PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE PLAN (PEP)- 6665

Desired Clinical Skills for Students to Achieve

Confident (Can complete independently)

Mostly confident (Can complete with supervision)

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

New (Have never performed or does not apply)

Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation skills in: 

Recognizing clinical signs and symptoms of psychiatric illness across the lifespan

Confident

Differentiating between pathophysiological and psychopathological conditions 

Confident

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

Mostly Confident

Performing and interpreting a mental status examination 

Confident

Performing and interpreting a psychosocial assessment and family psychiatric history 

Mostly Confident

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

Confident

Diagnostic reasoning skill in:

Developing and prioritizing a differential diagnoses list

Confident

Formulating diagnoses according to DSM 5 based on assessment data 

Mostly Confident

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

Confident

Pharmacotherapeutic skills in:

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

Confident

Evaluating patient response and modifying plan as necessary 

Mostly Confident

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

Mostly Confident

Psychotherapeutic Treatment Planning:

Recognizes concepts of therapeutic modalities across the lifespan

Mostly Confident

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

Mostly Confident

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

Confident

Develop an age-appropriate individualized plan of care

Confident

Provide psychoeducation to individuals, families, and/or groups

Confident

Promote health and disease prevention techniques.

Mostly Confident

Self-Assessment skills:

Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences 

Confident

Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modifying plan as necessary 

Mostly Confident

Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences

Confident

Professional skills:

Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationships with clients and staff

Confident

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

Confident

Identifies ethical and legal dilemmas with possible resolutions

Confident

Demonstrates non-judgmental practice approach and empathy

Confident

Practices within the scope of practice

Confident

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

Demonstrates selecting the correct screening instrument appropriate for the clinical situation 

Mostly Confident

Implements the screening instrument efficiently and effectively with the clients

Mostly Confident

Interprets results for screening instruments accurately

Mostly Confident

Develops an appropriate plan of care based on screening instruments' response

Confident

Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable

Confident

Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable.

Mostly Confident

My key strengths include recognizing and differentiating psychiatric conditions, performing and interpreting medical histories and physical exams, and applying strong diagnostic reasoning. I am skilled in selecting evidence-based pharmacotherapy, implementing individualized psychotherapeutic interventions, and developing SMART professional goals. I also excel in maintaining professional boundaries, collaborating with teams, addressing ethical and legal dilemmas, and demonstrating empathy and nonjudgmental care. Additionally, I am confident in selecting and developing accurate screening interventions to support patient care.

While I bring several strengths to my clinical practice, there are areas where I seek further growth under supervision. Specifically, evaluating patients’ responses to treatment and documenting adverse reactions remains a key area for development in pharmacotherapeutic care. I also see an opportunity to strengthen my skills in performing and interpreting mental status examinations, which are essential in psychological assessment and treatment. Additionally, increasing collaboration with interdisciplinary teams will further enhance my ability to screen psychological conditions accurately and improve overall clinical outcomes.

1. Enhance Pharmacotherapeutic Skills

· Gain hands-on experience across diverse clinical settings to strengthen understanding of patients’ medical needs.

· Improve communication with patients to accurately assess medication effectiveness and potential side effects.

· Increase proficiency in using Electronic Health Records (EHR) to comprehensively review and interpret patient histories.

2. Strengthen Professional Competencies

· Collaborate actively with interdisciplinary healthcare providers to broaden clinical knowledge and learn from diverse perspectives.

· Develop stronger patient-provider relationships to address ethical dilemmas and adapt appropriately to varying clinical situations.

· Refine problem-solving abilities through consistent practice and reflective learning in clinical settings.

3. Advance Screening and Psychological Assessment Skills

· Conduct supervised psychological and diagnostic screenings to build confidence in test administration and result interpretation.

· Learn from expert observation and feedback to improve accuracy in evaluating psychological results.

· Enhance patient communication through personalized, empathetic engagement during screening and assessment.