Utilizing the Practitioner-Scholar training model for clinical psychologists, WCRICP training is comprised of three main elements: supervised provision of psychological services; professional development through group and individual supervision; and education and training through weekly and other didactic seminars. Each of these components has been adapted to the virtual environment so that training can continue and be of service during the era of COVID19.

Supervised Psychological Services

The clinical caseload for interns emphasizes group therapy with some individual case management and psychotherapy, and additional individual visits evaluating incoming new patients. Interns engage in a range of psychotherapy processes in conducting group and individual therapy, and including psycho-education, with varying clinical populations. Interns have the unique opportunity to conduct groups with their supervisors as co-therapists. With regard to individual caseload, the complexity of cases and the intern’s increasing responsibilities are carefully increased throughout the year. Our expectations are developmental, and take into account each unique intern’s readiness and training needs. Supervisors and the training director insure that interns are assigned appropriate cases for their level. Each intern has four clinical rotations during the year.

In addition, interns engage in psychological evaluations, responding to referral questions from a multidisciplinary team within the Mental Health Department. During the first quarter of the year, interns are trained in the appropriate measures for Adult ADHD assessment, and immediately begin responding to referrals from providers on the Adult Mental Health Team. They are taught the measures and supervised in administration and interpretation of results, and also begin consulting with many providers from our Mental Health Department.

During the next quarter, interns receive didactic and experiential training in an array of neuropsychological assessment tools. The assessment supervisor helps select cases which are appropriate to this level of training, and the interns are able to expand their ability to utilize assessment tools for an increasing range of referral questions. Interns are expected to complete several shorter batteries of neuropsychological evaluations, in addition to the Adult ADHD assessments.

Professional Development

Interns receive two (2) hours of regularly scheduled individual supervision, with a primary and a delegated supervisor, and two (2) hours of regularly scheduled group supervision. All supervision is provided by licensed psychologists who are faculty in the training program. Group supervision is divided into two separate one hour meetings, one focusing on clinical interventions and the other on professional development topics such as consultation, supervision and program evaluation. The multidisciplinary treatment team is an ongoing shared experience, considered a major strength for interns’ professional development, and is discussed in all supervisory settings. Additionally, interns meet when appropriate with the assessment supervisors for additional hours of group supervision. Interns develop and execute a program evaluation based on their own interests, or they can participate in ongoing program evaluation on any mental health or chemical dependency team. The development of these projects is discussed in group and individual supervision, and overseen by the training director.

Education and Training

Interns attend weekly 2-hour didactic seminars. Topics address: assessment practices; outcomes and program evaluations; general psychiatry and addiction medicine; evidence based treatment; health psychology. Other topics such as group psychotherapy, Adverse Childhood Events and Serious Mental Illness are provided in a sequential manner that matches the interns’ increasing duties. In addition

Finally, topics related to the professional practice of psychology are incorporated into the didactic curriculum. These include supervision, psychological consultation, and advocacy. The seminars are sequential in order to coordinate with the interns' increasingly complex duties throughout the training year. Additionally, interns attend a monthly multicultural seminar and a supervision fishbowl session. They also attend with their staff teams a peer review and all departmental staff educations held on a monthly basis. Throughout the training year, interns attend five or six 4-hour seminars with other interns and residents from the Northern California region. These Regional seminars focus on Best Practice Guidelines and topics such as Clinical Supervision, Ethics, Psychoneuroimmunology and Diversity. Psychologists and physician speakers with National and International acclaim are recruited for these seminars, which also are well attended by mental health supervisory faculty of the regional training programs.