Psychology

UNLV Department of Psychology



Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Self-Study



Prepared for APA Accreditation Review



Domain A: Eligibility

A1. Offers Doctoral Education and Training in Psychology

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program provides

students with doctoral level education in psychology that is intended to prepare students for

practice and/or research careers in clinical/professional psychology.

A2. Sponsored by Institution of Higher Education

The UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program is sponsored by the University of Nevada,

Las Vegas, which is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

(NWCCU). UNLV received a full accreditation review by the NWCCU in 2000, underwent its

mid-review visit in 2005, underwent a focused interim visit regarding assessment procedures in

2007, and is scheduled for another full accreditation review in 2010.

A3. Program is an Integral Part of its Institution; Administrative Structure

The UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (henceforth referred to as the “Program”) is

located in the Department of Psychology. The mission of the Department is to generate and

disseminate psychological knowledge and promote the development of professional conduct

through original scholarly research, publishing, mentorship, and teaching. Central to achieving

this mission are the Department’s doctoral programs in clinical and experimental psychology.

The Program began in 1999 and was formally accredited by APA in October, 2005. This is the

first reaccreditation process for the Program. The Program currently has 49 active clinical

students.

The Department is currently represented in the University budget with 23 full-time faculty lines,

plus one new hire who will begin in August, 2008. These lines include Dr. Carro as an Assistant

Professor in Residence and Associate Director of Clinical Training. Since the APA site visit in

October, 2005, 2 experimental faculty members retired, 6 experimental faculty members were

hired, the previous Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (Dr. Shoben, an experimental

psychologist) returned to the Department, and 1 clinical faculty member specializing in

multicultural psychology and eating disorders was hired. Dr. Shoben announced his retirement

effective the end of the 2007-2008 academic year.

One clinical faculty member (Dr. Heavey) accepted an administrative assignment as Associate

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts in January, 2008 but continues to be an active participant in

the Program. No clinical faculty members have departed the Program since accreditation. A

search for a clinical geropsychologist was unsuccessful in 2006-2007. The Department hopes to

search for at least one clinical psychology faculty position next year.

The Department has 3 full-time administrative assistants, an annual operating budget to cover

recurring expenses, and 50 state-funded research and teaching assistantships assigned to the

Department to provide support and training to doctoral students. The research and teaching





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assistantships are nearly equally shared with the experimental psychology doctoral program.

Additionally, the Department is allocated office and research space as well as an on-campus

community mental health clinic (UNLV Center for Individual, Couple, and Family Counseling)

that the Program uses as a practicum training site in a joint relationship with the Department of

Marriage and Family Therapy. The University provides other support and facilities such as the

Lied Library, Graduate College, Disability Resource Center, Campus Life/Housing, Division of

Research and Graduate Studies, Student Financial Services, Student Health Services, Student

Counseling and Psychological Services, and Writing Center, among others.

The Department is led administratively by the Chair (Dr. Ashcraft) who works with the Director

of Clinical Training, the Associate Director of Clinical Training, and the Experimental Program

Director. The Department typically operates as a committee of the whole when allocating major

resources, making policy decisions, and issuing recommendations for new hiring priorities, new

program emphases and courses, and tenure and promotion applications. A subcommittee

structure is in place to make personnel recommendations to the general faculty and Chair and

merit recommendations to the Chair. Implementation of routine allocation and budget decisions

is handled by the Chair. The Department as a whole retains responsibility for general oversight

of the clinical and experimental doctoral programs.

The Program is led administratively by the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) (Dr. Kearney)

and Associate Director of Clinical Training (ADCT) (Dr. Carro). The ADCT oversees practicum

training, mentors students through internship application and interview processes, currently

serves as chair of the CICFC operating board (see below), operates the Program’s Assessment

Clinic, and teaches practicum, supervision, and child assessment courses within the Program.

The DCT manages student evaluations, admissions/Interview Day logistics, Clinical Program

Subcommittee (CPS) functions, funding, Program requirements, UNLV and APA assessment

reports, student grievances and petitions, Comprehensive Examinations, and interactions with the

UNLV Graduate College, APA, and APPIC. Policy, admission, curriculum, and evaluation

decisions are handled by the Clinical Program Committee comprised primarily of core faculty.

The Clinical Program Committee meets regularly to conduct business and to review the Program

and students. The CPS exists to review student petitions and handle transfer/waiver requests.

The Department is housed within the College of Liberal Arts, which is led administratively by

the Dean of the College. The Dean, in consultation with the College Executive Committee

comprised primarily of department chairs, is responsible for allocating operating monies,

providing additional faculty and graduate student support lines, making personnel decisions, and

conducting other administrative matters. The clinical Program is also affiliated with the

Graduate College, which oversees admissions, degree conferment, contracts for graduate student

support, theses and dissertations, scholarships and fellowships, and grievance procedures.

The Program shares an on-campus training facility, the Center for Individual, Couple, and

Family Counseling (CICFC) with the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. The CICFC

is administratively housed within the College of Urban Affairs, which contains the Department

of Marriage and Family Therapy. Daily CICFC operations are administered by Dr. Colleen

Peterson, an Associate Professor in Residence in the Department of Marriage and Family

Therapy, and overseen by an operating board comprised of two faculty members from the

Department of Psychology (typically the DCT and ADCT), two faculty members from the

Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, and the director of UNLV Student Counseling and

Psychological Services. The ADCT has served as the chair of the CICFC operating board for the





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past nine years (including Dr. Carro since 2004). The operating board is overseen by the Dean

of the College of Liberal Arts and the Dean of the College of Urban Affairs.

The Program is consistent with, and complementary to, the 8 current goals of UNLV

(http://www.unlv.edu/pubs/planning/goals.html). The Program directly contributes to the first

five of these goals, most notably goals of increasing scholarly research, serving the region, and

fostering an environment that respects diversity and free expression. Furthermore, UNLV is

currently classified as a “Research University – High Research” by the Carnegie Foundation.

A4. Length of Program and Residency Requirement

The Program requires a minimum of 96 semester credits divided as follows: (1) 18 3-credit

courses for 54 credits, (2) 6 semesters of practicum for 18 credits, (3) 2 semesters of thesis for 6

credits, (4) 4 semesters of dissertation for 12 credits, and (5) 2 semesters of internship for 6

credits. Incoming students can request a waiver or transfer of credits toward the Master’s degree

under one of three scenarios in Appendix A. Requests for waiver/transfer credit are evaluated

individually based on procedures specified in the Program Handbook (Appendix B, p. 10).

Students entering without a Master’s degree are awarded a Master’s degree after they have

completed the first two years of coursework, one year of practicum, and a thesis.

Students are expected to enroll full-time and be present on campus for courses, research, and

practicum, as applicable. These requirements lead to a minimum of four years of residency in

the Program for students without prior graduate work and a minimum of two years of residency

for a student with a prior Master’s degree who waives/transfers maximum allowed credits. The

degree requirements are designed so they can be completed in five years with no prior graduate

work/transfer credit, but we inform potential and incoming students about the current mean and

median time to degree for the Program, including internship (currently 6.2 years).

A5. Diversity

The Psychology Department and its programs have a set of policies and procedures designed to

create a diverse learning environment, to foster respect for cultural and individual differences in

all aspects of our activity, and to engender multicultural competence in our students to prepare

them for research and practice in an increasingly multicultural society. In our efforts to create a

diverse learning environment, we seek cultural and individual diversity when hiring faculty and

admitting students. We model respect for diversity in all of our activities and we engage in a

coordinated series of activities to train multicultural competence in our students. Our efforts are

consistent with, and complementary to, the University’s Planning Goal #5:

Continue to Foster a Campus Environment that Respects Diversity and Free Expression:

UNLV will be characterized by a civil, inclusive campus climate that demonstrates a respect

for individual differences and a commitment to equity and free expression. That climate will

create an environment where members of the campus community have increased awareness

of diversity and the opportunity it presents.

Moreover, the University and the Department adhere to a nondiscrimination policy in hiring and

admission, which reads in part:

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is a campus that values difference and supports

cultural diversity. Our primary goal is to lead by example, and to create a model campus

community that values, nurtures and celebrates collegiality, diversity, pluralism, and

individualism. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer and





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educator, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas is committed to the principles of equal

opportunity for all of its students, faculty, employees, and applicants for admission and

employment. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas will not tolerate discrimination based on

race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, or

Vietnam-era and/or disabled veteran status, in any of its programs, organizations, and/or

conditions of employment and admission. To ensure equality in employment, personnel

actions are monitored and tracked by the Office of Diversity Initiatives (policy:

http://hr.unlv.edu/Diversity/Policy_Statements/EEO_ Policy.html).

We have worked to create an increasingly diverse environment, and highly value diversity in

hiring and admissions decisions, but we have not yet fully realized our goal of a diverse faculty.

We have achieved good success in increasing student diversity, but more progress is needed. In

addition to our efforts to create a diverse learning environment, our Program is designed to

develop multicultural competence in students via didactic, practicum, and research experiences.

A fuller explanation of the steps we have taken with respect to promoting diversity and

multicultural competencies, as well as progress in this area, are presented in Domains D and F.

A6. Policies and Procedures

The following policies and procedures guide our actions and are available to all interested parties

via the Web, the UNLV Graduate College Catalog, or the UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral

Program Handbook, which is given to all finalists during the application process, to all students

upon matriculation, and to all matriculated clinical students when the Handbook is updated.

Guide to Additional Documentation Requested



Appendix B: UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Handbook (Program Handbook)

(http://psychology.unlv.edu/Clinical_Program_Handbook_October_17__2007.pdf)

Appendix C: UNLV Graduate College Catalog (Graduate Catalog)

(http://www.unlv.edu/pubs/catalogs/graduate)

Appendix D: UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Website (Program Website)

(http://psychology.unlv.edu/html/clinical_program.html)

Student selection

• Program Handbook pp. 9-10

• Program Website (overview of program, course of study, Program Handbook and

timeline, degree requirements, performance and outcome data, application instructions)

• Graduate Catalog pp. 23-27



Academic preparation and admission and degree requirements

• Program Handbook pp. 9-12

• Graduate Catalog pp. 23-27, 37-44, 288-294



Administrative and financial assistance

• Program Handbook pp. 13-14

• Graduate Catalog pp. 9-10, 18-22, 34-36, 37-44



Student performance evaluation, feedback, advisement, retention

• Program Handbook pp. 16-17, 21-23





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• Graduate Catalog pp. 19, 37-44



Student termination

• Program Handbook pp. 16-17

• Graduate Catalog pp. 37-38, 42



Due process

• Program Handbook pp. 14-17

• Graduate Catalog p. 42



Grievance policies for students and faculty

• Program Handbook pp. 14-16

• Graduate Catalog p. 42

• Grievance policies for faculty are at http://facultysenate.unlv.edu (see Appendix E)



Domain B: Program Philosophy, Objectives, and Curriculum Plan

B1. Educational Philosophy and Training Model

Mission Statement

The Program adheres to a scientist-practitioner model of training as first conceived at the

Boulder conference and later explicated by Belar and Perry (1992). Consistent with this

scientist-practitioner orientation, we adhere to the following mission statement:

The UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, in the scientist-practitioner tradition,

prepares students to address psychological concerns through both scholarly research and the

application of psychological knowledge and skills in practice. We recognize psychology as

an empirical science and expect students to have a broad understanding of existing

psychological knowledge and methods. We train students to base their scholarly and

professional activity on the scientific foundation of psychology, including an understanding

of, and attention to, human diversity. We train students as generalists who are prepared to

conduct ethically appropriate scientific research and clinical interventions with children and

adults in an increasingly multicultural society. We provide an integration of didactic study,

supervised clinical activity, and mentored scholarly research. This mission is consistent

with, and complementary to, the mission of our sponsoring Department and University.

The Program prepares students for entry level practice of clinical psychology in a wide range of

research and practice-oriented settings. We promote an environment in which students are

treated as junior colleagues engaged collaboratively in the training process. We expose students

to different viewpoints regarding important issues in psychology and model the thoughtful and

respectful interchange that lies at the foundation of the scientific process. We consider the

mentorship process central to our Program and therefore each student must have a mentor by the

end of the first semester. In fact, most students enter the Program having already identified their

mentor. Students work closely with mentors to develop research skills and knowledge of chosen

areas of clinical psychology. Students may request to change mentors if their interests and

research directions change, but cannot be without a mentor after the first semester.









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The sequence of training activities – including courses, practicum, and research – is designed to

provide a graded, sequential, and cumulative corpus of knowledge and skill and attendant

attitudes and values. Specifically, Year One focuses on instruction in basics of clinical

psychology. Students complete 9 courses (27 credit hours) that cover psychopathology, child/

adult assessment and intervention, foundations and history of clinical psychology, ethics of

professional practice and research in psychology, and statistics (the ethics course is taken in the

summer session immediately after Year One). Year One is laden with coursework and involves

students beginning their research. At a minimum, students are expected to identify a research

mentor and choose a thesis topic. Students are encouraged to complete the entire thesis proposal

by the end of the summer following Year One (see Representative Course of Study below).

Year Two brings a substantial reduction in formal coursework, with students completing only 3-

4 traditional courses during this year of study. This reduction in coursework is accompanied by

initiation of clinical practice in the Practicum I sequence and advancement of thesis research.

The Practicum I sequence (two semesters) introduces students to clinical practice by having them

conduct assessment and intervention at CICFC under Program faculty supervision.

During Year Three and Year Four, students participate in Practica II and III, respectively. These

practica are more specialized and supervision is usually provided by community-based

professionals. These practica typically occur off-campus and build upon basic experiences in

Practicum I. During these years, students complete theses and advance to more independent

dissertation research. Students also complete remaining required courses during this time.

Students commonly take electives that address more advanced topics in a focused way and

complete their breadth courses (e.g., developmental, social, cognitive, and biological bases of

behavior). In the summer after Year Three, students complete the Comprehensive Examination.

This take-home examination consists of 4 questions, of which students must answer 3. The

questions are integrative in nature and often present novel situations that the students must

research to develop an appropriate response. The Comprehensive Examination is discussed in

more detail in this section, in Domain F, and in the Program Handbook, Appendix B, pp. 24-25.

Representative Course of Study

Year One: Fall Year One: Spring

PSY 708: Statistics for Psychologists I PSY 709: Statistics for Psychologists II

PSY 736: Psychopathology PSY 716: Assessment of Adults

PSY 715: Assessment of Children PSY 726: Intervention with Adults

PSY 725: Intervention with Children PSY 714: History and Foundations of

Clinical Psychology

Summer after Year One

May: PSY 755: Ethics and Professional Issues



Year Two: Fall Year Two: Spring

PSY 707: Research Methods PSY 712: Standardized Tests and

Measurements

PSY 750: Diversity in Professional PSY 767: Practicum I

Psychology

PSY 767: Practicum I PSY 769: Thesis

PSY 769: Thesis Elective or Open







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Year Three: Fall Year Three: Spring

Breadth Course Selection* Breadth Course Selection*

Elective or Open Elective or Open

PSY 767: Practicum II PSY 767: Practicum II

PSY 770: Dissertation PSY 770: Dissertation



Summer after Year Three

August: Comprehensive Examination



Year Four: Fall Year Four: Spring

Breadth Course Selection* Breadth Course Selection*

PSY 767: Practicum III PSY 767: Practicum III

PSY 770: Dissertation PSY 770: Dissertation



Year Five: Fall Year Five: Spring

PSY 771: Professional Internship PSY 771: Professional Internship

*

Breadth courses currently include PSY 701: Physiological Foundations of Behavior; PSY 703:

Cognitive Psychology; PSY 704: Social Psychology; and PSY 705: Developmental Psychology.

Integrating science and practice is central to our training model. In the Program’s didactic

component, basic and applied clinical courses are centered on extant material and the scientific

foundation of psychology. Students’ clinical work is similarly expected to be based on

scientifically supported principles and practices. This clinical activity can then serve as fodder

for scientific discussion and indicate areas in which additional knowledge and inquiry are

needed. The Program does not adhere to a unitary scientific or theoretical view of the discipline,

clinical processes, or methodology. Students are exposed to different views on important issues

and challenged to think scientifically for themselves. The ability of students to integrate science

and practice is evaluated in courses, theses and dissertations, and integrative Comprehensive

Examination questions. Furthermore, diversity is considered central to a thoughtful approach to

empirically informed practice and research. Diversity is thus taught and reinforced (1) in a

course devoted specifically to impact and importance of diversity and multicultural competence

and (2) via infusion in other courses and Program elements (see also Domains D and F).

Program Unique Within the Institution

The Program is unique at UNLV in that it is the only doctoral-level degree program focusing on

simultaneous training in scientific methods and provision of psychological services. Doctoral-

level programs in the UNLV Educational Psychology Department focus on practice of

psychology in schools (doctorates in Learning and Technology and Educational Psychology).

UNLV Masters-level degree programs for mental health practitioners – such as Masters in Social

Work, Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, and Masters in Community Health Counseling

– do not follow the scientist-practitioner model and do not stress scholarship.

B2. Central Educational Goal, Objectives, and Competencies

Our central Program goal is to train psychological scientist-practitioners who possess (1) a broad

foundation of psychological knowledge, (2) an ability to design and implement scientific

investigations, and (3) skills necessary to intervene in psychological concerns. This central goal

leads directly to our primary objectives, which are further delineated into specific competencies.





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Objective 1: To provide students with broad knowledge of the discipline of psychology.

Students should possess a broad foundation of psychological knowledge including an

understanding of basic areas of psychological science, individual differences and human

diversity, and ethical and professional behavior in psychology. This knowledge should be

accompanied by skills and values necessary to maintain currency in the evolving knowledge base

of our discipline.

Competency 1.1: A foundation of current knowledge in the area of biological basis of behavior.

Competency 1.2: A foundation of current knowledge in the area of human cognition.

Competency 1.3: A foundation of current knowledge in the area of principles of social influence

and social interaction.

Competency 1.4: A foundation of current knowledge in the area of human development.

Competency 1.5: An understanding of the history of psychology.

Competency 1.6: A foundation of current knowledge of the principles of psychological

measurement.

Competency 1.7: A foundation of current knowledge of human diversity and its relevance to

psychological functioning and professional practice in psychology.

Competency 1.8: A foundation of current knowledge in the area of psychopathology.

Competency 1.9: A foundation of current knowledge of the ethical, legal, and professional

standards relevant to practice and research in psychology.

Competency 1.10: Ability and commitment to maintain currency in the evolving knowledge base

of our discipline.

Objective 2: To teach students the methods of psychological science and the ability to

employ these methods to develop new knowledge. Students should understand psychological

methods including being able to design, implement, and evaluate scientific research.

Competency 2.1: Ability to survey, review, and evaluate extant psychological knowledge

relevant to an empirical topic in psychology.

Competency 2.2: Ability to design and implement empirical research projects relevant to

psychology.

Competency 2.3: Ability to collect and analyze empirical data.

Competency 2.4: Ability to synthesize, interpret, and convey the resulting psychological

knowledge.

Objective 3: To give students the knowledge and skills necessary to address psychological

problems. Students should have the knowledge and skills necessary to intervene in a range of

psychological concerns with both children and adults.

Competency 3.1: Ability to conceptualize psychological problems including conducting an

appropriate assessment.

Competency 3.2: Ability to develop and implement a coherent and empirically justifiable

intervention for psychological difficulties.







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Competency 3.3: Ability to evaluate and monitor the efficacy of a psychological intervention.

Competency 3.4: Ability to identify and conform to relevant ethical, legal, and professional

standards for psychological practice.

Competency 3.5: Ability to understand and demonstrate competence with respect to issues of

cultural and individual diversity.

Competency 3.6: Ability to use consultation and supervision as necessary to guide professional

activity and to provide consultation and supervision regarding professional behavior to others.

Objective 4: To train students to integrate their science and practice knowledge and skills

in addressing familiar and novel professional challenges. Students should be able to integrate

their psychological knowledge, understanding of the scientific method, and intervention skills to

address familiar and novel professional challenges.

Competency 4.1: Ability to confront novel professional and scientific questions systematically

by identifying psychological principles and psychological knowledge that can provide guidance.

Competency 4.2: Ability to identify remaining questions and possible scientific strategies for

answering such questions.

Competency 4.3: Ability and commitment to continue to learn throughout one’s professional life

to remain informed regarding emerging psychological knowledge.

Objective 5: To give students skills necessary to communicate effectively with others

verbally and in writing. Students should have robust verbal and written communication skills.

Competency 5.1: Ability to communicate psychological knowledge and other relevant

information via oral presentations including teaching or presentations.

Competency 5.2: Ability to communicate psychological knowledge and other relevant

information in writing.

B3. Areas of Competence and Understanding as Specified in Guidelines and Principles

Below is a listing of how areas of understanding and competence specified in the Guidelines and

Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology (2007) overlay our Program

competencies as well as discussion of how we achieve each of these areas of competence and

understanding. Many of these competencies are aligned with courses. When this is the case,

students must earn a B- or better in the course to apply it to their degree. Syllabi for all courses

are in Appendix F. All courses are required unless otherwise noted as an elective.

(a) The breadth of scientific psychology, its history of thought and development, its research

methods, and its applications including exposure to current body of knowledge in at least the

following:

• Biological aspects of behavior. Our competency 1.1. Achieved via completion of PSY 701:

Physiological Foundations of Behavior.

• Cognitive and affective aspects of behavior. Our competency 1.2. Achieved via completion

of PSY 703: Cognitive Psychology as well as infusion in other courses such as PSY 715:

Assessment of Children, PSY 716: Assessment of Adults, PSY 725: Intervention with

Children, PSY 726: Intervention with Adults, PSY 736: Psychopathology (cognitive and

emotional disorders), and PSY 744: Neuropsychology (elective).





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• Social aspects of behavior. Our competency 1.3. Achieved via completion of PSY 704:

Social Psychology.

• History and systems of psychology. Our competency 1.5. Achieved via completion of PSY

714: History and Foundations of Clinical Psychology, student learning about history of

various areas of psychology including their specialty areas of study chosen for thesis and

dissertation, and the history of other areas of study addressed in other courses (e.g., PSY 703,

705, 712).

• Psychological measurement. Our competency 1.6. Achieved via completion of PSY 712:

Standardized Tests and Measurements, PSY 715: Assessment of Children, and PSY 716:

Assessment of Adults.

• Research methodology. Our competencies 2.1, 2.2, and 2.4. Achieved via completion of

PSY 707: Research Methods, thesis, and dissertation.

• Techniques of data analysis. Our competency 2.3. Achieved via completion of PSY 708:

Statistics for Psychologists I, PSY 709: Statistics for Psychologists II, thesis, and dissertation.

(b) The scientific, methodological, and theoretical foundations of practice in the substantive area

of professional psychology, including current body of knowledge in at least the following areas:

• Individual differences in behavior. Our competencies 1.7 and 3.5. PSY 750: Diversity in

Professional Psychology focuses directly on this topic. Other courses address the topic (PSY

703: Cognitive Psychology, PSY 704: Social Psychology, PSY 705: Developmental

Psychology, and PSY 736: Psychopathology) as well as practicum experience and thesis and

dissertation.

• Human development. Our competency 1.4. Achieved via completion of PSY 705:

Developmental Psychology.

• Psychopathology. Our competency 1.8. Achieved via completion of PSY 736:

Psychopathology, practicum experience, and infusion in assessment and intervention courses

(PSY 715, 716, 725, 726).

• Professional standards and ethics. Our competency 1.9. Achieved via completion of PSY

755: Ethics and Professional Issues, practicum experience, and infusion in assessment and

intervention courses (PSY 715, 716, 725, 726).

(c) Diagnosing or defining problems through psychological assessment and measurement and

formulating and implementing intervention strategies, including current body of knowledge in at

least the following areas:

• Theories and methods of assessment and diagnosis. Our competencies 1.6 and 3.1.

Achieved via completion of PSY 712: Standardized Tests and Measurements, PSY 715:

Assessment of Children, PSY 716: Assessment of Adults, PSY 736: Psychopathology, and

practicum.

• Effective intervention. Our competency 3.2. Achieved via completion of PSY 714: History

and Foundations of Clinical Psychology, PSY 725: Intervention with Children, PSY 726:

Intervention with Adults, and practicum.









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• Consultation and supervision. Our competency 3.6. Achieved via completion of PSY 714:

History and Foundations of Clinical Psychology, practicum, and PSY 762: Introduction to

Clinical Supervision (elective).

• Evaluating the efficacy of interventions. Our competency 3.3. Achieved via completion of

PSY 707: Research Methods, assessment and intervention courses (PSY 715, 716, 725, 726),

and practicum.

(d) Issues of cultural and individual diversity relevant to all of the above.

• Our competencies 1.7 and 3.5. Achieved via completion of PSY 750: Diversity in

Professional Psychology as well as infusion of diversity across many courses in the

curriculum (PSY 704, 705, 714, 715, 716, 725, 726, 736, 743, 744), practicum experience,

and, in many cases, theses and dissertations.

(e) Attitudes essential for life-long learning, scholarly inquiry, and professional problem-solving

as psychologists in the context of an evolving body of scientific and professional knowledge.

• Our competencies 1.10 and 4.3. Achieved via teaching students skills necessary to develop

and maintain expertise in areas of psychology via course presentations, continued

involvement in research, conference presentations and publishing, thesis, dissertation,

outcomes of graduates (see Domain F), and modeling of these values by mentors. This

competency is also assessed directly via our Practicum Competencies Review form

completed each semester by practicum supervisors (see Domain F, p. 30).

B4: Practicum Training

The didactic preparation for practicum training begins in Year One when students complete 7

courses that lay the foundation for clinical practice. Consistent with our scientist-practitioner

philosophy, each course emphasizes empirical foundations of professional activity in

psychology.

Formal practicum training occurs for a minimum of 3 years (9 months/year) and begins in Year

Two. The ADCT, Dr. Carro, coordinates and supervises practicum training. Each student is

required to take 18 credits of PSY 767: Practicum (3 credits per semester for 3 years). In

addition to the 9-month practicum assignments, students may opt to take either a summer or

secondary practicum opportunity. Students often elect to extend their work to 12 months at their

assigned site. All practicum opportunities must be approved by the ADCT and students must be

enrolled in Practicum 767 to be engaged in clinical activity.

Students are assigned to the same site for the fall and spring semester. Each student is expected

to obtain a minimum of 50 direct assessment and intervention hours per semester leading to a

minimum of 300 total direct hours overall (50 x 6 practicum semesters). However, students

generally accrue many more hours than this minimum. In our most recent cohort of 9 students to

apply for internship, for example, the median number of accrued direct assessment and

intervention hours was 1027 (range 639.5-1884; see also Domain F). Students are expected as

well to engage in indirect client contact, supervision, preparation, record keeping, and other

clinical work for several hours per week. The ADCT collects students’ practicum hour logs at

each mid-semester and end of semester to ensure that students meet minimum requirements.

Students in Year Two – that is, first-year practicum students – are assigned to the UNLV Center

for Individual, Couple, and Family Counseling (CICFC). Students maintain caseloads of 5-6





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carefully screened clients throughout the year and must complete 3 comprehensive psychological

assessments and integrated reports during this year. Core clinical faculty members provide

individual supervision. Approximately 3 students per year are assigned to each faculty

supervisor. Supervisors must provide a minimum of two hours of direct face-to-face supervision

each week, at least one being individual supervision. In addition, faculty supervisors devote

approximately two additional hours per week per student to indirect supervisory functions (e.g.,

observing videotapes, in-session modeling, co-therapy). First- and second-year practicum

students are also required to attend two hours of practicum seminar per week. The seminar

involves clinical case presentations and didactic instruction with an emphasis on further

enhancing competencies related to interpersonal and relationship building skills, ethical

awareness and conduct, response to supervision, theoretical knowledge, assessment and

intervention skills, individual and cultural differences, and professional development.

Since the APA site visit in October, 2005, we established a formal Assessment Clinic within the

Department that is linked to CICFC. The Assessment Clinic provides low-cost services to the

community and was partly established to ensure that students achieve a minimum number of

assessment hours and completed integrated reports. The ADCT (Dr. Carro) founded the Clinic

with an initial $5000 grant from the Department. The Clinic now generates approximately

$5000/year, some of which is transferred to CICFC, and receives approximately $2000/year from

the Department to maintain its instrument library. Dr. Carro currently supervises assessments

made via the Clinic and CICFC. Dr. Carro has also developed several new outside practicum

sites that emphasize assessment training (see practicum descriptions below).

Students in Years Three and Four – that is, second- and third-year practicum students – are

assigned to Program-approved training sites in the Las Vegas/Clark County area. These practica

are unfunded, with some exceptions: (1) the UNLV Student Counseling and Psychological

Services has funded two, 20 hour/week positions at the doctoral level Graduate Assistant rate

($12,000/9 month stipend plus benefits, see C3, p. 17) and pays each 10-hour per week

practicum student $100/month, (2) the Achievement Center has funded practicum students at the

doctoral level Graduate Assistant rate ($12,000/9 month stipend plus tuition), (3) some senior

(Year 5+) students requesting a fourth year of practicum at two local neuropsychology private

practices (both practicum sites) have received compensation for working 10 hours/week ($15-

23/hour), and (4) some senior (Year 5+) students requesting a fourth year of practicum at two on-

campus, child-based practicum sites have been funded via University-based awards at the

doctoral level Graduate Assistant rate ($12,000/9 month stipend).

As the Program has developed, we have cultivated relationships with several sites at which

various opportunities are provided for students to further develop and refine their clinical skills

and interests. Students may choose sites offering training in consultation, assessment, and/or

intervention with child, adolescent, or adult populations in outpatient, inpatient, or forensic

settings. The majority of sites also offer opportunities to work in a multidisciplinary setting with

diverse populations in which individual and cultural differences are well represented. All student

practicum hours are currently supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist.

Appendix G provides brief descriptions of the 16 practicum opportunities for 2008-2009 (see

also Table 2). Four sites provide advanced training in neuropsychological assessment in a

private practice setting in which child, adolescent, and/or young and older adults, as well as

clinical and forensic (criminal and civil) referral questions, are represented. Four sites are state

treatment agencies for youths or adults with serious emotional disturbances or developmental,





12

learning, and other mental disorders. Two sites offer experience in a juvenile justice/clinical

setting. Two sites are University counseling facilities. Two sites are on-campus specialized

child treatment facilities. One site is a nonprofit community clinic providing services to

children, adults, and indigent persons. One site is a youth- and family-based private practice.

Each practicum site is initially reviewed and subsequently monitored by the ADCT. The criteria

for sites to be approved for practicum training include (1) clear commitment to student training,

(2) ability to provide appropriate on-site supervision, and (3) opportunity for practicum students

to provide services appropriate to their level of training in psychological assessment,

intervention, and other areas. We do not accept training sites where students serve primarily as

observers of others providing services. On-site supervisors agree to train students in the

activities of a psychologist and provide, at a minimum, weekly supervision. Supervisors provide

feedback to the Program regarding student performance at mid-year and end of year. The ADCT

meets regularly with practicum supervisors throughout the year to monitor quality of supervision

provided to students.

Students also provide feedback regarding their supervisor and assigned site at these times (see

Appendix H for clinical supervisor and student evaluation forms). One pertinent item is

“Overall this is an excellent supervisor and I would recommend him/her to my peers,” scored on

a 1-5 scale where 1=strongly agree and 5=strongly disagree. Mean ratings on this item were

strong for Spring 2007 (1.11) and Fall 2007 (1.59). Most students (92.7%) agreed or strongly

agreed their supervisor was excellent overall. A second pertinent item is “Overall, this is an

excellent training experience and I would recommend it to my peers,” scored on the same 1-5

scale. Mean ratings on this item were strong for Spring 2007 (1.43) and Fall 2007 (2.00). Most

students (81.1%) agreed or strongly agreed their practicum site was excellent overall.

Required Achievement Level

Required achievement levels can be considered for courses, theses and dissertations, clinical

practica, Comprehensive Examinations, ethical and professional behavior, and adequate progress

in the Program. Students must earn a passing grade (B- or better) in each course taken for the

degree program. A student receiving a grade of C+ or lower is immediately placed on formal

academic (Graduate College-level) probation. Students on such probation due to a non-passing

course grade are informed in writing that they must retake the course and earn a passing grade

during the next 12 months and that they must not receive any other non-passing grade while on

such probation or they may be separated from the Program. Once the student successfully

retakes the course, he/she is removed from such probation. Students may be placed on formal

academic probation twice. Once a student has been on such probation twice, any non-passing

grade or other adverse event may lead to the student being separated from the Program.

Thesis and dissertation requirements are central pillars of our scientist-practitioner training

model. Each student must complete and defend a Master’s thesis. The thesis must be empirical,

supervised by a primary advisor, and overseen by two other committee members from the

Department and one Graduate College representative from outside the Department. Students

must present a formal written proposal to the committee that includes (1) an introduction that

reviews relevant scholarly literature and provides the study rationale, and (2) a method section

involving a detailed description of the method to be employed and of data analytic strategies.

The completed thesis proposal and final thesis must be provided to all committee members and

then orally defended. The committee awards a Satisfactory grade for an acceptable thesis. The





13

student then files the completed thesis with the Graduate College for final approval. The

dissertation follows the same procedures with the expectation that the research project is more

substantial and independent than the thesis. Theses and dissertations are made available to all

faculty members for review, and all faculty members may attend and ask questions at defenses.

Votes regarding the satisfactory nature of a thesis or dissertation are reserved only for committee

members. Beyond thesis and dissertation requirements, students are expected to maintain

continuous involvement in research and are strongly encouraged to present scholarly work at

conferences and in publications (see also Domain F).

Student practicum performance is monitored by clinical supervisors and formally evaluated at

end of each semester, at which time supervisors complete an evaluation form for each student.

The ADCT collects and reviews all evaluation forms. The ADCT is responsible for the course

grade, which is informed by the supervisor evaluation and the student’s performance in the

practicum course/case conference meeting. Students having difficulty developing their

practicum skills can be counseled or required to gain additional practicum experience. The

Program models its practicum evaluation process according to competencies outlined by Hatcher

and Lassiter (2005) and endorsed by ADPTC and APPIC.

Students must pass the Comprehensive Examination (CE) and defend their dissertation proposal

before applying for internship. The CE is designed to evaluate and reinforce student

competencies as emerging scientist-practitioners. The CE is a 2-week, take-home test given in

August each year. Our Program’s goals and objectives guide CE construction. Students choose

3/4 questions to answer. Answers are limited to 10 double-spaced pages plus references.

Questions are integrative, addressing key areas of clinical psychology: psychopathology, ethics,

assessment and intervention, diversity, research methods and statistics. The CEs are scored by

two Program faculty members. An average score of 75+ is a passing score (see also Domain F,

p. 30).

Students are expected to maintain appropriate ethical and professional behavior in their Program-

related activities. This is reviewed during the annual evaluation process (see Program

Handbook, Appendix B, pp. 16-17). Adequate progress is defined by the program timeline

given to all students at time of matriculation (see Appendix I). Students failing to make

adequate progress are placed on probation. The terms of probation for the student delineate what

he/she must complete during a specified time period to be removed from probation. Students

failing to meet the terms of their probation may be separated from the Program.





Guide to Additional Documentation Requested



Appendix F: Syllabi for Relevant Psychology Graduate Courses

Appendix G: 2008-2009 Practicum Site Descriptions

Appendix H: Clinical Supervisor Evaluation/Practicum Competency Review Forms

Student Evaluation/Practicum Site and Supervisor Evaluation Form

Appendix I: Program Timeline

Appendix J: Full Curriculum Vitae for DCT and ADCT









14

Domain C: Program Resources

C1a-e: Core Faculty (as defined by IR C-18)

The Department of Psychology currently has 23 full-time faculty members, 10 of whom are core

clinical faculty members. Seven clinical faculty members are licensed to practice in Nevada, 2

are unlicensed (Drs. Allen and Warren), and 1 is licensed in another state but holds an ASPPB

Certificate of Professional Qualifications in Psychology under their mobility program of

interstate licensing (Dr. Ferraro). The vacancy created by the loss of one clinical faculty member

(Dr. Floyd) just prior to the Program’s accreditation (October, 2005) was unfilled and converted

into a now-filled experimental position. However, one additional core clinical faculty member

was hired in February, 2006 (Dr. Warren). Thus, the current number of core clinical faculty

members is unchanged since the previous self-study. Our core faculty membership is typical for

like programs. The 2006 Annual Report of the Committee on Accreditation revealed a mean of

9 and a median of 8 core clinical faculty members for accredited programs.

Nine of our core clinical faculty are tenured or tenure track and thus have full voting privileges

in all matters of departmental governance. One core clinical faculty member, the ADCT, is an

Assistant Professor in Residence. This is a non-tenure-track faculty designation. Dr. Carro was

hired specifically into this role. Her position does not include research expectations, but hers is

an ongoing, state-funded faculty line that allows for promotion. She has voting privileges for all

governance matters except promotion and tenure. Core faculty members regularly attend and

participate in clinical and full-faculty meetings (see also Domain F). An exception is the current

Associate Dean (Dr. Heavey) who attends clinical but not full-faculty meetings at this time, but

who remains an active participant in the Program.

Our faculty members have strong credentials and expertise relevant to training scientist-

practitioner psychologists. All 10 core clinical faculty members have doctoral degrees from

APA-accredited programs and 9/10 completed APA-accredited internships. All core clinical

faculty members have published scholarly research in the past 5 years and all maintain active

research programs. All core clinical faculty members maintain memberships in professional

organizations and all present scholarly work at regional and national conferences. Many faculty

members routinely co-author scholarly works with students.

Associated Program Faculty (as defined by IR C-18)

We also have 13 faculty members (plus one to start August, 2008) with training in various areas

of experimental psychology. All are full-time tenure track or tenured Department members and

hold doctoral degrees in psychology. They serve as collaborators and members of student

committees and provide instruction in breadth, statistics, and methods courses. These faculty

members belong to relevant professional organizations and most are active researchers and

publishers. We also have a group of outside supervisors who provide on-site supervision for

advanced practicum placements and a part-time instructor, Dr. Wayne Weiten, who teaches a

course to prepare graduate students for teaching: PSY 757: Teaching of Psychology. Dr. Weiten

is well-known in the field as a best-selling textbook author.

C2: Students

We currently have 49 students in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program (median number of

students in APA-accredited doctoral programs: 46). When deciding upon number of students to

admit each year, we consider several factors: sufficient number to ensure meaningful peer





15

interaction and ample class size, number of students faculty members can effectively mentor, and

applicant quality and diversity. Our incoming classes have ranged from 5-11 since 1999 and 5-6

since accreditation in 2005. Two students left the Program from 1999-2005: one pursued a

degree in England with the hope of living there permanently and one followed her mentor, who

accepted a position elsewhere. Two students left the Program from 2006-2008: one was

separated from the Program and one pursued a degree in our experimental psychology program.

In reviewing students for the Program, we consider a combination of academic qualifications,

including GPA and GRE scores, relevant experience, letters of recommendation and intent, fit

with Program goals including the goal of diversity, and fit with a mentor. Each applicant’s letter

of intent is reviewed during the admissions process to evaluate fit with the Program. Finalists

during this process are invited to campus for our Interview Day. During this day, the philosophy

of the Program, including our scientist-practitioner orientation and importance of a genuine

interest in research and scientific training, is presented to and explored with finalists with the

hope of creating a good match between our expectations and offerings and incoming students’

interests and goals. Although we accept and acknowledge that many students will seek careers

that involve predominantly practice-related activities, we want students to share our interest in

the value of integrated science and practice training. We also hope some of our students will

share our commitment to research sufficiently to pursue primarily research or academic careers.

We do not have rigid cutoffs for GPA and GRE scores, but generally admit students with a 3.5

undergraduate GPA or better and GRE subscale scores averaging above 550. We have made

exceptions to this, particularly in cases where we did not believe GRE scores reflected ability,

such as in applicants from non-traditional or diverse backgrounds. Our 2005-2007 cohorts

entered with a combined mean GPA of 3.73 and strong GRE scale means for verbal (593),

quantitative (631), and psychology (659).

Since accreditation in 2005, we admitted smaller incoming classes of 5-6 students to allow closer

faculty mentorship and to allow us to fund all students, including senior students, who requested

funding. In subsequent years, we expect to accept 5-8 students per year. To date, 18 students

have fulfilled all Program requirements and have graduated (see Domain F). Eleven students are

currently on internship; 5 of these have already defended their dissertation and will graduate in

2008. Four other students have a high likelihood of graduating in 2008, needing only to

complete internship and/or defend their dissertation. Eight students will enter internship in 2008.

C3: Other Resources

Financial Support for Training and Educational Activities

During Years One and Two of study, the primary form of student support is state-funded

Graduate Assistantship (GA) positions. GA positions carry a waiver of out-of-state tuition, pay

77.5% of per-credit registration fees up to 10 credits per semester, and pay a 9-month stipend of

$12,000. The GA position does not cover student fees but does cover 67.2% of the $1489 cost

for optional student health insurance. Student fees and the non-covered portion of a typical 12-

credit semester load total approximately $500 per semester. In return for this compensation,

students are expected to work 20 hours per week in support of faculty research or teaching.

The Department currently has an allocation of 24 GA positions. Most of these GA positions

have been used traditionally to fund clinical students. In recent years, the Department increased

the number of positions allocated to the experimental program to assist that program in recruiting







16

students. We thus expect the number of future GA positions for clinical students to be

approximately 11-13 per year (current number is 11). This is one reason we recently admitted

smaller cohorts – to more closely align number of admitted students with available funding.

In Years Three and Four, students are typically funded through positions that require teaching

two sections of a course; these positions are Part-Time Instructor GAs, or PTI-GAs. Students

initially teach introductory psychology and, concurrent with their first semester of teaching, take

a course to prepare and assist them with this initial teaching experience (PSY 757: Teaching of

Psychology). PTI-GA positions are compensated at the same rate as a GA. The Department

currently has an allocation of 26 PTI-GA positions; 17 are currently assigned to clinical students.

We have had some students funded with grant money and we hope to increase the number of

students funded with extramural grants in coming years. Grants and scholarships are also

offered by the Graduate College on a competitive basis. Our students have been successful in

receiving these funds. In 2007, for example, a clinical student was awarded the UNLV Ferguson

Fellowship ($20,000 plus fees paid), two were awarded a Nevada Stars scholarship ($18,000 plus

tuition remission), one was awarded a Barrick Fellowship ($14,000 plus fees paid), 6 were

awarded a GREAT Assistantship for summer ($6000), 3 were awarded a Summer Scholarship

($2000), one was awarded an Alumni Scholarship ($1000), and one was awarded an Adams

Scholarship ($1000). In three previous years, a clinical student was awarded the UNLV

Foundation President’s Fellowship (currently $20,000 plus fees paid). Additional financial

assistance is available through UNLV Student Financial Services.

Our goal is to fund all students who request funding. All students who requested funding in

2006 and 2007, including students in Year Five and beyond, received funding. This has been

possible due to smaller incoming cohorts, student and Department success in securing

University-based funding sources for graduate students, and available grant positions offered by

faculty members. We anticipate that all clinical students requesting funding for 2008-2009 will

receive funding.

In addition to student funding, the Department has an operating budget sufficient for ongoing

expenses and to purchase training equipment. As mentioned earlier, the Department continues to

contribute funds for the Assessment Clinic. We have also allocated funds to cover costs of some

students and faculty who wished to attend conferences on multicultural competence. Faculty

members are provided $1,000 per year for professional travel, and several internal grant

programs are available to fund faculty research. Graduate students can apply for research and

travel grants of up to $750 from the Graduate and Professional Student Association.

The University also supports the Program by providing 12-month contracts for the DCT and

ADCT and a reduced teaching load for the DCT. Clinical supervision and mentorship of

doctoral students are also counted in the teaching load. Mentoring multiple doctoral students,

providing practicum supervision, and maintaining an active research program typically account

for course reassignments. Practicum supervision for 3 clinical students at CICFC counts as one

teaching course per semester. The DCT currently teaches one course per semester; this course

may be practicum supervision.

Clerical and Technical Support

The Department has 3 full-time administrative assistants. None are assigned to the Program for a

fixed percentage of time, but all are available to support Program activities such as admissions,







17

evaluations, and internship applications. The DCT works with the Department Chair and the

office manager to determine which staff person will assist with various administrative tasks.

Technical support for all computer and electronic equipment is provided via the Office of

Information Technology (OIT). Students and faculty members have access to computer help

lines and technical consulting. Audiovisual equipment is also available via OIT.

Training Materials and Equipment

The ADCT maintains an extensive library of assessment materials for evaluations performed at

CICFC or for courses. Instructors of the assessment courses also have been given several sets of

psychological assessment instruments they use in the courses. The assessment library contains

69 measures that include a wide range of intelligence, achievement, personality, behavioral,

memory, symptom, and other assessments for children, adolescents, and adults.

The Department maintains a computer lab (shared with the Department of Sociology) that is

accessible to all graduate students. Computers in the lab are equipped with SPSS, EQS,

Microsoft Office, and Adobe Creative Suite, including Dreamweaver, among other programs.

The Department also has a site license for E-Prime for research activities.

The University has an extensive library. The physical structure provides ample space for

students to read or study, and a large graduate student lounge with computers, printers, and study

space is available. The journal and book holdings of the library are good, and the ability to

retrieve articles, books, or documents not held by the library is excellent. Faculty and students

have remote access to various databases, including PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic

Search Premier, IRIS, Scopus, and JSTOR, among others. Document Delivery Services can

typically provide copies of articles not held by the library within a very short period of time.

Physical Facilities

The Psychology Department is housed in the Classroom Building Complex, Building B (CBC-

B), where most Psychology graduate courses are held. Each faculty member has an office and

all research-active faculty members have lab space. Graduate students often have office space in

their professor’s research laboratories or utilize the Graduate Student lounge in the library, which

is adjacent to CBC-B. A reorganization of CBC-B space this year is anticipated to produce

additional office space for graduate students; specific details will likely be available in

September, 2008. Graduate students who are teaching have a shared office with computers and

telephone. All physical facilities are handicapped accessible.

Student Support Services

Our students have access to the Student Health Center for physical health needs and UNLV

Student Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for mental health needs. We also

maintain a network of local psychologists willing to provide services to students and their family

members on a sliding-scale fee basis. Students are professionally insured by the University

while they perform practicum work and must maintain malpractice insurance when engaged in

practicum work. Graduate students do not have access to additional University-based legal

services. Other University-based units that provide student support were listed in A3, p. 2.

Practicum Training Facilities

Second-year students participate in practicum at our on-campus training clinic under supervision

of core program faculty. Third- and fourth-year students participate in practicum either at on-





18

campus but primarily off-campus training sites. These were described in greater detail in B4 and

Table 2. We have ample practicum sites for our students and excellent collaborative

relationships with each site. The sites are aware of our training model and goals and maintain

ongoing communication with the ADCT. The ADCT also conducts an annual workshop for

practicum supervisors and an annual Practicum Fair in which clinical students meet with

supervisors at existing practicum sites to help determine their preferences for further training.

C4. Consortium

The program is not part of a consortium.



Domain D: Cultural and Individual Differences and Diversity

The Department’s and Program’s policies and intent regarding diversity and multiculturalism

match UNLV’s commitment to “foster a campus environment that respects diversity and free

expression,” currently codified as a key University planning goal. Our internal commitment to

diversity is partly manifested by active, rotating service of experimental and clinical faculty,

including the DCT, on our Department Diversity Committee as well as formal articulation in the

following Program Handbook statement (p. 8): “Multicultural competence is an integral part of

the program’s research and clinical training mission. The curriculum instructs students in

multicultural competencies at all levels of the research enterprise (critical evaluation of existing

literature, design, methodology, interpretation of findings) and of clinical activity (assessment,

intervention, program development, consultation, program evaluation). Additionally, we value,

seek and support diversity among faculty and students with regard to age, sex, sexual

orientation, ableness, socio-economic status, race, culture, and other forms of diversity.”

Students

We currently have 49 clinical students, 12 of whom (24.5%) are members of ethnic minority

groups. This is an increase since our 2005 self-study (18.9%) and slightly above the median of

23.0% in APA-accredited doctoral programs. Five students are Hispanic, three are African-

American, one is Eastern Indian, one is biracial Eastern Indian, one is biracial Pakistani, and one

is Israeli. We continue to seek greater cultural diversity in our program, but the current ethnic

composition is somewhat aligned with regional demographics. Among our last three incoming

cohorts since accreditation, 4/16 students (25.0%) are members of ethnic minority groups.

Several of our students are bilingual in Spanish and others are fluent in French, Norwegian,

Hindu, Gujarati, and Farsi. No students of ethnic minority status have prematurely departed the

Program.

The current gender ratio is heavily skewed toward female admissions, as is the case nationally in

the profession. Our current student body is 16.3% male, which is similar to the 18.0% we had in

2005 but somewhat below the median of 22.0% in APA-accredited doctoral programs. Among

our last three incoming cohorts since accreditation, 3/16 students (18.8%) are male. The age

range of our students is 23-49 years with some well-qualified non-traditional students making

career changes or returning to school after raising families. We currently have no students with

documented disabilities and have no knowledge of having received any such applicants. We

have several mechanisms in place for minority student recruitment and retention:

1. Admissions process that takes culture into account, including culturally appropriate

consideration of scores as well as examination of other measures of potential success.





19

2. Department policy allowing funding for applicants from diverse backgrounds to interview

with our Program.

3. Department policy to prioritize funding for minority students.

4. Minority student recruitment is a mandate of the Department Diversity Committee.

5. Graduate Assistant tasked to the Diversity Committee to maintain a “pipeline” program to

prepare local minority students to compete for admission to our and other graduate programs.

6. Accessing minority student associations at UNLV to identify qualified potential minority

candidates for our program.

7. Mentoring program whereby existing students are matched, taking into consideration aspects

of diversity, with incoming students to provide support and assistance in the Program and

community.

8. Meetings between the DCT and minority students and cohorts to discuss concerns.

9. Recruitment efforts directed to minority students at non-UNLV institutions via listserves,

graduate program and CUDCP events, APA recruitment fairs, and direct mail.

10. Faculty attendance at multicultural and other conferences to recruit minority students.

11. As the diversity of our faculty membership hopefully grows, an increased matching of

minority students to minority faculty members.

12. Maintain multicultural coverage throughout the curriculum and in practica.

13. Student orientation to relevant campus organizations advancing multicultural issues.

Faculty

The Department currently has 23 faculty members, plus one who will join us in August, 2008.

Of these 24 total persons, 9 are women (37.5%), one of whom represents an ethnic minority

(Hispanic). The percentage of female faculty is a substantial increase since 2000 (12.5%) and

2002 (29.0%) but the current percentage of faculty representing an ethnic minority (4.2%) has

declined since 2000 (5.0%) and 2002 (9.0%). This latter change was due to the departure of an

African-American faculty member in 2004 and a since expanded faculty. The lone professor

currently representing a cultural minority is a core clinical faculty member. Four faculty

members (3 clinical, 1 experimental) left the Department in 2004-2005 (all prior to accreditation)

and two experimental faculty members retired in 2007. The Department has, however, expanded

since 2005 by hiring six faculty members in experimental psychology, hiring one faculty

member in clinical psychology, and welcoming the return of the previous Dean of the College of

Liberal Arts (Dr. Shoben, an experimental psychologist) to the Department (see also A3, p. 1).

Dr. Shoben has announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year.

Although we remain highly committed to multiculturalism, attempts to increase the ethnic

diversity of our faculty during recent hiring cycles have been unsuccessful. During an

unsuccessful search for a clinical geropsychologist, for example, the search committee actively

researched the qualifications of diverse applicants. Unfortunately, few viable candidates

emerged for the position; one woman accepted another offer prior to our interview stage and one

Hispanic woman had no publications. An offer was made to a third candidate but he declined.

This position was subsequently converted to a cognitive psychology position, and a female was







20

hired and will join our faculty in August, 2008. No viable candidates for the experimental

psychology positions included ethnic minorities, though 3/6 new hires in this area were female.

As mentioned earlier, we did hire a core clinical faculty member (Dr. Warren) in February, 2006

who specializes in multicultural psychology and eating disorders. We hope to increase the ethnic

diversity of our faculty through upcoming hires, including clinical hires, in 2009 and beyond.

Despite our limited success in increasing faculty ethnic diversity, our faculty members remain

committed to principles of multiculturalism as central to our Department culture and the

Program’s training mission. This was partly reflected in a series of diversity workshops for

faculty and students sponsored by the Department Diversity Committee via University funding in

2006. Dr. Patricia Arredondo from Arizona State University presented a workshop on enhancing

diversity and multicultural competency within a psychology department. Dr. Kathryn Quina

from the University of Rhode Island presented workshops related to multicultural curricular

transformation, changing department climate vis-à-vis multiculturalism, and teaching critical

thinking through multiculturalism. Dr. Gordon Nagayama Hall of the University of Oregon and

Dr. Robert Sellers of the University of Michigan provided presentations related to diversity in

research, the APA Minority Fellowship Program, and a multidimensional model of racial

diversity. As further evidence of its commitment to multiculturalism, the Department has several

mechanisms in place for minority faculty recruitment and retention:

1. Prioritizing qualified minority candidates in faculty searches and hiring advertisements.

2. Openness to non-traditional backgrounds such as community work that may be less academic

in nature.

3. Matching new faculty to faculty mentors sharing a significant cultural dimension.

4. Introduction of faculty member to campus organizations and colleagues with shared cultures.

5. Departmental support and encouragement for developing courses specific to cultural

concerns.

6. Mailings to the Directory of the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs.

7. New faculty orientation to address issues of concern to new faculty, such as faculty

governance, committees, campus-wide cultural organizations, promotion, and tenure.

8. Regularly scheduled meetings with mentor, graduate program directors, and Chair to discuss

existing concerns.

9. Reduced emphasis on impact factor of journals that minority faculty members may publish in

to allow for publication in ethnic studies journals as well as utilization of qualitative and non-

traditional methodologies.

10. Climate survey conducted by the Chair regarding quality of work environment for faculty.

11. Parental leave initiatives developed by the Diversity Committee.

Efforts to educate students about diversity and test cultural competencies

Integrating multicultural competencies in our curriculum has been a developmental and

incrementally successful process. Since our Program began, faculty members have been actively

encouraged to incorporate individual and cultural differences into all coursework to provide

students with the diversity knowledge, skills, and attitudes they require to work in a multicultural







21

society. To build faculty skills by which to achieve multicultural infusion, the Department has

also purchased materials to help individual professors with this integration. Faculty members

have worked to increase the explicit incorporation of cultural competencies into syllabi, and the

Diversity Committee has been tasked with reviewing syllabi from all relevant graduate courses

to boost new reading and other materials pertinent to diversity topics.

The program also makes liberal use of guest lecturers from the community on issues related to

cultural competencies. Recent lectures include Dr. Luis Guevara, a Latino psychologist, who

spoke of incorporating information about Mexican-American worldviews and assumptions into

therapy for diverse adolescents and Dr. Dudley Luke, a Chinese-American psychologist, who

discussed Asian worldviews and assumptions vis-à-vis case conceptualization and treatment.

The ADCT is currently arranging for a speaker on gay/lesbian/transgender issues.

Clinical students are required to take PSY 750: Diversity in Professional Psychology, which is

designed specifically to instruct in cultural competencies. This is an intensive course that

students describe as informative. Competencies are very specifically tested in this course via

active and engaged participation, reaction papers to assigned readings, and a course project

involving a written review of a topic of direct relevance to the practice of culturally competent

clinical practice, research, or teaching.

Practicum placements are another way we educate our students about diversity. Sites providing

the greatest degree of diversity include Desert Willow Treatment Center, Summit View

Correctional Facility, UNLV CAPS, Office of Juvenile Public Defender, and our child-oriented

and neuropsychological training sites (see descriptions in Appendix G). At CICFC, the site for

Practicum I, students see clients representing all major minority and lower-income groups in our

community. Ethnic minority supervisors include two Latinos, two African-Americans, and one

Asian. Dr. Meana of our core clinical faculty also supervises Spanish-speaking students with

Spanish-speaking clients. We continue to develop sites that expose our students to diversity.

Supervisor evaluations of our students’ interactions with diverse clients are also an important

way we test cultural competencies and assess outcomes vis-à-vis our diversity training.

Advanced students are also tested on cultural competencies in their Comprehensive Examination.

In addition to the expectation that diversity issues will be properly addressed in all research

projects, students are encouraged to address multiculturalism in their theses and dissertations.

We currently have a number of students directly researching culture as it relates to assessment,

child maltreatment and disorders, parenting attitudes, disparities in mental health services,

sexuality, inner experience, bodily perceptions, and eating disorders, among other areas.

Overall, we have several mechanisms in place for instructing cultural competencies:

1. Diversity in Professional Psychology (PSY 750); required course.

2. Infusion of multicultural issues in all courses and practica.

3. Guest lecturers from the community with multicultural expertise.

4. Multicultural workshops for students and faculty.

5. Provision of relevant didactic materials for faculty.

6. Departmental sponsorship of faculty attendance at multicultural conferences.

7. Practica exposing students to diverse populations and culturally informed assessment and

interventions.





22

8. Inclusion of multicultural issues and topics in the Comprehensive Examination.

9. Encouragement to include multicultural issues in theses and dissertations and other research.

10. Diversity Committee review of syllabi for better integration of cultural competencies.

11. Workshops for faculty on integrating multicultural competencies across topic areas.

Guide to Additional Documentation Requested



Appendix K: Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement

Learning Enhancement and Disability Services

Samples of recent position announcements



Domain E: Student-Faculty Relations

E1: Student Rights and Grievance Procedures



See Appendix B, Program Handbook, p. 6 for program philosophy related to student-faculty

relations and pp. 14-16 for conflict resolution and grievance procedures.

See Appendix C, UNLV Graduate Catalog, pp. 37-44 for academic policies

See Appendix C, UNLV Graduate Catalog, p. 42 for appeal and grievance procedures.



E2 and 3: Faculty accessibility and guidance

We have dedicated clinical faculty members who serve as scholars, teachers, clinical supervisors,

mentors, and models of the best characteristics of the scientist-practitioner clinical psychologist.

Clinical faculty members generally schedule office hours and regular “lab” meetings to discuss

research with graduate students. Faculty members meet regularly with students they are advising

to guide them through the research process and discuss professional issues that may arise.

Prior to accreditation, some students expressed concern about variability in faculty availability

with respect to mentoring. We thus admitted smaller cohorts of 5-6 students in the past 3 years

to meet our target of reducing the overall clinical student body size to below 50 (currently 49).

This has allowed more time for each clinical faculty member to mentor each student. The DCT

meets regularly with the Clinical Student Committee and its chair to discuss issues of student

concern. In the past 3 years, several changes were made at the request of students, including

more timely written annual evaluation feedback, enhanced mentor contact, a clearer delineation

of Department- and Graduate College-level probation (see Program Timeline, Appendix I),

enhanced practicum opportunities, establishment of a Practicum Fair (see p. 19), and initiation of

a faculty evaluation process by students. The DCT also meets regularly with individual student

cohorts and diverse students to address more specific concerns they may have.

E4: Performance Expectations and Student Evaluations

All students are given a copy of the Program Handbook, Program Timeline, and the APA Code

of Ethics when they interview for the Program and again during Program orientation when they

matriculate (see Appendix B for a copy of Program Handbook and Appendix I for a copy of

Program Timeline). Program requirements are outlined on pp. 10-12 of the Program Handbook.

Students are formally evaluated annually in five areas: (1) academic performance, (2) scholarly

research activity, (3) clinical knowledge and skill, (4) ethical knowledge and functioning, and (5)





23

assistantship performance, if applicable. The evaluation process partly involves collecting

statements from students and advisors and the ADCT, reviewing information at a Program

meeting, and distilling evaluative material into a written letter presented to the student and

placed in the student’s file (see the Program Handbook in Appendix B, pp. 16-17 for more

detailed discussion of evaluation procedures). Mentors and students meet subsequent to this

process and regularly to discuss the evaluation and implement a remediation plan if applicable.

Students are placed on formal Graduate College-level academic probation if they receive a grade

lower than a B- in any course, if they fail to defend their thesis proposal by November 15 of Year

Three, if they fail to defend their thesis by November 15 of Year Four, or if they fail to defend

their dissertation proposal by November 15 of Year Six. Students may petition for extensions

when special circumstances exist. From 1999-2005, 9 students were placed on formal probation.

Of these, 4 were placed on probation for receiving a grade lower than B- and 5 were placed on

probation for failure to complete the thesis in timely fashion. From 2006-2008, 5 students were

placed on formal probation. Of these, 1 was placed on probation for a grade lower than B- (since

rectified), 1 was placed on probation for a grade lower than B- and for failure to defend the thesis

proposal by November 15 of Year Three (grade since rectified but thesis issue remains), 1 was

placed on probation for failure to defend thesis by November 15 of Year Four (since rectified),

and 2 were placed on probation for failure to defend dissertation proposal by November 15 of

Year Six (one since rectified, one separated from Program; see below).

Students are given written warning well in advance of being placed on probation for lack of

adequate progress. Students placed on formal Graduate College-level probation are informed in

writing what they must do to be removed from such probation and the period during which they

must complete required activities, such as retake a course or finish a thesis. Students failing to

meet the terms of probation may be separated from the Program. One student was separated

from the Program in September, 2006 for failure to complete her dissertation proposal and other

problems despite repeated warnings and extensions. Examples of annual evaluation and

probation letters, with identifiers removed, are in Appendix L.

E5: Student Complaints and Grievances

Since the inception of our program, no formal complaints or grievances have been filed by

students. Student concerns have occasionally been raised and addressed through informal

conflict resolutions mechanisms described in the Program Handbook. The Clinical Student

Committee is helpful in bringing student concerns to the DCT and ADCT and Program faculty

members have been receptive to these concerns. Procedures for filing a formal grievance are

specified in the Program Handbook (pp. 14-16).

Guide to Additional Documentation Requested



Appendix L: Sample annual evaluation and probation letters

Appendix M: Graduate Assistant Policy from Graduate College Policy Manual

UNLV Student Conduct Code









24

Domain F: Program Self-Assessment and Quality Enhancement

F1: Self-assessment

Self-assessment has been an ongoing process within our Program since its inception in 1999.

Our Program began with a framework and set of goals conforming to the Guidelines and

Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology. As we have developed our

Program each year, we have engaged in nearly continuous reflection on all aspects of training,

policies, and procedures to build a high-quality program and culture that embodies our values.

Our self-assessment process most regularly occurs via clinical faculty meetings. We have

functioned largely as a committee of the whole because of the precedent-setting nature of many

of our decisions. We currently average approximately 4-5 formal meetings per academic year.

During these meetings, we perform or review various required tasks such as admissions, student

evaluations, practicum assignments or concerns, student probation and petition determinations,

and funding priorities as pertinent. In addition, these tasks often serve as a springboard for

complex discussion of Program issues and goals, or the DCT and ADCT will raise special issues

following consultation with Program or associated faculty members, Clinical Student Committee

members, practicum supervisors, or Graduate College and other relevant personnel.

Clinical faculty meetings are also designed to discuss the development and state of the Program

more broadly. Recent examples of important programmatic issues reviewed during meetings

include faculty and student diversity, course coverage of diversity and history, practicum

competencies, procedures for student evaluations, delineation of probationary timelines,

regularity of student-faculty communication, types of projects and length suitable for theses and

dissertations, and schedule and material regarding our 2008 accreditation review. As mentioned

earlier (see A3, p.2), a Clinical Program Subcommittee (CPS) of the DCT and 3 core faculty

members is specifically entrusted to handle credit transfer/waiver requests from incoming

students and to review student petitions for extra employment, waiver or alteration of a Program

requirement, or other routine matter. Oftentimes, special issues arise from this process and are

brought to the full clinical faculty for discussion and resolution. During the 2007 transfer/waiver

request process, for example, the issue of whether to exempt our ethics course from transfer/

waiver was initiated at the CPS level and eventually ratified at the clinical Program level.

Our self-assessment process has also included formal retreats at the Program or Department level

when major issues are identified. From 1999-2005 (before formal Program accreditation), 5

such retreats were held. In 1999, an initial retreat was held to establish basic governance and

structural issues as well as our mission, goals, and objectives. In 2001, a second retreat was held

to discuss and implement recommendations provided by Dr. Patricia Wisoki as part of her “mini-

site visit” to our Program and to revise procedures regarding grievance, the Comprehensive

Examination, practicum supervision, and certifying students as eligible for internships. In 2002,

a third retreat involved discussion of anonymous student survey input about our Program, a

review of the Program’s mission and goals/objectives, progress toward accreditation, and review

of comparative outcome data such as rates of publications and presentations among clinical

students. From this process, the ethics course was moved to the summer after Year One, our

now-operating Assessment Clinic was conceptualized, greater opportunities for student

supervision were implemented, and practicum supervision policies were revised.

In 2003, a fourth retreat also involved discussion of anonymous student input about aspects of

the Program, particularly the degree to which we were achieving our primary goals. Other





25

substantive issues included our mission and goal statements, desirability of providing training in

intervention and assessment for children and adults, and the possibility of adding concentrations.

In 2004, a fifth retreat involved discussion of diversity-related concerns about relations among

and between faculty members and students. The Department was then experiencing distress with

the departure of one male and three female faculty members, one of whom was African-

American. Dr. Richard Spates graciously served as an outside consultant regarding diversity and

provided feedback that raised our awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues in our Department

during a time of rapid change. This retreat partly involved a lengthy discussion about Dr.

Spates’ report and what we could learn from our colleagues’ departure. Faculty members agreed

to increase sensitivity to issues of power, gender, and diversity in our working relationships.

Faculty members also recommitted to enhancing our experimental doctoral program. An

increase in number of GA positions (see C3, pp. 16-17) allocated to the experimental program

was thus advocated. Our Department also participated in a 2004 UNLV Faculty Senate

mandated 5-year review of all new programs. This involved preparing a self-study addressing

various aspects of clinical and experimental program governance, resources, and functioning.

More recently, a Departmental retreat was held in August, 2007. Agenda items specific to the

clinical Program included upcoming accreditation tasks, course syllabi review, student office

space, and DCT election. The Program has also conducted several extended conferences in the

past two years. The Program has gravitated toward a system whereby the DCT and ADCT meet

regularly with clinical students in general and those elected to the Clinical Student Committee to

discuss issues of student concern. This is in addition to regular meetings between the DCT and

individual and diverse students, cohorts, and other relevant Department and University

personnel. Recent issues and changes from these interactions, including material advanced to

full clinical faculty meeting agendas, include mentor-student contact, timelines toward theses

and dissertations, probation, mentor evaluation, timeliness of student evaluations, and research

opportunities. This system has worked well and student and faculty morale appears to be good.

F1b. Detailed Outcome Data

We present here our five main objectives and associated competencies along with activities we

engage in to ensure we meet an objective and that students develop respective competencies. At

the conclusion of each objective and associated competencies, we discuss outcome data we have

used and will use to assess the extent to which we have met our goals.

Objective and Competencies Activity

1. To provide students with broad Courses, Conferences, Publications, Teaching

knowledge of the discipline of PSY 101, Comprehensive Examination

psychology.

1.1: Knowledge of biological basis of PSY 701: Physiological Foundations of

behavior Behavior

1.2: Knowledge of human cognition. PSY 703: Cognitive Psychology and diffusion

across courses (e.g., 715, 716, 725, 726, 736,

744)

1.3: Knowledge of principles of social PSY 704: Social Psychology

influence and social interaction.







26

1.4: Knowledge of human development. PSY 705: Developmental Psychology

1.5: An understanding of the history of PSY 714: History and Foundations of Clinical

psychology. Psychology and diffusion across courses (e.g.,

703, 705, 712), thesis, dissertation, mentorship

1.6: Knowledge of principles of PSY 712: Standardized Tests and

psychological measurement. Measurements, PSY 715: Assessment of

Children, PSY 716: Assessment of Adults

1.7: Knowledge of human diversity and its PSY 750: Diversity in Professional Psychology,

relevance to psychological functioning diffusion across courses (e.g., 704, 705, 714,

and professional practice in psychology. 715, 716, 725, 726, 736, 743, 744), practicum

1.8: Knowledge in the area of PSY 736: Psychopathology, practicum, and

psychopathology. infusion in clinical courses (715, 716, 725, 726)

1.9: Knowledge of ethical/legal/professional PSY 755: Ethics and Professional Issues,

standards relevant to practice and practicum, and infusion in clinical courses (715,

research in psychology. 716, 725, 726)

1.10: Ability and commitment to maintain Courses, mentorship, practicum, thesis,

currency in the evolving knowledge base dissertation, other research, conferences, and

of our discipline. outcome of graduates

Outcome Data for Objective 1 and Related Competencies: Broad Knowledge

The first assessment of competencies related to Objective 1 is course grades. All competencies

except 1.10 are covered in specific courses and so student achievement of requisite knowledge is

measured directly via grades. Students must earn a grade of B- or better in all courses. Our

courses are rigorous and student achievement is generally high. The mean cumulative GPA of

our doctoral students at end of 2007 was 3.91 (4-point scale). Competencies 1.7 to 1.9 entail

knowledge of issues related to professional practice and therefore are assessed via practicum and

internship performance (see practicum and internship outcome data in Objective 3).

Objective 1.10 (life-long learning) may be assessed to some extent while students are in our

Program and after they have graduated. While in our Program, students are expected to engage

in several activities that impress upon them the need for life-long learning and to show evidence

of skills necessary to maintain currency of knowledge in the discipline. Examples include oral

and written presentations in classes, thesis and dissertation proposals and final defenses,

Comprehensive Examinations, practicum case presentations, and continued involvement in

research that includes conference presentations and publications. Almost all of our students are

members of professional organizations and the large majority of students have conference

presentations and publications (see below). Our Program mentors are also quite active in

scholarly work and publication (see vitas and C1, p. 15) and therefore model this competency for

our students.

Graduates from our Program also provide evidence of competency in life-long learning.

Eighteen (18) students have graduated from our Program and we expect 7-9 of our current

students to graduate in 2008 (see also C2, p. 16). Of our 18 graduates, 3 have become licensed

with a mean EPPP score of 651.3. Our graduates are currently employed in hospitals (4),







27

behavioral health facilities (3), postdoctoral positions (3), private practice (2), as psychological

assistants in private practice (2), a community mental health center (1), a state agency for male

juvenile offenders (1), and a research program at Johns Hopkins (1); one (1) other student just

graduated and relocated and is currently seeking employment in her new locale. We will

continue to track our success in achieving Objective 1 in part by monitoring students’ EPPP

scores and success with respect to professional employment.

Graduates from our Program were also briefly surveyed about (1) the overall quality of their

UNLV graduate education and (2) the degree to which their UNLV graduate education prepared

them for their current employment position. Graduates were asked to rate these variables on a 1-

10 scale where 1=little or not at all and 10=very well. Responses from 17 graduates produced

means of 8.91 and 7.74 for these two variables, respectively.





Objective and Competencies Activity

2. To teach students the methods of Courses, Comprehensive Examination, mentorship,

psychological science and the ability to thesis, dissertation, presentations, and publications

employ these methods to develop new

knowledge.

2.1: Ability to survey, review, and evaluate PSY 707: Research Methods, Comprehensive

extant psychological knowledge relevant Examination, mentorship, thesis, dissertation

to an empirical topic in psychology.

2.2: Ability to design and implement PSY 707: Research Methods, mentorship, thesis,

empirical research projects relevant to dissertation

psychology.

2.3: Ability to collect and analyze empirical PSY 708: Statistics for Psychologists I, PSY 709:

data. Statistics for Psychologists II, mentorship, thesis,

dissertation

2.4: Ability to synthesize, interpret, and PSY 707: Research Methods, Comprehensive

convey the resulting psychological Examination, mentorship, thesis, dissertation

knowledge.

Outcome Data for Objective 2 and Related Competencies: Research Skills

The first assessment of competencies related to Objective 2 is course grades. Research skills are

the primary focus of a 3-course sequence in statistics and research methods. The Comprehensive

Examination (CE) also addresses research methods and statistics (see Appendix N, Question #1

of the 2007 CE for an example).

Research skills are practiced under the guidance of a research mentor when students complete

theses and dissertations. During Summer/Fall, 2007, for example, 2 students proposed their

thesis, 8 students defended their thesis, 4 students proposed their dissertation, and 7 students

defended their dissertation (21/49 active students). Sample topics from theses and dissertations

from this period include school absenteeism, child perfectionism, selective mutism, traumatic

brain injury, MMPI-2, inner experience, and psychopathy and violence. Recent research work

by our students has resulted in prestigious awards. For example, one student received an APA







28

2007 Dissertation Award and an APF 2007 Ruth G. and Joseph D. Matarazzo Scholarship for her

dissertation research. Our students have also won several University-based fellowships and

scholarships based partly on their extensive research work (see C3, pp. 18-19).

Another indication of success regarding Objective 2 is scholarly publications and presentations

by students. The DCT audited student vitas in January, 2007. Among current clinical students,

including first-year students, median number of conference presentations was 5, median number

of first-author conference presentations was 2, median number of publications was 2.5, and 38%

of students had a first-author publication. Students have recently published first-author articles

in impressive journals such as Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Behavior Therapy,

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, and Archives of Sexual Behavior.

In a brief audit of student annual evaluation material for calendar year 2007, excluding first-year

students, 64.3% of clinical students had at least one publication/presentation in 2007 (in press

material was not counted). Overall, a very large portion of current clinical students in years 2+

have at least one publication (83.7%) and/or at least one conference presentation (86.0%). These

numbers rise slightly for current clinical students in years 3+ (84.2%; 89.5%). With respect to

data available for 16 graduates, mean number of conference presentations at graduation was 8.6

(range 2-20) and mean number of publications at graduation was 3.4 (range 0-10). We will

continue to track the presentation and publication activity of our students, and are hopeful that

some current students will successfully pursue academic or research positions.





Objective and Competencies Activity

3. To give students the knowledge and Courses, practicum, Comprehensive Examination,

skills necessary to address internship, clinical research

psychological problems.

3.1: Ability to diagnose or define PSY 712: Standardized Tests and Measurements, PSY

psychological problems including 715: Assessment of Children, PSY 716: Assessment of

conducting an appropriate assessment. Adults, PSY 736: Psychopathology, practicum

3.2: Ability to develop and implement a PSY 714: History and Foundations of Clinical

coherent and empirically justifiable Psychology, PSY 725: Intervention with Children, PSY

intervention for psychological 726: Intervention with Adults, practicum

difficulties.

3.3: Ability to evaluate and monitor the PSY 707: Research Methods, assessment and

efficacy of a psychological intervention. intervention courses (715, 716, 725, 726)

Comprehensive Examination, practicum

3.4: Ability to identify and conform to PSY 755: Ethics and Professional Issues, assessment

relevant ethical, legal, and professional and intervention courses (715, 716, 725, 726),

standards for psychological practice. Comprehensive Examination, practicum

3.5: Ability to understand and demonstrate PSY 750: Diversity in Professional Psychology,

competence with regard to issues of diffusion across clinical skills courses (e.g., 714, 725,

cultural and individual diversity. 726, 736), Comprehensive Examination, practicum,

thesis, dissertation







29

3.6: Ability to use consultation and PSY 714: History and Foundations of Clinical

supervision as necessary to guide Psychology, PSY 762: Introduction to Clinical

professional activity and to provide Supervision, practicum

consultation and supervision regarding

professional behavior to others.

Outcome Data for Objective 3 and Related Competencies: Clinical Skills

The first assessment of competencies related to Objective 3 is course grades. Clinical skills are

the primary focus of a sequence involving assessment, intervention, ethics, and other courses.

The diversity course emphasizes multicultural competence. Skills and knowledge addressed in

this objective are also covered in the Comprehensive Examination (CE), which addresses

psychopathology, assessment and intervention, diversity, ethics, and research methods and

statistics. For example, remaining questions on the 2007 CE, with sample student responses, are

in Appendix N. Students must answer 3/4 questions and receive an average score of 75+ for

each item to pass the examination.

In 2006, 8 students completed the CE; 6 passed, 1 passed two questions but failed one, and 1

passed one question but failed two. Subsequent revisions of answers to the failed questions were

scored in the passing range and these students thus passed. Original mean scores are presented

here for Questions 1 (84.4), 2 (85.8), 3 (85.5), and 4 (86.2). In 2007, 5 students completed the

CE; 4 passed and 1 passed two questions but failed one. A subsequent revision of the answer to

this failed question was scored in the passing range and this student thus passed. Original mean

scores are presented here for Questions 1 (85.5), 2 (85.0), 3 (88.7), and 4 (87.4).

Clinical skills are put into practice during 6 semesters of practicum. Students receive detailed

performance evaluations from their practicum supervisors at the end of each fall and spring

semester. These evaluations, in combination with the practicum activity log and case conference

performance, are considered by the ADCT to determine practicum course grade. Students are

given additional feedback regarding practicum performance in their annual evaluation letter.

Practicum training outcomes are also evaluated via cumulative adequacy of hours and

experiences, competencies, the internship match process, and internship performance. Prior to

accreditation in 2005, 13 students applied for internship via the match process. These students

completed a mean of 1065 intervention and assessment hours. Moreover, students gained

experience with diverse populations: racial/ethnic diversity was represented in 32.6% of clients

and sexual orientation difference was represented in 18.0% of clients. Students also worked with

individuals with a wide variety of disabilities and mental disorders. Of these 13 students, 11

(84.6%) matched with an APA-accredited internship, 1 received an APPIC internship via the

Clearinghouse, and 1 did not match and re-entered the match process in 2006 and was matched.

Since accreditation, direct client contact hours and competencies continue to be emphasized as

practicum evaluation methods for our students. In 2006, mean number of total intervention and

assessment hours for students applying for internship (for 2007) was 1006.5 (range 307.75-2288;

national mean, 766). These students also gained experience with diverse populations: racial/

ethnic diversity was represented in 44.6% of clients and sexual orientation difference was

represented in 7.5% of clients. Students also worked with individuals with a wide variety of

disabilities and mental disorders. Based on Practicum Competency Review forms (see









30

Appendix H), only 1/29 students in 2006-2007 received ratings of “below expectations” from a

supervisor.

In 2007, mean number of total intervention and assessment hours for students applying for

internship (for 2008) was 1101 (range 639.5-1884). These students also gained experience with

diverse populations: racial/ethnic diversity was represented in 36.8% of clients and sexual

orientation difference was represented in 4.5% of clients. Students also worked with individuals

with a wide variety of disabilities and mental disorders. Based on Practicum Competency

Review forms (see Appendix H), only 1/28 students in 2007-2008 received ratings of “below

expectations” from a supervisor.

With respect to internship match, 7 students entered the APPIC match process in 2006; 6 were

matched on Match Day and one matched after Match Day. One other student pursued a local,

non-APA-accredited internship. In 2007, 13 students pursued internship; 11 entered the APPIC

match process and 2 chose to pursue a local, non-APA-accredited internship. Of those 11, 1

withdrew from the match process to pursue an APPIC-member site, 7 were matched on Match

Day and 1 was matched after Match Day. Two students who did not match (one was a 4th-year

student) entered the match process the subsequent year and were matched. In 2008, 9 students

entered the APPIC match process and 8 were matched on Match Day. The other student, again a

4th-year student, did not match and will wait until next year. The mean number of internship

interviews for this most recent cohort of 9 students was 9.1 (national mean in 2007=6.3).

Since accreditation, therefore, 26 students entered and completed the APPIC match process; 21

(80.8%) were matched on Match Day and 2 (7.7%) were matched after Match Day (88.5% total).

These numbers compare quite favorably to national match rates (77% since 2005). In addition,

end-of-year evaluations for our students on internship have been excellent (see Appendix O for

sample of recent internship site evaluations). Internship supervisors generally consider our

students to be well-qualified and functioning at a very high level for their stage of training. As

mentioned earlier as well, some of our graduates have already become licensed and nearly all are

professionally employed. We will continue to monitor outcome data relevant to this objective

among our graduates, including EPPP scores, licensure, and type of and performance in

professional employment.





Objective and Competencies Activity

4. To train students to integrate their Courses, thesis, dissertation, other research,

scientific and practice knowledge and mentorship, Comprehensive Examination, conferences

skills in addressing familiar and novel

professional challenges.

4.1: Ability to systematically confront novel Thesis, dissertation, other research, mentorship,

professional/scientific questions by Comprehensive Examination

identifying psychological principles and

psychological knowledge that can

provide guidance.

4.2: Ability to identify remaining questions Thesis, dissertation, other research, mentorship,

and scientific strategies for answering Comprehensive Examination

such questions.





31

4.3: Ability and commitment to continue to Courses, thesis, dissertation, other research, practicum,

learn throughout one’s professional life mentorship, conferences

to remain informed about extant

psychological knowledge.

Outcome Data for Objective 4 and Related Competencies: Integration of Science and

Practice Knowledge/Skills

Objective 4 is an amorphous objective and therefore difficult to assess directly. Nonetheless, the

objective is a central pillar of our model and guides our activities. In the majority of courses,

students are expected to integrate scientific knowledge and clinical practice. Students are

routinely asked to give presentations for which they must study the scientific literature to

develop empirically grounded knowledge. We thus train our students to scientifically and

systematically address types of novel questions they will encounter after leaving the Program.

Student performance in these presentations is evaluated within the context of the courses.

Theses and dissertations follow this same basic model. Students choose a research topic,

typically one involving a clinical population (see p. 28 for examples) so they can address how

science can be used to build knowledge relevant to clinical practice. Through study of the

research literature and mentorship, students develop a deeper understanding of the topic and

formulate a research plan to develop new knowledge. Students collect data and work with their

mentors to draw appropriate conclusions from data. They must then enter a critical piece of the

scientific process by presenting and defending their work to a broader public of knowledgeable

individuals. This process is repeated for the dissertation with the expectation that students are

now more independent, needing only modest guidance before becoming established as a doctoral

level expert in their topic area. Performance in this process is evaluated via review of the thesis

and dissertation by the committee and performance during the oral defense of the project.

Students showcase these skills to the broader discipline when they attend internship and when

they present their work at scholarly conferences or in journal articles or other publications. As

discussed above, the large majority of our students have completed conference presentations and

scholarly publications by the time they reach senior status (84.2%; 89.5%) and our students have

done well in the internship match process and on internship. Future indications of these skills

will be found in success in professional employment, research and publications, and students

maintaining currency of knowledge. As our students move further away from graduation, we

will monitor their satisfaction with the Program, perceptions of the quality of the training they

received, and employment and career paths.





Objective and Competencies Activity

5. To give students skills necessary to Courses, thesis, dissertation, other research, conference

communicate effectively with others presentations, publications, teaching, practicum

verbally and in writing.

5.1: Ability to communicate psychological Courses, thesis and dissertation proposal and defense

knowledge and other relevant meetings, conference presentations, teaching,

information via oral presentations such as practicum case presentations

teaching or presentations.







32

5.2: Ability to communicate psychological Courses, thesis, dissertation, other research,

knowledge and other relevant publications, assessment reports

information in writing.

Outcome Data for Objective 5 and Related Competencies: Written and Verbal

Communication Skills

Objective 5 is assessed via the wide array of professional written and oral presentations required

of our students. This begins in courses, which frequently require oral presentations and papers.

Students also receive detailed feedback on multiple drafts of their theses and dissertations,

allowing them to hone their writing skills. Students are required to orally propose and defend the

thesis and dissertation, which furthers their practice in formal presentations. We also sponsor a

yearly conference during which third-year students present their research to faculty members and

graduate students. Finally, as noted, most students collaborate with their mentors to present at

conferences and publish.

Graduate students commonly teach introductory psychology. Concurrent with their first

semester of teaching, students take a course to help them be effective teachers (PSY 757:

Teaching of Psychology). Many advanced students also progress toward teaching upper-division

courses such as abnormal psychology and child behavior disorders. Most (67.7%) current

students in year 4+ have taught at least four sections of introductory and/or upper-division

psychology courses (note that exceptions often mean a student was funded via a grant or

University-based scholarship that precludes teaching). Teaching effectiveness is evaluated via

student course evaluations, which have generally been excellent. Another indirect measure of

communication skills involves the internship interview and match data summarized earlier.

As mentioned earlier, our graduates have shown great success in securing professional

employment involving a wide array of communicative abilities and continued professional

writing and presenting. One final outcome-related issue is time to degree. Regarding our 18

graduates to date, the mean number of years needed to complete all Program requirements,

including internship, has been 6.2 years, which closely mirrors the national average.

F2: Review of Appropriateness of Training Model

As discussed in F1, we have engaged in frequent discussions about the appropriateness of our

training model and its fit with institutional, regional, and national standards. Regarding fit with

institutional goals, faculty members from our Department have been active participants in the

campus-wide planning process that develops and reviews goals. These goals have then been

incorporated into Department and Program policies. The Program was initiated in 1999 due in

part to a shortage of clinical psychologists in southern Nevada. With the region growing rapidly,

there continues to be substantial unmet need for mental health services in the area.

We have remained informed about national standards and trends in professional practice by

joining the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP), sending the DCT

and ADCT to the annual CUDCP conference, and sending the ADCT to the ADPTC conference

annually and to the APPIC conference biannually. As an example, we reformed our practicum

evaluation process following a CUDCP focus on competencies and not merely number of client

contact hours. Several of our graduate students have also served as APAGS representatives as

well as UNLV campus representatives to the Nevada State Psychological Association







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Faculty members keep abreast of latest developments in their areas of expertise as part of the

ongoing process of updating courses and scholarship. Consistent with this, faculty members

belong to and hold offices in professional organizations, regularly attend other professional

conferences, and participate in Continuing Education for psychologists. Additionally, the former

DCT and a current core clinical faculty member (Dr. Heavey) is currently president of the State

Psychology Board and has represented Nevada at the ASPPB meeting. The current ADCT (Dr.

Carro) has served several terms as president of the Nevada State Psychological Association. Our

Program is thus well-informed about national and state trends in professional psychology.

Response to Committee on Accreditation Concerns in 2006

In the April 25, 2006 letter from the Committee on Accreditation (CoA), several points were

raised to be addressed in this self-study. First, as requested, this self-study reserved the term

“internship” for the capstone requirement of a full-time, yearlong intensive training experience.

Second, the CoA was concerned about education of history within our Program. In response, we

substantially reworked our PSY 714 course (previously Introduction to Clinical and Research

Skills) to add a substantial amount of material on pre-psychology influences, pioneers of

psychology, history and systems of psychology, and historical roots of clinical psychology. Our

new PSY 714 course is entitled “History and Foundations of Clinical Psychology” (see learning

objectives and syllabus in Appendix F). We continue as well to infuse historical information

into other clinical courses.

Third, the CoA requested an evaluation of our efforts to attract and retain students and faculty

from various backgrounds. Our overall efforts were detailed in Domain D and have been

effective for recruiting and retaining diverse students. Our student body is more diversified since

accreditation and no diverse clinical students have prematurely departed our Program. Indeed, of

our 18 graduates to date, 3 (16.7%) are members of ethnic minorities. In addition, of our 19

students currently on internship or entering internship in 2008, 5 (26.3%) are members of ethnic

minorities. We have been less successful at diversifying our faculty (see Domain D), but our

priority for doing so remains high. We are particularly hopeful that future lines will be clinical

and that these lines will yield a higher probability of attracting and securing diverse applicants.

In addition, we are hopeful the University’s recent appointment of a Vice President for Diversity

and Inclusion represents a broad commitment in this direction and will assist the Department in

our diversity efforts.

Fourth, the CoA noted that our Department experienced a period of turmoil at time of

accreditation, as some faculty members departed. Following this period, we secured funding for

several diversity training workshops (see Domain D) and implemented practices to improve our

working environment and to retain faculty. These practices included a faculty climate survey

conducted by the Chair, frequent Department and Program meetings to assess and address

individual faculty needs (particularly new faculty and start-up costs), institution of specialized

experimental program emphases, and ongoing mentoring of younger faculty. We believe these

practices have substantially improved our Department’s overall working climate. Indeed, since

accreditation, no clinical faculty members have left the Program and only two senior members of

the experimental faculty retired. All 6 hires since 2005 remain as Department faculty.

Fifth, the CoA noted an increase in number of students mentored by clinical faculty as a result of

some faculty departures before accreditation. In response, we successfully assimilated remaining

students into our labs, reduced the number of incoming students (16 total in past 3 years), and





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successfully transitioned many of our students to internship and graduation. The CoA also

wished to see a copy of the revised grievance procedure in this self-study, and this is now

available in the Program Handbook (Appendix B, pp. 14-16).

Sixth, the CoA noted that one vexing issue regarding our student progress has been that some

students have taken substantially longer than expected to complete the Master’s thesis. In

response, we have attempted to match students to mentors more quickly before and after

matriculation, to encourage students to decide upon feasible thesis topics and embark on

literature reviews during Year One, and to provide students with a more delineated yet flexible

timeline with clear consequences attached to failure to complete Program milestones in a timely

manner (see Program Timeline in Appendix I). As mentioned earlier (p. 24), only two students

since accreditation have been placed on formal probation for timeliness problems regarding the

thesis, and one of these situations has been rectified. We believe our changes have thus helped

ameliorate the thesis timeliness issue to some extent, though ongoing vigilance will continue.

Guide to Additional Documentation Requested

Appendix N: 2007 Comprehensive Examination and sample student responses

Appendix O: Sample of recent internship site evaluations



Domain G: Public Disclosure

In accordance with IR C-20, substantial information about our Program is available to current

and prospective students and to the public via our Department and Program websites

(http://psychology.unlv.edu and http://psychology.unlv.edu/html/clinical_program.html).

Information available to these parties includes current accreditation status, Program philosophy

and goals/objectives, admission and graduation requirements, resources for students and faculty,

administrative policies and procedures, Program Handbook, practicum experiences, and

performance and outcome data. The address and telephone number of the APA Commission on

Accreditation is also provided. Website information is provided in a way to allow potential

applicants to make informed decisions about applying to, and entering, the Program.

Current and prospective students are provided with updated copies of the Program Handbook

during Interview Day, at time of matriculation into the Program, and/or following substantive

changes to this living document. We do not distribute fliers or advertisements about the Program

but do participate in the APA Guide to Graduate Study in Psychology. A copy of the Program

Handbook is in Appendix B. A copy of relevant web pages is in Appendix D.



Domain H: Relationship with Accrediting Body

The DCT (Dr. Kearney) has maintained intermittent contact with personnel in the APA Office of

Accreditation and Consultation and members of the APA Commission on Accreditation. This

includes telephone calls and emails to Dr. Zlotlow and Betsy Horrocks regarding initial Program

accreditation, new obligations such as annual report participation, timing of the next self-study

and site visit for the Program, and IR C-20 compliance. The DCT has also held discussions with

Jeff Baker and Celiane Rey-Casserly at CUDCP seminars regarding site visitor training and self-

study preparation. No substantive programmatic changes have occurred since 2005. The

Program is in good standing regarding fee payments associated with accreditation status.







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List of Appendices



Appendix A Transfer/waiver credit policy

Appendix B UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Handbook

Appendix C UNLV Graduate Catalog, 2007-2009

Appendix D UNLV Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program Website

Appendix E Grievance policies for UNLV faculty members

Appendix F Syllabi for Relevant Psychology Graduate Courses

Appendix G 2008-2009 Practicum Site Descriptions

Appendix H Clinical Supervisor Evaluation/Practicum Competency Review Forms

Student Evaluation/Practicum Site and Supervisor Evaluation Form

Appendix I Program Timeline

Appendix J Full Curriculum Vitae for DCT and ADCT

Appendix K Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement

Learning Enhancement Services

Samples of recent position announcements

Appendix L Sample annual evaluation and probation letters

Appendix M Graduate Assistant Policy from Graduate College Faculty Advisor’s Guide

UNLV Student Conduct Code

Appendix N 2007 Comprehensive Examination and sample student responses

Appendix O Sample of recent internship site evaluations









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