Core competencies in advanced training: what supervisors say about graduate training.

In an attempt to identify needed mental health skills, many professional organizations have or are in the process of establishing core competency standards for their professions. The AAMFT identified 128 core competencies for the independent practice of MFT. The aim of this study was to learn the opinions of AAMFT Approved Supervisors as to how well prepared postgraduate trainees are when compared to the core competencies. One hundred thirty-five AAMFT Approved Supervisors provided their perspectives on (a) which competencies are most commonly learned in MFT graduate programs, (b) how well the graduates have mastered these competencies, and (c) the level to which the supervisors need the competencies to be mastered prior to entering advanced training. Results suggest that a gap exists between the level of mastery that the postgraduate trainees exhibit and the level desired by supervisors. Implications are suggested for closing this gap.

The development of core competencies for the practice of marriage and family therapy.

In response to a series of national policy reports regarding what has been termed the "quality chasm" in health and mental health care in the United States, in January 2003, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy convened a task force to develop core competencies (CC) for the practice of marriage and family therapy (MFT). The task force also was responding to a call for outcome-based education and for the need to answer questions about what marriage and family therapists do. Development of the CC moves the field of MFT into a leading-edge position in mental health. This article describes the development of the CC, outcomes of the development process for the competencies, and recommendations for their continued development and implementation.

Challenges of an outcome-based perspective for marriage and family therapy education.

Marriage and family therapy (MFT) and marriage and family therapy education (MFTE) have undergone many changes during the short history of MFT. This article describes the current trends and controversies in MFTE, including shifts toward outcome-based education (OBE). We present recommendations for MFTE, including the move toward OBE, the development of core competencies of MFT, attention to interdisciplinary issues, and recognition of the need for both foundational education and encouragement of trainees' unique styles and approaches.

Partner relationship quality and drug use as predictors of women's substance abuse treatment outcome.

This study examined the relationship of relationship quality and partner's drug use on treatment outcomes for women in outpatient drug treatment. The sample consisted of predominately heterosexual couples where the female partner was in drug treatment. Both the partners' perception of relationship quality and the interaction of female client and her partner's perception of relationship quality were significant predictors of one of the outcome variables-the client's posttest report of days of drug use during the previous 30 days. Interestingly, clients reported more days of drug use when their partners reported higher relationship quality. A similar pattern was found with the ASI Drug composite score as the dependent variable except that the interaction term was not significant in that analysis. In addition, partners' relationship quality scores were associated with female clients' treatment completion. A higher proportion of women whose partners reported higher relationship quality failed to complete treatment. Partners' reports of pretest and posttest drug use were not related to women's treatment outcomes.