Handbook. Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship

(1)

Handbook

Pre-Doctoral

(2)

Community Reach Center 2

The Community Reach Center is a comprehensive community mental health center, which provides services to residents of Adams County, excluding the city of Aurora. The county is adjacent to and immediately north of Denver. As of the most recent annual report, the Center served over 10,000 unduplicated consumers. The Center offers services to children, adolescents, adults, and families. Services are available for persons experiencing difficulties ranging from school challenges to severe and persistent mental illness.

CENTER’S COMMITMENT TO THE PRE-DOCTORAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Community Reach Center exists for the purpose of providing high quality mental health services to the citizens of Adams County, Colorado. This purpose includes a broader responsibility to participate in the training of doctoral students in psychology in order to advance and improve the field of community mental health. It is our belief that interns significantly enhance the quality of a service-providing program and contribute vitality, new perspectives, and considerable expertise. At the Center, we believe the optimal environment for interns to transition from student to professional is under the supervision and guidance of an experienced licensed psychologist. In keeping with these beliefs, the Community Reach Center has developed an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited psychology internship program for graduate students who have completed all course work necessary for a doctorate in psychology. APA’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA) can be contacted at 750 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4242, (202) 336-5979.

CLINICAL PROGRAMS AND DIVISIONS

The following is a non-exhaustive list of programs and services available to clients through the Center. The list is organized by clinical divisions and programs.

The Integrated Outpatient Services division is comprised of the six outpatient clinics within various cities in Adams County: Northglenn, Commerce City, Thornton, Westminster, Brighton, and Early Childhood Services (located in Thornton). It also houses Mountainland Pediatrics, Vocational Services and Intake Services.

The Collaborative Community Services division is comprised of programs and services serving clients involved with community agencies as well as clients seen in outpatient settings: School Based Therapy; Pathways Day Treatment program for children and adolescents; HUD Housing; Integrated Care collaborations with various community health clinics.

The Recovery & Transition Services division houses programs offering services to clients transitioning from inpatient level of care, into adulthood, and/or needing an intensive level of support: Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy outpatient program (A-DBT) and the Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP); Stages (hospital alternative); ACT Team; Peer Specialists. The Intensive Services division houses programs focused on more high-risk consumers in need of several services: Psychological Services (Psychology Internship and Testing Team);

Emergency Services; Crisis Response Team (includes home-based services); Justice, Accountability, and Recovery team (Adult and Adolescent Forensics).

The Resiliency & Support Services division is comprised of programs that provide services for clients living in a residential setting or needing intensive care in the community: STREET Team

(4)

(in-home services); OBRA (Nursing Home Level of Care); Case Management; Crestone Place (ACF level of care); MESA House and Kiva (independent living).

Medical Services are provided to all programs at the agency, with a focus on Psychiatry & Nursing Services.

PRIMARY OUTPATIENT SERVICE LOCATIONS

The Center has seven main service locations. Each location provides outpatient services and provides office space for both clinical and non-clinical teams. Pre-doctoral internship placements are housed at one of the designated office locations (*).

 *Thornton Office/Mary Ciancio Memorial Building (MCMB)

 *Commerce City Office

 *Northglenn Office

 Brighton Office

 Gateway Building

 Mountainland Building

PRE-DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The goal of our psychology internship program is to prepare doctoral students in clinical and counseling psychology to provide psychological services in public mental health, managed care, and private sector settings. Our model is the scholar-practitioner model with a generalist focus and some opportunity for specialization. We expect that the interns will begin the training year with knowledge of the theories, research, and models of general psychology, in addition to having basic clinical skills in therapy and assessment.

During the internship year, interns are expected to increase their knowledge of clinical psychology and their ability to intervene in ways that are sensitive to the level of the client’s psychopathology, ethnic or cultural background, and legal or ethical factors. Because the Community Reach Center holds a capitation contract with the State of Colorado to provide mental health services to Medicaid consumers living within the county boundaries, all interns gain experience with managed care. In addition, experience is gained with various insurance companies and fee-for-service situations. Interns are expected to be functioning at a beginning doctoral level by the end of internship. Interns work an average 40 to 45 hours per week, but may do more dependent on time management and planning skills.

There are five full-time, one-year, Generalist training internship positions available. Interns are paid an annual stipend of $23,000. Applicants should have administered and written-up five or more comprehensive evaluations (at least one of which included a Rorschach) and provided a minimum of 500 hours of psychotherapy as part of graduate training. For qualifying Bilingual (English/Spanish) interns, an additional pay differential will be offered to compensate for language skills competency. Bilingual interns matched with the internship program must pass a language proficiency exam, provided by the agency, to qualify for compensation. Benefits are the same as those for all staff, including 20 days of leave time for the year (includes sick and annual leave) and health and dental insurance plans are available for the intern, family members,

(5)

and domestic partners. Interns are expected to function and be treated as full professional members of the team. The training year begins on July 27, 2015 and ends on July 22, 2016. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we value diversity and encourage all qualified applicants to apply.

INTERNSHIP ROTATIONS

Each intern has a licensed psychologist who serves as primary supervisor for his or her clinical work for the duration of the training year. Supervision is provided for all rotations.

 Primary Rotations

The primary rotation is 25 hours a week for one year, spread across Monday-Friday. The primary assignment is at one of the outpatient office sites and includes provision of individual, family and group therapy. Approximately 3-4 hours a week is allotted for individual supervision, team meetings, and meetings with team managers. This full-year assignment allows interns the opportunity to develop a sense of stability and professional identity. It also promotes continuity of client care and experience providing intermediate and long-term treatment, though brief therapy is emphasized. Each site offers the intern generalist training by providing a caseload of children (ages 7 and older), adolescents, families, and adults. Interns interested in seeking a specialty experience during internship would gather this experience as part of the minor elective rotation.

 Testing and Evaluation Rotation

Interns will complete 12 evaluations as part of the rotation with the testing team. Referrals for assessments are received internally from staff or from external sources such as social services, the probation department, and juvenile detention. Typical batteries include a WAIS-IV / WISC-IV, MMPI-2 / MMPI-A or PAI / PAI-A, and appropriate projective personality measures, including the Rorschach. Additional tests are available for testing (e.g., BASC-2, CPT-II, TSI-2/TSCC/TSCYC, Vineland-II, WRAT-4, BRIEF, TAT, Sentence Completion Test). All interns must complete a Rorschach course using the Exner Comprehensive System prior to beginning the internship training year. Training and supervision are provided weekly during a three-hour assessment seminar, in addition to individual meetings with the testing team manager as needed. Informal case consultation is a weekly component of the rotation, with periodic formal case presentations as well. Additionally, one assessment-related presentation is provided by each intern to their cohort during the second half of the training year.

 Minor Rotations

To complement and broaden the training gained from the primary and testing rotations, each intern is required to complete three rotations of 75-100 hours each in the following: Emergency Services Rotation (100 hours)

This rotation includes working with the Emergency Services (crisis) Team. Duties include fielding crisis phone calls and conducting office-based and hospital evaluations for clients at-risk for psychiatric hospitalization. The rotation is scheduled for one day a week, for 12 consecutive weeks.

(6)

SPMI Rotation (100 hours)

A wide variety of services to the severely and persistently mentally ill (SPMI) are available for this rotation. In the past, duties have included providing therapy to nursing home residents and / or co-leading a variety of groups with SPMI consumers (e.g., DBT, substance abuse). Options for SPMI rotations are provided at the beginning of the training year.

Elective (75 hours)

An elective rotation is offered in order to provide interns with the opportunity to pursue a specialty interest. Examples of clinical elective experiences include: services to the elderly; early childhood services; trauma-focused treatment; provision of supervision to master’s-level and doctoral-level students. Examples of non-clinical elective experiences are: program/project administration and management; clinical outcome projects; assisting with the agency’s IRB. Interns’ ideas for an elective rotation are welcome.

 Additional Internship Experiences

The interns are expected to develop and provide a two-hour presentation on a clinically relevant professional topic to the clinical staff at the agency. In addition, interns present two clinical case presentations and one professional topic during intern didactic seminars to the intern cohort and program faculty.

TRAINING AND SUPERVISION

Interns spend five to seven hours a week in training activities and group supervision in addition to two hours a week of individual supervision with a licensed psychologist. Interns are required to attend their outpatient office team meetings and encouraged to attend agency in-service trainings. Each of the seminars listed below includes a licensed psychologist. The following is a partial list of training activities:

 One hour every other week of supervision with the Director of Psychology Internship

 Two hours of didactic seminar/group supervision a week with Chief Psychologist, Director of Psychology Internship, staff psychologists, and other mental health professionals

 Three hours a week in assessment seminar led by the Director of Psychology Internship

 Two hours a week in Intern time (required activity for intern cohort)

EVALUATIONS

Six weeks into the training year, primary rotations are evaluated to see if they are meeting interns’ needs. If there are difficulties, a formal procedure is followed to address any difficulties and is overseen by the Director of Psychology Internship. Interns are given a 1st quarter evaluation (i.e., 12 weeks into internship) by their primary supervisor and also meet with the training program faculty to review progress in the internship training program. An informal check-in is conducted at the end of the 3rd quarter to assist interns in planning for the remaining portion of internship.

Formal six month and twelve month evaluations of each intern’s performance are completed by the primary supervisor and provided to the respective graduate school (or as requested by each program). The Director of Psychology Internship requests formal six-month and year-end

(7)

written evaluations of the internship program and supervisors from each intern. Informal evaluations of individual and program performance are expected to take place in individual and group supervision throughout the year.

PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY

CORE PROGRAM FACULTY

*Faculty available to serve as primary supervisors.

▫Secondary supervisor for all interns, and primary supervisor for assessment cases.

•Supervisor for Multicultural Supervision Group.

Position Theoretical Orientation Areas of Interest *Lisa Puma, Ph.D. University of Akron, 1996 Licensed Psychologist

Chief Psychologist Humanistic Interpersonal LGBT Personality Disorders Psych Assessment Supervision ▫Laurie Schleper, Ph.D.

Colorado State University, 2003 Licensed Psychologist

Training Director Testing Team Manager

Existential

Cognitive Behavioral

Psych Assessment Children/Adolescents Pervasive Dev. Disorders Trauma

Health Psychology

*Sarah Gillingham, Psy.D.

University of Northern Colorado, 2009 Licensed Psychologist Psychologist Cognitive Constructivist Psych Assessment Family Intervention Positive Psychology

Crystal Wildes, Psy.D.

Illinois School of Professional Psychology Argosy-Chicago, 2012 Licensed Psychologist Psychologist Integrative Cognitive Behavioral Psychodynamic Systems Trauma Psych Assessment EMDR Play Therapy Parenting, Families

(8)

ADJUNCTIVE PROGRAM FACULTY

*Abigail Tucker, Psy.D.

Nova Southeastern University, 2005

Licensed Psychologist

Clinical Director of Intensive Services Division

Cognitive Behavioral Emergency and Disaster Response Mental Health Police Psychology Forensics

*Libbi Palmer, Psy.D.

University of Northern Colorado, 2005 Licensed Psychologist

Clinical Data Analyst Cognitive Behavioral Solution Focused

Trauma Play Therapy Forensic Assessment Disaster mental health Evidence-based Practice

•Matt Davis, Psy.D.

Rosemead School of

Professional Psychology, 2011 Licensed Psychologist

Bilingual Behavioral Health Specialist Clinical Family Health Services Psychodynamic Emotion-Focused Integrated Care Couples Treatment Personality Disorders Men and Masculinity

Jill Atkinson, Psy.D.

California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles Campus, 1994 Licensed Psychologist

Clinical Director Integrated Outpatient Services

Cognitive Behavioral Trauma

Children and Families Personality Disorders

Ryan Kirk, Psy.D.

Adler School of Professional Psychology, 2012 Licensed Psychologist Program Manager School-Based Services Cognitive Behavioral Brief, Solution-Focused Motivational Interviewing SPMI Psych Assessment Personality Disorders Supervision

Scott Sorenson, Psy.D.

Illinois School of Professional Psychology, 2005 Licensed Psychologist Program Manager Commerce City Outpatient Office Integrative Humanistic Family Systems

Family & Couples Supervision

Professional Development

In addition to the licensed faculty, there are several postdoctoral psychology candidates working in therapist positions at the agency who regularly interact with the pre-doctoral psychology interns.

(9)

EXAMPLES OF INTERN SCHEDULES

8:00am

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Outpatient Office Emergency Services Rotation Outpatient Office Intern Cohort Time Testing 9:00am Weekly Assessment Seminar 10:00am

11:00am Weekly Team

Meeting

12:00pm Lunch Lunch & Travel Lunch & Travel

1:00pm Lunch & Travel Coping Skills Group Outpatient Office Outpatient Office 2:00pm Weekly Didactic Seminar and Group Supervision Paperwork/Return Phone Calls 3:00pm Weekly Supervision with Primary Supervisor 4:00pm Intern Cohort Time 5:00pm Scoring & Report Writing 8:00am

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Outpatient Office Testing Outpatient Office Intern Cohort Time Outpatient Office 9:00am Weekly Assessment Seminar 10:00am

11:00am Weekly Team

Meeting

12:00pm Lunch Lunch Lunch & Travel

1:00pm Lunch & Travel

Testing Supervision with Team Manager Outpatient Office Elective rotation: Working with dual-diagnosed clients 2:00pm Weekly Didactic Seminar and Group Supervision Readings for Elective Rotation 3:00pm Weekly Supervision with Primary Supervisor 4:00pm Intern Cohort Time 5:00pm Paperwork and return phone calls Paperwork Develop powerpoint for agency-wide presentation

(10)

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION

To apply for the psychology internship, please submit the following online through APPIC by

November 5, 2014 by midnight (Mountain Standard Time):

1. Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI).

2. Three standardized reference forms or letters of recommendation, with two being from persons who have directly supervised clinical work. Standardized reference form preferred but optional.

3. Graduate Transcripts (from all graduate schools attended).

4. Curriculum Vita (CV).

5. Supplemental material:

A de-identified integrated psychological evaluation report, which mustinclude: a WAIS-IV or WISC-WAIS-IV, MMPI-2/PAI or MMPI-A/PAI-A (or other comprehensive self- or parent-report inventory if evaluation completed on a child), and a Rorschach. Applicants are required to submit a report using real client data rather than a report completed as part of coursework or a fictitious case.

Please note: If unable to submit an integrated report that includes the Rorschach as part of a comprehensive battery, please include an additional sample write-up of a Rorschach.

INTERVIEW

An interview is required of all applicants being considered after applications have been

thoroughly screened and reviewed. Training faculty prefer the candidate interviews by attending one of the on-site interviews, but phone interviews can be arranged in special circumstances. Interviews will be held January 7th, 14th, and 21st from 8:00a-4:00pm. Applicants are invited to spend a day on site to get a good feel for the training program. The interview day will include an individual interview with 2 or more training staff and possibly a current intern, participation in morning assessment seminar and afternoon didactic seminar, as well as lunch and Q&A time with current interns. Applicants will be notified via email no later than December 12, 2014 at 5:00pm (Mountain Standard Time) of their interview status.

APPIC POLICIES

The Community Reach Center Psychology Internship agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking related information from any intern applicant. As an APPIC internship we adhere to APPIC match policies.

Thank you for your interest in our Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program. If you have additional questions please feel free to contact:

Laurie Schleper, Ph.D. Lisa Puma, Ph.D.

Director of Internship Training Chief Psychologist (303) 853-3554 (303) 853-3685