Training Aims
The aim of the training program is to facilitate intern growth from a place of reliance on supervisors to a position of readiness to enter the profession of psychology and provide clinical services to a diverse population of clients. Our dedication to intern growth mimics the UC CAPS dedication to creating an optimal healthy environment for student growth, and our commitment to training is also echoed in the fact that UC identifies training as a part of its mission statement. Furthermore, UC CAPS’s commitment to providing understanding and respect for individual, cultural, and role differences is consistent with our desire to provide a multiculturally-focused internship program that will increase intern readiness for working with a variety of diverse clients as they move toward independent practice.
Our practitioner-scholar model views the doctoral intern as an emerging professional seeking to integrate knowledge, skills, and experiential training in the journey from student to new professional psychologist. We expect that professional tasks of our interns will increase over time in frequency, intensity, and complexity. The internship builds on the combination of experiences the trainee brings from their previous graduate coursework, practica, research and other professional applied experiences. We stress the importance of consultation and supervision, emphasis on experiential learning, and the integration of scholarly knowledge and research into practice. At CAPS, we expect our interns will consolidate their professional identity and emerge as culturally sensitive, clinically skilled, and ethical psychologists.
The interdisciplinary staff at CAPS provides interns the opportunity to work with mental health and wellness professionals from a wide array of theoretical backgrounds and professional interests. CAPS uses a stepped care model of treatment that presents client with a variety of therapeutic support options to meet the level of their needs. This model includes, but is not limited to, access to selfhelp resources, participation in workshops/outreach, group therapy, short-term individual therapy, and case management. We offer interns opportunities to participate in all of these modalities of treatment, and we also work closely with psychiatrists at University Health Services to help connect clients to psychotropic medications when needed. In addition to providing therapeutic interventions, interns are heavily involved in professional activities and programs in the university community via outreach. They are also encouraged to focus on ongoing growth in knowledge, skills, and awareness via multiple formal and informal learning opportunities during the course of their training. CAPS views development as a lifelong process over one’s career and as such, continuing education with all staff is promoted through case conferences, in-service programs, and staff development activities.
Trauma-Informed Care: Although CAPS offers a well-rounded training for interns to grow in their skills as generalists, we also provide specialty training in trauma-informed care. The ARISE program supports students who have experienced sexual assault or gender-based violence. The ARISE program reduces barriers to treatment for these students and provides them with specialized care. Interns are welcome to work with ARISE clients after receiving specialized trauma training. Our trauma focused treatment includes trauma recovery groups that run each semester and ongoing liaisonships with Title IX and advocate resources available to students on campus.
Group Therapy Training: CAPS also provides significant support for interns interested in growing their group facilitation skills. We have a robust group program that offers multiple groups each semester. There are opportunities for interns to participate in interpersonal process, skills based, support, or identity-based gruops.
Accreditation Status:
UC-CAPS is an APA-accredited program. We received APA-accreditation in 2021 for 10 years. Questions related to our accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation