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Site Name: Department of State Hospitals-Napa
Department: Department of Psychology
The most competitive applicants are offered interviews. Invitations to interview are made by email on or before 12/15/23. All interviews are held in January (2024). Applicants are interviewed individually by two members of the Internship Advisory Committee. Interviews for the 2024-2025 training year will be conducted virtually by using a video teleconferencing program. Opportunities to connect with the current intern class via video-conference will also be provided to these applicants during the interview weeks.
Barring any unforseen circumstances, applicants who are offered an interview will also be extended the invitation to attend one of a few optional pre-scheduled onsite dates, during which they will tours of the facility and meet with other members of the psychology department*. If feasible, it is the recommendation of the internship program that applicants consider attending one of these dates to ensure that they are making an informed decision about our site. This is a unique hospital setting, and we believe that increased clarity about the goodness of fit at our site supports applicants in feeling empowered to make an informed decision about where they see themselves for the internship year.
*Please note that this is optional and will not be considered as a part of the formal interview process. Ranking will be made irrespective of an applicant choosing to attend one of these onsite dates.
The program subscribes to a "general practitioner" training model with an emphasis on public service to the severely mentally ill. Focus is upon theory and practice of psychological assessment and treatment, particularly as applied to a severely mentally ill, forensic, and civilly committed inpatient population. Approximately 85% percent of the 1200+ patients at DSH-Napa receive treatment under forensic commitments, the majority of which are Incompetent to Stand Trial and Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity. The remaining 15% are civilly committed. This is not a formal forensic internship per se, and there are no opportunities to conduct evaluations for the courts. Orientation to forensic psychology includes an intern forensic seminar series and hospital-wide forensic trainings. There may be additional opportunities to conduct violence risk, competency, and/or malingering assessments, as well as to author periodic progress reports to the courts. Orientation to neuropsychological assessment and screening is provided in intern assessment seminar. There may also be an opportunity to conduct neuropsychological assessment batteries if skills in cognitive/emotional assessment at expected level. The internship year is divided into two, 6-month rotations. Interns spend 16-20 hours per week on an inpatient unit performing duties of inpatient psychologist (e.g. individual psychotherapy, group treatment, treatment planning and evaluation, consultation, crisis intervention, development and implementation of behavior plans). Interns also treat a minimum of three patients in long-term individual psychotherapy. Treatment orientation of training staff is largely diverse, with opportunities to work with both psychodynamic and behaviorally trained clinicians. DSH-Napa is unique for a forensic training site in that we provide opportunities and training in psychodynamic/psychoanalytic approaches to case formulation and to the treatment of severely mentally ill patients. In addition, DSH-Napa has a vibrant DBT program that provides interns with opportunities to work on three comprehensive DBT treatment units. Interns may also co-facilitate DBT skills groups that are offered throughout the hospital and/or may have the opportunity to provide DBT therapy as a part of the yearlong psychotherapy requirement. Interns complete 10 full psychological assessment batteries during the training year. Interns attend three, 90-minute seminars per week. Finally, interns receive a minimum of four hours of individual, face-to-face supervision per week, including one hour for assessment, one hour for work at the rotation site (inpatient unit), and two hours of individual psychotherapy supervision. Interns also participate in a 5th supervisory hour, which is group supervision.
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Additional information about training opportunities: Not all rotations or training experiences may be available as described in the APPIC Directory. Please consult the program's application materials or their website at: https://www.dsh.ca.gov/Napa/Internships/Clinical_Psychology/index.html for a complete description of the training opportunities available at this training site. IF the site has not updated their information by August 1, feel free to contact the Training Director for additional information.
