I completed my psychology practicum during the summer of 2022 while visiting family and friends in ST. Thomas. Professional Psychological Services, Inc. is the clinical practice where I completed my practicum. This opportunity lasted from August 9th to September 20th and I earned 69.5 hours.
Organization Information
Professional Psychological Services, Inc. is owned and operated by Dr. Ramona Moss. She is an active member for multiple boards regarding psychological education, licensure, and examination. Her career also extends to teaching and being a school psychologist. Currently, Dr. Moss is a licensed psychologist and works at her own practice. Professional Psychological Services, Inc. was founded in 1991. Since its establishment, this organization has been delivering mental health services to the Virgin Islands community. They also service Maryland through the utilization of a telehealth system. Professional Psychological Services, Inc. has worked with various organizations and government agencies to bring quality psychological services to the Virgin Islands. Their services include evaluations and therapy relating to families, American with Disabilities (ADA), forensics, anger, disorders, personality, crisis, education, and learning. Professional Psychological Services, Inc. also offer workshops about cross cultural differences, improving work attitudes, increasing job motivation, anger management, time management, and managing stress in the workplace. I agreed to work at this organization because I was looking for a practicum focused on counseling and psychological services. Professional Psychological Services, Inc. offers a variety of services, which allowed me to observe the many facets of psychology.
Practicum Description
As a trainee at Professional Psychological Services, Inc., I went through HIPAA training because they value confidentiality among their clients. After completing the training, I gained several roles and responsibilities. They include the following: observing different psychological evaluations; stapling and organizing tests; administering testing under supervision; scoring tests; analyzing and graphing results; and assisting Dr. Moss and her team with anything else they needed. I also participated in research and wrote reports about my findings.
In terms of testing, I observed a psychological evaluation for the purpose of obtaining a gun permit. This evaluation had several components such as a consent form; collection of background information; IQ test; personality test; scenarios test (what would you do); and critical thinking and English mechanics. In addition, I observed testing relating to disability for Social Security eligibility. The client has a syndrome that impairs motor movements and their ability to work. Lastly, I also observed testing for educational purposes for a young client. The testing was done to help identify whether or not they have a learning disability. Dr. Moss and her team determined which learning disability the client has based on research and results of the test.
Another function of my role was to prepare materials and administer testing under supervision. I received training on what to do, how to administer the tests, and how to score them. This testing was done at a post-secondary career and technical education institute. The evaluation had three components, which were emotional intelligence, timed math computation, and reading comprehension. I facilitated and administered all three components of the evaluation over the course of three weeks, which occurred during the day and night classes. I also assisted in scoring the evaluations. After raw scores were taken and converted, I made bar graphs and pie charts that showed an analysis of the testing data.
Overview of Practicum Experience
During my practicum experience with Professional Psychological Services, Inc., I was able to cultivate my skills. Skills include Microsoft Office; research and analysis; interpersonal communication skills; digital literacy; critical thinking; organization; and logistics and planning. I was able to demonstrate that I am hardworking, reliable, goal-oriented, and a diligent problem solver to the organization. As a trainee, I also utilized skills that employers are currently seeking such as the following:
~Work in a team structure
~Plan, organize, and prioritize work
~Make decisions and solve problems
~Obtain and process information
~Communicate verbally
~Demonstrate computer software proficiency
~Analyze quantitative data
~Demonstrate technical knowledge
In addition, this practicum experience give me the opportunity to apply what I learned from some courses. Some relevant coursework include Scientific Reasoning in Psychology (PSYC 316), Quantitative Methods (PSYC 317), The Psychology of Adolescence (PSYC 322), Cross-Cultural Psychology (PSYC 420), and Physiological Psychology (PSYC 424). From my practicum experience, I learned more about the following: being a psychologist and what the job entails; different psychological testing methods; and how to interact with clients. This experience will positively shape my career and professional journey.
Also, check out the website of Professional Psychological Services, Inc. at: https://www.ppsvi.com/
Due to strict confidential policies and HIPPA, no pictures and recordings were captured.
However, Dr. Moss evaluated me as a trainee and you can view her results in the attached PDF.