Psychology doctoral interns are based at Clifford Beers Community Care Center's main site at 93 Edwards Street in New Haven and provide individual, group, and family treatment as well as psychological assessment, including Autism Diagnostic Evaluations. The agency provides outpatient evaluation and treatment for a general population of children, adolescents and some adults, as well as integrated services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or with diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This internship program provides twelve months of full-time work and training experience. Interns will work 40 hours/week for 48 weeks (52 minus vacation and possible sick days), which provides 1,920 hours total of direct service, support activities, and didactic seminars combined. Approximately fifty percent of the time on-site is spent delivering direct care services (client appointments and care management). The goal of the internship is to provide a varied, high-quality training experience which will support interns in developing a professional identity as clinical psychologists. Interns will receive training in individual and family assessment; evidence-based individual, family, and group therapy; and parent guidance. The internship will include comprehensive training in clinical and developmental assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment planning and experience in both short- and long-term psychotherapy. Through varied training experiences, interns will develop an integrated understanding of individual psychodynamics, developmental issues, and family systems. Given the agency’s longstanding commitment to community services, interns will be expected to provide advocacy and case management services for clients and to engage in community consultation with local agencies and schools. Emphasis is placed on providing treatment and services that are culturally competent. The training program is designed to provide interns with the wide range of skills expected of a community mental health practitioner. Training experiences are tailored to the background, goals, and interests of each intern. Interns will be provided with learning experiences and a professional orientation designed to make their skills transferable to other populations and settings. Interns will be provided with opportunities to learn a wide range of therapy techniques, consultation skills, and outreach practices. Training is achieved through: the provision of direct clinical services; individual and group supervision; participation in various clinical team meetings with multidisciplinary staff; and didactic and case presentations. Video and/or audiotape are required as part of the provision of live supervision. Appropriate creativity is encouraged, and interns may be supported in developing independent projects. Interns will work collaboratively with highly qualified professionals from other disciplines including but not limited to psychiatry, social work, marriage and family therapy, and nursing.