Attaining competency with psychological/behavioral health assessment/screeners is a core experience of the internship. Assessment tasks are emphasized to enhance knowledge and skill in the areas of diagnostic clarification, case conceptualization, and treatment planning. As a part of the Assessment Profession-Wide Competency, interns are required to complete reports appropriate to their specific internship site. These reports may be in the form of comprehensive evaluations, diagnostic consultations, or primary care behavioral health tools. General guidelines for what counts as a report includes:
Relevant biopsychosocial history to inform diagnosis
At least two empirically supported psychological/behavioral measures
A summary of findings
Treatment recommendations or an adequate response to the referral question
If there are additional questions regarding what constitutes a report, interns should first consult with their site Training Director. Reports of any kind should be supervised by licensed psychologists and should focus on the the key elements of the Assessment Profession-Wide Competency with enough frequency and detail so that the evaluating supervisors can assess intern competency in all listed areas. As competency is gained, the supervisor may allow the intern more autonomy in the administration and completion of assessments/screeners. The intern is expected to become more proficient and sophisticated in their ability to perform these tasks as the internship progresses. If a site cannot provide the necessary number of opportunities for a psychology intern to complete enough reports to appropriately evaluate them in the assessment competency, a secondary site may be assigned for a period of time during the internship year to provide the needed resources and/or shadow reports are considered acceptable. Site Directors are to contact their Regional Training Director as soon as possible if they feel their site may not be able to meet this expectation.