Predoctoral internship training in Canada .1. Internship settings and supervisory issues

Despite recent developments in the training of professional psychologists in Canada, there is a lack of systematic study in this area. In this paper we present the results of our 1992 survey of internship directors and clinical supervisors in Canadian predoctoral internship training programs belonging to the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Programs (CCPPP). Twenty-five internship directors and 58 clinical supervisors responded to the survey. On average, individual programs offered 2.28 funded positions, at a stipend of $20,269 per annum. While the number of formal programs increased from 1992 to the present, the stipend and size of programs have remained unchanged. Within the internship programs, a wide range of training opportunities were offered to interns, but limited opportunities existed for training in geriatric psychology, and in custody, competence, and forensic assessments. Over the three years surveyed there was a high degree of stability in terms of the number of applicants, number of interns interviewed, and acceptance rates. Very low remediation and failure rates were indicative of the success of the internship training programs, the interns, and the academic programs from which they came. The majority of the clinical supervisors were well trained clinicians, but had received limited formal training in supervision. The supervisors were flexible in providing supervision in a wide range of training experiences, but with some limitations. Individual sessions were the most frequently employed form of supervision. The majority of supervisors reported no problems in supervision. For those who noted problems the most frequently reported related to interns' personal concerns and stress, and inadequate pre-internship training. The major incentive for providing supervision was learning and enjoyment of teaching, and the major disadvantage was the time consuming nature of supervision. Both internship directors and supervisors reported offering some supervised training in supervision, but this is an area that requires further development.