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Site Name: Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services

Department: Training Division

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Department : Training Division

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 1116
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services
Department: Training Division
Address: 323 N. Prairie Avenue, Suite 430
Inglewood, California 90301
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA
Distance from Major City:
Phone: 310-895-2366
Fax:
Training Director Email: SEquite-Rodas@didihirsch.org
Co-Training Director Email: ehubbard@didihirsch.org
Web Address: https://didihirsch.org/training/student-training-programs/apa-pre-doctoral-internship/
Brochure Website's Address: https://didihirsch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-07-Doctoral-Internship-Publisher-Final.pdf
Primary Agency Type: Community Mental Health Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Community Mental Health Center
Member of APPIC since: 2021
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Sandy Equite-Rodas
Chief Psychologist: Erin Hubbard Psy.D.
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 12
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 09/01/2026
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 4
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 37171.03
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):
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Given the range of training activities and experiences offered to interns, as well as the unique needs of our community population, no two work days are ever quite the same. Generally, interns devote a significant percentage of their time to the provision of direct (or remote) clinical services, including individual/group psychotherapy, psychological assessment, brief consultation, targeted case management/linkage, and advocacy. These services are provided in both the clinic and field-based settings, depending on client need. In addition to direct (or remote) service activities, interns conduct a community outreach project and a program evaluation project during their training year. Additionally, interns have the opportunity to provide biweekly supervision to less advanced trainees (i.e., psychology practicum students), for which they receive regular supervision-of-supervision (individual and group). Their own individual and group supervision (4-6 hours per week); interdisciplinary team meetings; weekly formal didactic seminars; and weekly Professional Development supervision round out the training experience. Please note that Didi Hirsch provides services in different modalities, including clinic based, field-based, and telehealth (remote service delivery). Most clinicians at our agency are on hybrid work schedules and see clients across multiple modalities. Similarly, our interns can expect to follow similar schedules. This may consist of delivery of some Intervention and Assessment services via HIPAA-compliant technology, as well as remote training activities (e.g., didactics, professional issues seminars, supervision, etc.). Psychology Interns will be expected to provide some portion of services in-person (face to face) with clients. Didi Hirsch continues to be committed to adhering to the four Guiding Principles recommended by APPIC in formulating our response to future public health emergencies and their impact on Intern training.
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? Yes
Doctoral Psychology Practicum StudentsYes
Masters Psychology Practicum Students
Do Psychology Interns/Postdocs Have the Opportunity to Supervise Practicum Students?Yes
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: 11/05/2024 11:59 PM EST
A Virtual Interview are: Required
Interview notification date: 12/10/2024
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

In order to increase accessibility to a broader range of applicants our site will be conducting Open Houses and Interviews virtually. No on-site Open Houses or Interviews will be offered. Open Houses are tentatively scheduled for the mornings of Tuesday, January 7th and Thursday, January 9th (from 9:30AM-12:30PM, PST); virtual interviews will occur between January 7th, 2025 and January 29th, 2025. The interviews last approximately one hour and are conducted by the Training Director and members of the supervisory/training team. Interviewees are asked structured questions, and invited to ask their own questions. All applicants will be notified of their interview status by email, so please ensure that you let our site/program know if you change this information after your application is submitted through the AAPI online. 
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs: Please see internship brochure (pg. 12) for a list of student graduate programs from previously matched Interns. The brochure can be accessed at https://didihirsch.org/training/student-training-programs/apa-pre-doctoral-internship/.
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 ranking deadline
Dissertation Proposal Approved: Yes, by start of internship
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 400
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 100
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): Yes
Minimum Number of Years of Grad Training Required (if applicable): 3
Accepted / Not-Accepted Program Types
Clinical Psychology Accepted
Counseling Psychology Not Accepted
School Psychology Not Accepted
APA-Accredited Accepted
CPA-Accredited Not 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: N/A
Other Requirements: Applicants must be willing to take and able to pass a background check during pre-employment. While prior legal history does not automatically exclude an applicant from training at Didi Hirsch, final decisions regarding clearance are made at the level of our Human Resources Department, and are determined in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act (see https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/resources/frequently-asked-questions/criminalhistoryinfoinemploymentfaqs/ for further details). In accordance with this law, final employment decisions will include an individualized assessment of prior conviction history, and take into account multiple factors (i.e., nature of the conviction(s) relative to essential intern functions, timeframe in which the offense occurred, mitigating circumstances). Applicants must be U.S. Citizens (or Permanent Residents),or be able to obtain an F-1 Visa and authorization to participate in Curricular Practicum Training from their university. Didi Hirsch does not sponsor students for visas. Please note that all applicants must have a valid US Social Security Number. For further information related to applicant requirements, please visit our website at: https://didihirsch.org/training/student-training-programs/apa-pre-doctoral-internship/#1544062615625-7897818f-5e15 On August 4, 2023, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ended the mandate for healthcare workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Didi Hirsch has followed LAC DPH guidelines throughout the pandemic, and we are no longer requiring employees be vaccinated for COVID 19. Despite the fact that it is no longer required to be vaccinated it is strongly recommended that everyone remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Program Description

The Doctoral Internship Training Program in Professional Psychology is currently accredited by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA), having been awarded a 7-year accreditation in 2016. Questions related to this program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 or (202) 336-5979. E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org, Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Please note: We received confirmation from CoA (Commission of Accreditation) that our self-study was received in Spring 2023, and we should receive feedback in Fall 2024, followed by a site visit in Winter 2025 (January – March). We learned there have been delays since the COVID-19 pandemic. Per CoA, our accreditation status is not impacted by the site visit delays from COVID-19. Please visit the Accreditation link for additional information.   https://accreditation.apa.org/accredited-programs

The Internship is located in an urban Community Mental Health Center with 11 sites across Los Angeles county and nearly 700 staff.  We offer core mental health services to adults with severe/persistent mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance, crisis intervention and short-term counseling services, and substance abuse treatment and prevention services. Training activities are focused on 10 competency areas: Ethical and Legal Standards; Individual-Cultural Diversity; Scientific Knowledge/Research/Evaluation; Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors; Communication and Interpersonal Skills; Assessment; Intervention; Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary Skills; Supervision-Teaching; and Community Outreach. Interns provide services in mental health clinics at any of our sites, but both training tracks (Child/Family as well as Adult Services) house Interns at a primary office in Inglewood, CA. All Interns participate in individual, group, and family psychotherapy in the office in the field, or remotely, as well as crisis intervention, diagnostic intake assessments, comprehensive psychological assessments, community outreach projects, and a small program evaluation or research project. Interns facilitate supervision of practicum students and receive "supervision of supervision." The program provides intensive supervision, weekly didactic seminars, a professional development group, participation on interdisciplinary treatment teams, and bimonthly agency training seminars.

PLEASE NOTE: Didi Hirsch remains committed to adhering to the four Guiding Principles recommended by APPIC in formulating our response to future public health emergencies at their impact on Intern training. 

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children: Yes
Adolescents: Yes
Adults: Yes
Family: Yes
Older Adults: Yes
Inpatients:
Outpatients: Yes
LGBTQ+: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking: Yes
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired: Yes
Students: Yes
International Students: Yes
Rural:
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:
Family Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Group Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Community Intervention: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Consultation/Liaison: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Crisis Intervention: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Brief Psychotherapy: Experience (21% to 30%)
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 : Experience (21% to 30%)
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology: Experience (21% to 30%)
Women's Health:
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
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:
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: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Pediatrics:
School: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Counseling:
Vocational/Career Development: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Multicultural Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy: Experience (21% to 30%)
Program Development/Evaluation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Administration: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - specialty:
Other:

Interns may participate in other speciality services/populations, including Birth to Five and suicide prevention.

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://didihirsch.org/training/student-training-programs/apa-pre-doctoral-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: 171 173 119 143 120 128 127 140
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 67 71 73 70 73 68 69 66
Total number of interns: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 0
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 4
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 10 10 4 8 3 2 3 1
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 36 19 14 59 73 38 7 67
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025
Academic teaching:
Community mental health center: 0 0 0
Consortium: 0 0 0
University Counseling Center: 0 0 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 0 1 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 1 0 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: 3 3 0
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0 0 0
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data: https://didihirsch.org/training/student-training-programs/apa-pre-doctoral-internship/
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