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Site Name: Phoenix VA Health Care System

Department: Psychology Department (116B)

Program Information: Phoenix VA Health Care System - Psychology Department (116B)

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Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 1671
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Phoenix VA Health Care System
Department: Psychology Department (116B)
Address: 650 E. Indian School Road
Mail Stop Code 116B
Phoenix, Arizona 85012-1892
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ
Distance from Major City:
Phone: 602-277-5551x7890
Fax: 602-212-2043
Email: matthew.weyer@va.gov
Web Address: https://www.va.gov/phoenix-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-internships-and-fellowships/
Brochure Website's Address: https://prod.cms.va.gov/sites/default/files/2022-07/Phoenix%20VA%20Psychology%20Internship%20Brochure%20.pdf
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Additional Agency Types:
  • Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Member of APPIC since:
Accreditation
APA Accreditation Accredited
CPA Accreditation Not Accredited
Internship Staff/Faculty Information
Training Director & Lead / Director: Matthew Weyer
Chief Psychologist: Kris Kratz
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 36
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 08/14/2023
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 8
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 27125
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): 11 Federal Holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 days of annual leave annually. Interns may also be granted 40 hours of administrative leave for educational activities (e.g. conferences, outside trainings, dissertation defense).
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site A typical work day for an intern at the Phoenix VA Health Care System would vary depending on the interns specialty and selected rotations. We are pleased to offer a variety of clinical settings and rotations for interns, including working in Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, Primary Care - Mental Health Integration (PCMHI), PTSD, Outpatient and Inpatient Mental Health, Women Veteran's Program and Vet Center. Interns provide direct patient care (e.g., evidence based psychotherapy, psychological assessment, neuropsychological testing, group therapy, etc) for approximately 25-40% of their day. Didactic training, supervision, consultation calls for evidenced based therapies, interdisciplinary meetings, and other administrative activities take up the remainder of an intern's day. Interns will have the opportunity to supervise practicum students and participate in a supervision of supervision clinic. There is also daily opportunity to interact with staff, supervisors, and peers and a mentorship program.
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?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: 11/01/2022 11:59 PM EST
Interviews at this site are:
  • Virtual
Interview notification date: N/A
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

Approximately 50 applicants will be notified of interview offers by November 30, 2022. Half of the interviews will occur during the third week of December 2021, and the other half will take place during the first week of January 2022. Based on feedback from 2021-22 interviews, the interviews will be held via video again this year rather than in-person.

The format of the interviews includes an overview of the program, interviews with 6 supervisors, the training director and an opportunity to meet with current interns.

Once interviews are completed, the training committee prepares four separate lists for each of the specialty tracks with a corresponding Match Number in bold: Neuropsychology (167112), Health Psychology (167113), PTSD /General Mental Health (167114) and PC-MHI (167115).
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Visit Website
We have matched with interns from these programs: Eastern Michigan University, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University of Missouri-St. Louis, William James College, Pepperdine University, University of Wyoming, University of Southern Mississippi, Colorado State University, Fordham University, Ohio State University, Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, University of Texas-Austin, George Mason University, Lehigh University, Rosemead School of Psychology, UC Santa Barbara, Arizona State University, University of Loma Linda, Texas Tech University, University of Toledo, Ohio University, Palo Alto PGSP, Stanford Psy.D. Consortium, Alliant International University- San Diego and Los Angeles, Pacific University, St. Louis University, Nova Southeastern University, University of Denver, Florida Institute of Technology, Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Tennessee State University, Seattle Pacific University, Roosevelt University, Adler University, University of Minnesota, University of Kentucky, University of Houston, University of Nebraska, University of Missouri , Roosevelt University
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 application deadline
Dissertation Proposal Approved: Yes, by application deadline
Dissertation Defended: No
Minimum Number of AAPI Intervention Hours (if applicable): 250
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable): 50
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable):
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 Accepted
Non-Accredited Not Accepted
Ph.D Degree Accepted
Psy.D. Degree Accepted
Ed.D. Degree Not 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: N/A
Other Requirements: N/A
Program Description

  • The philosophy of our program is grounded in the practitioner scholar model, which emphasizes clinical practice and the importance of using theory and research to inform practice. In addition, the practitioner scholar model emphasizes the delivery of psychological services that take into account individual, cultural, and societal considerations.
  • Our program maintains a generalist focus, fostering general competence over specialization. This training philosophy is based on the view that a psychologist must be broadly competent before becoming a skillful specialist. The internship year is designed to help interns master the common principles and practices that form the foundation of evidence based clinical patient care. In addition to this underlying generalist focus, the program also offers interns the opportunity to gain further experience in the areas of Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI), and PTSD/Mental Health. If interested, interns can also complete a rotation at a Vet Center.
  • Clinical training is focused on evidence-based interventions. The Phoenix VAHCS Department of Psychology has several staff members who are national trainers and consultants for the VA’s evidence-based treatment programs, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), CBT for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Interns can take part in training initiatives, including ongoing consultation groups, with staff members during the year. At the beginning of the training year, interns will have the opportunity to participate in up to two evidence-based training experiences. These 3-day trainings are offered in the following areas: MI, CPT, CBT-CP, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Following the training, interns will participate in weekly consultation to further develop their skills in implementing these evidence-based treatments. Interns who participate in the CPT training are eligible to receive certification through the VA’s national training initiative.
  • We provide an Intern Didactic Seminar Series that meets weekly for 2-4 hours and consists of general topics such as ethics, diversity, interprofessional communication, evidence-based psychotherapy, and assessment. Specialty training is also provided in the areas of Health Psychology, PTSD/General Mental Health, and PC-MHI. Recent research studies and/or literature reviews will be paired with each didactic lecture. Articles are disseminated to interns and discussed within the didactic lectures. In addition to the general didactic series, the neuropsychology interns can attend the Neuropsychology Didactics series that is based on a 2-year curriculum for postdoctoral fellows through the DoD. Topics include neurobehavioral syndromes, neuroanatomy, psychometrics, individual and cultural diversity in assessment, and preparation for oral exams for boards. Finally, interns have the option to attend the Advanced Psychotherapy Seminar in which they can learn innovative therapy skills to adapt evidence-based protocols for their caseloads. The seminar emphaizes the "art" behind effective psychotherapy.
  • Interns spend 6 months in an assessment clinic receiving instruction on evidence based personality assessments. The second 6 months they supervise a practicum student and receive supervision of supervision by a licensed psychogist.
  • Our training model is developmental, and we recognize that interns will be entering the training year with different levels of clinical experience, skills, and comfort levels. Interns complete a self-assessment at the beginning of the year to help to develop their individualized training plan. Interns are encouraged to take an active role in choosing rotations that will match both their personal interests and potential areas for growth. The flexibility of our training program also allows interns to adjust their training plan to meet their needs and emerging interests. Over the course of the year, interns progress from receiving close supervision to taking on a more autonomous role.
  • Our training philosophy emphasizes a collaborative approach. An important component of all training experiences is the development of skills to work with other psychologists and members of other disciplines. Our interns routinely collaborate with psychiatry, social work, pharmacy, nutrition, and primary care staff.
  • Interns are encouraged to plan their internship experiences in a manner that maximizes their individual training goals. One of the strengths of our program is the breadth of experiences available to interns and the flexibility for interns to create a personalized set of rotation experiences.
  • There is a focus in our program on creating a safe environment for learning. We value open discussions and processing of challenging experiences that interns might face as they grow into their roles as autonomous practitioners.

Internship Training Opportunities

Populations
Children:
Adolescents:
Adults: Yes
Family: Yes
Older Adults: Yes
Inpatients: Yes
Outpatients: Yes
Gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender: Yes
Ethnic minorities: Yes
Spanish-speaking:
French-speaking:
Deaf/Hearing-impaired:
Students:
International Students:
Rural: Yes
Urban: Yes
Low income: Yes
Homelessness: Yes
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Individual Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Couples Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Crisis Intervention: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Brief Psychotherapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Long-term Psychotherapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Cognitive Rehabilitation: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Primary Care: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
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: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Women's Health: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
HIV/AIDS: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Eating Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Disorders: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Physical Disabilities: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Learning Disabilities: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Developmental Disabilities:
Assessment: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Adult: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Anxiety Disorders: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Trauma/PTSD: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Sexual Abuse: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Substance Use Disorders: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
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: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Integrated health care - primary: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Integrated health care - specialty: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
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://www.va.gov/phoenix-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-internships-and-fellowships/  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
Number of Completed Applications: 171 146 152 165 149 188
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 48 56 57 56 56 56
Total number of interns: 8 8 8 8 8 8
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 8 8 8 8 8 8
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 7 6 8 5 4 4
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 1 2 0 3 4 4
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 5 7 6 6 7 7
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 3 1 2 2 1 1
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0 0 0 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 5 6 12 10 4 4
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 92 98 111 161 70 70
Summary of Post Internship Employment Settings of Each Internship Class (1st Placement)
2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022
Working on dissertation/Student: 0 1 1 0 0 0
Postdoctoral Fellow: 7 7 7 6 5 4
Community Mental Health Center: 0 0 0 0 0 1
Health Maintenance Organization: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Veteran's Affairs Medical Center: 6 6 6 5 6 2
Military Medical Center: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Private General Hospital: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General Hospital: 0 0 2 2 2 0
Other Medical Center: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Private Psychiatric Hospital: 0 0 0 0 0 0
State/County/Other Public Hospital: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Correctional Facility: 0 0 0 0 0 0
School District/System: 0 0 0 0 0 0
University Counseling Center: 0 0 0 0 0 0
University Teaching Faculty: 0 0 0 1 0 0
2 or 4 year Undergraduate Teaching Position: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Medical School: 1 0 0 0 0 0
Academic Non-Teaching Position: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Research Position: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Independent Practice: 0 1 0 0 0 1
Other (e.g. consulting): 0 0 0 0 0 0
Not Currently Employed: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Changed to Other Career Field: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown: 0 0 0 0 0 0
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