Northeast Florida State Hospital (NEFSH) provides treatment to adults with serious mental illness who require a residential inpatient environment. NEFSH is the largest provider of inpatient, civil mental health services in the State of Florida, providing services to over 600 residents at any given time. Residents with civil commitment court orders occupy most of the facility, while approximately 25% of the residents are forensically committed as either Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity or Incompetent to Proceed. Individuals served at this hospital include adult men and women spanning all age groups and ethnicities. Common diagnoses include schizophrenia spectrum disorders, mood disorders, neurocognitive disorders secondary to another major mental illness, and personality disorders. NEFSH employs a multidisciplinary approach using a holistic, recovery model, while emphasizing trauma-informed care and sensitivity to diversity in all interactions with residents.
The internship is a flexible, individualized training experience focused on serving adults with severe mental illness. Six-month emphasis rotations in the areas of severe mental illness, forensics, and geropsychology are available, as well as several focus rotation options. All emphasis rotations meet guidelines for an APA recognized specialty within health service psychology and provide a focus on the assessment and treatment of severe mental illness. Experience in group therapy, individual therapy, diagnosis, consultation, supervision, crisis intervention, and formal psychological assessment are offered on all emphasis rotations. Interns receive two or more hours per week of individual clinical supervision with their emphasis rotation supervisors and two hours of group supervision per week from licensed psychologists and/or doctoral level clinicians. Interns participate in a yearlong, weekly didactic seminar series on a multitude of topics relevant to the population and professional development. In addition to emphasis and focus rotation experiences, interns are afforded additional trainings and opportunities that are unique to an inpatient state-run facility.
Please access the NEFSH internship brochure in order to learn more about specific training opportunities, internship faculty, and the benefits of completing an internship at NEFSH.