User:

Site Name: Connection's Academy East

Department: Psychology Training

Department : Psychology Training

Click on a section title to expand or collapse individual sections.
Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 2381
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Connection's Academy East
Department: Psychology Training
Address: 300 S Waukegan Rd
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI MSA
Distance from Major City: 20 miles north of Chicago, Illinois
Phone: 224-544-5920x101
Fax: 224-544-5921
Email: rtompkins@connectionsacademyeast.net
Web Address: http://www.connectionsacademyeast.net
Brochure Website's Address: http://www.connectionsacademyeast.net
Primary Agency Type: Child/Adolescent Psychiatric or Pediatrics
Additional Agency Types:
  • Child/Adolescent Psychiatric or Pediatrics
  • School District
  • Other
Member of APPIC since:
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Not Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Ruth Tompkins
Chief Psychologist: Ruth Tompkins
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 4
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 2
Position Information
Start Date: 08/09/2019
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 3
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 23000
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class:
Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, Licensing Exam Release Time, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): School Schedule - all National Holidays off along with Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring & Summer breaks, and a modified Summer schedule (3 days per week - Tu, W & Th - for the last 7 weeks of the school year); Paid Sick (16) and Personal (2) Days; Optional Healthcare, Dental and 401K benefits; No Pager or On-Call Duties; Free Lunch Available Daily from Organic Life (see CDS website for additional info & a sample menu); Free Parking; Laptop Computer; and a Monthly Allowance for Program/Clinical Supplies
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Interns serve as primary therapists for a caseload of 10-12 special education students in grades 1-12. Throughout a typical day, they provide individual and group therapy services; crisis intervention; milieu management; and engage in extensive collaboration with a multidisciplinary team.
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: The data is not updated for current year. We are showing the previous data.

11/15/2018 11:59 PM
Interviews at this site are:
A Virtual Interview is:
Interview notification date: N/A
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

Applicants will be contacted by Dr. Tompkins in December to set up an interview date.  Interviews will be conducted in December through early January.  These interviews are individual, on-site (preferably) and are approximately one, to one-and-a-half, hours in length.  Although Dr. Tompkins and Dr. Garcia (2nd, full-time, licensed clinical psychologist on staff) arethe primary interviewers, each candidate will also meet with one of our current Doctoral Interns or Post-Doctoral Fellows for an auxiliary interview which includes a tour of the school and an overview of the program.
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs:
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): 600
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 75
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable):
Minimum Number of Years of Grad Training Required (if applicable): 4
Accepted / Not-Accepted Program Types
Clinical Psychology Accepted
Counseling Psychology Accepted
School Psychology Accepted
APA-Accredited Accepted
CPA-Accredited Accepted
PCSAS-Accredited
Non-Accredited Not Accepted
Ph.D Degree Accepted
Psy.D. Degree Accepted
Ed.D. Degree 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: Application Requirements: Cover Letter; Curriculum Vitae; 3 Letters of Recommendation; Completed APPI; Treatment or Case Summary (writing sample); and all Graduate School Transcripts. In addition, given that this is a school setting and most of your work will be with children and adolescents, a medical examination, fingerprinting, state & federal background checks and a drug screening are required for all new staff members at Connections Academy East. Placement at this site is contingent upon passing the background checks and drug screening, and submitting fingerprint data and all required health and medical examination forms.
Program Description

Connections Academy East (CAE) is a private therapeutic day school, founded in 2015.  The entire school is housed in a remodeled high school – CAE occupies half of the 2nd floor of the building and 2 full size gyms on the 1st floor) and shares the other half of the 2nd floor with the administrative offices for a local school district.  We serve children and adolescents, ages 6-21, primarily from Lake County who, because of significant special education needs (ED, BD, LD, OHI, AUT, TBI, ID), require an alternative school program that is both educational and therapeutic.  By utilizing therapeutic, educational, family and community connections, CAE is able to promote academic achievement, social/emotional well-being and personal growth.  The Staff Members at CAE employ a variety of methods to help students make academic progress, appropriately manage their behavior, and develop and/or improve their coping, problem-solving and social skills.  By utilizing a combination of respect, humor, empathy, and kindness balanced with firmness (i.e., maintaining high expectations and ensuring that students adhere to established rules, boundaries and limitations), Staff Members are able to establish and maintain supportive, nurturing relationships with our students.  In turn, these relationships can help the students be more open to learning the life skills required for short and long-term success.

The students engage in an academically challenging curriculum emphasizing group instruction and hands-on activities.  The Clinical/Therapeutic Staff at CAE utilize a cognitive-behavioral/problem-solving approach as well as psychodynamic, dialectical-behavior, family-systems and narrative principles.  In addition, the Lakota-Sioux Circle of Courage – which teaches the value of belonging, independence, generosity and mastery – is explored to help students develop these essential life skills.  This multi-faceted approach works to assist the students in: overcoming issues at hand; practicing positive, alternative behaviors; and exploring ways to “re-write” their negative life stories.  The goal is to work with students to build on their strengths and gifts, and be allies with them in their struggle against the challenges and obstacles that get in the way of their success.  The therapeutic milieu is based on a positive, nurturing model, where natural, logical consequences for behaviors are utilized as often as possible.  CAE avoids using restrictive and/or punitive methods of behavior management and does not have a time-out room.  Therapeutic holding (restraint) is only employed as a last resort, when a student is presenting as a danger to him/herself or others.

Ms. Betty Lindquist and Dr. John Schuler, the founders of our program, chose to base the mission of CAE on philosophical principles similar to those held at Counseling Connections – their multi-disciplinary group practice which specializes in the therapeutic needs of children, adolescents and families.  The professionals at Counseling Connections have worked closely with the schools, courts and social service agencies of Lake and Northern Cook Counties since 1982.

Internship Training Opportunities

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

(training opportunities continued)

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

(training opportunities continued)

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

Our Doctoral Interns: consult and collaborate frequently with the CAE Psychiatrist, Substance Abuse Specialist, Art Therapist, Music Therapist and multiple clinical consultants/experts affiliated with our parent company, the private practice Counseling Connections.  They co-lead Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Drug & Alcohol Education and Emotional & Behavioral Management Groups.  They also conduct psychological testing batteries throughout the training year (minimum of 3).

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.connectionsacademyeast.net  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: 12 22
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 9 11
Total number of interns: 2 3
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 2 3
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 0 0
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 2 3
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 2 3
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 0
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 0 3
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 0 3
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
Back to the Search Page