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Site Name: Mental Health Center of Florida Internship Program

Department: Division of Internship and Training Programs

Department : Division of Internship and Training Programs

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 2235
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Mental Health Center of Florida Internship Program
Department: Division of Internship and Training Programs
Address: 1848 SE 1st Ave
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL
Distance from Major City: 1 mile
Phone: 954-305-0865
Fax:
Email: drparis@mhcflorida.com
Web Address: http://www.mhcflorida.com
Brochure Website's Address: http://mhcflorida.com/internship-program/
Primary Agency Type: Private Outpatient Clinic
Additional Agency Types:
  • Private Outpatient Clinic
Member of APPIC since:
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Paris Gandy-Walker
Chief Psychologist: Paris Gandy-Walker
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 20
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 6
Position Information
Start Date: 09/04/2024
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 11
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 26500
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, Dental Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): Flexible schedule, flexible hours, electronic record keeping, administrative assistance
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Monday: 8am to 12pm-assessment in the office 2pm to 4pm- Group Supervision (office) 4pm to 6pm- Didactics(office) Tuesday: 8am to 12pm-office patients (therapy) 1pm to 5pm-patients at ALF (therapy) Wednesday: 8am to 9am-individual supervision-assessment (office) 9am to 12pm-notes/report writing/treatment plans 1pm to 2pm-individual supervision-therapy (office) 2pm to 5pm- patients at ALF(therapy) Thursday: 8am to 12pm-patients at ALF (therapy) 1pm to 4pm-office patients (therapy) 4pm to 5pm- notes/report writing/treatment plans Friday: 8am to 1pm-patients at ALF (therapy) 2pm to 5pm- notes/report writing/treatment plans
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? No
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: 12/15/2023 11:59 PM EST
Interviews at this site are: Not Offered
A Virtual Interview is: Required
Interview notification date: 12/29/2023
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

The MHC Florida Internship Program uses the AAPI for application purposes. We also require two redacted reports of varying types to complete your application. You may contact us for any additional information via email and/or telephone if need be. Qualified candidates will be notified by telephone and/or e-mail about interviews. Virtual interviews are required for all candidates. Interviews will take place during the second part of January. The format is individual and the applicant will be meeting with a panel of psychologists for approximately one hour. Applicants will also have the opportunity to speak with current intern(s).

*If you say that you are fluent in a second language, please be certain that you are and prepare for an oral exam in that language.
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs: Carlos Albizu University, Nova Southeastern University, Alliant International University, Georgia Professional School of Psychology, University of Denver, The George Washington University, Suffolk University, Argosy University, Ponce Health Sciences University, Florida Institute of Technology, Kean University, University of the Cumberland, Fielding University, Chicago School of Professional Psychology,
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: Yes, by application deadline
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): 500
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 100
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
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: After matching with the program and prior to the internship start date, all interns are required to successfully pass a Level II background check. Specific information regarding what will cause an applicant to fail this requirement can be found here http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0435/0435.html

. In addition, because interns provide services in the jail, they must also pass these requirements which prohibit a person entering the facility if they answer yes to any of the following: Arrested within the past year, current warrants, more than 5 total convictions in a lifetime, on any supervised probation, parole or conditional release, charged with or convicted of any sexual offense as defined in the Florida State Statutes, convicted or plead guilty to any felony offense within the last five (5) years, or any Dangerous Crimes, felony offense within the last ten (10) years, including Arson, Lewd, lascivious, or indecent assault under age 16, Aggravated assault, Sexual activity with a child under 12 years of age, Aggravated battery, Act of domestic violence as defined in f.s. 741.28, Illegal use of explosives, Stalking and aggravated stalking, Child abuse of aggravated child abuse 16, Robbery, Carjacking, Burglary of a dwelling, Aircraft piracy, Home invasion robbery, Kidnapping, Act of terrorism as defined in f.s. 775.30, Homicide, Abuse or aggravated abuse of an elderly or disabled adult, Manslaughter, Manufacturing any substances in violation of f.s. chapter 893, Sexual battery, Attempting or conspiring to commit any such crime. All interns are required to carry malpractice insurance. While most interns are covered through their graduate program, for those who are not, MHCFL requires that interns purchase professional liability insurance for graduate students in psychology through The Trust. The cost of this insurance is $35 for the year and membership in the American Psychological Association is not required. Interns will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Testing positive for any federally illegal drug (i.e. All schedule I drugs : Heroin, LSD, Ecstasy, Peyote, Methaqualone, Cannabis) or for any prescription medication without the ability to produce a current and valid prescription will result in immediate dismissal. Failure to submit to pre-employment or random drug testing will be considered as a positive drug screen and will also result in immediate dismissal.
Program Description

About The Firm

Mental Health Center of Florida and Dr. Ann Monis P.A. proudly partner together to treat Clinical and Forensic populations in various settings (i.e. jails, treatment centers, day programs, etc.) in addition to traditional in-office outpatient psychotherapeutic services, some of the services offered on a daily basis include: individual psychotherapy; marriage and couple counseling; family therapy; group therapy; substance abuse counseling; anger management; hypnotherapy;  human trafficking victim therapy; parenting skills training; neuropsychological evaluations; psychological evaluations with various components including, but not limited to violence, anger, psychosexual issues, ability to parent, substance abuse, psych-educational, attachment, IQ testing, and adaptive functioning; supervised/therapeutic visitations. Throughout this Internship program you should be prepared to encounter severe pathology, such as Paranoid Schizophrenia, suicidal ideations, Bipolar Disorder, and organic brain disease or TBI. You will also encounter interesting cases involving human trafficking victims, the Florida foster care system, and children and families in distress. Interns will also have ample opportunity to encounter jail visits for testing and therapy; and in office testing including, but not limited to forensic evaluations, court-ordered work, court appearances, and neuropsychological assessment (see above for more detailed list of services). MHCFL also proudly collaborates with the Dept. of Children and Families, ChildNet, and the Charlee Program to help children and families in need. You can expect to be placed at one of four locations: Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orange City, Jacksonville, or Fort Lauderdale. Location/placement is determined according to intern preference and is not imposed. The program goal is to pair interns with qualified mentors who will promote professional, meaningful, first-hand experience and knowledge in the field of psychological services. Interns will be able to provide compassionate care with people of all ages, races, ethnicities, faiths, genders, sexual orientation, socioeconomic backgrounds and physical abilities with diagnoses ranging from anxiety and depression to paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Interns are expected to complete a minimum of 2000 hours over 12 months by working approximately 40 to 50 hours per week.  They will begin with a small caseload of ten (10) to 15 clinical hours and finish their training with approximately 30 clinical hours.  Interns are expected to schedule and conduct sessions, perform assessments, develop treatment plans, and evaluate for results of treatment. Following an initial three (3)-day long orientation into the program, interns will shadow licensed psychologists as they treat patients in the office, nursing home, and assisted/independent living settings.  Interns will gradually progress from shadowing to providing direct psychotherapy services and will have patients of their own. 

Assisted/Independent Living Settings

Throughout the year, interns will be traveling to adult living facilities in the South Florida tri-county area, in the Volusia/Seminole/Orange county area, Duval/St. Johns County area, or in the Pinellas/Sarasota/Hernandez/Pasco county area, to provide individual and group therapy services to mostly older adults presenting with a variety of diagnoses ranging from adjustment disorder to schizophrenia. The majority of patients carry diagnoses of schizophrenic and affective disorders. In addition to providing psychotherapy, interns will also gain skills in consultation, often needing to speak with facility staff and/or family members to improve the quality of care. Interns will be responsible for completing intakes and treatment plans for each new patient and complying with specified standards for documentation. Interns will become familiar with leading groups, which are mostly psychoeducational in nature.

 Patients Referred Through ChildNet

ChildNet is a local Community-Based Care (CBC) lead agency for Broward and Palm Beach Counties, that manages a network of child welfare services that provide foster care, adoption and family preservation services for the more than 4,400 children in care and their caregivers. Interns will provide individual, couples, and family psychotherapy in the office and in-home to children, adolescents, and adults referred through ChildNet. Patients referred through ChildNet have an open dependency case in the court system and many of them are working towards the goal of reunification. Interns also conduct biopsychosocial, general psychological, psychosexual, psychoeducational, personality, attachment, substance abuse, ability to parent, cognitive, and neuropsychological evaluations with ChildNet clients in the office, at jails, and at residential facilities (i.e., group home). Interns at the Orange City office location will have the opportunity to conduct evaluations with the Community Partnership for Children (CPC) in Volusia County. In addition to the provision of services, interns will complete treatment plans, consult with various professionals also involved in the patient’s care and/or case plan (i.e., psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, case manager, guardian ad litem), and provide regular treatment updates to the patient’s case worker regarding their progress.

 Program Goals

Within the internship’s Practitioner-Scholar training model, the primary training method is experiential, with the overarching goal of training and educating interns to competently practice professional psychology and integrate science with practice.  Interns spend between 40 and 50 hours per week in training of which a minimum of 15 hours to a maximum of 30 hours of the intern’s time is dedicated to direct clinical services.  By pairing interns with qualified mentors/supervisors who will promote professional, meaningful, first-hand experience and knowledge in the field of psychological services with an array of populations, interns will become competent in providing psychotherapy services independently. Interns will be able to provide compassionate practice with people of all ages, races, ethnicities, faiths, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, and physical abilities with diagnoses ranging from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Interns will gain experience and competence in a variety of psychological intervention models and will develop proficiency in the execution of a broad range of skills including clinical assessment and ongoing evaluation of treatment plans, psychotherapy, consultation with supervisors and multidisciplinary professionals, psychological testing, and program evaluation.

 

 For more info, please visit our websites drannmonis.com or mhcflorida.com.

 

Internship Training Opportunities

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

(training opportunities continued)

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

(training opportunities continued)

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

Court testimony, foster care and dependency system

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: www.mhcflorida.com  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: 21 78 92 87 71 69
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 18 30 61 47 42 54
Total number of interns: 6 7 9 9 11 11
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 6 7 9 9 11 11
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 2 0 1 2 2 2
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 4 7 8 7 9 9
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 6 7 9 0 11 11
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 5 10 10 16 1 1
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 20 34 53 65 103 60
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: 0
Psychiatric facility: 0
Correctional facility: 0
Health Maintenance Organization: 0
School district/system: 0
Independent practice setting: 0
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0
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