The Wichita Collaborative Psychology Internship Program (WCPIP) is an APA-accredited internship comprised of three cooperating agencies: Prairie View, Inc., University of Kansas School of Medicine—Wichita (KUSM-W), and Wichita State University Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS). These agencies offer a broad range of training experiences to doctoral interns from clinical or counseling psychology programs. We strive to tailor the training experience to the intern’s unique needs and interests while providing regular assessment of progress in order to ensure that training goals are met.
WCPIP prepares generalist practitioners to have entry-level skills by the end of the year. As the year ends, primary interns are expected to provide the same range of services as permanent staff at their primary site. We are aware of the developmental nature of the intern experience and strive to provide necessary supervision and support. Early in the year, more time may be spent on modeling, observing, recording, reviewing work samples, and/or co-therapy. As the year progresses, interns are expected to operate with increasing autonomy. This is evidenced by interns handling greater caseloads and demonstrating expansion of their skills and thinking about cases, self, and professional issues.
Interns spend 4 days a week at their primary agency and 1 day at a secondary agency (often referred to as the intern's "switch site"). The primary agency is determined through the APPIC Match, and each agency within the consortium has a unique match number. The year-long placement at the secondary agency is determined by the intern and their supervisors during the first week of internship. This structure ensures that each intern has a unique training experience tailored to their needs and interests, while also benefiting from the collegiality and support of the internship cohort. While the training emphasis is on provision of clinical services, training opportunities in program development, diversity and inclusion, clinical administration, research, and QI initiatives may be available if interns are interested.
Each agency in the consortium offers unique training experiences, intern expectations, and employee benefits. Please see our website for more comprehensive descriptions.
Prairie View, Inc. is an innovative multi-site agency offering a range of behavioral health services. Prairie View offers a full-model DBT program and interns are integral members of the treatment team. Flexible opportunities exist to assess and treat individuals across the lifespan. Interns work primarily at the Wichita location with opportunities at other agency sites.
KUSM-W is a community-based medical school that educates physicians, pharmacists, psychologists, and neuropsychologists, among other health-related professionals. The internship positions are housed within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
The Neuropsychology Track offers training consistent with Houston Conference and Division 40 recommendations. Interns gain independence in all aspects of neuropsychological evaluation with adults and older adults, including outpatient evaluations and neuropsychological consultation on an inpatient Senior Behavioral Unit. Training prepares interns to secure competitive neuropsychology fellowship positions and ultimately achieve board certification in clinical neuropsychology.
The Clinical Child Psychology Track offers training in evidence-based interventions and assessments for children and adolescents. Interns provide outpatient psychotherapy, neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental assessment, and inpatient consultation/liaison services, with flexibility in the balance of each depending on the intern’s training and career goals. Opportunities for school-based mental health services and other outreach programs may be available.
WSU CAPS is a university counseling center that provides mental health treatment, training, and prevention services to the only urban-serving university in the state of Kansas. CAPS offers unique opportunities to engage in crisis triage, provision of supervision, and consultation/outreach. Interns also select an emphasis area for the year that could include a multicultural emphasis, group therapy, or prevention and outreach initiatives.
WCPIP greatly values diversity and strives to ensure an atmosphere in which inclusivity and diversity are emphasized and celebrated for our patients and clients, and our interns and faculty. The program is deeply committed to providing a supportive and encouraging learning environment that is appropriate for training diverse interns, as well as increasing interns’ multicultural awareness and ability to work effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds. WCPIP endeavors to achieve this through an atmosphere in which openness, trust, compassion, respect, and inclusivity are guiding values.
