Introduction to the MFT Program at K-State (Adobe Acrobat)

2010Introduction to the Marriage andFamily Therapy ProgramDoctoral Degree ProgramSchool of Family Studiesand Human ServicesKansas State University

INTRODUCTIONThis document serves as an introduction to thedoctoral degree program in marriage and familytherapy at Kansas State University. The program isaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation forMarriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE),and is one of three doctoral programs in the Schoolof Family Studies and Human Services (FSHS).DOCTORAL PROGRAM MISSION ANDEDUCATIONAL OUTCOMESThe mission of Kansas State University’s PhDprogram is to prepare students to be excellentclinicians, supervisors, educators and researchersworking in a variety of academic and/or clinicalmental health agencies.Students graduating from KSU’s Doctoral Programin marriage and family therapy will be able todemonstrate competence in:A. Marital and Family Therapy. Graduates willdemonstrate competence in providing marital andfamily therapy to individuals, couples, and families.B. Clinical Supervision. Graduates will demonstratecompetence in providing clinical supervision to MFTtrainees.C. Teaching. Graduates will demonstratecompetence in synthesizing and communicatingrelevant knowledge to students, professionals andnonprofessionals.D. Research. Graduates will be able to design,conduct and interpret related MFT research.PROGRAM THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONDuring their time in the program, students receivetraining in both classic and cutting‐edge familytherapy theories, disorder‐specific approaches, andempirically supported treatments. The underlyingfoundation for the treatment approaches taught is asystemic and relational orientation to problems inliving. In addition, students are expected to view theprocess of therapy from a biopsychosocial lens.MFT PROGRAM CLIMATEThe MFT faculty desire that they and the students worktogether to create a program climate that:˜ values and affirms diversity˜ is non‐discriminatory˜ is positive and empowering˜ is safe˜ is supportive˜ is respectfulSTUDENT ASSOCIATION ORGANIZATIONThe Marriage and Family Therapy Student/Associate Organization is a student‐run campusorganization with a mission to assist students asthey progress through their graduate studies. This isaccomplished by: (1) coordinating social events tohelp students grow closer together and maintainsome balance in their lives; and (2) providing a voiceto faculty by raising issues and providing feedbackrelevant to improving the experience of graduatestudents.MFT PROGRAM FACULTYDr. Sandra M. Stith, Professor & Program Director(785) 532 – 4377; sstith@ksu.eduSandi joined the KSU faculty after serving asdirector of the master’s program in MFT at VirginiaTech. She is a Kansas Licensed Clinical Marriage andFamily Therapist and an AAMFT clinical memberand approved supervisor. In 2004 Dr. Stith receivedthe American Association for Marriage and FamilyTherapy’s Outstanding Contribution to Marriageand Family Therapy Award and in 2007 she receivedthe American Family Therapy Association’sDistinguished Contribution to Family SystemsResearch Award and Kansas State University’sDistinguished Alumni Award. Her primary researchinterest is in Intimate Partner Violence and shemanages a research program funded by the USAFFamily Advocacy Program.

Nancy O’Conner, MS., Clinical Director(785) 532‐2220; noconner@ksu.eduNancy is responsible for case management issues,student therapist orientation and training, qualityassurance review, clinical budget, outreach andcoordination of contracts for therapy services withthe Family Center. She maintains a contract withthe State of Kansas providing Home‐Based Familytherapy training for the Kansas Community mentalhealth centers and private contractors. Nancy is anAAMFT Clinical Member and a Kansas LicensedClinical Marriage and Family Therapist.Dr. Anthony P. Jurich, Professor & AdmissionsCoordinator (785) 532 – 1488; jurich@ksu.eduTony is a Clinical Member and Past President ofAAMFT, an AAMFT Fellow, an Approved Supervisorand a Kansas Licensed Clinical Marriage and FamilyTherapist. He received the NCFR Osborne Award in1987, the National Member Award from KappaOmicron Nu in 1990 and the Kansas Association forMarriage and Family Therapy Service to theProfession Award in 1997. His specialty areas areadolescence, sex therapy, family crisis and suicide.Dr. Joyce A. Baptist, Assistant Professor(785) 532‐6891; jbaptist@ksu.eduJoyce is a Clinical Member of AAMFT, an ApprovedSupervisor, and a Kansas Licensed Clinical Marriageand Family Therapist. She is a consultant tocounseling agencies in Malaysia and Singapore. Herresearch interests include cross‐cultural couplerelationships, orphans and families in Africa,immigrant families, and trauma.Dr. Jared R. Anderson, Assistant Professor(785) 532‐4198; jra@ksu.eduJared completed his doctorate from University ofMinnesota in Family Social Science with anemphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. Hisresearch interests include relationship formationand developmental change in marriage, thedevelopment and evaluation of relationshipstrengthening programs, families and health, andthe development of democratic communityinitiatives. He is an AAMFT clinical member andlicensed Marriage and Family Therapist.Dr. Candyce Russell, Professor(785) 532‐1489; crussell@ksu.eduCandy is a Clinical Member of AAMFT, an AAMFTPast Secretary and an AAMFT Fellow. She is also anApproved Supervisor and a Kansas Licensed ClinicalMarriage and Family Therapist. She earned herdoctorate at the University of Minnesota. Dr.Russell served as the Vera Mowery McAninch Chairat K‐State from 1990 until 2006 when she startedfive years of phased retirement. Her specialty areasare MFT supervision and training, the process ofcouples therapy and chronic illness to meaningmaking.GRADUATION REQUIREMENTSAt least 90 credit hours are required for graduation.No more than 30 hours may be transferred in to theprogram from a master’s degree. In addition, eachstudent will complete either a written preliminaryexaminations or doctoral portfolio, and if necessarysuccessfully defend it. Each student will also workwith their major professor to write a dissertationand complete an oral defense of the dissertation.Other requirements for graduation are listed below:INTERNSHIPStudents must complete a nine‐month relationallyfocused clinical and/or research internship.Program faculty assist doctoral students in findingan internship site.RESEARCH TEAMSThe Research team experience provides anopportunity to work directly with facultyresearchers and student colleagues. These direct

experiences in collaborative relationshipscompliment knowledge and understanding acquiredin coursework. The research team experience canenhance expertise, foster career goals and advanceskills needed for the dissertation. In addition,students may have an opportunity to co‐authorpublications or conference presentations.SUPERVISION AND CLINICAL REQUIREMENTSAll doctoral students are required to be involved inclinical work during their first two years in theprogram. Students provide therapy at the FamilyCenter, the on‐campus MFT clinic. The facilityincludes 5 therapy rooms and a large group room.All rooms have one‐way mirrors and state‐of‐theartaudiovisual equipment. In addition, there areopportunities for practicum placements at a varietyof social service agencies in the area, including aregional medical center and other facilities servingmedically underserved populations.During their second year students are required tosupervise master’s students under the supervisionof the MFT Faculty who are AAMFT ApprovedSupervisors.Students must accrue 1,000 clinical contact hours inorder to graduate from the program (includingequivalent hours obtained during the student’smaster’s degree program).DOCTORAL PORTFOLIODoctoral students have the option of completing apreliminary exam or of developing a portfoliodocumenting their proficiency in research,presentations, teaching and/or outreach, andleadership. Students choosing the portfolio arerequired to include in their portfolio evidence ofsuccess in four areas: 1) publications ‐ one articlewhich they authored or co‐authored which waspublished in a peer‐reviewed journal and one articlesubmitted with positive review; 2) Presentations ‐2‐3 peer –reviewed presentations at professionalconferences; 3) Teaching and/or outreach ‐ twoacademic courses, or 6‐10 presentations for a localsocial service agency, or evidence of ongoing workwith a specialized population; 4) Leadership ‐maintain professional membership, pass nationalLMFT exam, and two additional activities, forexample, review at least one manuscript for aprofessional journal, serve as a proposal reviewerfor a state or national conference, membership onorganizational boards, volunteer work atprofessional conferences, etc.Once the portfolio has been completed, the studentmust complete a defense of the portfolio with thestudent’s committee. The full committee will thendetermine if the student has successfully completedthe KSU doctoral portfolio requirements.Students choosing to complete a written preliminaryexamination, additionally, will need to completeboth teaching practicum and professionaldevelopment.TEACHING PRACTICUMStudents complete the teaching practicum byserving as a GTA, teaching an intersession course orenrolling in and completing Principles of CollegeTeaching. However, these are only guidelines and acontract will be developed with the academicadvisor tailored to the student’s preferences andcareer goals.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTStudents can present a poster / paper at a state,national or international conference, develop andpresent a workshop or get involved in KAMFTpolitics. However, these are only guidelines and acontract will be developed with the academicadvisor tailored to the student’s preferences andcareer goals.A SAMPLE PROGRAM OF STUDYBelow is a sample plan for completing the doctoraldegree in marriage and family therapy. This is not theonly way to complete the program. Variations incourse scheduling, future plans, and previouscoursework should be considered when using thisplan. The core doctoral courses are offered everyother year, so the order of the program of studydepends on when the program is started, an odd oreven year.There are a number of courses within FSHS or otherdepartments on campus that will enhance the Programof Study. Because some of these courses are alsotaught only one semester in each given academic yearor in alternate years, be certain to discuss choices ofthese courses with the advisor.

Fall 2010 PhD Cohort Sample Program of StudyNOTE: This sample program assumes the student is employed 10‐20 hours a week.FIRST FALL (12 CREDITS)FSHS 983 MFT Research (3) FSHS 806 Statistical Methods in FSHS I (3)FSHS 985 Practicum (3) FSHS 902 Qualitative Research Methods in FSHS (3)FIRST SPRING (9 CREDITS)FSHS 985 Practicum (3)FSHS 906 Statistical Methods in FSHS II (3)FSHS 987 Advanced Clinical Theory (3)FIRST SUMMER (9 CREDITS)FSHS 970 Clinical Specialization in MFT (3) FSHS 985 Practicum (3)SECOND FALL (9 CREDITS)FSHS 984 Supervision of MFT (3) FSHS 986 Practicum in Supervision of MFT (3)SECOND SPRING (6 CREDITS)FSHS 986 Practicum in Supervision of MFT (3) FSHS 950 Advanced Family Theory (3)SECOND SUMMER (13 CREDITS)COMPLETE AND PASS PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OR DOCTORAL PORTFOLIOTHIRD FALL (11 CREDITS)BEGIN INTERNSHIP FSHS 990 Dissertation Proposal Seminar (1)THIRD SPRING (10 CREDIT HOURS)COMPLETE INTERNSHIPAll doctoral students must complete the following before graduation:• FSHS 892 Practicum in MFT Research (3)• FSHS 999 PhD Research in FSHS (30)• 1,000 client contact hours, including hours earned in accredited master’s degree• At least 90 credit hours are required for graduation. No more than 30 credit hours from amaster’s degree may be applied to fulfill this.• Pass a written Preliminary Examination or successfully complete a Portfolio• Professional Development Project (to be discussed and finalized with your major professor if notcompleting portfolio)• Teaching Practicum Project (to be discussed and finalized with your major professor if notcompleting portfolio)• At least 6 credit hours of 2 Research electives or 1 research elective and 1 clinical elective.• A nine month clinical internship• A dissertation proposal seminar, write a dissertation and complete an oral defense of thedissertation.

MFT Research Teams OpportunitiesFall 2010 and Spring 2011Faculty Topic Participant duties Presentations andpublicationsStith/Amanor-BoaduStithImpact of culture on therapy(Series of interviews withfive couples of color andtheir therapists on theimpact of culture ontherapy)Client/therapist perspectiveson systemic treatment ofdomestic violence (series ofinterviews with clients andtherapists in conjoint DVtreatment program)• Reviewing literature• Analyzing data• Writing journal article• Reviewing literature• Analyzing data• Writing journal article• AAMFTpresentation• Journal article• AAMFTpresentation• Journal articleStithHow highly successful MFTresearchers developed areaof specialization• Reviewing literature• Coding data• Analyzing data• Writing journal article• AAMFTpresentation• Journal articleStithUnderstanding collegestudents decision-makingregarding condom use• Reviewing literature• Collecting data (survey andinterview)• Analyzing data• Writing journal article• NCFR presentation• Journal ArticleJurichPatterns of quality of lifeover the course of therapy• Writing literature review• Write a discussion of the results• Journal articleAnderson,Amanor‐Boadu, StithCorrelates of committingsuicide as described byaccidental survivors ofsuicideResiliency in Air ForceCouples FollowingDeployment• Writing literature review• Writing discussion for a paper• Transcribing qualitativeinterviews• Coding & Analyzing data• Reviewing literature• Writing journal article• Journal article• Presentation• Journal articleAndersonDevelopment of Young AdultRomantic Relationships inChina• Data Entry• Reviewing literature• Writing journal article• Presentation• Journal articleAndersonDating Violence in YoungAdult RomanticRelationships in China• Data Entry• Reviewing literature• Writing journal article• Presentation• Journal article

BaptistCross cultural study ofrelationship maintenancebehaviors and conflict inrelationships• Review literature• Contribute to questions• Collect data• Clean and analyze data• Write lit review and discussionsections of a paper.• Journal article• PresentationBaptistIntergenerationaltransmission ofattachment and relationalbehaviors from parent toadult child• Review literature• Analyze data• Write journal article• Journal article• PresentationMacchi &O’ConnerArchuletaTherapist supervision andself-care supporting homebasedfamily therapy(HBFT)Are solution focused therapytechniques effective in afinancial counseling setting?• Reviewing literature• Analyzing data• Writing journal article• Reviewing literature• Recruiting subjects• Completion of treatmentmanual• Journal article• Conferencepresentation• Journal article