Date of Award

8-1-1976

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Communication Sciences & Disorders

Abstract

The present study was designed to accomplish two purposes: (1) to accumulate information regarding the effectiveness of supervision during the Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) as defined in the September 1, 1972, Revised CFY Guidelines, and (2) to accumulate and analyze suggested changes concerning the CFY requirements, and to report a summary of these recommendations to the Committee of the Clinical Fellowship Year.

A questionnaire was designed to solicit pertinent information. Of the 1,000 questionnaires mailed, 218 completed questionnaires were returned. The data were analyzed in terms of total number and percentage of responses received from the questionnaires.

Results obtained indicated that the typical CFY supervisor is likely to have had three or more years of professional employment and supervisory experience prior to supervising the CFY candidate. The Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) was not considered a valid criterion for measuring supervisory competence by 71.5 percent of the respondents. Suggestions for additional supervisory requirements beyond the CCC included experience in specific clinical environments (two to five years) and supervisory training.

Supervisory methods listed from greatest to least usage during the CFY were: (1) Direct observation of therapy, (2) On-site conferences following therapy, (3) Telephone conversations, (A) Other Methods, (5) Mailed correspondence, (6) Audio tapes, and (7) Video tapes.

Although over one-half of the respondents reported being supervised on-site less than one hour per week and fewer than ten times throughout the CFY, they indicated that the quantity of supervision was adequate to assess their professional capabilities.

The CFY experience was described on a continuum from poor to excellent with 55.4 percent of the respondents reporting the experience as good to adequate. The CFY was described as an excellent experience by 22.5 percent of the respondents, and less than adequate to poor by 20.6 percent of the respondents. No description was provided by 1.5 percent of the respondents.

Although the majority of the respondents considered the CFY as a necessary component for obtaining the CCC, they also indicated that without the CFY requirement, the learning experience during that year of professional employment would have been equally beneficial.

The data obtained from the questionnaire indicated that the CFY candidate views the CFY as an experience which is necessary, however, changes are required in order for the CFY to be a quality learning year.

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