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Site Name: Central Western Massachusetts VA Health Care System

Department: Mental Health Service Line

Department : Mental Health Service Line

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 1335
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Central Western Massachusetts VA Health Care System
Department: Mental Health Service Line
Address: 421 N. Main Street
Leeds, Massachusetts 01053-9714
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
Distance from Major City: Worcester Clinic is 48 miles west of Boston, MA, and 40 miles north of Providence, RI; Northampton campus is 108 miles west of Boston, and 92 miles east of Albany, NY. Springfield Clinic is 91 miles west of Boston and 144 north of NYC
Phone: 800-893-1522x6635
Fax:
Email: christina.hatgis@va.gov
Web Address: https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/northampton/index.asp
Brochure Website's Address: https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/docs/Northampton_Internship.pdf
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Member of APPIC since:
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Christina Hatgis
Chief Psychologist: Dana Weaver
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 38
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 3
Position Information
Start Date: 07/15/2024
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 6
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 38083
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, Health Insurance, Licensing Exam Release Time, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above):
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site The typical schedule is 8:00-4:30, Monday through Friday. Clinical activities comprise more than 50% time with didactics and structured learning experiences consisting of at least 4 hours a week.
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? Yes
Doctoral Psychology Practicum StudentsYes
Masters Psychology Practicum StudentsNo
Do Psychology Interns/Postdocs Have the Opportunity to Supervise Practicum Students?Yes
Is this program fully affiliated with one or more doctoral programs? No
Is this program partially affiliated with one or more doctoral programs? No
Internship Application Process
Accepting Applicants: Yes
Application Due Date: 11/01/2023 11:59 PM EST
Interviews at this site are: Not Offered
A Virtual Interview is: Required
Interview notification date: 12/15/2023
Tentative interview date: 01/08/2024
Interview process description:

PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION AS WE HAVE THREE TRACKS. YOU MAY APPLY TO ONE, TWO, OR ALL THREE TRACKS.

 

Please contact the AAPI Applicant Help Center if you have questions about how to apply to multiple tracks: https://help.liaisonedu.com/AAPI_Applicant_Help_Center. 

 

Please submit just one cover letter with your application clarifying your interest in our program and which of the three tracks you are interested in: Northampton/Leeds, Springfield, and/or Worcester. For the Northampton/Leeds track only, please identify your preferred rotations.

 

Interview Process Description

  • Date Range: We expect to interview over several days beginning on/around 01/05/2024. 
  • Length and Format: Virtual (video or phone) interview half-days include a welcome by the Training Directors, an opportunity to speak with supervisors on various rotations, and interviews with multiple training staff. Some interviews will be with 1 supervisor and some may occur with 2-3 supervisors, depending on the site/track. Total time is approximately 4 hours. No in-person interviews will be offered.
  • Notification: If you are invited for an interview, you will be notified by email.  
  • Specific Staff: If you have any questions for specific staff, please let us know, and we will attempt to facilitate. 

 
How to obtain application info: Email the Program
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs: Adelphi University, Duquesne University, Florida Institute of Technology, Idaho State University, LaSalle University, Antioch University, Miami University, Northeastern University, Northern Illinois University, Nova Southeastern University, Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Pepperdine University, Southern Illinois University, Spalding University, Springfield College, Suffolk University, SUNY Albany, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, UCLA, University of Hartford, University of Iowa, University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Pittsburgh, University of Tennessee, University of Toledo, William James College, The Wright Institute, Yale University
Internship Applicant Requirements
US Citizenship Required: Yes
If NOT a U.S. Citizen, Authorization to Work or to Engage in Practical Training (CPT or OPT) in the US is Required: No
Canadian Citizenship Required: No
If NOT a Canadian Citizen, Authorization to Work in Canada or to Engage in Practical Training (CPT or OPT) in Canada is Required: No
Masters Degree Required: No
Comprehensive Exams Passed: Yes, by application deadline
Dissertation Proposal Approved: Yes, by application deadline
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 300
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 50
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable):
Minimum Number of Years of Grad Training Required (if applicable): 3
Accepted / Not-Accepted Program Types
Clinical Psychology Accepted
Counseling Psychology Accepted
School Psychology Not Accepted
APA-Accredited Accepted
CPA-Accredited Accepted
PCSAS-Accredited Accepted
Non-Accredited Not Accepted
Ph.D Degree Accepted
Psy.D. Degree Accepted
Ed.D. Degree Not Accepted
This institution, department, internship, or postdoctoral program requires trainees to sign a statement about personal behavior and/or religious beliefs as a condition of admission and/or retention in the program: No
How to obtain text of statement:
Other Requirements: VA Drug-Free Workplace Program: The VA is a drug-free workplace, including a prohibition against recreational and medical use of marijuana/cannabis, regardless of its legal status on the state level. Interns are designated as Testing Designated Positions (TDP). As such, interns are exempt from pre-employment drug-testing, but are subject to random drug testing.
Program Description

VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System has 3 separate internship tracks with a total of 6 internship positions:

1) General Mental Health Track (match #133511) has four internship positions located at the Northampton/Leeds VA Medical Center.

2) Integrated Outpatient Behavioral Health Program at Worcester (match #133512) has one position located at the Worcester Community-Based Outpatient Clinic near Boston.

3) Springfield Community Based Outpatient Psychology Track (match #133513) has one position located at the Springfield Community-Based Outpatient Clinic. 

The Worcester and Springfield interns are located at their respective sites for the entire 12 months; they may come to the main Medical Center in Northampton weekly to join the other 4 interns for training activities. The 4 interns in our General Mental Health Internship track at Leeds/Northampton rotate to new clinics every 4 months, for 3 training rotations over the 12 months. Our faculty and interns are primarily working on campus with a combination of in-person and telehealth clinical work. Two of our units (inpatient psychiatry and inpatient PTSD) exclusively involve in-person work/training, following CDC guidelines for safety.

For more information about each track and our overall training program, please visit our website and/or download our brochure. 

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children:
Adolescents:
Adults: Yes
Family:
Older Adults: Yes
Inpatients: Yes
Outpatients: Yes
Gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking:
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students: Yes
International Students:
Rural: Yes
Urban: Yes
Low income: Yes
Homelessness: Yes
Other: Veteran

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment: Experience (21% to 30%)
Individual Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Couples Therapy:
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Crisis Intervention: Experience (21% to 30%)
Brief Psychotherapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Long-term Psychotherapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Primary Care: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Evidenced Based Practice: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Evidence Based Research:
Supervision of Practicum students : Exposure (1% to 20%)
Other: Inpatient Psychology (on Leeds Track)

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology: Experience (21% to 30%)
Women's Health:
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology:
Physical Disabilities:
Learning Disabilities:
Developmental Disabilities:
Assessment: Experience (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Adult: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Anxiety Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Trauma/PTSD: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Abuse: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Substance Use Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Forensics/Corrections: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling:
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality:
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy:
Program Development/Evaluation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Administration: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Integrated health care - specialty: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Other:

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.psychologytraining.va.gov/northampton/index.asp  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.

Summary of the Characteristics of the Specified Internship Class
2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024
Number of Completed Applications: 78 86 83 114 69
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 54 44 54 55 44
Total number of interns: 6 6 6 6 6
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 6 6 6 6 6
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 5 2 3 3 2
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 1 4 3 3 4
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 5 4 6 6 6
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 1 2 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 2 3 1 2 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 36 41 16 49 18
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2022-2023
Academic teaching:
Community mental health center: 0
Consortium: 0
University Counseling Center: 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 4
Psychiatric facility: 0
Correctional facility: 0
Health Maintenance Organization: 0
School district/system: 0
Independent practice setting: 0
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 1
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