The doctoral psychology internship at GRH-A lasts 12 months and includes training experiences with a psychiatric inpatient, diverse multicultural population of adults, often in economically disadvantaged or homeless situations and experiencing serious mental illness or severe emotional disorders. Interns choose either a Forensic Inpatient/Outpatient track or an Adult Mental Health (AMH) Clinical Psychology track. Within each track interns will rotate to different treatment units after 4 months (AMH) or 6 months (Forensic).
The Forensic Track takes place on Forensic-specific units for people admitted for restoration of competency to stand trial or forensic civil commitment, and it also involves observation and learning about expert testimony, as well as a rotation in outpatient forensic evaluation. The outpatient rotation, which can be extended to the full year, provides opportunities for pretrial evaluations of competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility evaluations with a wide variety of defendants (e.g., from rural and urban jurisdictions, charged with various types of offenses, with a range of presenting mental health concerns).
The AMH Track takes place on units where individuals are most often admitted on an involuntary basis for treatment and stabilization due to a risk of dangerousness to self, others, or inability to care for oneself. AMH also includes opportunities for a minor rotation in an area of specific focus such as positive behavior support, skilled nursing facility, substance use, or the Therapeutic Incentive Program.
Both AMH and Forensic track interns participate in a supervisory skills practice with masters-level counselors, as well as developing a focused concentration area relevant to the work of psychologists in this setting, using program evaluation and consultation methods to identify and evaluate clinical programs and approaches. Areas of focus are based on a collaboration between intern interests and hospital program needs.
Interns work between 40 and 45 hours per week. Sequentially, interns shadow a psychologist on the treatment unit, work under close supervision of their supervisors, and increasingly assume a more independent role in providing psychological services and consulting with treatment teams.
While the Forensic and AMH Tracks are different in the particular population and focus of evaluations and treatment provided, the internship at GRH-A is a unified program designed to provide a wide array of experiential training, including brief and comprehensive psychological evaluations, group and individual interventions, and behavioral interventions, with an emphasis on recovery-oriented approaches with underserved and SMI populations. Intern-focused didactic seminars are presented on a variety of topics including individual and cultural diversity, forensic psychology, applied behavior analysis, specific diagnoses and subpopulations, recovery-oriented interventions, inpatient treatment planning, interdisciplinary consultation, and licensure preparation. Interns are expected to increase their involvement in the facilitation of these didactics over the course of the internship year.
The Doctoral Psychology Internship Program at Georgia Regional Hospital – Atlanta is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation