Assessing Therapist Competence in the Context of PCIT Training

Abstract

Assessing therapist competence is an essential aspect of ensuring that parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) services are delivered with fidelity. Currently PCIT International requires all PCIT therapists to complete a highly structured training process in which therapist competence is evaluated at several points. Pre- and post-training measures evaluating therapist knowledge of PCIT, observing therapist performance during role-plays and DPICS coding exercises, and review of therapist work samples during the year-long consultation period following a PCIT training are all useful techniques that are routinely used when assessing the competence of trainee PCIT therapists. Several “code the coach” systems are also gaining popularity as a way to offer structured feedback related to a therapist’s coaching style. Still, the specific methods used to assess therapist competence may vary between individual PCIT trainers. We discuss possible future directions in the assessment of therapist competence and present a case example of how the competence of one trainee therapist was assessed.