DSU MFT Program

Assessing and Applying Remediation

Most students who enter a graduate program believe they are embarking on their chosen profession. Some discover that this is not what they desire, or that they lack the skills to perform effectively in the field of MFT and drop out of the program. A few students, although lacking the skills to be effective, continue with their degree program. Because MFTs intervene in the lives of others, it is important that only competent beginning-level clinicians be allowed to graduate. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the MFT faculty to identify those students who are severely lacking in clinical skills or who are failing academically and counsel them out of the program.

 

Counseling a student out of the program is a sad situation for both faculty and students. Because of this, faculty will work with those students who exhibit severe deficiencies to develop a workable remediation plan. Counseling a student out of the program is a very rare situation that we attempt to avoid.

 

The process for determining whether or not a student should receive remediation for clinical skill reasons is admittedly a subjective one, requiring the utmost sensitivity on the parts of all involved. What follows are guidelines for determining whether or not a student is meeting required expectations within the program, and the procedures for providing remediation when a student is not meeting these expectations. The process is designed to provide corrective feedback and contracts whenever possible.

 

Categories of Expected Conduct

(Any deficiency could become severe if not attended to)

 

  1. Students are expected to be able to appropriately apply theoretical material in the clinic setting. This relates to engaging clients in therapy, assessing problems and relationship dynamics, and designing and implementing intervention strategies. This does not mean that students must blindly follow the instructions of their supervisors, except in directed circumstances. Students are expected to be familiar with many family therapy theories, but not necessarily to be proficient in all. A deficiency may exist when a student appears to not be able to apply general tenets of systems theory or specific tenets of at least one family therapy theory as guided by the practicum supervisor. Students are expected to at least attempt to understand and apply family therapy theories as requested by practicum supervisors.
  2. Students are expected to consistently engage in their work with faculty, site supervisors, and other students in appropriate ways. Students are expected to behave in professional fashion, taking care to discuss cases in confidential and sensitive ways, approaching colleagues with respect, and responding to feedback given by faculty and site supervisors. When a student disagrees with the feedback of faculty or site supervisors, the student is expected to discuss this with that person and not passively dismiss it or discuss it as a problem with other students and faculty.
    • Similarly, students are expected to be sensitive when giving feedback to colleagues, recognizing that their advice may be ill-timed or inappropriate to the situation.
    • Students are expected to adhere to the AAMFT Code of Ethics and the laws of the State of Utah and the United States.
  3. Students are expected to demonstrate enough emotional strength and stability to avoid negative effects on their clients or fellow students as judged by faculty or site supervisors.
  4. Students are expected to either make efforts to resolve personal problems or, after engaging in therapy, make sufficient changes to continue in the practice of marriage and family therapy.
  5. Students are expected to perform well in class and to behave professionally with other students and faculty. Students must maintain a 3.00 grade point average at all times while enrolled in the Program. They may earn no more than two “B-’s” in their courses. Students who do not meet the minimum academic requirements will be removed from the program.
  6. Students are expected to maintain ethical and legal obligations to clients as outlined in Utah law and the AAMFT code of ethics. Especially important is the need to preserve confidentiality, including the client’s identity. Confidentiality can be broken in many ways including careless talk in public places, leaving confidential notes in inappropriate places (such as observation rooms, the conference room during practicum, or the administrative assistant’s office), and thoughtless conversation.
    • This ethic is so important that we have special consequences for violating it. For the first offense, the student will be asked to write a 3-page paper (double spaced, APA format) on confidentiality with at least 10 references. The second offense will result in the loss of one letter grade, regardless of other issues in practicum that might result in a reduced grade. The third offense will result in the identification of a serious deficiency and the development of a remediation plan.

Procedures for Remediation

Following are the procedures used in remediation or counseling a student out of the master’s program in marriage and family therapy:

 

  1. Strengths and deficient areas are discussed with students as part of their regular practicum evaluations. Strengths and concerns also are discussed among the MFT faculty as a part of students’ ongoing evaluation and supervision. When an area of concern is identified, specific goals and strategies are implemented to improve or remedy this concern. This is a common and desired occurrence in supervision. These issues may be passed along orally or in writing to the next supervisor as part of the regular transitions of practicum. Written evaluations are placed in student’s files. However, if the faculty or site supervisor believes that the problem fits within the category of a severe deficiency and it is not alleviated through initial goal setting and strategizing procedures, step two of the process will be implemented.
  2. Any faculty member who believes a student is displaying a deficiency and has attempted unsuccessfully to resolve it through goal-setting and strategizing procedures will discuss the concern with MFT faculty prior to meeting with the student. The faculty will decide whether the problem is severe enough to warrant the label “severe deficiency.” If the problem is termed a severe deficiency, the faculty will move to step three. If not, the problem will remain as another concern area for the student to work on. The faculty will discuss alternate strategies to use with the student to facilitate growth.
  3. Students will be notified of severe deficiencies by their practicum supervisor, advisor, or the Program Director. The student and faculty member will strategize and contract for specific steps the student can take to resolve this deficiency and decide on a time schedule for accomplishing this. This contract, which may include actions for faculty as well as the student, will be finalized in writing with a copy given to the student, a copy to remain in the student’s file, and copies for all members of the faculty. If the student satisfactorily resolves the severe deficiency, he/she will receive a letter notifying him/her of such with a copy placed in his/her file and copies for all members of the faculty.
  4. Students who do not satisfactorily resolve their deficiencies prior to the agreed upon date will meet with the entire MFT faculty to discuss the deficiency and alternate ways of resolving the problem. A new contract will be drawn up, stating the agreed upon plans for remediation and dates of completion.
  5. Students who still do not resolve severe deficiencies will be removed from the program. They will meet with the MFT faculty to discuss the situation and will receive a letter from the Program Director notifying them of their dismissal from the program. Copies of the letter will also be sent to all MFT faculty members, graduate coordinator, and Department Head, with one placed in the student’s file. The student’s advisor or sponsor, the department faculty, and DOPL also will be notified as needed.