The NPTC Administrative Office continually assesses each member site’s compliance and conduct with reference to the Internship Training Manual and terms of the Membership Participation Agreement signed every three years, including any required revisions thereafter noted. Feedback from formal and informal assessments facilitates professional growth by acknowledging strengths and identifying performance or conduct areas that need improvement.
Site supervisors are evaluated bi-annually by the psychology interns on their availability and the quantity and quality of supervision provided. The forms are anonymous, but it is expected that a score in the range of 1 or 2 (Not at all/Not receiving) on any item will be discussed, as appropriate, between the intern and supervisor. Feedback is distributed anonymously in a regional aggregated report to all Consortium directors, but each supervisor will receive their individual feedback at the close of the training year. NPTC also reserves the right to address supervisory issues throughout the year if there is a supervisor receiving low scores and/or concerning comments on the feedback forms. This is done as discretely as possible to protect intern anonymity as much as possible. Psychology interns also provide quarterly feedback on their internship, and at the end of the year, they provide feedback on the Consortium as a whole. It is expected that the sites and the Consortium will maintain a score of 3 (Satisfactory) or higher on each item. Feedback on these evaluations is discussed at a Board of Directors meeting, and the Board may develop a plan of action for any sites with areas of concern.
In addition to formal feedback, the President/CEO may, as necessary, prepare additional written evaluations of a site, supervisor, or Training Director’s skills, including strengths and weaknesses. Such additional written evaluations will include plans for remediating any weaknesses and addressing the site, supervisor, or Training Director’s professional development. The site designee, supervisor, or Training Director will sign and may comment on these written evaluations. Copies of these written evaluations and performance improvement plans are sent to the Vice President of Operations and placed in the site member’s file.
Written records of the Membership Participation Agreement and all formal evaluations are maintained in the site file in the Administrative Office. Each site’s file is also available to the Board of Directors of the National Psychology Training Consortium.
Definition of Problematic Performance and/or Conduct for Sites #
The Consortium defines problematic performance and problematic conduct as occurring when sites/training directors/supervisors act in ways that are not in line with the guidelines spelled out in the Membership Participation Agreement, the Supervisor Policies and Procedures Manual, or other standards of conduct that are counter to the mission and training goals of the Consortium. Performance may be considered problematic for, but is not limited to, the following characteristics:
1. Consistently late with turning in required paperwork to the Consortium.
2. Not attending meetings or making up missed meetings to meet the required percentage attendance as required in the Membership Participation Agreement.
3. Lack of timely responsiveness to e-mail and phone communication with the Consortium.
4. Reports of revenue generation taking precedence over intern training.
5. Reports of insufficient supervision time and/or involvement in intern professional development and training.
6. Reports of inappropriate boundaries and/or unethical behavior.
Whenever a site/Training Director’s behaviors are considered problematic above, the following sanctions may be considered and imposed:
1. Additional site fees.
2. Increased meeting attendance percentage.
3. Increased number of hours in individual supervision with interns with written plans to make up missed hours if applicable.
4. Required training attendance over any areas/topics that are of concern.
5. Required to follow a timeline of required response time to requests from the Consortium.
6. A remediation plan to address demonstrated deficits.
7. A “supervisor” or point-of-contact with NPTC Sr. Vice President of Clinical Operations to ensure ongoing and effective communication.
8. Site is placed on probation for a period of time.
9. Site is involuntarily placed on inactive for the next training year.
10. Immediate removal of interns from the site.
11. Site membership in the Consortium is revoked.