Fellow Rights and Responsibilities
Fellows have the right to clear expectations, regular supervision, timely feedback, fair evaluation, access to due process, and the opportunity to raise concerns without retaliation. Fellows also have the right to be informed of concerns regarding their performance and to receive reasonable support and guidance to address identified areas of concern.
Fellows are responsible for participating actively in supervision and training, responding professionally to feedback, meeting clinical and administrative expectations, following ethical and legal standards, maintaining appropriate documentation, and engaging in remediation efforts when concerns are identified.
Program Rights and Responsibilities
The program has the right and responsibility to maintain high-quality clinical care, uphold ethical and legal standards, ensure client safety, evaluate fellow performance, and determine whether fellows are meeting expected competencies for successful completion of the fellowship.
The program is responsible for providing clear expectations, appropriate supervision, formal and informal feedback, written evaluations, and access to due process and grievance procedures.
Due process may be initiated when concerns arise regarding a fellow’s clinical performance, professionalism, ethical conduct, documentation, administrative responsibilities, responsiveness to supervision, or other training-related expectations. One trigger for due process is the formal evaluation process. A fellow who receives a rating of 1 (“Needs Improvement”) in one or more competency areas may be placed on a remediation plan. Additional triggers may include failure to make adequate progress following supervisory feedback, repeated concerns regarding professional conduct or performance, ethical or legal concerns, or behaviors that negatively impact client care, the training environment, or program operations.
Due process includes the following three steps:
Step 1: Notice
Within 10 business days of identifying a significant concern or receiving an evaluation rating of 1, the Training Director will provide the fellow with written notice outlining:
The fellow will be invited to a due process meeting within 10 business days of receiving the written notice.
Step 2: Hearing
Within 10 business days of the written notice, the fellow will meet with the Training Director and/or appropriate supervisory or leadership personnel to discuss the concern. The fellow will have an opportunity to provide information, respond to concerns, and discuss possible corrective actions.
During this meeting, the program will describe the decisions before the fellow, what the program needs to see in order to determine adequate progress, the expected timeline, and what successful progress will look like.
Within 5 business days following the meeting, the program will provide a written determination that may include:
If a remediation plan is implemented, the plan will specify:
Remediation plans will generally be reviewed within 60-90 days, although timelines may vary depending on the nature of the concern. Timelines may be extended by mutual consent of the fellow and program.
Step 3: Appeal
If the fellow disagrees with the due process decision or believes that an error occurred in the process, the fellow may submit a written appeal within 10 business days of receiving the written determination.
The appeal must describe the concern, the basis for disagreement, and the requested resolution. Appeals are reviewed by an individual one step beyond the Training Director, such as the Director of Human Resources or another appropriate organizational leadership designee who was not directly involved in the original decision.
The reviewer may request additional information from the fellow, Training Director, supervisors, or other relevant parties.
A final written decision will be issued within 15 business days of receipt of the appeal whenever feasible. The decision of the reviewer is final.
In cases involving gross violations of ethical standards, legal requirements, professional conduct expectations, or behavior that poses a significant risk to client welfare, staff safety, or organizational operations, the program reserves the right to bypass remediation and proceed directly to termination.
The fellowship program is committed to ensuring that fellows are treated fairly, respectfully, and in accordance with established program and organizational policies and procedures.
A grievance is a concern initiated by a fellow regarding a faculty member, supervisor, another trainee, training experience, evaluation process, workplace concern, training-related decision, or the overall quality of the fellowship program. Examples may include concerns related to formal remediation plans, probationary actions, evaluation outcomes, supervision, program quality, or other significant training decisions.
Whenever possible, fellows are encouraged to seek informal resolution by discussing concerns directly with the involved individual, supervisor, or Training Director. If informal resolution is unsuccessful or inappropriate, the fellow may submit a written grievance to Human Resources within 10 business days of the event or decision being disputed.
The written grievance should describe the concern, relevant circumstances, individuals involved if applicable, and the requested resolution.
Within 5 business days of receiving the grievance, Human Resources will acknowledge receipt and initiate a review. The fellow will be given an opportunity to provide additional information and may be invited to meet with Human Resources and/or other relevant leadership personnel within 15 business days to discuss the concern.
A written response outlining findings and any proposed actions will generally be provided within 15 business days following completion of the review. If additional review is warranted, the matter may be escalated to the Clinical Director, Director of Human Resources, or another appropriate leadership designee.
If the fellow disagrees with the outcome, a written appeal may be submitted within 10 business days of receiving the written response. The appeal will be reviewed by a leadership representative not previously involved in the grievance review process, and a final written decision will be issued within 15 business days whenever feasible.
The program will make reasonable efforts to ensure that grievance procedures are handled fairly, respectfully, confidentially, and without retaliation.
Copies of the program’s due process and grievance procedures are maintained in the postdoctoral training manual and are provided to fellows at the start of the training year.
When your child is anxious, your instincts naturally tell you to protect them. You reassure them...
Family vacations can be stressful enough without adding a fear of flying to the mix. If...
At Light On Anxiety, one of our core goals is increasing understanding of OCD and reducing...
