Programs of Excellence in Scientifically Validated Behavioral Treatment

The Department of Psychiatry at UIC has a history of supporting training in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and in providing research into and clinical services for individuals with anxiety disorders. These educational, research, and clinical endeavors were implemented based both upon a clear view of the direction in which the broader domains of treatment and practice were heading as well as the recognition that no one professional discipline could adequately provide all services to consumers, particularly within a psychiatric setting¹. Thus, CBT has come to play an important role in our department in the training of both psychiatry residents and clinical psychology interns for almost 15 years. As a result of their participation in our internship or residency training, both psychology interns and psychiatry residents are expected to become proficient in providing CBT services and to have the requisite skills to treat anxiety disordered individuals.

Building on the existing training programs for residents and psychology interns, the specific aims of this grant supported program are to:

1. Update, reorganize, and/or revamp the current curriculum to better incorporate principles of evidence based research, research methods, and research ethics.
2. Insure that trainees have an understanding of the above principles and can effectively apply this knowledge.
3. Develop a new, interdisciplinary CBT/Anxiety Research Case Seminar.
4. Ensure that psychology interns and psychiatry residents are skilled in evidence based  assessment and/or screening and in the selection and use of empirically valid measures of treatment progress and outcome through the creation of a new workshop experience.
5. Further develop trainees clinical skills in both exposure and cognitive therapy based approaches in general and, specifically, for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
6. Encourage trainees to develop research skills and complete a clinical research project as part of the requirements for the CBT/Anxiety Research Case Seminar. The research project will encourage the use of applied clinical research skills especially those that emphasize N = 1 research.

¹Carmin & Albano (2003). Cognitive & Behavioral Practice.