Senate Review and Recommendation
2014
Clinical Psychology Center
Review and Approval Process
The Faculty Senate through its Chair, who in turn shall distribute it to ECOS and other
committees, and approve or disapprove the proposal by a vote of the Senate.
Review in terms of Scope as stated in academic policy 100.0
To provide instruction, scholarship, or service to the University, state or world by: (1)
focusing attention on an area of strength and/or addressing a critical issue, or (2) facilitating
collaborative, multi-disciplinary endeavors to combine resources from several programs or
institutions to address issues of common interest.
The Clinical Psychology Center (CPC) is a dedicated on-campus training clinic for graduate
students, primarily those in the Clinical Psychology Training Program. This program has been
continuously approved by the Education and Training Board of the American Psychological
Association since 1965. The CPC also now trains graduate students in School Psychology
alongside their clinical psychology peers.
In addition, the CPC provides high quality, affordable mental-health services to a significant
number of underserved and vulnerable individuals in the Missoula community. It does this
through confidential assessment and psychotherapeutic services for children, adolescents,
adults, couples, and families.
The CPC also offers continuing education seminars to students, public employees, and
members of non-profit organizations. This activity has been very successful in elevating the
prestige and visibility of the CPC. Information provided during these CE workshops has
become highly valued by the participants as evidenced by participant feedback.
Review in terms of the University’s mission.
The University of Montana pursues academic excellence as demonstrated by the quality of
curriculum and instruction, student performance, and faculty professional
accomplishments. The University accomplishes this mission, in part, by providing unique
educational experiences through the integration of the liberal arts, graduate study, and
professional training with international and interdisciplinary emphases. The University also
educates competent and humane professionals and informed, ethical, and engaged citizens
of local and global communities; and provides basic and applied research, technology
transfer, cultural outreach, and service benefiting the local community, region, State, nation
and the world.
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Comments:
The Clinical Psychology Center is dedicated to early career, in-service training of clinical and
school psychologists. The graduate student training programs are committed to an active
interplay of psychological theory, research and clinical practice. Currently, the counseling
activities of 15-20 graduate students are mentored and supervised by tenure-line faculty in
the Department of Psychology.
CPC serves clients who are typically low-income, uninsured members of the Missoula
community as well as those seen through on-site services at several local schools (including
Seeley Lake, Clinton, DeSmet, and Cold Springs schools).
The CPC also contributes research and educational space to the Psychology Department,
although the report gives no indication of the center’s success in research funding or
publication in comparison to that academic unit.
The CPC sponsors or co-sponsors regular, well-attended Continuing Education workshops for
practitioners on a variety of psychology and treatment-related topics. The Center has also
established relationships with the Western Montana Mental Health Center, Western
Montana Area Health Education Center, Partnership Health Center and now the Family
Medicine Residency of Western Montana.
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Does ECOS/Faculty Senate consider this center controversial?
No. The Center continues to successfully fulfill its mission of teaching, service and clinical
research. There are no other doctoral training programs in clinical psychology within the
State of Montana. Similar to programs in adjacent states, the Center’s activities have
provided essential training for graduate students, critical therapy to vulnerable populations,
collaboration with professional colleagues and leadership to numerous community
organizations.
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Is the relationship with academic units beneficial?
Yes. Outside the Department of Psychology, CPC staff have established relationships with the
School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, the School of Social Work, the Law
School, the Counselors Education Program, and the Center for Structural and Functional
Neuroscience in the Department of Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Is the program revenue neutral or does it consume more resources than it generates? If so,
is the use of University resources justified?
The Department of Psychology covers the CPC’s personnel costs. This includes a .50 FTE staff
position for the CPC Director, a 1.0 staff position for the Administrative Assistant, a 15
hour/week graduate student position for the Assistant to the Director, as well as 10-25% of
the time of 5 Faculty Supervisors. Funding for CPC operations comes almost entirely from
psychotherapy and evaluation fees, continuing education workshop revenues, personal
copying fees (from students and faculty), and space usage fees (from faculty who see clients
at the CPC).
It is unclear how the program could continue without central support from the University.
While there has been modest success at receiving external support for low-cost services to
the community, for the Center to become self-sufficient significant success at external grants
would be required. Raising client fees is not feasible given their financial vulnerability.
However, given the success of the Center the continued use of University resources is well
justified. Indeed, the Center seems to have pressing needs for space and for facility
maintenance as well as library, equipment and IT acquisitions.
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Is the entity making progress toward objectives?
The Center is a well-regarded and long-established organization that enjoys a favorable and
respected reputation. No additional funding resources are anticipated unless the Department
of Psychology creates one or more multidisciplinary positions at the CPC to enhance their
training and service missions (including a possible social work intern, a post-doc psychology
resident, a part-time psychiatric nursing student, and an internship director). The Center
continues to plan for growth in the next five years in its own training activities, community
service and professional contributions.
Recommendation:
Continue.
Justification:
The Center is a focus for university excellence in graduate training, professional outreach, and
service to some of the most vulnerable and needy members of the local and regional
community.