User:

Site Name: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center

Department: Psychology Service

Program Information: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center - Psychology Service

Click on a section title to expand or collapse individual sections.
Member Site Information
APPIC Member Number: 2171
Program Type: Internship
Membership Type: Full Membership
Site: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center
Department: Psychology Service
Address: 3701 Loop Road East
Dept. of Psychology 116B
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35404
Country: United States
Metro Area: Not Applicable
Distance from Major City: Approximately 50 miles southwest of Birmingham, AL
Phone: 205-554-2000x4811
Fax:
Email: David.Hollingsworth@va.gov
Web Address: http://www.tuscaloosa.va.gov/TUSCALOOSA/services/Psychology.asp
Brochure Website's Address: https://www.va.gov/tuscaloosa-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-internship-program/
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: David Hollingsworth
Chief Psychologist: Audrey Austin
Number of Full-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 11
Number of Part-Time Licensed Doctoral Psychologists on Staff/Faculty 0
Position Information
Start Date: 07/01/2023
Funded
Number of Full Time Slots Expected Next Class: 4
Number of Part Time Slots Expected Next Class: 0
Stipend
Full Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 26297
Part Time Annual Stipend for Next Class: 0
Fringe Benefits: Health Insurance, Sick Leave, Vacation
Other Fringe Benefits (not indicated above): Federal Holidays
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Does this site have practicum psychology students on site? No
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: 11/25/2022 11:59 PM EST
Interviews at this site are:
  • Optional
  • Virtual
Interview notification date: 12/15/2022
Tentative interview date: N/A
Interview process description:

Interviews will be conducted virtually and in person. Tentative interview dates are 12/19/23 (video), 1/6/23 (in person), 1/13/23 (video), & 1/20/22 (in person). Applicants are encouraged to choose their interview modality based off their preference.  Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and all applicants will be notified of their interview status by email no later than 12/15/22. 

The interview day will include presentations about the program and rotations, individual interviews with three supervising faculty, and time to speak with current interns as a group. The interview day is scheduled from 8:00AM-1:00PM (Central Time) and will include breaks. 
How to obtain application info: Visit Website
Preferred method of contacting the program: Email the Program
We have matched with interns from these programs:
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: Yes, by application deadline
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):
Minimum Number of AAPI Assessment Hours (if applicable):
Minimum Number of Combined Intervention and Assessment Hours (if applicable):
Minimum Number of Years of Grad Training Required (if applicable):
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: Yes
How to obtain text of statement: Interns are expected to abide by guidelines and policies applicable to federal employees. Please contact the Internship Training Director (david.hollingsworth@va.gov) for additional information.
Other Requirements: Interns must meet federal eligibility criteria for training at a VA facility. These criteria include selective service registration for all birth-assigned males, completion of vaccinations required for federal healthcare workers (including COVID-19 vaccination), and background security screening, among several other requirements. Additional information regarding VA trainee eligibility requirements is available at: https://www.va.gov/OAA/TQCVL/2021HPTInstructionsFINALv2.pdf.
Program Description

The psychology internship program at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is an APA-accredited training program that offers internship training to U.S. citizens who are pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-, CPA-, or PCSAS-accredited institution. The program provides broad-based, generalist training in clinical psychology with opportunity for focused experiences in PTSD, geropsychology, and integrated health/primary care.

Our program is committed to the integration of science and practice by using clinical science as the foundation for implementing and evaluating assessment and interventions during training. The psychology staff assumes the responsibility to train each intern in psychological assessment and the treatment of individuals and groups, and to prepare interns for the clinical and ethical demands of a challenging career in professional psychology. We have found that our most successful interns demonstrate a strong work ethic, professionalism, and adaptability in challenging circumstances.

Applicants must be certified by their Director of Clinical Training as being ready for internship and preferably will have only minor, if any, dissertation requirements remaining. We prefer that applicants have a minimum of 1000 total hours of practicum experience (e.g., intervention, assessment, supervision, support); however, the quality of previous training exepriences is valued more highly than the quantity. Preference is typically given to candidates from university-based programs who have had supervised assessment and therapy experience with a broad range of psychopathology across varied adult populations and settings; supervised training in objective psychological or neuropsychological test administration, interpretation, and report writing; and who have demonstrated interest and experience in research.

We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates reflecting diversity in racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, gender, disability or other identity status.

Internship Training Opportunities

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

(training opportunities continued)

Treatment Modalities
Assessment: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Individual Therapy: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Couples Therapy:
Family Therapy:
Group Therapy: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Community Intervention:
Consultation/Liaison: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Crisis Intervention: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Brief Psychotherapy: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Long-term Psychotherapy: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Cognitive Rehabilitation:
Primary Care: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Evidenced Based Practice: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Evidence Based Research: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Supervision of Practicum students : EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Other:

(training opportunities continued)

Experience
Health Psychology: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Women's Health:
HIV/AIDS:
Eating Disorders:
Sexual Disorders:
Sports Psychology:
Rehabilitation Psychology:
Physical Disabilities:
Learning Disabilities:
Developmental Disabilities:
Assessment: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Neuropsychology-Adult:
Neuropsychology-Child:
Serious Mental Illness:
Anxiety Disorders: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Trauma/PTSD: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Sexual Abuse: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Substance Use Disorders: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Forensics/Corrections:
Sexual Offenders:
Geropsychology: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Pediatrics:
School:
Counseling:
Vocational/Career Development:
Multicultural Therapy:
Feminist Therapy:
Religion/Spirituality:
Empirically-Supported Treatments: Major Area of Study (50% or Greater)
Public Policy/Advocacy: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Program Development/Evaluation: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Supervision: EXPOSURE (1% to 20%)
Research: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Administration: EXPERIENCE (21% to 30%)
Integrated health care - primary: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
Integrated health care - specialty: EMPHASIS (31% to 49%)
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: http://www.tuscaloosa.va.gov/TUSCALOOSA/services/Psychology.asp  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: 59 71
Number of applicants invited for interviews: 35 33
Total number of interns: 4 4
Total number of interns from APA/CPA accredited programs: 4 4
Total number of interns from Ph.D. programs: 1 2
Total number of interns from Psy.D. programs: 3 2
Total number of interns from Ed.D. programs: 0 0
Number of interns that come from a Clinical Psychology program 4 3
Number of interns that come from a Counseling Psychology program 0 1
Number of interns that come from a School Psychology program 0 0
Range of integrated assessment reports: lowest number of reports written 8
Range of integrated assessment reports: highest number of reports written 62
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: 1 0 0 0 0 0
Postdoctoral Fellow: 2 0 1 0 2 2
Community Mental Health Center: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Health Maintenance Organization: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Veteran's Affairs Medical Center: 0 0 0 0 1 1
Military Medical Center: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Private General Hospital: 0 0 0 0 0 0
General Hospital: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Medical Center: 0 0 0 0 0 1
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 0 0 1
2 or 4 year Undergraduate Teaching Position: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Medical School: 0 0 0 0 1 0
Academic Non-Teaching Position: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Research Position: 0 0 0 0 1 0
Independent Practice: 0 0 1 0 0 1
Other (e.g. consulting): 0 0 0 0 0 0
Not Currently Employed: 1 0 0 0 0 0
Changed to Other Career Field: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unknown: 0 0 0 0 0 0
Back to the Search Page