Didactic Seminars

The South Dakota Psychology Internship Consortium (SD-PIC) is constructed to meet the skill level of the intern and approaches training and supervision from a developmental standpoint that will improve the intern’s professional development and autonomy as they transition from student to an entry level practitioner. The interns will be exposed to a variety of professional speakers and seminars will focus on a variety of topics that are designed to build upon and enhance previous knowledge along with supporting training and direct services of the internship. Seminars are also to attend to individual and cultural diversity factors.

Didactic seminars are held weekly at a scheduled time for two (2) hours at either the Human Services Center or Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services, Inc (LCBHS). Attendance at didactics and all other scheduled group training activities is mandatory for all interns and is required for successful completion of the internship. Attendance at these scheduled activities take priority over other site obligations each week. Site supervisors are aware of these activities and their requirement for interns. A didactic calendar is distributed during orientation and may be updated throughout the year.

An intern is permitted no more than three absences during the calendar year. After the second absence, interns will receive a reminder from the Program Director(s). After the third absence, the Program Director(s) will initiate SD-PIC Due Process procedures. Interns may use only three of their allotted vacation and/or professional development days on didactic training days. The Program Director(s) must be notified in advance of planned absences. Interns who miss a meeting of the didactic seminar or other group because of a serious emergency or for a serious illness should alert their Site Director and the Program Director(s) as soon as possible. For all didactic absences, interns must watch the recorded training seminar and submit a 1-2 page summary of the main concepts and relevance of the topic to their professional role. If the live didactic session was not recorded, interns will review a research article related to the didactic topic and submit a 1-2 page review of the article. This review must be submitted to the Program Director and their site supervisor and is due one week from the absence.

Interns are expected to join all Friday training activities on-site, but if they have a conflict and must join virtually, interns may not be driving or in a public location during Friday training activities. Calling into a didactic presentation by phone is discouraged. Interns are allowed to call into a didactic presentation by phone a maximum of two times during the training year and they must let the speaker (or faculty member in charge if an outside speaker is scheduled), and the Program Director(s) know at least one week in advance. If an intern calls into a didactic presentation by phone more than two times during the training year, the Program Director(s) may initiate SD-PIC Due Process Procedures.