PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE PLAN (PEP)- 6675

Desired Clinical Skills for Students to Achieve

Confident (Can complete independently)

Mostly confident (Can complete with supervision)

Beginning (Have performed with supervision or needs 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-TR 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, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management) 

Confident

Evaluating patient response and modify 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 psychotherapeutic plan (e.g., risk/benefit, patient preference, developmental considerations, financial, the process of informed consent, symptom management, modality appropriate for situation) 

Mostly Confident

Applies age appropriate psychotherapeutic counseling techniques with individuals and/or any caregivers

Confident

Develop an age appropriate individualized plan of care

Confident

Provide psychoeducation to individuals and/or any caregivers

Confident

Promote health and disease prevention techniques

Self-assessment skill:

Develop SMART goals for practicum experiences 

Confident

Evaluating outcomes of practicum goals and modify plan as necessary 

Mostly Confident

Documenting and reflecting on learning experiences

Confident

Professional skills:

Maintains professional boundaries and therapeutic relationship 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 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

Confident

Develops an appropriate plan of care based upon screening instruments response

Confident

Identifies the need to refer to another specialty provider when applicable

Accurately documents recommendations for psychiatric consultations when applicable

Mostly Confident

My core strengths include the ability to recognize and differentiate psychiatric conditions, conduct and interpret comprehensive medical histories and physical examinations, and apply strong diagnostic reasoning. I am proficient in selecting evidence-based pharmacological treatments, implementing tailored psychotherapeutic interventions, and developing SMART professional goals. I excel in maintaining professional boundaries, fostering effective team collaboration, addressing ethical and legal challenges, and providing empathetic, nonjudgmental care. In addition, I am confident in selecting and developing accurate screening tools to enhance patient care.

While I bring several strengths to my clinical practice, I recognize areas where I aim to continue growing under supervision. In particular, further developing my ability to evaluate patients’ responses to treatment and thoroughly document adverse reactions remains a priority in advancing my pharmacotherapeutic care. I also seek to strengthen my proficiency in conducting and interpreting mental status examinations, a critical component of psychological assessment and treatment planning. Moreover, enhancing my collaboration with interdisciplinary teams will support more accurate screening of psychological conditions and contribute to improved overall clinical outcomes.

1. Enhance Pharmacotherapeutic Skills

· Gain practical experience in diverse clinical settings to deepen understanding of patients’ medical needs.

· Strengthen communication with patients to more accurately evaluate medication effectiveness and identify potential side effects.

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

2. Strengthen Professional Competencies

· Actively collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare providers to broaden clinical knowledge and gain diverse perspectives.

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

· Refine problem-solving abilities through ongoing practice and reflective learning in clinical environments.

3. Advance Screening and Psychological Assessment Skills

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

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

· Enhance communication with patients by using personalized, empathetic approaches during screening and assessment.