Program Structure

Across the training year, Guam-PIC interns gain training experiences within the Adult Services and Child and Adolescent Services with additional training exposure to the Drug and Alcohol Services and Guam – Department of Corrections (DOC). Adult Services Division is located at the main facility in Tamuning. Outpatient drug and alcohol services and outpatient children and adolescent services is located in the J&G Commercial Center in Hagatna. The primary training site for DOC is the Adult Correctional Facility in Mangilao.

Case Presentations

Interns are expected to complete three (3) 90-minute case presentations during their training year. Interns present at least one therapy and one assessment case (with the third either a therapy or assessment case). The presentation should be 60 minutes, leaving up to 30 minutes for discussion of consultation questions. Feedback is given to interns by members of the Guam-PIC Training Committee using the Intern Case Presentation Rating Form. The format involves providing Identifying information, psychosocial history, history of presenting problem, course of treatment/hospital course, mental status at time of interview, assessment or treatment data (depending on type of case), diagnoses and formulation, and recommendations.

Didactic Series

Guam-PIC faculty strive to embody the spirit of life-long learners and view professional development as a continuous process with no fixed endpoint. The didactic series is one way the value on education is put into practice. Interns are exposed to a variety of speakers through a comprehensive didactic series throughout the training year. Didactics focus on a range of relevant topics, designed to build upon and enhance prior knowledge and experiences, as well as compliment the direct service/experiential training provided during internship. Didactics prepare interns to face a wide variety of professional issues and circumstances they are likely to encounter throughout their careers. All didactics are expected to be professional grade presentations with evidence-based citations and references. Didactics are also expected to attend to individual and cultural diversity factors.

Didactics are held in person weekly for two hours. A didactic calendar is distributed during orientation and may be updated throughout the year. Didactic trainings are delivered by Guam-PIC psychologist faculty as well as by other behavioral health professionals who are experts in the topic areas. Many topic areas consist of a two-to-three-part series of didactic trainings to allow for sufficient depth in those areas. Didactic topics may include, but aren’t limited to:

1. 1. Ethical Decision Making and Strategies & Guam Law
   2. Correctional Psychology
   3. Finding a Post-Doc
   4. Assessment of Adults and Children with Psychosis
   5. Report Writing
   6. Guam Suicide Prevention
   7. Filipino Culture: Implications for Helping Seeking Behaviors
   8. Integrative Care
   9. Psychiatric Advanced Directives
   10. Assessing Guam’s Children and Adults using Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
   11. ECHO and Clinical Practice
   12. Fitness to Proceed & Criminal Responsibility Evaluations
   13. Providing Clinical Supervision
   14. Adult Clinical Psychopharmacology for Psychologists
   15. Dialectic Behavior Therapy Application on Guam

Direct Client Contact

Across the year, at least 25% of the interns’ training time is spent in direct service delivery (e.g., delivering clinical interventions, conducting assessments). For example, if an intern accrues 1800 training hours, then 450 hours need to be in direct service delivery. If an intern accrues 1500 hours, then 375 hours need to be in direct service delivery. Interns should be aware of the licensing requirements in the state wanting to be licensed in, including any training hours requirements. For example, if the state requires a 1500-hour internship, then the intern would work to have 375 hours in direct service delivery. For licensure on Guam, individuals must complete 2 years of internship, of which at least one (1) year must be after receiving their doctorate. To meet these requirements generally, interns should aim to complete 15 hours of direct client contact per week. 

Supervision

• Under the Supervision section, in the first line of the Peer Process Group section, please put a (1) behind the one in one hour per month to read one (1) hour per month

Group Supervision

Interns receive two (2) hours of scheduled group supervision each week. Group supervision is led by one of the supervising psychologists and is conducted with all interns across consortium sites in person, with the option of video conferencing if needed. Group supervision may focus on clinical concerns, case presentation, the provision of supervision, topic-focused discussion, intern-led didactics, legal/ethical issues, and/or professional development topics.

Individual Supervision

Interns receive a minimum of two (2) hours of individual supervision each week from their primary supervisor. Intern will have the same individual supervisor throughout the training year. Supervisors hold primary responsibility for all cases/individuals the intern is involved with. Supplemental weekly individual supervision is provided as needed. This supplemental supervision may be provided by their primary supervisor or other adjunct faculty/site consultants. All training sites and supervisors subscribe to an informal “open door” policy. Interns are encouraged and welcomed to seek consultation and supervision as needed.

Interns will meet with their assigned co-PD between .5 and 1 hour each week for administrative supervision. This time serves as a general check-in for transitioning to internship and the new island environment. Time will be spend discussing their internship year and the various components of the internship program (e.g., ensuring getting appropriate amount of direct client contact hours, depth and breadth of clinical experiences, didactics, process group, supervision), professional development, broad discussions about professional practice (e.g., the intersection between psychology and the law, nuances of professional practice within a larger system, ethical considerations, trials and tribulations of working within mental health systems, reminders to review the literature about professional practice, a particular population, treatment intervention, etc.), and collaboration and problem-solving. Similar to process group, if a difficulty seemed to become a pattern, or beyond the intern’s ability or preference to address it, then the co-PD, in collaboration with the intern, will discuss the situation with the supervisor and/or training committee.

Peer Process Group

Interns meet one hour per month for peer process group. The purpose of peer process group is to encourage interns to support one another through shared experience, knowledge, and the feedback necessary for growth and success through a reciprocal process. The Guam-PIC process group will be facilitated by GBHWC staff. If a difficulty seemed to become a pattern, or beyond the intern’s ability or preference to address it, then the process group leader, in collaboration with the intern, will discuss the situation with the supervisor and/or training committee.

Project ECHO

When encountering complex cases and the need for additional consultation occurs, interns, through their supervisors, can contact Project ECHO, present the case details (de-identified), and receive consultation from subject matter experts. This service is made available through the University of New Mexico Psychiatry Residency Program, Rural Focus Area, which has a rotation on Guam at Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center. In short, the ECHO Model provides medical rounds with a virtual community for support and guidance and for discussion, feedback, and recommendations consistent with best practices.

Research

All Guam-PIC interns are trained to be effective consumers, interpreters, and appliers of scientific information. Interns are expected to integrate current research literature and findings into case presentations and clinical practice.

Other Training Opportunities

Additional training requirements occur through the year (e.g., an Ethics conference occurring every other year provided by the Guam Psychological Association, Behavioral Health and Addictions Virtual Conference, Health and Safety Fair [virtual] occurring every July). Additional training opportunities occur throughout the year (e.g., other training/conferences sponsored by Guam Psychological Association, webinars, peer to peer review sessions). Interns are welcome to attend conferences and webinars with prior primary supervisor/Co-Program Director(s) approval.