Title of Presentation: Shifting gears: Adapting training programs in a new era of mental health care
Presenters:
Kenli Urruty - University of Colorado Boulder Counseling and Psychiatric Services
Jason Hindman - Texas A&M University Counseling and Psychological Services
Jenna Glover - Children's Hospital Colorado/Pediatric Mental Health Institute
Abstract:
Across training agencies, demands shift over time as clinical needs, resources, and leadership changes impact the work we do. This presentation will highlight the shifting landscapes in two university counseling centers and an academic medical center. As agencies see increases in crises and demands that surpass resources, new and evolving forms of treatment, such as groups, workshops, and single session interventions, are utilized to address service delivery needs more efficiently. Often, staff and faculty members are acclimating to changes in service delivery (sometimes reluctantly) at the same time they are training interns and postdocs. How can training programs maintain the margin necessary for self-reflection when trainees and staff/faculty alike are struggling to keep up with service delivery demands? What can training directors do to effectively collaborate with the clinical services side of the house? How can training programs be aligned with the larger vision, mission, and agendas of the organization? It is also incumbent that training directors maintain commitment to training in diversity and multiculturalism at the same time the clinical landscape is shifting. Entry-level psychologists must enter the field with an ability to function flexibly, and must also have the ability to understand and communicate the many diverse roles psychologists can fulfill in an organization. As trainees begin their careers, it has become increasingly important for them to be able to articulate the unique value they bring in their roles as mental health providers, and it’s critical that training programs guide them in developing that skillset. Training programs must equip trainees to manage large caseloads, handle high acuity and crises, provide psychoeducational programming, coordinate care across health care professions, and assess/measure outcomes. This presentation will examine how training directors can create and implement programming to meet these objectives.
Learning Objectives:
- Attendees will be equipped with strategies for helping trainees adjust to changing service delivery demands.
- Attendees will be able to identify strategies for creating training for health service psychologists in an integrated healthcare setting.
- Attendees will be able to identify strategies for supporting trainees’ development of self-care and professional longevity habits in the midst of ever increasing demands.
- Attendees will be able to identify strategies for helping staff/faculty stay engaged and enthusiastic about training despite their busy schedules.
References:
Brunner, J.L., Wallace, D.L., Reymann, L.S., Sellers J.J., & McCabe, A.G. (2014). College counseling today: contemporary students and how counseling centers meet their needs Journal of College Student Psychotherapy 28(4), 257-324.
Campoli, J. & Cummings, J.A. (2019). Self-care in clinical psychology trainees: current approach and future recommendations. The Behavior Therapist 12-17.
Prince, J. (2015). University student counseling and mental health in the United States: trends and challenges. Mental Health and Prevention, 5-10.