One of seven medical centers in the Bureau of Prisons, FMC Rochester provides elite medical and mental health treatment for adult male incarcerated individuals. Today, approximately 700 incarcerated individuals are housed at FMC Rochester. The institution is classified as an administrative facility, in that incarcerated individuals of all security levels (minimum, low, medium, high) are confined here; the majority, however, are low security. They are assigned to three different units. The Work Cadre Unit houses general population incarcerated individuals who are usually from the Midwestern United States and are assigned to various jobs throughout the facility. The Mental Health Unit provides inpatient mental health evaluation and treatment to individuals with serious mental illnesses. The Medical/Surgical Unit provides care to incarcerated individuals for chronic or severe health conditions such as liver disease, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis.
Psychology interns function as members of a multidisciplinary treatment team within an inpatient mental health and correctional environment. Throughout the year, interns are exposed to the full spectrum of psychopathology, with the opportunity to follow patients in their journey of recovery from severe psychosis to stabilization, recovery, and release. Patients served at FMC Rochester include sentenced individuals and individuals civilly committed as mentally ill and dangerous pursuant to federal statutes, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 4243 and § 4246. By utilizing evidence-based practices and a collaborative team approach between disciplines, our staff strive to provide high quality treatment for an underserved population. We value diversity, and offer a safe and supportive learning environment that allows interns to enhance their clinical skills, ethical practice, and develop a well-defined professional identity through experiential training.
Psychology interns carry a year-long inpatient mental health caseload. In addition, interns complete two six-month rotations. One rotation focuses on forensic assessment, specifically evaluating dangerousness. The second rotation focuses on providing outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment and assessment services to medical patients and general population incarcerated individuals. As an intern, you also participate in weekly forensic seminar, didactic training, case presentations, and individual and group supervision. There is also a monthly multicultural supervision attended by both interns and staff. Please see our brochure for more details.