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Site Name: Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

Department: Clinical Services

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Department : Clinical Services

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 2009
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Department: Clinical Services
Address: P.O. Box 1000
2001 28th Street
Bakersfield, California 93302
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA MSA
Distance from Major City: 100 miles north of Los Angeles
Phone: 661-868-7844x
Fax:
Training Director Email: PIP@kernbhrs.org
Co-Training Director Email: DNorman@kernbhrs.org
Web Address: https://www.kernbhrs.org/about-us/psychology-internship-program
Brochure Website's Address: https://www.kernbhrs.org/home/showpublisheddocument/21428/638920577163699320
Primary Agency Type: Community Mental Health Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Child/Adolescent Psychiatric or Pediatrics
  • Community Mental Health Center
  • Prison or Other Correctional Facility
Member of APPIC since: 2013
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Jennifer Ochoa
Chief Psychologist: Jennifer Ochoa
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 6
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 08/02/2027
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 5
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 44160
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Comp Time , Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave,
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): Professional meeting leave, in-service training programs, dissertation release time, professional development time; health, dental and/or vision care is available; interns are eligible to accrue up to 6 days of paid sick leave per year.
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Each training site has uniqueness to its schedule but a typical day generally includes appearing to one's work station (office or cubicle) at 8:00 A.M.. Days often begin with an interdisciplinary team meeting/case conference. Formal face-to-face individual and group supervision as well as briefer as-needed consultations with supervisors comprise 1-3 hours of the day. The remainder of the day is focused on client appointments (individual, group, family therapy, psychological testing). Fridays are training/didactic days, during which all interns will be present together at one site to attend. Clinical documentation is entered into electronic medical records and generally comprises 15-20% of time spent serving clients. Interns have frequent contact with other interns during the day as well as other interdisciplinary staff. Interns are allowed a 1-hour lunch generally during the noon hour as well as 15 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon and complete the training day and leave at 5:00 P.M.
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? Yes
Doctoral Psychology Practicum StudentsYes
Masters Psychology Practicum StudentsNo
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: 11/20/2026 11:59 PM EST
A Virtual Interview are: Required
Interview notification date: 12/09/2026
Tentative interview date: 12/17/2026, 12/18/2026
Interview process description:

All interviews for the 26-27 cohort will be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams. Applicants invited to interview will receive a formal invitation via email with details on how to access their interview(s). Applicants will be notified of their status by e-mail. Interviews will be conducted in mid-late December. Applicants will interview with rotation supervisors according to clinical preference. Phone interviews are available under special circumstances. The interview process will last approximately 1-2 hours. 
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: Alliant International University, Antioch University, Phillips Graduate Institute, Argosy University, Fuller Theological Seminary, University of La Verne, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, California Lutheran University, Midwestern University, Virginia State University, Nova Southeastern University, University of Akron, Loyola University, Chaminade University of Honolulu, St. Louis University, William James College, Hawaii Pacific University, Central Michigan University, University of Southern Mississippi, Carlow University, George Fox University, Bowling Green State University,
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: 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: Yes, by application deadline
Comprehensive Exams Passed: Yes, by start of internship
Dissertation Proposal Approved: No
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 450
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):
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 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: Please refer to Kern Behavioral Health & Recovery Services Internship Brochure: https://www.kernbhrs.org/about-us/psychology-internship-program
Program Description

The following positions will be available for the 2027-2028 cohort year:

200911 Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth

200912 Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth

200913 Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth

200914 Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth

200915 Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth

Judicially Involved Adults and/or Youth:

Interns will gain experience working with judicially involved adults, adolescents, and minors with mental disorders. Interns may conduct court-ordered evaluations, competency to restoration training, and individual/group therapy. Rotations will also involve interdisciplinary work with a variety of other professionals in a rehabilitation model of court-mandated treatment emphasizing recovery and relapse prevention. Interns will have opportunities to shadow and/or conduct additional types of court-ordered evaluations, including those related to sex offender amenability to outpatient treatment. Intern may have the opportunity to participate in a mental health diversion program for judicially involved individuals found incompetent to stand trial (IST) for felony offenses, identifying felony incompetent to stand trial individuals who are amenable for outpatient treatment and diverting them from state hospital admission in the hopes that with intensive treatment, their criminal behaviors will decrease. 

Interns may serve judicially involved youth ages 13-18 in a juvenile hall facility, or within in a probation school for youth recently released from incarceration. Interns will work collaboratively with probation officers and/or Kern County Superintendent of Schools personnel to ensure student success on campus. Training will include assessment, psychological testing, crisis intervention, and individual and group therapy with many different diagnostic categories. Interns may also conduct initial bio-psycho-social assessments and create Individualized Service Plans for youth, working in collaboration with case managers and substance abuse specialists to develop a unique treatment approach for each client. Interns may also provide court-ordered or voluntary treatment encompassing anger management, substance use treatment, grief counseling, and family therapy. Interns will be exposed to various treatment issues and modalities, including crisis intervention, and will gain competence in legal and psychiatric settings. 

Additionally, Interns will gain experience developing appropriate test batteries; administering, scoring, and interpreting all relevant test instruments; and producing professionally written integrative reports. The majority of the psychological testing referrals for judicially involved adults focus on issues related to malingering, differential diagnosis, intellectual/cognitive functioning, and requests for treatment recommendations. Interns may assist clients with crisis intervention, assessment, treatment planning, counseling/therapy, drug and alcohol treatment, accessing medical services, and more. Services may be provided in a variety of settings, such as in schools, emergency shelters, family homes, or in the office. 

Interns will have access to the latest versions of cognitive, objective, projective, and other (specialty) tests and screeners. Specialty tests included, but are not limited to: ECST-R, HCR-20 Version 3, M-FAST, R-BANS, and others. Interns will learn to incorporate the following evidence-based practices into treating their clients: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR).  Evidence- based practices include: Seeking Safety, Aggression Replacement Training, Matrix Relapse Prevention, Furlough Treatment Rehabilitation Reducing Recidivism, and Youth and Parents Relationship Strengthening groups. Mental Health services provided may include, but are not limited to: Screening, Assessment, Crisis intervention, Individual therapy/Individual Rehabilitation, Family therapy, Psychiatric evaluation/medication support, Psychological Assessment, Group Therapy, Case management, and Consultative & Interdisciplinary Treatment Meetings. 

See our 2027-2028 brochure for more information: Psychology Internship Program | Kern County, CA - Behavioral Health & Recovery Services

 

 

 

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children: Yes
Adolescents: Yes
Adults: Yes
Family: Yes
Older Adults: Yes
Inpatients: Yes
Outpatients: Yes
LGBTQ+: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking: Yes
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students:
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: Experience (21% to 30%)
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: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Long-term Psychotherapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Cognitive Rehabilitation: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Primary Care:
Evidenced Based Practice: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Evidence Based Research: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Supervision of Practicum students : Experience (21% to 30%)
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Women's Health: Exposure (1% to 20%)
HIV/AIDS: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Eating Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Sexual Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Physical Disabilities: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Learning Disabilities: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Developmental Disabilities: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Assessment: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Neuropsychology-Adult: Experience (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Child: Experience (21% to 30%)
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: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Offenders: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Geropsychology: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Pediatrics:
School: Experience (21% to 30%)
Counseling: Experience (21% to 30%)
Vocational/Career Development: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
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: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Program Development/Evaluation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision: Experience (21% to 30%)
Research: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Administration: Experience (21% to 30%)
Integrated health care - primary:
Integrated health care - specialty:
Other:

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://www.kernbhrs.org/about-us/psychology-internship-program  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 2026-2027
Number of Completed Applications: 30 16 29 28 44 75 101 174 233 242
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 24 15 21 26 42 44 29 32 29
Total number of interns: 4 2 4 2 4 4 5 4 5
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 3 0 1 2 4 4 4 4 4
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 4 2 3 2 4 2 2 4 2
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 2 3 2 4 3 3 4 4
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 13
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 84 8 14 11 28 35 35 5 86
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 2025-2026
Academic teaching: 1
Community mental health center: 2 1 1 0
Consortium: 0 0 0 0
University Counseling Center: 0 0 0 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 0 2 2 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 0 0 0 0
Psychiatric facility: 0 0 0 0
Correctional facility: 0 0 0 0
Health Maintenance Organization: 0 0 0 0
School district/system: 0 0 0 0
Independent practice setting: 2 0 0 0
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0 0 0 0
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data: https://www.kernbhrs.org/home/showpublisheddocument/21426/638920576739574235
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