Director of Clinical Training

Director of Clinical Training at The Wright Institute Clinical Program

Position Title: Director of Clinical Training

Department: Clinical program

FLSA Status: Exempt/Full-Time

Reports to: Program Director

Location: In-person

Compensation: $145-165K

Revision Date: July 8, 2025

This job description is not a contract of employment and its provisions are not intended to imply a contractual relationship. It does not alter your at-will employment relationship with The Wright Institute. While this position is currently open for applications, the review of resumes will begin in approximately 6-8 weeks. We appreciate your interest and patience as we complete internal planning and timelines. All applicants will be contacted once the review process begins.

Position Summary

The Director of Clinical Training (DCT) oversees practicum and internship training for students in the Clinical Psychology program. This position ensures that students meet the program requirements, minimum level of competency, and uphold the curriculum and standards established by the faculty, the APA Commission on Accreditation, and psychology licensing laws and regulations in California as it relates to Clinical Training. In addition, this position provides overall leadership in building a student-centered program focused on clinical excellence, professional development, integrity and ethics, and respect for diversity. The Director of Clinical Training acts as a liaison between faculty, training sites, and students. The DCT oversees the creation and implementation of informal developmental plans for students needing additional structure and whose situation does not merit a formal remediation plan. The DCT participates in processes to determine if and when a formal remediation plan is needed and assists in the development and implementation of such a plan. This position reports to the Clinical Program Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Leadership

• Serves as a key member of the Clinical Program leadership team, contributing to strategic planning initiatives that enhance student services and align with institutional and accreditation standards.
• Advise faculty and administration on student clinical training progress, trends, and emerging concerns to inform responsive interventions and programmatic adjustments.
• Collaborate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of clinical training policies, procedures, and workflows to ensure consistency, compliance, and student-centered practices.
• Participates in decision-making processes regarding student probation, dismissal, and other accountability measures, ensuring alignment with program expectations and ethical standards.
• Assist the Program Director with other duties as assigned.

Clinical Training Program Oversight

• Oversee the practicum and internship sequence for students in the Clinical Program.
• Establish and track student readiness and qualifications for each training level including practicum and internship.
• Establish and maintain criteria and quality measures for approval of practicum placements.
• Monitor, document, and evaluate student achievement in practicum and internship including reviewing evaluations and assigning grades.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Clinical Services and internal clinic directors to maintain competency standards, address and document student concerns.
• In collaboration with clinic placements, create developmental plans for practicum students needing additional structure, and whose situation does not require a formal remediation plan.
• Collaborate with both interns and their internships to help clarify and resolve problems that may arise.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Academic Affairs and/or the Director of Student Affairs to establish disciplinary and support processes for students.
• Disseminate information to students regarding the process, procedures, requirements and expectations regarding clinical training. This would include a townhall about internship for 2nd year students in their fall trimester, and meeting with each ACS class in both the fall and winter trimesters to make sure students understand the criteria for taking the Internship Preparation class and going to internship, how to prepare for success in the application process, and answering student questions.
• Organize the teaching team and readers for the Internship Preparation class
• Organize, supervise, mentor and hold regular meetings with the Internship Support Team/Advisors.
• Evaluate and approve students to apply to internship and practicum.
• Organize and oversee panels for students in the Internship Prep class to hear from students who have just gone through the process, for international students, for students wanting a neuropsych internship, and for other groups as requested. Organize and oversee two workshops on filling out the AAPI and counting hours.
• Maintain connection with current interns, including checking in with them, holding zoom meetings for them, holding a how-to-get-a-postdoc meeting/panel, writing to the student and their supervisor after receiving mid year and final evaluations.
• Evaluate requests for exceptions to policy regarding clinical training.
• Advise and support students with developing a career path from practicum through internship, post-doctoral work, and early career positions.

Process Oversight

• Act as a liaison between faculty, training sites, and students.
• Establish and maintain the qualifications, necessary prerequisite criteria and approval processes for Wright Institute practicum and internship training sites.
• Support and maintain a network of practicum and internship sites.
• Maintain documentation of all student progress and any clinical concerns.
• Serve as liaison to external training sites, including recruitment, visits, and communication (including student concerns).
• Conduct annual site visits to practicum sites.
• Supervise staff assisting in field placement advising.
• Manage the flow of information regarding students' progress, as well as problems, to other program administrators, faculty, and/or practicum and internship sites.
• Stay up to date with APA Commission on Accreditation guidelines, professional ethics standards, California Board of Psychology regulations and procedures for licensure, and local and national law pertaining to the practice of psychology; and maintain practicum and internship compliance with the regulatory and accrediting bodies.
• Maintain relationships with local and national organizations such as BAPIC, NCSPP, APA, APPIC.

Policy & Documentation Responsibilities

• Create and manage practicum and internship policy and procedure, and/or dissemination of training data.
• Update and maintain Field Placement Handbook.
• Ensure alignment of policy and procedure with other areas and documents such as admissions, academic policy, and web pages.
• Ensure the collection of proximal and distal outcome data for APA Commission on Accreditation annual reports, and program self-study.

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Effective management of sensitive, complex, and stressful situations.
• Work collaboratively across multiple constituencies to establish rapport and trust, facilitate teamwork, and build consensus.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and understand the complexity of intersectionality.
• Coaching, teaching, and counseling skills.
• Work independently and as part of a collaborative team to make administrative decisions.
• Evaluate strategies, recommend changes, and analyze results.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Organizational and planning ability.
• Ability to analyze complex issues and provide recommendations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Doctoral degree in a recognized area of health service psychology
• Active, unrestricted license as a psychologist in the State of California
• 5 years of progressively responsible leadership and/or teaching experience in graduate higher education
• Knowledge of accreditation standards relative to training experience, licensing laws and regulations pertaining to the practice of psychology preferred
• Prior leadership experience in an academic setting preferred
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Physical requirements include the ability to lift and reach for light objects with or without assistance (up to 20lbs); close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, text, and figures; ability to do computer work; ability to travel to outside locations; ability to communicate and exchange information; ability to move about the office to access file cabinets and office equipment; and the ability to remain stationary and work at a computer for extended periods of time as a primary job function. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Application

Please submit the full application, a CV, and letter of interest at https://www.wi.edu/join-our-team/index.php?pid=dRedr8jacr9sweg6we6p&p=26

Questions may be sent to hr@wi.edu. References will be requested upon invitation to interview.