Our program’s specific aims are anchored in the profession-wide competencies expected of a health service psychologists and around which our training program is structured. Our aims align with these competencies which in turn guide the development and implementation of our program, the expectations for our interns, and evaluation of our program’s outcomes. Our program aims to:
Generalist Health Service Psychologist
To recruit and train ethical, skilled, and culturally sensitive health service psychologists who will be prepared for entry level practice and postdoctoral practice working with children, adolescents, and families in a clinical setting. Our intern selection process, experiential training activities tied to service delivery, supervision, and didactic training experiences support this aim. The clinical population served by JCFS Chicago also supports this aim. As a community mental health agency, JCFS Chicago serves clients across the developmental lifespan who present with a wide range of presenting problems and psychiatric diagnoses. Additionally, as an agency that services clients with private insurance and those with Medicaid, interns will be provided with the opportunity to work with clients from a wide range of socio-economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds.
Integration of Practice and Science
To provide training in the practice of taking an evidence-based practice approach to assessment, intervention, and consultation with diverse populations. We strive to support interns in developing the skills to apply clinical theory and empirical research into case conceptualizations, treatment planning, and clinical interventions. This is accomplished through seminars, individual supervision, consultation, group supervision, readings, and familiarizing interns with an evidence-based practice approach that balances available research, clinician expertise, client’s presentation, and the overall system in which one is practicing. In addition to clinical experience with a more general outpatient community mental health population, interns will have the opportunity to work in specialized clinics, the Disruptive Behavior Clinic and Anxious Behavior Clinic for children, that utilize evidenced-based interventions.
Professional Identity
To facilitate intern’s professional identity as health service psychologists by providing a training experience whereby the intern balances the many roles a generalist practitioner may have (ex. therapist, evaluator, consultant, and supervisor). Psychology supervisors serve as role models for this type of practice and Intern Seminar time is devoted to discussions of professional issues for entry-level psychologists such as licensure requirements, continuing education opportunities, career development, and work/life balance.
Collaboration and Openness to Learning
As an agency comprised of psychologists, social workers, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapists, substance abuse specialist, grief & loss specialists, educators, community resource specialist, and career counselors, we value the role collaboration plays in service delivery and ongoing learning. We aim to develop the intern’s capacity to work collaboratively with psychology colleagues and professionals from other disciplines both within and outside our organization. Throughout internship, interns are given opportunities to meet one on one with Directors of the Community Counseling Center (LCSWs) during orientation, they attend the monthly Outpatient Behavioral Health and Community Counseling Center staff meetings along with psychology supervisors, social workers, and trainees from other disciplines. A key component of the training year is serving as a consultant to either the Integrative Pediatric Therapies program or Virginia Frank Child Development Center, providing regular access to a multi-disciplinary team for their own cases, in addition to providing consultation. Interns are consistently linked to agency specialists for input and resources related to their clients. Lastly, interns are encouraged by supervisors to pursue learning on their own as it relates to their clients.
