School Psychology Program: Fitness to Practice Policy

Transcription

1 Schl Psychlgy Prgram: Fitness t Practice Plicy This Fitness t Practice Plicy applies t all students upn enrllment in the Schl Psychlgy Prgram, and remains in effect until cmpletin f the Prgram. It is imprtant t nte that satisfying the curricular requirements is nt sufficient fr cmpletin f the Schl Psychlgy Prgram. In additin t satisfactry cmpletin f the academic requirements and standards f the UTSA Graduate Schl (delineated in the Graduate Catalg), all candidates are expected t demnstrate skills sufficient t prvide psychlgical and educatinal services t children, families, and schls. Prgress in the Prgram is a result f successful cmpletin f university cursewrk and the demnstratin f imprtant characteristics and dispsitins identified belw as Fitness t Practice Standards. These Standards are guided by the Schl Psychlgy Prgram Principles, which are based n the prfessin s values and reflect gals fr thse graduating frm the Prgram. The Fitness t Practice Standards are especially critical given the nature f the services prvided by schl psychlgists, and prgram faculty reserve the right t recmmend r nt recmmend students cntinuatin in the Prgram n the basis f whether students demnstrate Fitness t Practice as utlined belw. Schl Psychlgy Prgram Principles Three principles represent cre values demnstrated acrss all levels f schl psychlgy, and guide every aspect f the UTSA Schl Psychlgy Prgram. Implied with each is the expectatin that students will embrace a rigrus and clsely mnitred academic plan necessary t acquire requisite skills that will be used in prviding prfessinal services t diverse schls, cmmunities, individuals, and families. The values f human rights, respect, dignity, and integrity are clearly mandated by all thse assciated with this prgram. Principle A: Cultural and Individual Dignity Principle B: Cmmitment t Self-Reflectin Principle C: Hnesty and Integrity Principle A: Cultural and Individual Dignity: Students must maintain an active cultural self-awareness in serving diverse cmmunities and individuals. Persnal selfawareness f values and beliefs is an imprtant dispsitin that facilitates wrking with ther grup values, cultures, mres, and experiences. Students shuld be able t demnstrate appreciatin and respect f persns f different cultural, racial, and/r individual differences. Student effrts t understand underrepresented cmmunities are imprtant cmpnents f all prfessinal cntacts. Principle B: Cmmitment t Self-Reflectin: All students are expected t be selfregulated learners. Thus, the principle f self-reflectin invlves deliberate selfmnitring and self-regulatry management in rder t reflect n skill develpment, academic prgress, and prfessinal strengths and weaknesses. Students shuld set persnal gals n a regular basis and then mnitr prgress twards gal attainment s that prfessinal behavirs can be adjusted as necessary.

2 Principle C: Hnesty and Integrity: Students will demnstrate hnesty and integrity in all areas f their prfessinal develpment. These behavirs will be bservable in hw the students prepare and cmplete assignments, maintain themselves in relatinship t all prfessinal and infrmal cntacts, and hw they perate in cnsultatin settings. Students will als be expected t demnstrate hw they respnd t ptentially challenging situatins and ethical dilemmas. Fitness t Practice Standards In additin t all curriculum requirements (including taking advanced cursewrk, enrlling in practicum and internship, and applying t take the cmprehensive examinatin) students must meet the fllwing standards in rder t prgress thrugh the Schl Psychlgy Prgram: Academic Excellence: Maintenance f schlastic perfrmance meeting r exceeding UTSA and department standards. Academic standards include: Attendance f all classes; preparedness and punctuality are the expected nrm. Cmpletin f all curse assignments in a prfessinal and timely manner. Demnstratin f academic integrity (i.e., refraining frm dishnest behavirs such as cheating and plagiarism). Demnstratin f written and ral cmmunicatin skills necessary t cnvey their ideas within bth academic (e.g., in the classrm, during supervisin) and prfessinal (e.g., with children, parents, and schl persnnel) cntexts. Written cmmunicatin includes the ability t write clearly, use crrect grammar and spelling, and cnvey ideas t a range f audiences in a way that facilitates understanding. Oral cmmunicatin includes the ability t cmmunicate effectively with ther students, faculty, staff, and prfessinals by expressing ideas and feelings clearly and demnstrating a willingness and an ability t listen t thers. This als includes the prfessinal level skills in spken English required t understand cntent presented in the prgram, t adequately cmplete all ral assignments, and t meet the bjectives f field placement experiences, as specified by faculty. Acquisitin and Applicatin f Skills: Demnstratin f the acquisitin f, and ability t apply, skills necessary t wrk effectively with persns and systems having diverse needs. This standard will be evaluated thrughut the curriculum, but will be mst directly bserved in Practicum in Schl Psychlgy and Internship in Schl Psychlgy. Bth university faculty and site-based supervisrs will ensure that students demnstrate the skills necessary t wrk as practitiners f schl psychlgy. These skills include (but are nt limited t) the fllwing: Psycheducatinal assessment and diagnsis

3 Individual and grup cunseling Cnsultatin with teachers, parents, and ther prfessinals Crisis interventin Ethical decisin making In-service training Prfessinalism: Demnstratin f prfessinalism in interactins with thers. This standard will be evaluated thrughut the curriculum as the student s interactins with classmates, faculty, clients, and supervisrs are mnitred. Students must demnstrate: Flexibility and penness t new perspectives and ways f thinking. Acceptance and penness t prfessinal feedback and cnstructive caching. The ability t separate persnal and prfessinal issues when wrking with clients and when cmpleting cursewrk. The ability t build effective prfessinal relatinships with children and parents/families. The ability t wrk cllegially and prductively with classmates, university faculty and staff, and schl persnnel at field-based sites. Apprpriate scial skills in prfessinal and scial interactins with faculty, clleagues, and clients. Skills in wrking with culturally diverse ppulatins. Behavirs that wuld preclude any risk f sexual harassment, verbal and physical aggressin, and sexual relatinships with clients, supervisrs, and faculty. The ability t maintain a prfessinal appearance when in prfessinal cntexts (e.g., field-based experiences). Emtinal and Mental Fitness: Demnstratin f emtinal and mental fitness in their interactins with thers, and in cmpleting curricular requirements. This standard will be evaluated thrughut the curriculum as the student s interactins with classmates, faculty, clients, and supervisrs are mnitred. Student emtinal and mental fitness are demnstrated thrugh the fllwing behavirs: Ability t deal with current life stressrs thrugh the use f apprpriate cping mechanisms. He r she will handle stress effectively by using apprpriate self-care and develping supprtive relatinships with clleagues, peers, and thers. Demnstratin f the judgment, emtinal health, and mental health required t functin effectively as a schl psychlgist. Ability t think analytically abut prfessinal and schlarly issues. Ability t self-reflect n their wn learning and prfessinal practice and cmpetence. Ethical Standards: Students will cnfrm t the cdes f ethics f relevant prfessinal assciatins in psychlgy (e.g., Natinal Assciatin f Schl Psychlgists, American Psychlgical Assciatin) in additin t the ethical and legal regulatins relevant t the

4 practice f psychlgy in the State f Texas (e.g., Texas Administrative Cde, Rules and Regulatins f the Texas State Bard f Examiners f Psychlgists; Examples f student ethical behavirs include the fllwing: Maintenance f cnfidential infrmatin cncerning clients unless disclsure serves prfessinal purpses r is required by law. Demnstratin f self-awareness and management f the limits f their wn cmpetence. Adherence t infrmed cnsent prcedures prir t prviding prfessinal services. Maintenance f test security f all assessment-related materials. Adherence t clients right t privacy, and requirements assciated with the strage f all client recrds (in a secure lcatin). Cmmitment t seek supervisin when faced with ethical dilemmas r difficult situatins. It is the duty f faculty members in the Schl Psychlgy Prgram t evaluate all students accrding t these standards in all settings in which faculty members and students interact, including classes, practicum and internship sites, advising, and supervisin. It is expected that students will respnd t reviews, frmal r infrmal, in apprpriate ways and will attempt t cnfrm t prfessinal standards as explained t them. Admissin t the Prgram des nt guarantee fitness t remain in the prgram t cmpletin. Only thse students wh meet prgram standards will be allwed t cntinue in the prgram. If and when a student is judged nt t meet prgram standards sufficiently t be allwed t prvide psychlgical services t thers, that student will be remved frm cntinuatin in the prgram. Fitness t Practice Review (FPR) Prcedures Faculty members, staff, advisrs, and field supervisrs (Evaluatrs) will evaluate students accrding t the standards utlined abve. All faculty members may have sme input int student perfrmance r cnduct. Students may be evaluated using the Fitness t Practice Review Frm at any time during their prgram if and when, in the pinin f ne r mre Evaluatrs, significant deviatins frm the Standards have ccurred. All students referred fr review are expected t participate in the prcess. Refusal t participate will nt terminate the prcess. The level f review will depend n factrs such as the nature, severity, and frequency f the incident r cncern. Fr example, repeated vilatins may result in immediate Frmal Level 2 Review. Vilatins f the UTSA r field-based site s cde f cnduct will result in immediate Frmal Level 2 Review.

5 Levels f Review 1. Infrmal Review An infrmal review invlves a faculty member and a student. When a faculty member has cncerns abut a student meeting any f the Fitness t Practice criteria, the faculty member may take any r all f the fllwing steps as necessary: a. Discuss the cncerns directly with the student and seek t wrk with the student t reslve the difficulties. b. Advise the Department Chair and the student s Advisr f the cncern(s) in rder t identify ptential patterns and issues related t the student. c. Dcument dates and cntent f meetings with students using the Fitness t Practice Review Frm, and prvide a cpy f the signed frm t the Graduate Advisr f Recrd fr dcumentatin purpses. d. If a prblem arises at a field-based site, the site supervisr may discuss cncerns directly with the UTSA faculty member. The student may als be included in this meeting. 2. Frmal Review: Level 1 When a faculty member r supervisr is sufficiently cncerned abut a student s Fitness t Practice, he r she will fill ut the Fitness t Practice Review Frm. These frms are t be turned in t the student s Advisr, the Graduate Advisr f Recrd, and the Department Chair. A cnference will then be scheduled with the instructr/supervisr, the student, the student s Advisr, the Graduate Advisr f Recrd, and the Department Chair. When pssible, the cnference will be mediated by a departmental faculty member wh has nt had the student in class. During this cnference, a plan fr remediatin will be develped. The nature and cntent f the plan will depend n the specific situatin. The remediatin plan will include a reasnable timeline fr the student t demnstrate adequate prgress, and will be signed by all parties invlved. The remediatin plan may cntinue fr mre than ne semester, depending n the individual circumstances. If the student fails t implement the remediatin plan(s) satisfactrily, he/she will be placed n Frmal Level 2 Review. The Assciate Dean f Graduate Studies fr the COEHD will be infrmed f all Level 1 reviews. 3. Frmal Review: Level 2 If a secnd incident r cncern is reprted n the same student, the student has failed a remediatin plan during the Level 1 Review, r the seriusness f the incident r cncern warrants it, the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee will be cnvened. This grup (made up f at least ne Schl Psychlgy faculty member, at least ne additinal faculty member frm the Department f Educatinal Psychlgy, the Graduate Advisr f Recrd, and chaired by the Department Chair) will meet t: a. Review the paperwrk, b. Interview the faculty members wh have instructed the student, c. Interview the student, and

6 d. Make a determinatin regarding the student s suitability t cntinue in the prgram. The Assciate Dean f Graduate Studies fr the COEHD (r the Assciate Dean s designee) will attend the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee meeting in rder t review the case and participate in the decisin-making prcess. Appeals and Prcedures Subsequent t Request fr Withdrawal Fllwing the review f infrmatin at the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee meeting, the Cmmittee must make a decisin and reprt t the student, the Graduate Advisr f Recrd, and the Assciate Dean fr Graduate Studies that the student: (1) shuld be allwed t remain in the prgram with cnditins/withut cnditins r (2) shuld be remved frm the prgram, immediately drpped frm enrllment in current curses, and prevented frm enrlling in subsequent curses. If the decisin is t allw the student t remain in the prgram, the Cmmittee may place remedial cnditins (a crrective plan) n the student s cntinuing in the prgram, may set time limits fr meeting the cnditins, r may make ther recmmendatins. If the student is dissatisfied with the decisin f the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee, he r she may appeal t the Office f the Dean f the COEHD by submitting a written appeal t the Dean s ffice. This appeal must be submitted within 10 wrking days after receiving the decisin frm the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee. The Dean (r Dean s designee) will cnsider the matter, and based n infrmatin submitted by the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee, the Dean (r Dean s designee) may meet with the Fitness t Practice Cmmittee and/r with the student. After gathering and reviewing all infrmatin, the Dean (r Dean s designee) will cmmunicate his/her decisin t the student in writing. The final decisin will be either cntinuatin in the prgram (with cnditins) r dismissal frm the prgram. The decisin f the Dean (r Dean s designee) will be final.