Comprehensive Examination Prep

Psychological Theory and Practice

Triage/Assessment

The student had difficulty identifying the client’s problems.

The student did not recommend evaluation of the client’s mental status or assessment for danger to self or others.

Recommendations for psychological assessment may have been addressed, however, specific assessment instruments and/or issues were not considered.

The student demonstrated limited understanding of the client's problems.

The student recommended some type of evaluation to determine whether the client was a danger to himself or others.

Recommendations for specific instruments may have been addressed; however, they appear to have been chosen as a general psychological battery rather than to specifically determine the client’s level of functioning.

The student demonstrated an understanding of the client’s problems and how they might be impacting his ability to function.

The student recommended evaluation of the client’s mental status and discussed the need to assess for suicidality, homicidality, psychosis, and current substance use.

The student also recommended that additional psychological assessment may be warranted.

The student clearly identified and operationally defined the client’s problems and how they might be impacting his ability to function.

The student recommended evaluation of the client’s mental status and discussed the need to assess for suicidality, homicidality, psychosis, and current substance use.

The student also recommended that additional psychological assessment may be warranted that encompasses the potential biopsychosocial contributors to .the problem(s) (cognitive functioning, personality, career, familial relationships, etc.)

Psychological Theory and Practice

Diagnostic Impression

The student did not provide specific information about diagnostic impressions.

The student’s responses did not utilize the information presented in the case vignette nor did the student present any diagnoses that he/she would want to rule out.

The student was able to reference information from the clinical vignette which may be of concern; however, his/her diagnostic impressions were not fully developed.

Instead, the student’s responses indicate that he/she only looked at pieces of the client’s behavioral and emotional functioning (e.g., did not look at the information as a whole and did not look at how the symptoms interact).

The student was able to identify at least one appropriate diagnostic impression and supported it with the client’s symptoms.

The student demonstrated adequate problem-solving strategies to determine differential diagnostic impressions

The student provided a differential diagnostic impression process including additional (missing) information needed to either rule out or confirm the diagnostic impression.

The student was able to identify one or more appropriate diagnosic impressions and supported them with the client’s symptoms

In alignment with the current DSM, the student determined the diagnostic impression by applying a systematic strategy of differential diagnoses.

The student provided a summary of additional information that would be necessary to confirm or rule out provisional diagnostic impressions.

The student showed an awareness of cultural and forensic issues that may affect the diagnostic impression.

Legal Theory and Application

Theoretical Formulation

Student did not recommend a specific therapeutic formulation to explain the background, current presentation, and behavior of the client in the vignette.

Student did recommend a specific therapeutic treatment approach however, had difficulty describing how the approach applied specifically to the client in the vignette.

Student recommended using a specific therapeutic treatment approach.

Student demonstrated a sufficient understanding of the theory and the treatment approach.

The student’s theoretical formulation included material related to victim or offender psychology.

Student recommended utilizing a theoretical formulation. He/she was able to demonstrate an advanced understanding of the theoretical orientation(s) that he/she chose by showing how this theory or theories explained both clinical symptomology and forensic involvement of the client in the vignette.

The student’s theoretical formulation integrated material related to victim or offender psychology.

Student also discussed the limitations of his/her chosen theoretical orientation.

Legal Theory and Application

Victimology

Student did not discuss how the type of crime in the vignette generally impacts a victim of the crime or their family members or other members of society.

Student discussed how the type of crime in the vignette generally impacts a victim of the crime but neglected to address its impact on their family members or other members of society.

Student discussed how the type of crime in the vignette generally impacts a victim of the crime and addressed its impact on their family members as well as other members of society.

Student discussed how the type of crime in the vignette impacts a victim of th crime supported by recent (within 8 years) research findings.

Student also addressed its impact on the victim’s family members and social interactions as well as other members of society.

Student also provided emerging trends related to the crime studied.

Legal Theory and Application

Legal Implications

The student was unable to provide specific definitions or case support for the psycho-legal standards/definitions.

The student provided both specific definitions and case support for each of the psycho-legal standards/definitions, but did not demonstrate a clear knowledge of the relationship of the cases to the standards/definitions.

The student provided both definitions and case support for all psycho-legal standards/definitions clearly demonstrating the relationship of the cases to the standards/definitions, but was unable to relate the issues to the vignette provided.

The student provided both definitions and case support for all psycho-legal standards/definitions clearly demonstrating the relationship of the cases to the standards/definitions.

The student was able to describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional focuses on when assessing the psycho-legal standards/definitions, and any additional items that might be especially important to focus on in the provided vignette.

Research and Evaluation

Forensic Evaluation

The student was unable to describe what tests or assessment procedures they would employ in the vignette to address these forensic issues.

The student was able to either describe what tests or assessment procedures they would employ in the vignette to address these forensic issues, or was able to clearly articulate how these tests would be used, but neglected to do both.

The student was able to describe what tests or assessment procedures they would employ in the vignette to address these forensic issues and was able to clearly articulate how these tests would be used.

The student was able to describe what tests or assessment procedures they would employ in the vignette to address these forensic issues and was able to clearly articulate how these tests would be used.

The student showed an awareness of cultural issues that may impact forensic evaluation.

The student anticipated realistic conclusions based upon the information provided in the vignette and the forensic assessments they described.

Research and Evaluation

Research Question and Methodology

Student did not develop a research question or hypothesis or the one developed did not align with the vignette..

Student neglected to explain the variables in the question and the type of research study that could answer the question as well as why that research would make a contribution to the field of forensic psychology.

Student developed a research question or hypothesis that loosely aligns with the vignette.

Student explained either the variables in the question or the type of research study that could answer the question but not both.

Student neglected to adequately address why that research would make a contribution to the field of forensic psychology.

Student developed a research question and hypothesis that clearly aligns with the vignette issues.

Student explained the variables in the question and the type of research study that could answer the question and both were appropriate.

Student clearly addressed why that research would make a contribution to the field of forensic psychology.

Student developed a research question and hypothesis that clearly aligns with the vignette issues.

Student explained all the variables in the question and the type of research study that could answer the question and supported why they were appropriate.

Student clearly addressed why that research would make a contribution to the field of forensic psychology and would be helpful in relation to the current vignette client.

Leadership, Consultation, and Ethics

Ethical Issues

Student’s responses do not convey a respect for the rights of others, adherence to his/her professional code of ethics, or knowledge of local state laws.

Student’s responses minimally conveyed a respect for the rights of others, adherence to his/her professional code of ethics, and/or an understanding that he/she would need to consider local state laws.

Student’s responses adequately convey a respect of the rights of others, adherence to his/her professional code of ethics and appropriate laws.

Student’s responses fully convey a respect for the rights of others and adherence to his/her professional code of ethics (ACA/APA) and local state law.

The student understood the intersection between the cases presented and ethical issues. The student identified potential ethical dilemmas, and applied ethical decision-making models and ethical principles to resolve ethical dilemmas.

The student identified potential issues involved, a review of the relevant ethical code, information about the applicable laws and regulations, when he/she would seek consultation, and that he/she considered possible and probable courses of action.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Diversity/Multicultural Competence

Student’s responses minimally incorporated cultural diversity.

No readings were cited on how a client’s culture influences his/her participation in counseling

Student’s responses addressed some aspects of cultural diversity and how the concepts are defined but some cultural characteristics were neglected

Few readings were cited, minimal connections were made to how a client’s culture influences his/her participation in counseling.

Students incorporated diversity factors, cultural considerations, or other demographic variables pertaining to this client in rendering diagnoses, choosing assessment measures, forming case conceptualizations, and designing the treatment plan.

Responses addressed cultural/diversity factors that could apply even if they are not explicitly mentioned in the vignette.

Discussion is appropriately supported with relevant readings from the literature.

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Students incorporated diversity factors, cultural considerations, or other demographic variables pertaining to this client in rendering diagnoses, choosing assessment measures, forming case conceptualizations, and designing the treatment plan.

Student’s responses fully incorporated cultural diversity. The student included information about the client’s identity development, extent of acculturation to dominant culture, and how the client’s background history and demographic information could affect her response to treatment interventions and the student as a counselor. The discussion addresses personal values and biases that may play a role in the treatment.

Good discussion supported by relevant literature. Connections were made to how a client’s culture influences his/her participation in counseling.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Writing/APA

Responses are not clear, concise, organized, or well supported with references. Most references were not cited parenthetically nor included in the reference list.

The student’s responses do not cite sources in correct APA style.

The student also inappropriately used direct quotations.

Responses were not always clear, concise, organized, or well supported using multiple sources in adherence with APA style.

The student’s responses cited some sources in correct APA style.

Some references were cited parenthetically and were included in the reference list.

The student also inappropriately used direct quotations.

Responses were clear, concise, organized, and well supported using multiple sources in adherence with APA style.

The student’s responses cited most sources in correct APA style.

Most references were cited parenthetically and included in the reference list.

Minimal and appropriate use of direct quotations in the correct format

Information presented was concise, organized, well supported, and professional.

The student’s responses cited sources in correct APA style.

The student used multiple references and cited them parenthetically using APA formatting and included them in the reference list.

Minimal and appropriate use of direct quotations in the correct format

The student focused on the question, constructed arguments, and demonstrated critical thinking skills.

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