PhD Clinical Psychology Field Experience Manual:

Section 4. Participating in Field Experience

In general students will be engaging in therapy, diagnosis, and assessment. They may be writing psychological reports and evaluations and conducting testing. During the practicum and internship, students must keep a log of hours spent completing the activities consistent with their practicum and internship goals. These logs must be created and maintained in the Meditrek system. Students should update their logs weekly.

A template is provided in the Meditrek system for students to facilitate this requirement; a key is also provided in the Meditrek system to help students document activity appropriately. Students should not include activities in the Meditrek log that are part of their other (non-field training) professional duties, such as those as a teaching assistant. Students must maintain their logs in the online Meditrek system. Students will be sent login credentials for that system before they begin their field training. Students are expected to maintain their logs in the system each quarter.

Students should keep logs of all their hours for their own future reference. It is ultimately the responsibility of the student to keep records of all their practicum and internship hours.

Students are also responsible at the end of the term to ensure that their supervisor signs their log of hours. If the hours are not signed by their supervisor, they are not official hours and could be at risk of not counting toward the students’ practicum or internship. Hours must be logged in Meditrek and approved through signature by the site supervisor to be counted towards fulfilling the field experience requirement.

If a student is allowed to conduct individual, group or administer assessments alone, they should adhere to safety policies & procedures in the event of a patient(s) crisis or emergency. The field site should have a specific contact person designated for any emergencies. At no time other than imminent risk to self or others should a student act without first following the field sites protocol. 

Walden field placement coordinators and course instructors are committed to working collaboratively with students and site supervisors to support successful completion of field experiences. Site supervisors will establish areas for improvement for students and provide guidance and supervision that promotes growth of knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with Walden’s training goals as well as with preferred practices in the profession. Site supervisors provide mentoring and guidance appropriate to students’ roles at the field site, including ongoing feedback about students’ progress in meeting goals.

A conference call will be scheduled with the student, site supervisor(s), and course instructor during Week 5 or 6 of each term of the internship. The call is designed to be supportive of students and to monitor whether field sites meet training goals and needs. It offers the opportunity to collaborate with site supervisors and, when needed, to identify, address, and resolve any difficulties students may be experiencing. Site supervisors assist in highlighting areas for further development within the field experience and identify risks for poor academic outcome at the end of the term in the field experience. The midterm evaluation feedback will not inform the practicum or internship course grade but instead will be used for purposes of monitoring student progress and allowing for developmental interventions. However, the midterm conference call must take place as it is a required component of the course and may factor into the overall course grade if it is not completed. A midterm evaluation form will be in the course classroom, which the faculty member fills out once the midterm conference call is completed. Any areas for improvement will be addressed in the midterm evaluation form, which is available for the student or faculty member to review. The form will also be uploaded into Meditrek. If there are any areas of concern identified, a second conference call will be scheduled with the supervisor, student, faculty member, and the field placement coordinator.

At the end of each term, students must ensure that site supervisors submit an evaluation of student performance at the field site. This information informs Walden’s training program not only about individual student progress but also provides information that facilitates course and program improvements. 

Supervisors will fill out online evaluations for their students via the Meditrek system. Meditrek will contact the student’s primary site supervisors with a welcome email, which will contain login credentials and instructions on how to complete the evaluation. These emails will be sent out starting in Week 9 with weekly email reminders until the end of the term if the task is not completed.

The evaluation must be completed to receive a grade of Satisfactory. Students must receive a rating of satisfactory for the summary evaluation to earn a satisfactory grade for the course and continue with field training. The practicum or internship course instructor, with input from the site supervisor and the field placement coordinator, assigns the course grade.

If a student was at risk of failing the field practicum or internship placement, those areas in which the student needs to improve or develop should have been addressed and documented during the midterm evaluation. However, issues that may put a passing grade at risk for the student develop after the midterm evaluation. If this occurs, the site supervisor will address the issues with the student during supervision.  If, in a rare circumstance, the student will not receive a passing grade at the end of the term, the student, faculty member, field site supervisor, and field placement coordinator will be notified. When students do not earn an overall satisfactory rating, they forfeit the hours completed for that accrued term.

If a student does not receive a satisfactory grade for the course, a performance improvement plan will be created by program administration addressing the areas that need improvement. Until the performance improvement plan is met, a student is unable to register for a practicum and/or internship or return to a field site. Program administration will reach out to the student to commence the student development process when this occurs.

Students are expected to abide by the university’s Code of Conduct at all times while at the practicum and/or internship site. The Code of Conduct addresses the university’s expectations of students in four areas: nondiscrimination, nonharassment, professional conduct, and academic integrity. Students should familiarize themselves with the Code of Conduct detailed in the Walden University Student Handbook (select the “Student Handbook”; from the handbook homepage, select “Section 3. Student Expectations and Responsibilities,” then “Student Conduct and Responsibilities,” and finally “Code of Conduct”).

Students are held to the standards of the Walden Code of Conduct in addition to the Professional Competence Policy outlined below. The nature of the circumstances will determine whether behavior is a violation of the Walden Code of Conduct or behavior that must be addressed through the Professional Competence Policy or both. 

Violations of the Code of Conduct will be investigated as detailed in the Walden University Student Handbook. Should a violation be confirmed, remediation may include a site and/or university student development plan, of which completion may be required prior to continuing with the practicum and/or internship. The university will monitor completion of student development plans and may not allow registration for further practicum and/or internship terms until the development plan is completed by the student. Students may also be dismissed from the site as a result of such Code of Conduct violations, which would result in the forfeiture of practicum and/or internship hours accrued at the site to date.

There may be situations in which students maintain satisfactory academic standing but exhibit behaviors that raise questions about their capacity as professionals. There are a number of professional skills and characteristics that are important for those who provide services to children, adolescents, and adults, as well as to professional organizations in a variety of settings. These interpersonal/professional skills include, but are not limited to,

• adherence to ethical standards published by professional organizations,
• professional deportment,
• sensitivity to client issues, and
• appropriate use of supervision.

Situations can arise in which faculty members, other students, or other professionals observe behaviors by students that demonstrate a lack of appropriate interpersonal or professional skills. The purpose of this policy is to provide a set of procedures that will be used by Walden faculty members to address such issues. For the purposes of these procedures, a distinction is made between different types of behaviors that impede students’ development. These include problem behaviors and inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct. 

While students in field experiences are expected to work under supervision, some Walden students are seasoned professionals and may feel comfortable resolving day-to-day problems without support. Students should discuss the parameters of this kind of problem solving with their site supervisors. All students will resolve a range of problems in their duties within the field site with the support and assistance of their site supervisor. Students are expected to adhere to the policies and procedures of their practicum or internship site. Ultimately, the student’s work is supervised by the site supervisor. Hence, irrespective of the student’s own professional experiences, the student is expected to always consult with the supervisor on what is acceptable at the site.

There may be instances when significant problems arise, and students may not be able to call upon their previous experiences or their site supervisor to resolve those problems. In these cases, it is essential that students keep their practicum or internship course instructor and the field placement coordinator in their specialization informed of any problems encountered at the practicum or internship field site. If a problem arises, students should communicate that information immediately to their course faculty member after first discussing with the site supervisor.

A conference call will be scheduled among the student, faculty member, and field site supervisor to address any potential issues at the site. If the problem is unable to be resolved in that conference call, another conference call will include the field placement coordinator. During this teleconference, issues will be discussed with the student and field site for areas that need to be resolved and addressing the best course of actions.

If the representatives of the field site have internal protocols to address and document specific areas for improvement, they should utilize their internal processes. The field site supervisor(s) shall proceed with their documented remediation plan. Walden University requests that the development plan be created in collaboration with the student and supervisor(s) with specific targeted outcome dates. The document should be signed by both the student and supervisor(s) and will be provided to the student, faculty, and field placement coordinator. The purpose of providing documentation is to create a successful plan to resolve any/all issues accordingly. If the field site does not have internal protocols to address and document the issues, a Walden template of the Professional and Clinical Success Plan (PCSP) will be provided by the field placement coordinator. The site's internal document or Walden’s PCSP will be uploaded into Meditrek. When necessary, the field placement coordinator will contact the program administration for assistance on how to resolve problems effectively.

When students encounter problems at their field site that are minor in nature (including minor supervisory or administrative issues), a general problem-solving strategy may include the following steps:

1. Formulate a clear definition of the problems.

2. Identify the impact of the problems on functioning (learning and/or performing required roles and activities).

3. Generate potential ways to address the problems.

4. Weigh each idea to assess practical utility, strengths, and liabilities.

5. Choose one or more compatible ideas that appear to best address solving the problems and make a plan.

6. Implement the plan for a specified (reasonable) period of time.

7. Examine the outcome of the plan and determine the level of success in resolving the problems.

8. When a plan is unsuccessful in resolving problems, begin the process again at Step 1, or if problems have been adequately defined, return to Step 3, and follow the process again.

Working through the problem-solving process with an experienced professional can be a very useful way of collaboratively exploring, defining, and resolving problems that may create barriers to obtaining needed experiences or that may prevent students from addressing training goals. Students are encouraged to consult with faculty members or site supervisors to obtain support and guidance at any point along this process. Jointly seeking a definition of problems can have a number of advantages, including allowing students to broaden their perception of a situation from another’s perspective and stimulating insight into their own contribution to the problems. Working together to generate potential strategies for addressing problems can result in the development of a rich repertoire of possible avenues for problem solving and set the stage for more effective problem-solving skills later in students’ careers.

Problem behaviors occur when a student’s attitude and/or behavior is of concern and requires remediation but is not unexpected for professionals in training. These types of behaviors include, but are not limited to,

• performance anxiety,
• discomfort with clients of diverse ethnic backgrounds, and
• lack of appreciation for field site rules and expectations.
• Inability to accept site supervisor feedback and implement feedback effectively

These types of behaviors typically can be remediated with feedback and further training and supervision; they usually do not result in potential for physical and/or emotional harm to others. Such behaviors are limited in duration and are judged by faculty members and site supervisors as unlikely to develop into an inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct situation. A student who exhibits problem behaviors may be removed from the site and be subject to a student developmental plan. The student will not be able to register for another field placement until the development plan is met.

Inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct is defined broadly as an interference in professional functioning that is reflected in one or more of the following ways:

• an inability and/or unwillingness to acquire and integrate professional standards into one’s repertoire of professional behavior,
• an inability to acquire professional skills to reach an acceptable level of competency,
• an inability to control personal stress and/or excessive emotional reactions that interfere with professional functioning, and/or
• resistance to or noncompliance with direction from supervisors or faculty members.

Problems typically become identified as inappropriate and/or unprofessional conduct when they include one or more of the following characteristics:

• The student fails to acknowledge, understand, or address the problem when it is identified, resulting in further manifestations that signify a more pervasive problem.
• The problem is not merely a reflection of a skill deficit that can be remediated by academic or didactic training. In this case, a group of professional experts (faculty members and site supervisor) determine that the deficit is likely not correctable.
• The quality of services delivered by the student is sufficiently negatively affected.
• The problem negatively affects other students’ learning.
• A disproportionate amount of attention and intervention by training personnel and/or faculty members is required to remediate the problem.
• The student’s behavior does not change as a function of feedback, remediation efforts, and/or time.

In any of these situations, there is a range of options for how to proceed depending upon the circumstances. The field placement coordinator will consult with the program coordinator to determine the best course of action. If the situation needs to be escalated, it will go to program administration who will then offer directives on how to proceed.

If a student would benefit from mental health services, those services are available through Walden Student Assistance Program.

Students are encouraged to discuss potential problems at practicum and/or internships with their field site supervisors, human resources staff, or any internal processes that are in place at the field site. If a problem is occurring at the field site, it is important that the field site supervisor have protocols within their organization or practice to address issues with the student. The student should be provided clear written guidelines on how to improve their performance as a learning moment and utilize their support systems and other tools to work through issues.

Students in field experiences may be vulnerable to any number of difficulties that pose barriers to successful training experiences. By the time they reach internship, students are entering the work setting and should demonstrate effective problem-solving skills in many difficult situations. However, students are not expected to resolve problems alone and should seek the guidance of, or intervention from, the appropriate faculty member and the field placement coordinator before making any decisions to leave the practicum and/or internship site. 

Whenever possible, if problems develop between students and site supervisors, the appropriate faculty member should help students determine the appropriate strategy for resolving problems in an informal manner. The appropriate faculty member should assist students in working with the site supervisors in preparing any necessary documentation and should closely monitor the progress of problem solving. As noted previously, if the informal remediation process is not resolved, the field placement coordinator schedules a conference call among the student, faculty member, and field site to foster a team approach in resolving student development issues or if the student has grievances at the site.

If the field coordinator is unable to assist in resolving the student development or field site concerns, the program coordinator will be included to help identify unresolved issues. If the problems persist and the student is no longer able to stay at the practicum and/or internship site, the program coordinator will create a student development plan that will need to be met prior to the student returning to a site. If the problem was due to site concerns, the program coordinator will provide documentation to the program director or dean to review the efforts to resolve problems and inform the student of other options for recourse that may apply.

Psychologists should have strong problem-solving skills. The faculty members of the psychology licensure-track programs strive to model and promote effective problem-solving behaviors across all situations, including those instances when students may be having trouble with faculty members. Consistent with ethical guidelines, in nearly all situations, students should initially address concerns directly with the faculty member or field placement coordinator with whom they have experienced the problem; they should attempt resolution at an informal level before proceeding to a request for intervention from the dean. If there is no resolution, the program coordinator will also be included to assist in addressing problems at the program level, which may delay resolution, as the dean may refer problems back to the respective program director. There shall be no retaliation against any student who identifies a problem or seeks assistance in resolving a conflict involving a faculty member, including those who may choose to file a formal grievance.

Formal Grievance Procedure for Problems Between Students and Walden Personnel

1. Contact the program field coordinator as a problem-solving resource.

Whenever problems develop between students and the faculty member, the field placement coordinator will help the students determine the appropriate strategy for resolving the problems in an informal manner. The field placement coordinator should fully inform the dean or designee about any unresolved issues and document all attempts to resolve the issues presented by students. All parties should receive copies of any documentation after it is submitted.

2. Contact the dean as a problem-solving resource.

If students are not able to resolve the problem with the support and intervention of the field experience coordinator or director, they should approach the appropriate dean or designee to seek guidance and/or intervention. The dean or designee will initiate further investigation of the concern, and students may be offered needed support at the dean or designee’s discretion.

3. Students may consider filing a grievance.

If the dean or designee is unable to facilitate resolution of the problem, students may consider filing a grievance following Walden’s grievance procedure, as described below:

Filing a grievance may initiate reassignment of one or more of the involved parties for a reasonable period to allow for an appropriate investigation of the situation. The right to confidentiality, both of the complainant and of the accused, will be respected to the extent possible insofar as it does not interfere with the institution’s legal obligation or ability to investigate allegations of misconduct brought to the university’s attention or to take corrective action when it is found that misconduct has occurred.

A formal grievance must be identified as such in writing and directed to the chief academic officer (CAO). The grievance normally should originate no more than 30 days following a resolution decision by the dean or the dean’s designee (Step 2, above) concerning the complaint or conduct that gave rise to the grievance. The form of the complaint must be an original paper document signed by the individual pursuing the grievance. Facsimiles, voice mail, and email messages are not acceptable. The CAO initially reviews the case to determine appropriate action, which can include referring the matter to an appropriate university office for review. If the conflict is resolved at this stage, no further action is necessary.

Note: Student Success Advising can assist students with this process.

4. A hearing committee may be established.

If the conflict cannot be resolved at the review stage, the CAO appoints a hearing committee to review the allegations. A written decision from the committee will be delivered in as timely a manner as possible, while allowing for appropriate investigation and consideration, not to exceed 60 days from the date the complaint is filed with the CAO, unless the committee notifies the parties of the need for an extension to properly complete the process. The written records are confidential but are available for on-site review by the person(s) directly involved.

5. Students have the right to appeal.

If students find the decision of the hearing committee to be unsatisfactory, they may submit an appeal to the CAO. All such appeals must be filed within 10 working days of receipt of the committee’s decision. The CAO will review the records, meet with the hearing committee, and reply in writing. In extenuating circumstances, such as the CAO’s unavailability, a member of the Walden Board of Director’s Academic Affairs Committee may be appointed by the CAO to act in their stead. The decision of the CAO is the final decision of the university.

Should problem behaviors and inappropriate/unprofessional conduct occur during a field experience, the student, field placement coordinator, student development coordinator, site supervisor, and student will collaboratively define the problems and decide what course of intervention will be employed to remediate the problems. When necessary for the resolution of problems, additional Walden faculty members and/or field site personnel may also be included in this process.

If students are unable or unwilling to meet the terms of a remediation plan, all parties will be involved in examining the options, potentially ranging from requiring additional coursework to termination of the field placement and the possible dismissal of the student from the program. All decision making at this stage will involve the dean or designee, if possible; however, field sites maintain the right to terminate the training if they deem the situation to warrant such measures. When a student is dismissed from a field placement, this automatically triggers an inquiry of the student’s development by the program coordinator.

Should problems exhibited by students be determined to fall within the realm of inappropriate and/or unprofessional behaviors, careful consideration should be made of whether the problems reflect a skill deficit that can be remediated by academic or didactic training, or if the deficit is unlikely to be corrected. Field placement coordinators should carefully document all problems in writing, detailing incidents as completely as possible, including

• dates and times of occurrences of the problem behaviors,
• settings in which problems have been observed,
• frequency of problems,
• contact information of any person who has reported problems, and
• efforts used to address and remediate the problems.

If there is a question about whether the deficits can be remediated, the field placement coordinator will then ask the dean or designee to appoint a group of professional experts (including faculty members and the site supervisor) to determine whether the deficit is likely to be correctable. In doing so, the expert panel should consider whether

• the quality of services delivered by students is sufficiently negatively affected,
• the problems negatively affect other students’ learning,
• the problems negatively affect and/or threaten clients’ well-being or interfere with their treatment,
• a disproportionate amount of attention and intervention by training personnel and/or faculty members is required to remediate the problems, and
• behavior does not change as a function of feedback, remediation efforts, and/or time.

In rare instances, students may be unable to fulfill the requirements at the field site. Usually, this situation arises from one of two circumstances. First, students may become ill or incapacitated and find their field experience interrupted. Second, in rare instances, the site supervisor may judge students’ skills as not sufficient to contribute to the work of a field site as a trainee. In both cases, the intent of the field placement coordinator will be to work to determine a strategy that will successfully support students through the completion of the field experience, whenever possible. When a student is dismissed from a field placement, this automatically triggers an inquiry by the student development coordinator, which will determine the consequences and outcomes of the termination (e.g., remediation plan, dismissal from the program).

Illness or Incapacitation

If students become ill or otherwise incapacitated and cannot perform the duties they have formalized as their field experiences, they should immediately inform both the site supervisor and the field placement coordinator. Consultation with the Walden Office of Disability Services  may be required. All parties will collaborate, with input from medical, mental health, or other appropriate treatment personnel, to determine whether the difficulties encountered are amenable to treatment while completing the field experience. Students in such situations may be required to submit proof of treatment, if field site personnel or the field placement coordinator determine that it is needed, to continue in a field experience. A formal plan must be filed with the field placement coordinator and signed by all parties to guide the remaining field experiences. This plan will be reviewed by the dean or designee and will be monitored closely by the site supervisor and field placement coordinator.

If the problems encountered by students require a leave from the field site for recovery or treatment, the site supervisor will be asked to decide about the students’ return to the field site upon successful resolution of the situation. Field sites may not be obligated to hold positions or accept the return of students following a leave of this kind.

If problems threaten the well-being of agency clients, students may be suspended from participation in training at the field site until the situation is investigated and resolved. The field placement coordinator will meet with the appropriate dean or designee to document the situation and explore options. The field placement coordinator will review and prepare documentation and consult with students, site supervisors, and other field site personnel to ensure the complete situation is described. After reviewing all the documentation, collaborative consultation between the field placement coordinator, site supervisor, and appropriate field site personnel will determine what course of action is necessary. The distinction among disability problems, Code of Conduct problems, and competencies deficiencies must be clearly addressed. This may include additional coursework and supervised experiences that may be necessary to reinstate students and remediate problems. A formal professional remediation plan (or accommodation plan) will be written with input from all parties. This document must be signed by all parties for students to resume activities at field sites. Ongoing documentation and frequent contacts between the field placement coordinator (or other faculty members) and the site supervisor will be required to ensure that plans are being followed and that students are making progress in remediation of the identified difficulties.

Note: If students are unable or unwilling to meet the terms of the remediation plan, all parties will be involved in examining the options, potentially including a range of options from requiring additional coursework to termination of the program. All decision making at this stage will involve the dean or designee.

When Students Are Unable to Demonstrate Appropriate Skills

In rare instances, students may choose a site where they are unable to demonstrate adequate performance because they do not have the requisite skills. In this situation, the field placement coordinator, in collaboration with the site supervisor, will determine what may need to happen to remediate skill deficits.

Note: In all cases, following the meeting with the field placement coordinator and student, the decisions made by the site supervisor and field site personnel about the continuation of field experience are final.

Students who are terminated from a field experience site due to poor performance, lack of clinical skills, unprofessional behavior, or other reasons identified by the site will automatically earn an Unsatisfactory grade in the course and will be required to participate in a student development plan and/or skills plan prior to reenrolling in field experience. All student development plans will be designed to support the individual student’s needs. The purpose of this policy is to support students’ academic and professional growth.

Students who want to terminate from a field site are required to speak with their faculty supervisor (instructor) and the field placement coordinator prior to taking any steps toward terminating the training experience. Students who do not follow this policy may be subjected to earning an Unsatisfactory grade in the course and be subject to a student development inquiry.

Nondiscrimination

Walden University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination by or against members of the university community on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, or other protected characteristics in the admission to, access to, or treatment or employment in any of its programs or activities.

Sexual Harassment

Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 prohibits sexual discrimination in educational settings. Walden’s Sexual Misconduct policy, which includes policies related to sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence may be found in the Walden Student Handbook and by visiting the Student Safety/Title IX webpage.

If a student has been a victim of any form of sexual violence, harassment, or discrimination (or knows someone who has), whether at a Walden-sponsored event or at their field experience site, their first priority is their own personal safety. After they are safe, students should contact either their field experience coordinator or Walden’s Title IX coordinator. The Title IX coordinator is responsible for receiving and processing, in a timely manner, reports from students, faculty, staff, and administrators regarding rights and responsibilities concerning Sexual Misconduct in violation of Title IX. Any questions or complaints regarding Title IX may be referred to the Walden University Title IX coordinator or deputy Title IX coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

You can also email TitleIX@mail.waldenu.edu or access the Walden Student Safety/Title IX webpage.