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Site Name: Harris County Juvenile Probation Department

Department: Forensic Unit

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Department : Forensic Unit

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 2000
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Harris County Juvenile Probation Department
Department: Forensic Unit
Address: 1200 Congress
Houston, Texas 77002
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
Distance from Major City:
Phone: 713-222-4234x
Fax:
Training Director Email: alexandra.tellez@hcjpd.hctx.net
Co-Training Director Email: tonya.martin@hcjpd.hctx.net
Web Address: https://hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/Internship.aspx
Brochure Website's Address: https://hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov/Portals/hcjpd/Documents/Miscellaneous/HCJPD%20Intern%20website%20August%202023.pdf?ver=hQJEiiW-qKewcLlboqvaCA%3d%3d
Primary Agency Type: Prison or Other Correctional Facility
Additional Agency Types:
  • Prison or Other Correctional Facility
Member of APPIC since: 06/01/2007
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director: Alexandra Tellez
Chief Psychologist: Tonya Martin
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 7
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 08/03/2026
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 3
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 42432
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Comp Time , Dissertation Release Time, Dental Insurance, Disability Insurance, Health Insurance, Licensing Exam Release Time, Life Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): Interns have a shared office space with their own individual computers, access to office supplies, and administrative support.
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Interns participate in three rotations throughout the year: two assessment focused rotations and one specialty court rotation. During the assessment-focused rotations, the majority of one's time is spent conducting and writing psychological evaluations of youth in the detention center or who are in the community. The first assessment rotation is focused on conducting general psychodiagnostic evaluations that aid in court decisions. The second assessment rotation is focused on conducting more forensically oriented evaluations that answer a psycholegal question (e.g., fitness to proceed, certification/juvenile waiver evaluations, etc.). During the specialty court rotation, interns engage in a variety of activities for youth who are involved with a particular court, such as participating in case staffings, attending court hearings, and meeting with the youth. Throughout the internship year, all interns provide individual psychotherapy to youth in the detention center, competency restoration services, participate in individual and group supervision, and participate in a variety of didactic seminars. Interns also have the opportunity to participate in our outpatient fitness attainment program. Interns typically have some regularly scheduled activities during the week and then it is their responsibility to manage their time in order to complete the remainder of their tasks for the week. As a result, the daily schedule varies. Please see our website at https://hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov/About-Us/Internships for additional information.
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? Yes
Doctoral Psychology Practicum StudentsYes
Masters Psychology Practicum StudentsYes
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: 11/14/2025 11:59 PM EST
A Virtual Interview are: Required
Interview notification date: 12/15/2025
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

We plan to continue with virtual interviews. We will notify applicants via email if they have been invited to participate in an interview.  We will have two to three interview dates in mid- to late-January from which applicants can choose to participate.  The interview day begins at 9 AM and will last until approximately 3 PM (CST).  

Applicants will partipate in two one-on-one interviews with the Training Director and the Assistant Training Director.  In addition, applicants will individually meet with three small panels of additional staff members (2-3 staff members per panel).  One panel will include the current post-doctoral fellows.  Applicants will be asked to complete a writing assignment. The writing prompt will be emailed to the applicant on the interview day and needs to be emailed by the end of the day. During the group interview with the current interns, we will ask to take a photo (screenshot) of applicants in order to assist us in remembering each individual after we have conducted all of our interviews.  Applicants may elect not to have a picture taken, which will have no effect on the interview or applicant status.  Applicants will also be asked to sign an acknowledgment form that matched interns must successfully complete a criminal background clearance, Department of Family and Protective Services clearance, and a drug/alcohol screening prior to starting the internship.

We recognize that a virtual interview does not allow the applicant the opportunity to experience the site in person. There is a scheduled group meeting with the three current interns without any faculty presence to allow applicants an opportunity to ask questions about the internship and what it is like to live in Houston. We also have a video of the administrative side of the Juvenile Detention Center (to be shared during interviews) so that applicants may see their potential office space and supervisor offices in the Forensic Unit. Laslty, we also encourage applicants to check out the Houston Culture flyer in our brochure. 
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs: Alliant International University/California School of Professional Psychology – Fresno Alliant International University/California School of Professional Psychology – Sacramento Chestnut Hill College Chicago School of Professional Psychology - Chicago Campus Chicago School of Professional Psychology - Washington DC Campus Florida State University Fairleigh Dickinson University Fielding University George Fox University Midwestern University – Downer’s Grove Nova Southeastern University Pacific University Palo Alto University Pepperdine University University of Houston University of Houston - Clear Lake University of Denver University of Detroit Mercy University of Georgia University of Indianapolis Virginia Commonwealth University William James College
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 start of internship
Dissertation Proposal Approved: Yes, by start of internship
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 250
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 Accepted
School Psychology Accepted
APA-Accredited Accepted
CPA-Accredited Accepted
PCSAS-Accredited
Non-Accredited 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: Preferred applicants will have a minimum of 10 integrated psychological reports. Interns must complete a criminal background check and fingerprinting prior to starting the internship. Interns and other HCJPD employees may not have a felony within 10 years or a misdemeanor within 5 years of starting the internship. Interns must also receive clearance from the Department of Family and Protective Services (Children's Protective Services). Finally, interns and all Harris County employees must pass a drug and alcohol screening prior to starting internship and they are subject to random drug and/or alcohol screenings throughout the year. Please note that marijuana, including the use of medical marijuana, is not legal in the state of Texas.
Program Description

Detailed information about the APA-accredited internship program at Harris County Juvenile Probation Department is available at: hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov (On the "About Us" tab, click on "Internships", and then click on "Doctoral Internship Program in Psychology."  The client population at Harris County Juvenile Probation Department is comprised of youth with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, and diagnoses.  Recipients of mental health services are children ages 10 to 17 years who are involved in the juvenile justice system.  The primary training site will be the Juvenile Justice Center in Houston, Texas, which houses up to 250 youth.  However, there will also be opportunities to provide services within the community; therefore, personal transportation is strongly recommended.  The primary emphasis of the internship program is assessment-focused.  Our department provides general psychological evaluations as well as more forensically oriented evaluations.  

Interns will participate in three major rotations.  They will spend their first rotation primarily conducting general psychological evaluations with the juvenile forensic population, with a focus on clarifying diagnoses and making appropriate recommendations for treatment and placement.  The second rotation will give the intern opportunities to conduct more specific forensic evaluations, such as when the court is considering transferring the youth to the adult criminal justice system (e.g., juvenile waiver) or fitness to proceed (competency to stand trial) evaluations.  At times, such evaluations might require an intern to provide court testimony regarding the findings of their evaluation (pending supervisor approval).  The third rotation will consist of the intern being an integral part of one of our specialty courts, either the Court 360 for youth who have extensive mental health needs, or the CARE Court, for youth who are involved in commercial sex trafficking.  This role involves evaluating youth for the appropriateness of speciality court involvement, possibily providing short-term psychotherapy to youth who are awaiting transfer to a more permanent placement, extensive multidisciplinary consultation, and interfacing with judges, attorneys and probation officers.  Throughout the year, interns will also have a small caseload of individual therapy clients of youth who are residing in the detention center.  There might also be opportunities to provide group therapy to youth who are in the detention center or who are residing in the community, but this is not guaranteed. Interns also provide fitness attainment services through our Legal Education Attainment Program (LEAP) to both youth in detention or in the community. More information about LEAP can be found here: Law and Mental Health: Juvenile Competency Restoration - LEAP: An Outpatient Program - YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkV2b0TGP8Y). 

All services are provided in-person although virtual/telehealth services happen occasionally on a case by case basis to accommodate family needs or temporary disruptions in care (e.g., facility no movement orders, inclement weather, etc.). Trainings from outside guest/speakers may occur virtually but most of our training related activities are in person at this time.  Changes may occur throughout the year to reflect our commitment to provide a safe environment for our youth, staff, and interns. 

We are excited to announce our Forensic Unit and Specialty Court postdoctoral training positions have been determined to meet the ABFP criteria for the experience waiver. ABFP offers waiver of the 5-year requirement for applicants who successfully complete an approved 2000-hour formal postdoctoral training program in forensic psychology.

 

 

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Infants:
Toddlers:
Children: Yes
Adolescents: Yes
Adults:
Family: Yes
Older Adults:
Inpatients: Yes
Outpatients: Yes
LGBTQ+: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking: Yes
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
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: Experience (21% to 30%)
Couples Therapy:
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy:
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: Experience (21% to 30%)
Crisis Intervention: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Brief Psychotherapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Long-term Psychotherapy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Primary Care:
Evidenced Based Practice: Experience (21% to 30%)
Evidence Based Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision of Practicum students : Exposure (1% to 20%)
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology:
Women's Health:
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology:
Physical Disabilities:
Learning Disabilities: Experience (21% to 30%)
Developmental Disabilities: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Assessment: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Neuropsychology-Adult:
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Anxiety Disorders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Trauma/PTSD: Emphasis (31% to 49%)
Sexual Abuse: Experience (21% to 30%)
Substance Use Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Forensics/Corrections: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Offenders: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Geropsychology:
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling: Experience (21% to 30%)
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality:
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Experience (21% to 30%)
Public Policy/Advocacy: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Program Development/Evaluation: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Supervision: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Research: Exposure (1% to 20%)
Administration:
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://hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/Internship.aspx  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: 66 41 50 65 69 60 67 53 80
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 23 23 33 29 26 26 26 26 31
Total number of interns: 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 1 2 2 0 2 1 0 1 0
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 2 1 1 3 1 2 3 2 3
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 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 16 17 11 20 11 12 6 18 13
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 64 35 61 75 25 89 45 45 50
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2022-2023 2023-2024 2024-2025
Academic teaching: 0 0 0
Community mental health center: 1 0 1
Consortium: 0 0 0
University Counseling Center: 0 0 0
Hospital/Medical Center: 1 0 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System: 0 0 0
Psychiatric facility: 0 2 0
Correctional facility: 0 1 1
Health Maintenance Organization: 0 0 0
School district/system: 0 0 0
Independent practice setting: 1 0 1
Other (Academic Psychology Department): 0 0 0
Link to Program's Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data: https://hcjpd.harriscountytx.gov/Portals/hcjpd/Documents/Miscellaneous/HCJPD%20Intern%20Website%20June%202024.pdf?ver=YLR_kGnl-OJkPJmklXjjwQ%3d%3d
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