3.4 Flashcards
The three main mechanisms for maintaining your competencies are:
Supervision & Peer Consultation
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Networking
supervision represents a relationship between
a senior member of the profession and a junior member
This relationship is
evaluative and hierarchical, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purposes of enhancing the professional functioning of the more junior members, monitoring the quality of professional services offered to the clients they see, and serving as a gatekeeper for those who enter the profession
As noted in the APS Ethical Guidelines on Supervision, the act of supervision serves two primary functions
Development of the supervisee, including mentoring, guiding, supporting and teaching; and
Assessment of the supervisee, including appraisal, providing feedback and evaluation, and gate-keeping
While supervision is undertaken during professional training (i.e., registration, clinical masters, professional doctorate), a similar process is required for more experienced psychologists, termed
peer consultation
In Australia, peer consultation is required for
annual registration
CPD reflects ongoing learning that psychologists undertake to ensure their professional competencies are
maintained
CPD stands for
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
CPD is self-directed and practice-based and requires each psychologist to
develop and submit their individualised learning plan
Through CPD, it is anticipated that psychologists will maintain and improve their knowledge and skills, while undertaking the ongoing development of
personal qualities required by the profession
Bradley et al. (2012) found that professional reading, completing courses, and conference attendance/participation were all predictive of
psychologists’ sense of professional competence
The final element of career development that plays a crucial role in maintaining competencies is
networking
networking may be defined as
“proactive attempts by individuals to develop and maintain personal and professional relationships with others for the purpose of mutual benefit in their work or career”
Networking can be done almost anywhere, but according to Ashdown and Brown (2013) there are four contexts that lend themselves to networking opportunities,
Conferences and workshops, which essentially bring together people who share common interests and skills. Furthermore, there is the expectation that networking will be undertaken at conferences, so people are often open to opportunities that arise in such contexts.
Universities and other professional organisations – find out about the interests of staff, join sub-groups and committees within professional organisations, or consider what you might be able to contribute to the organisation (e.g., a presentation at the next seminar series).
Community and social events are valuable opportunities to cultivate contacts that may become opportunities for mentoring, peer consultation, service-learning, business or research opportunities.
Online – through ‘listservs’, blogs, message boards, and social media sites such as facebook, twitter, ResearchGate, etc. However, always consider the potential wide reach of online sources and engage with them professionally.
