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Site Name: Portland VA Medical Center

Department: Clinical Psychology

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Department : Clinical Psychology

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 1527
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Portland VA Medical Center
Department: Clinical Psychology
Address: 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road
Attn: Mary Steers, Training Director, P3-GP1
Portland, Oregon 97239
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Distance from Major City: VAPORHCS is within the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan area.
Phone: 503-220-8262x58430
Fax:
Training Director Email: Mary.Steers@va.gov
Co-Training Director Email:
Web Address: https://www.va.gov/portland-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/clinical-psychology-training-programs/
Brochure Website's Address: https://www.va.gov/portland-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/clinical-psychology-training-programs/
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Member of APPIC since: 1978
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Mary Steers
Chief Psychologist: Christopher Anderson
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 80
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 07/12/2027
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 6
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 37805
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, 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 See our internship brochure at: https://www.va.gov/portland-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/clinical-psychology-training-programs/
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?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: 11/01/2026 11:59 PM EST
Interview notification date: 12/11/2026
Tentative interview date: 01/11/2027
Interview process description:

Open House is tentatively scheduled for January 7, 2027, from 8:00am-2:30pm (Pacific Time). Interviews are tenatively scheduled on January 11-13, 2027.

We will be offering virtual interviews to roughly the top 50% of applicants based on an initial assessment of 1) Clinical Experience (total clinical hours - intervention hours, assessment hours, and supervision hours; total number of integrated reports written), 2) Research Experience (publications; presentations, posters/abstracts; research and grant writing experience), 3) Academic Experience (course grades; teaching experience), and 4) Subjective Impressions (cover letter quality; references; cultural humility, quality of fit). All applicants who are offered an interview will be also be invited to the Open House (OH), which will be entirely virtual and held January 7, 2027.

Interviews will be between the dates of January 11-13, 2027, and conducted vitrually. We do not offer in person interviews. We traditionally offer interview times in both the morning and the afternoon of those dates. Invited finalists are STRONGLY encouraged to attend OH, but attendance at the OH is not mandatory. All applicants who are invited to OH/interviews are ranked. Any finalist who declines an interview will not be ranked and we do not offer make-up/alternative dates for interviews unless there are significant extenuating circumstances (e.g., a candidate unable to attend an interview due to an unforseen medical emergency, death in family, etc.). Though we aim to offer a host of flexible times for our interview process, we do not offer alternative dates for interviews based on candidates have overlapping interviews, etc. with other sites.    

Please consult website for details.
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs:
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: No
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 start of internship
Dissertation Proposal Approved: Yes, by start of internship
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 300
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 100
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable): 400
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 Not Accepted
APA-Accredited Accepted
CPA-Accredited Accepted
PCSAS-Accredited
Non-Accredited Not Accepted
Ph.D Degree Accepted
Psy.D. Degree Accepted
Ed.D. Degree 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: US Citizenship & APA- or CPA-accredited doctoral program required. Apply via AAPI: Include 3 letters of recommendation and a cover letter, per the requirements as listed on our website. We review the standard AAPI essays.
Program Description

The number one priority in the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS)'s internship program is to give students a positive, supportive training experience. Interns work reasonable hours, are provided ample supervision and didactic opportunities, and are treated as colleagues by the psychology staff. The VAPORHCS doctoral internship program assists interns as they prepare for future careers or for additional postdoctoral training. We use a generalist model, focusing on skills of assessment, treatment, consultation, and integrated care with diverse patient populations. Each intern participates in two, 6-month long major training rotations; additionally, interns will participate in two, 6-month long minor training rotations (i.e., 1 day per week). Rotations we offer include Health Psychology, Women's and Gender Diverse Mental Health, Outpatient Mental Health, Neuropsychology, Substance Addiction Treatment Program, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team, and Primary Care Mental Health Integration. As minor rotations, interns can choose from Neuropsychology (if they have taken this rotation previously as a major/full time), our Outpatient Mental Health Clinic loctations, Women's and Gender Diverse Mental Health, Couples Therapy, and our Assessment Clinic. We do not, however, offer the option for majors or minors to be taken twice throughout the year or for interns to specialize in a paticular track (e.g., Neuropsychology). Professional development is a primary focus of our training, as we assist interns in transitioning from graduate school to a professional career.  Please see our website for more details about our program and rotations.

Internship Training Opportunities

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

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment: Experience (21% to 30%)
Individual Therapy: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Couples Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy: Experience (21% to 30%)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Crisis Intervention: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Brief Psychotherapy: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Long-term Psychotherapy:
Cognitive Rehabilitation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Primary Care: Exposure (1% to 20%)
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: Exposure (1% to 20%)
HIV/AIDS: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Physical Disabilities: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Learning Disabilities:
Developmental Disabilities:
Assessment: Experience (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Adult: Experience (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Anxiety Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Trauma/PTSD: Experience (21% to 30%)
Sexual Abuse: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Substance Use Disorders: Experience (21% to 30%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling:
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality:
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy:
Program Development/Evaluation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Administration:
Integrated health care - primary: Experience (21% to 30%)
Integrated health care - specialty:
Other:

Telemental Health

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.va.gov/portland-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/clinical-psychology-training-programs/  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: 159 132 128 127 125 132 118 121
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 59 54 54 60 64 65 61 62
Total number of interns: 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 7 6 5 5 5 4 4 5 5
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 0 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
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 12 11 14 13 11 12 14 4
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 77 84 60 69 77 72 69 59
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025 2025-2026
Academic teaching: 0 0 0
Community mental health center: 2 2 4 0
Consortium: 0 0 0 0
University Counseling Center: 1 0 0 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 0 0 0 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 3 4 2 2
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: 0 0 0 3
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0 0 0 1
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data: https://www.va.gov/portland-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/clinical-psychology-training-programs/
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