Jefferson Center is the private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community mental health center serving Jefferson, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties (metro-Denver and the foothills communities) since 1958. Clients are predominantly low income, with Medicaid coverage, or uninsured/underinsured, however the client mix includes all payor sources such as Medicare and private insurance. All age ranges, from infants to seniors, are served, with a variety of specialty programs. Jefferson Center’s Doctoral Psychology Internship Training Program promotes the professional development of its interns by providing a wide range of hands-on experiences with diverse clientele, preparing them to provide the highest quality treatment to individuals struggling with a wide range of psychological and behavioral disorders.
Internships are full time, starting in the end of August, and consist of a Major Clinical rotation and Minor Rotations each semester. The Major Rotations are sixteen to twenty hours weekly and change after six months to maximize the intern’s experience. Interns choose from six Major Rotations: 1) Older Adult Services, 2) Adult Services, 3) Integrated Care, 4) Family Services, 5) Centro Dones, and 6) Early Childhood Family Services. There are 3 required Minor Rotations: 1) Emergency – 8 hours per week for 6 months, 2) Innovation/Research Rotation 4 hours per week over 12 months and 3) Psychological Assessment 6 – 8 hours per week for 12 months. For the Psychological Assessment rotation interns will complete 6 integrated batteries. Interns will also have the opportunity to supervise a doctoral extern or master’s level intern over the course of the training year.
Work is conducted at a variety of settings across Jefferson Center outpatient offices, and due to COVID-19 services are being done in a hybrid model and interns are onsite 2 - 3 days on average. Crisis rotation is 100% on site due to the nature of the work. Psychological assessment hours are done in a hybrid model. Interns also participate in individual supervision and training seminars.
Successful program completion requires 2,000 hours and the demonstration of the following competency areas to the level of a generalist, entry-level psychologist: Evidence-based Practice (EBP) in Interventions, EBP in Psychological Assessment, Ethics and Legal Standards, Individual and Cultural Diversity, Research, Professional Values and Attitudes, Consultation, Inter-professional, and Interdisciplinary skills, and Supervision. Interns are also required to :
- complete 6 integrated psychological assessments
- present a case study utilizing evidence-based interventions or psychological assessments before the Psychology Doctoral Internship Training Committee
- provide dissertation presentation to psychology panel
- present innovation/research project to Jefferson Center staff