The APA Accredited Internship Program at Sharp Healthcare offers broad & diverse training possibilities. Our tracks span the lifespan with opportunities in child/adolescent, adult, and senior settings. We have recently evolved into a combination of 4 specialty focused tracks: Child and Adolescent Track (Child and Adolescent Inpatient Unit & Adolescent IOP; 2 positions), Adult Psychiatric ICU/Trauma Track (Intensive Care Inpatient Unit & Trauma IOP; 2 positions), Adult Substance Use Disorder Track (Adult Inpatient Unit/Detox Unit & Medication Assisted Treatment IOP for adults with chemical dependency; 2 positions), and Geropsychology Track (Senior Behavioral Inpatient Unit & Older Adult IOP; 2 positions), with 8 positions for the coming training year. Applicants may apply to all 4 tracks, but we encourage you to consider what area you wish to tailor your internship training in. Please see our website for more detailed information about tracks.
Each intern, regardless of their track, splits the year into two 6-month rotations consisting of an inpatient unit and an intensive outpatient program (IOP). All our inpatient units and IOP programs are providing care on premises. Given the acuity of the patients we serve, IN PERSON services have been the core of what we have done throughout and since the pandemic.
All interns, regardless of track, will also spend one day a week assigned to assessment. You will have two 6-month rotations, splitting the year between our child/adolescent assessment clinic and adult/gero assessment clinic. All interns receive individual and group supervision, assessment supervision, and supervision of supervision. Each intern is assigned to work with one or more doctoral practicum students to build on supervision competencies.
We are frequently asked, "What are you looking for in your selection process?" Every APPI is thoroughly reviewed by members of our psychology team. We carefully look at the rigor of university training, the depth and range of clinical experience, as well as other life experience. Group therapy, work with acute populations, work within hospital-based care, experience in IOPs, and psychological assessment experience is highly valued as these are large parts of our training program and clinical services.
We prioritize cultural competence, empiricism (big E and little e), and evidence-based treatment. We also prize trainees who demonstrate emotional literacy, a desire to increase self-awareness, and an ability to communicate genuine respect for individuals who are similar to and different from them. Didactics and critical consciousness training is provided throughout the training year.
Given the vast diversity in San Diego (e.g., in all components of the ADDRESSING model), and our desire to have an intern class that reflects that diversity, we appreciate learning about the individual diversity of our applicants and encourage trainees from diverse backgrounds to apply to our program. We prize applicants who demonstrate the abilities and traits required to thrive in a fast paced, interdisciplinary, collaborative, patient-centered, acute-care environment. Please refer to our website for additional details: http://www.sharp.com/interns-fellows/doctoral-psychology-internship/