APPIC

Member Site Information

APPIC Member Number:	1436
Program Type:	Internship
Membership Type:	Full Membership
Site:	University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
Department:	Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Address:	MSC09 5030 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-5631
Country:	United States
Metro Area:	Not Applicable Not Applicable
Distance from Major City:	In largest NM city, Albuquerque
Phone:	505-272-2223x
Fax:
Training Director Email:	JGVarela@salud.unm.edu
Co-Training Director Email:	rmiller9@salud.unm.edu
Web Address:	https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/
Brochure Website's Address:	https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/docs/2025-pdfs/2025-26-brochure.pdf
Primary Agency Type:	Academic Health Center
Additional Agency Types:	Academic Health Center Child/Adolescent Psychiatric or Pediatrics Medical School Other
Member of APPIC since:	1999

Accreditation

APA Accreditation	Accredited
CPA Accreditation	Not Accredited

Internship Staff/Faculty Information

Training Director:	Jorge Varela
Chief Psychologist:	Virginia Waldorf PhD
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty	42
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty	0

Position Information

Start Date:	07/01/2026

	Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class:	12
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class:	0

	Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class:	30034
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class:	0

Fringe Benefits:	Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above):	Please see info on our webpage: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/

Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site	Please see info on our webpage: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/

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:	11/01/2025 11:59 PM EST
A Virtual Interview are:	Required
Interview notification date:	12/06/2024
Tentative interview date:	See below in interview process description
Interview process description:	All applicants are notified by email on or before December 6th , as to whether or not they are being offered an interview for further consideration. Our internship has determined that the most equitable approach to interviewing is to have Virtual Zoom interviews. We will not be conducting on campus interviews for this training cycle. Program coordinators will work with interviewees to schedule Zoom interview dates offered throughout January. Each interviewee will have the chance to be interviewed by faculty members, meet with the Training Director, and also meet with current interns in order to learn more about the available tracks. The Program Coordinator will briefly go over benefits and resources. Applicants are welcome to request interviews with specific individuals and we will try to accomodate if possible based on schedules. Interview Dates to Recruit the 2025 – 2026 Cohort are currently TBD. Will update once those dates are confirmed. Please see info on our webpage: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/
How to obtain application info:	Email the Program
Preferred method of contacting the program:	Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs:	Interns have been accepted from all regions of the country.

Internship Applicant Requirements

US Citizenship Required:	No
If NOT a U.S. Citizen, Authorization to Work or to Engage in Practical Training (CPT or OPT) in the US is Required:	Yes
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:	No
Dissertation Defended:	No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable):	350
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable):	150
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable):
Does your program require applicants to submit supplemental materials (i.e., an assessment report and/or a case/treatment summary):	No
Minimum Number of Years of Grad Training Required (if applicable):	3

Accepted / Not-Accepted Program Types

Clinical Psychology	Accepted
Counseling Psychology	Accepted
School Psychology	Accepted
APA-Accredited	Accepted
CPA-Accredited	Accepted
PCSAS-Accredited	Not Accepted
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:	State desired track(s) clearly in letter. Interns will be required to pass fingerprinting/background check during orientation. Regarding Citizenship: Prospective interns need to be legally authorized to work/study in the US. For example, a non-citizen intern might be in the US on a J-1 (student) visa or they may have permanent resident status.

Program Description

The clinical psychology internship at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has 7 tracks with emphasis in: Clinical Child; Integrated Behavioral Health; Early Childhood; Autism Spectrum Disorders, Multicultural Rural and Native American Behavioral Health; Pediatric Neuropsychology; and Substance USe Disorders and Addictions. All tracks share a training philosophy that is multicultural, developmental, contextual and interdisciplinary. Treatment settings include inpatient, outpatient, and community. We serve a highly diverse population of adults, children, adolescents, and families in the public sector, many with a history of trauma. The program has adopted a model of Evidence Based Practice in which contextual factors are keenly considered, and the therapist is culturally responsive. This model assumes that culture, regardless of ethnicity, is a central aspect that must be considered in all types of psychological intervention. In addressing cultural responsiveness, the program emphasizes both process and outcome and focuses as much on the provider as it does on the patient. Specific knowledge and skills are not seen as sufficient to training culturally and developmentally responsive psychologists. Cultural responsiveness is a reflective practice and a lifelong process. To train psychologists in evidence-based practice that will be appropriate for diverse populations, the program fosters an open, collaborative and multidimensional perspective while encouraging the analytic skills required for effective decision-making. In addition to providing training in traditional treatment approaches (e.g. CBT, behavioral, DBT Informed, and psychodynamic) the program promotes contextual models, such as family systems, because these models are conducive to viewing culture as an integral feature to be addressed in clinical practice. The program facilitates Interns' examination of how their culture (as experienced in their families and academic environments) has influenced them (who they are, how they see themselves, what they value in others, etc).

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children:	Yes
Adolescents:	Yes
Adults:	Yes
Family:	Yes
Older Adults:
Inpatients:	Yes
Outpatients:	Yes
LGBTQ+:	Yes
Ethnic minorities:	Yes
Spanish-speaking:	Yes
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students:	Yes
International Students:
Rural:	Yes
Urban:	Yes
Low income:	Yes
People without housing:	Yes
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
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:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Consultation/Liaison:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Crisis Intervention:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Brief Psychotherapy:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Long-term Psychotherapy:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Primary Care:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
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:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Women's Health:	Experience (21% to 30%)
HIV/AIDS:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Eating Disorders:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Sexual Disorders:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Sports Psychology:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Rehabilitation Psychology:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Physical Disabilities:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Learning Disabilities:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Developmental Disabilities:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Assessment:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Neuropsychology-Adult:
Neuropsychology-Child:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
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:	Experience (21% to 30%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology:
Pediatrics:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
School:
Counseling:
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:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Program Development/Evaluation:	Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Supervision:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Research:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Administration:	Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Integrated health care - specialty:	Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Other:	The intern on the Substance Use Disorders and Addictions Track will have 20% of their time alotted to research through the University of New Mexico Center on Alcohol, Substance Use, And Addictions (CASAA).

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: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/ 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	2024-2025	2025-2026
Number of Completed Applications:	117	131	130	161	188	173	175	186	110
Number of applicants invited for interviews:	72	79		111	119	125	112	99	84
Total number of interns:	10	10	12	12	12	12	11	9	9
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs:	10	10	12	12	12	12	11	9	9
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs:	10	10	10	9	6	9	7	7	6
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs:	0	0	2	3	6	3	4	2	3
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs:	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program	4	4	10	8	7	10	7	4	7
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program	2	2	1	0	4	1	1	1	2
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program	4	4	1	2	1	1	2	1	0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written	8	10	5	4	3	2	3	9	4
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written	44	77	65	45	117	62	107	90	43

Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)

	2022-2023	2023-2024	2024-2025
Academic teaching:	0	0	1
Community mental health center:	1	1	0
Consortium:	0	0	0
University Counseling Center:	0	0	0
Hospital/Medical Center:	7	5	7
Veterans Affairs Health Care System:	0	1	0
Psychiatric facility:	0	0	0
Correctional facility:	0	0	0
Health Maintenance Organization:	0	0	0
School district/system:	0	0	0
Independent practice setting:	0	0	0
Other (Academic Psychology Department):	4	4	1
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data:		https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/departments/psychiatry/education/psychology-internship/

Department : Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Populations

Treatment Modalities

Experience