Pilot Study of a Psychological Clinical Competency Measure: SPICES

In recent years, there has been a noticeable movement towards competency-based assessment of learning outcomes in the training of professional psychologists. The APA has identified 15 primary areas of competency at three levels of development: readiness for practicum, readiness for internship, and readiness for entry to practice (Fouad et al., 2009). However, in a review of the related literature accumulated over the past 50 years, very few evidence-based instruments currently exist for the measurement of these clinical competencies. Moreover, the three articles were rather restricted in content in that they addressed only one specific skill set. To address this gap in the literature, graduate students and faculty at Nova Southeastern University’s Center for Psychological Studies developed The Skills in Psychological Interviewing: Clinical Evaluation Scales (SPICES), an instrument based on the benchmark clinical competencies established by the APA. Thus far, SPICES has yielded encouraging psychometric findings in pilot studies. This presentation will illustrate the creation and development of the measure, present completed and further psychometric findings from piloting of the measure, and describe the revision of the measure based upon feedback received. The researchers’ ultimate goal is to contribute to the best practices literature in clinical competency assessment and the development of future psychologists.