Being a Program Director in a Mental Health Training Program - A Candid Reflection

Abstract Despite the important impact that program directors can have upon a mental health training program, there is surprisingly little literature on program directors. This article builds on the existing literature by providing a candid insider’s perspective on what it is like to be a program director of a mental health training program. The article describes twelve areas where program directors may experience challenges, such as developing a leadership style, the potential impact on relationships (e.g., power), managing triangulation, addressing the impact of the role on teaching and scholarship, dealing with burnout, managing accreditation, and working with university administrators. In each of these areas, recommendations for how a program director might navigate these challenges are offered. The article concludes with a call for more research on this topic given the limited literature.