The JSD APPIC School Psychology Intern position is a full-time, 40-hour week, 12-month position. Twenty hours per week are assigned in one elementary and a minimum of 20 hours per week will include specialized training experiences in up to three additional programmatic areas/ school settings. Jordan School District has both traditional and year-round services, as well as the Jordan Family Education Center, which is an evening program. Therefore, interns complete a 2000-hour internship by working from July through June 30th.
Half-time School Assignment—the intern will be assigned to work 20 hours per week in one elementary school. The intern will be expected to provide assessment, individual and group counseling, consultation with parents, teachers, and staff, crisis intervention, and behavioral interventions for general education and special education students. The intern will be required to participate in Special Education IEP meetings for students that they have evaluated and serve. Interns should be spending at least 10 hours per week providing direct service to students.
Available Specialized Tracks—Up to four specialized tracks will last approximately thirteen weeks each and be for a minimum of 2 days per week. The exception to this occurs when/if the intern declares an interest in more in-depth therapy experience (trauma-focused therapy) during the applicant interview. That particular rotation requires an extended period of time (18-20 weeks). The interns will be under the direct supervision of a licensed doctoral-level supervisor who is assigned to the school. Rotation sites are listed below.
Specialized Assessment and Consultation: This rotation is provided under the supervision of Dr. Cassandra Romine and is developmentally structured to allow doctoral interns to assume increased responsibility and independence in specialized assessment and consultation activities. During the initial part of the rotation, interns observe and work collaboratively with Dr. Romine. Psychological services include psychological and neuropsychological assessment, crisis intervention, behavioral intervention, consultation services with school staff, parents, as well as pediatric medical and community-based mental health providers. Dr. Romine will provide initial and additional training experiences in the comprehensive assessment of suspected autism spectrum disorders using the Autism Diagnostic Schedule (ADOS) and other measures, and neuropsychological assessment as part of the district-wide Traumatic Brain Injury team.
Valley High School houses an alternative education program in the Jordan School District, including a state-of-the-art “mindfulness room” and child daycare. Dr. Cassandra Romine is a licensed psychologist and supervisor/member of the Training Committee assigned to this program. The school utilizes a multicomponent, evidenced-based practice for secondary students who have not been successful in a traditional high school. Many of these students are demonstrating multiple risk indicators associated with dropping out, and have typically fallen off track and face significant challenges to success, including teen pregnancy, homelessness, and difficulty with the law.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Blackridge Elementary School: This rotation, under the licensed supervision of Dr. Romney Stevens, will offer interns experience in preschool assessment/intervention/consultation/multiple individual and group therapy cases, with a particular focus on ongoing cases that utilize CBT to address anxiety-related concerns. The intern will function as a therapist in this setting. Program development during this rotation will involve creating, running, and managing behavioral and skills-based groups that will ideally become self-sustaining by the end of the rotation.
Mental Health Trauma Therapy: Doctoral interns selecting this secondary rotation are placed in an elementary/middle school within the Jordan School District. Tier 1, 2, and 3 mental health services are provided by Najmeh Hourmanesh, PhD, NCSP, a licensed psychologist. Tier 1 services include class-wide social skills, a Suicide Prevention curriculum in 7th-9th grade classes, and class-wide yoga and mindfulness interventions by teacher request. In addition to running small groups for students with anxiety and those with deficits in social skills, therapeutic 10-week-long small groups are offered in grief, divorce, and bullying.
Social-Emotional Learning/Mindfulness: West Jordan Middle School: This supervised experience will offer doctoral students the opportunity to observe and participate in a school-wide Mindfulness & Wellness program at West Jordan Middle School (WJMS), two and a half days a week for eight weeks. Licensed supervisor Fulvia Franco, Ph.D., and Dr. Olin Levitt, school psychology supervisor will be supervising this rotation.