The internship utilizes the practitioner-scholar model of training. The program values experiential learning with formal and informal supervision. Our site has heavy emphasis on consultation with physicians and medical residents but interns work closely with all staff. The site also emphasizes the importance of evidence-based research and encourages interns to use empirically supported treatments throughout their practice.

All of the didactic and experiential components of this program have been developed to allow interns to assume increasing responsibilities as they move towards greater autonomy over the course of their internship. Thus, the program fosters the development of professional competencies as well as professional identity as a health service psychologist. The program also fosters the development of multicultural competence and benefits greatly from the rich diversity of the clients we serve. Overall, our program aim is to prepare psychologists ready for entry level practice in health service psychology.

All interns participate in a core generalist training program within Community Health Network. Each intern is affiliated with one area of primary focus (also termed ‘tracks’) over the integrated training experience. The current track focuses include: (1) Outpatient Adult Mental Health Treatment (Adult Outpatient), (2) Outpatient Youth Mental Health Team (Youth Outpatient), (3) School-Based/Gallahue Mental Health Services (Youth School-Based), and (4) Community Group East Family Medicine Residency Program (Integrated Primary Care). Primary workplace location varies based on the assigned track. Each track involves distinct, specialized experiences related to the population served. Each track also provides a comprehensive orientation to the role of the intern within their track.

Psychological assessment and testing opportunities will vary based on track, however, all psychology interns will participate in some form of assessment and testing during their primary rotation. The number of required assessments varies based on the primary site assignment. Interns will have the opportunity to administer a number of cognitive, achievement, projective, and objective tests. Interns will have the opportunity to administer, score, interpret and write reports. Interns will write up the full psychological battery report and provide feedback on the results to clients and their families. Interns will also provide testing results to other treatment team members, which may include medical providers and psychotherapists who are also providing treatment to the client. Interns will have the opportunity to present their assessment cases to our psychiatric and clinical staffing.

Typically, interns begin by learning through observation and through modeling of appropriate practices by a faculty mentor. Gradually, interns assume more responsibility as their knowledge base and clinical skills increase. Similar sequential, cumulative, and increasingly complex experiences are provided in both outpatient psychological assessment and outpatient psychotherapy. This approach is consistent across didactics, clinical staffing with the psychiatry team, and clinical supervision. Interns may have the opportunity to participate in optional rotational experiences to broaden their training. Rotational experiences are to be negotiated with your primary supervisor and are subject to preceptor availability.

The training curriculum will achieve the goals of the training program in the following ways: Interns will participate in a number of training opportunities. Interns will be required to attend a minimum of two hours of didactic training weekly. Interns will have the opportunity to present during these didactics as well as learn in an integrated behavioral health model. The training curriculum also provides weekly case staffing which may be attended by psychiatry residents, family medicine residents, psychiatrists, outpatient behavioral health therapists, and nurse practitioners. Interns will present their case to the weekly staffing as well as be available to consult with the team about our mutually shared clients. Interns may have the opportunity to participate in an elective rotation throughout the year. Some of these elective rotations may include oncology, cardiology, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, and the bariatric weight loss center.

Community Health Network requires all behavioral health providers to attend conferences throughout the year as provided through the Linda McClain Clinical Institute. The trainings offered includes substance use treatment, motivational interviewing, assessing and managing suicide risk. acceptance and commitment therapy, and ethical and therapeutic considerations for transgender and non-binary clients to simply name a few topics. Interns will have the opportunity to present and train other behavioral health providers should an intern have an interest.