Practicum Experience: Journal Entry

Desired Clinical Skills for Students to Achieve

Confident (Can complete independently)

Mostly confident (Can complete with supervision)

Beginning (Have performed with supervision or need supervision to feel confident)

New (Have never performed or does not apply)

Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation skills in: 

Recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness across the lifespan

Mostly

Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions 

Mostly

Performing and interpreting a comprehensive and/or interval history and physical examination (including laboratory and diagnostic studies) 

Mostly

Performing and interpreting a mental status examination 

Mostly

Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history 

Mostly

Performing and interpreting a functional assessment (activities of daily living, occupational, social, leisure, educational).

mostly

Diagnostic reasoning skill in:

Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list

mostly

Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data 

mostly

Differentiating between normal/abnormal age-related physiological and psychological symptoms/changes

mostly

Pharmacotherapeutic skills in:

Selecting appropriate evidence based clinical practice guidelines for medication plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management) 

Mostly

Evaluating patient response and modify plan as necessary 

Mostly

Documenting (e.g., adverse reaction, the patient response, changes to the plan of care)

Mostly

Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning:

Recognizes concepts of therapeutic modalities across the lifespan

New

Selecting appropriate evidence based clinical practice guidelines for psychotherapeutic plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management, modality appropriate for situation) 

New

Applies age-appropriate psychotherapeutic counseling techniques with individuals, families, and/or groups

New

Develop an age appropriate individualized plan of care

New

Provide psychoeducation to individuals, family, and/or groups

New

Promote health and disease prevention techniques

Mostly

Self-Assessment skills:

Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences 

Mostly

Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify plan as necessary 

Mostly

Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences

Mostly

Professional skills:

Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship with clients and staff

Mostly

Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to improve clinical practice in mental health settings 

Mostly

Identifies ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions

Beginning

Demonstrates non-judgmental practice approach and empathy

Mostly

Practices within scope of practice

Selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument(s), interpreting results, and making recommendations and referrals:

Demonstrates selecting the correct screening instrument appropriate for the clinical situation 

Beginning

Implements the screening instrument efficiently and effectively with the clients

Beginning

Interprets results for screening instruments accurately

beginning

Develops an appropriate plan of care based upon screening instruments response

Mostly

Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable

Mostly

Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable

Mostly

Based on the self-assessment form, good abilities to elaborate a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. Elaborate differential diagnosis and a main diagnosis according to DSM-5. Able to select to appropriate psychopharmacologic treatment, evaluate to effect and report the side effects. Good abilities to develop and evaluate the outcome of SMART goals for practicum experience. Professional skills such as Maintaining professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship with clients and staff; collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to improve clinical practice in mental health settings.

-Need to acquire knowledge and skills in psychotherapeutic concepts and modalities across the lifespan by selecting appropriate evidence based clinical practice guidelines for psychotherapeutic plan; Applies age-appropriate psychotherapeutic counseling techniques with individuals, families, and/or groups; Develop an age-appropriate individualized plan of care and Provide psychoeducation to individuals, family, and/or groups.

– Become more familiar with selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument(s), interpreting results, and making recommendations and referrals:

1-Goal: Become confident in the use of screening instruments in the care of most psychiatric disorders and psychotherapy by the end of this practicum.

a-Objective: Selecting and implementing appropriate screening instrument.

b-Objective: Interpreting results, and making recommendations and referrals –

2-Goal: Improve my professionalism skills by applying and identifying ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions by the end of this practicum.

a. Objective: Read code of ethics and evidenced based practice articles about ethics and legal issues in psychotherapy with individuals, groups and families.

b. Objective: Provide safety and confidence to patients by protecting their rights and privacy.

3-Goal: Become knowledgeable in Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning by the end of this practicum.

a. Objective: Selecting appropriate evidence based clinical practice guidelines for psychotherapeutic plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management, modality appropriate for situation

b. Objective: Applies age-appropriate psychotherapeutic counseling techniques with individuals, families, and/or groups. Develop an age-appropriate individualized plan of care