Date of Award

12-2006

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. James M. Croteau

Second Advisor

Dr. Patrick Munley

Third Advisor

Dr. Thomas Holmes

Abstract

This study sought to identify the most important measures that may be implemented in professional psychology training to prevent the future impairment of professionals. An adjunctive research question of this study addressed how these important measures can be successfully implemented. A 2-round Delphi method was conducted. Twenty-eight experts in impairment prevention participated in the first round study, and 20 of them continued to participate in the second round. In the first round, the experts rated the importance of an original list of 38 preventive measures, suggested additional important preventive measures, and provided considerations for successful implementation of their most important preventive measures. In the second round, the experts rated the importance of an augmented list of 83 preventive measures developed through the first round, and provided further considerations for successful implementation of their important preventive measures.

Sixty-seven items from were rated as above important , and 24 of them were found to be the most important preventive measures according to consensus by the experts. These 24 items were classified under seven training areas: handling trainees with problems, cultivating personal qualities of trainees, providing impairment prevention education, cultivating program culture, utilizing supervision and feedback, training faculty, and facilitating trainees' development of support networks. The experts also provided a varying amount of information on the successful implementation of these measures.

The two major implications for the results concern the practice of professional psychology training: clarifying the relative importance of various preventive measures, and suggesting partial avenues for successful implementation of the most important preventive measures. Among the limitations are insufficient information for the understanding of how the preventive measures contribute to impairment prevention and the redundancy in conceptualizing the most important preventive measures. Future research needs to address how the most important preventive measures can be successfully implemented and how these preventive measures contribute to impairment prevention. It may also be useful to gain perspectives on impairment prevention from graduate students, faculty who are providing graduate training, and professionals who themselves have experienced impairment. Research which evaluates actual prevention efforts is needed.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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