A model using trainee outcome for evaluating the effectiveness of professional psychology graduate programs

Although there has been a long history of research exploring the effectiveness of psychotherapy, comparatively little attention has been directed toward the question of whether clinical psychology trainees produce positive outcome. Therefore a major challenge for the field of professional psychology is to develop a systematic way of evaluating the progress of trainees and documenting empirical evidence of professional competency. In order to address these professional issues, outcome data from pre-doctoral interns was analyzed as a model for a proposal for evaluating the progress of clinical psychology graduate students at Spalding University. Outcome data was collected for a sample of 41 patients from an outpatient clinic at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC). On average, the 41 TAMC patients who participated in treatment for 3 or more sessions significantly improved in terms of overall symptom distress as well as social and occupational functioning (T = 5.03; df 40). Of the patients who began treatment with scores in the dysfunctional range, 33% displayed clinically significant change, 15% showed improvement, and 9% got significantly worse. Progress and outcome data were examined for an individual patient in order to illustrate a model for providing documentation of trainee effectiveness. The results of this outcome study are used as a foundation for a recommendation to evaluate the training of Spalding University students. Included is a review of the profession's struggle to define competency in clinical psychology with a proposed operational definition advanced. A method for assessing behavioral components of competency is examined with implications for monitoring student progress and documenting empirical evidence supporting future training standards.