Microsoft Teams. Formally, supervisors and supervisees also solidify their relationship by beginning supervision with a discussion of supervisee goals for the year, as well as identifying areas of strength and the ways in which supervisees would like to grow. These conversations are facilitated via the completion of the Supervision Agreement and TeleSupervision Agreement, which clarify expectations and formalize goals.

Supervisors have full professional responsibility for all of their supervisees’ clinical cases in this telementalhealth format. They are responsible for reviewing the TeleSupervision Agreement with their supervisees, and ensuring adherence to telementalhealth best practices. All CAPS members, including supervisees, must never discuss confidential information with their supervisors or clients without being connected to the UC Virtual Private Network (VPN), and also using our HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom available through Therapy Assistance Online (TAO). All recordings that occur within the context of clinical work must be saved to the supervisees’ folder within our encrypted and secure M: drive and must not be saved anywhere else. Supervisors viewing those videos access them from the encrypted and secure M: drive, and do not save the videos anywhere else.