BEHAVIOR SUPPORT (MAJOR ROTATION)

 

Interns have the opportunity to provide applied behavior analytic services to individuals who reside in group homes in Jefferson County and individuals who attend the day program at The Arc’s main campus. Interns will provide direct services in clusters of group homes in the western part of Birmingham and in Centerpoint, Alabama, approximately twenty minutes north of The Arc’s main campus. Approximately 50 individuals reside across the group homes interns serve, providing extensive experience with individuals with various skills and presenting problems. Individuals who require Behavior Support services often present with intense externalizing behavior such as aggression toward others, property destruction, pica, self-injury, or elopement. Interns and clinical supervisors collaborate to develop behavior support plans to address presenting concerns. Interns build rapport with and train direct support staff in residential homes and the day program to implement Behavior Support Plans with fidelity to reduce the likelihood of challenging behavior and teach individuals functionally equivalent, adaptive replacement behavior (e.g., functional communication, engagement in leisure activities). Opportunities are available for interns to conduct Functional Behavior Assessments, develop Behavior Support Plans, teach functional communication, train staff to implement behavior reduction and skill acquisition programs, participate in support team meetings, and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with psychiatry, nursing, and case management.

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES CLINIC (MAJOR ROTATION)

 

Interns provide adapted behavioral therapy to individuals served by The Arc who do not currently receive behavioral therapy in the community. Opportunities to conduct brief psychological evaluations, especially for aging individuals who exhibit signs of cognitive decline, are also available as a part of this rotation. Common presenting concerns for individuals who receive behavioral therapy include anxiety, depression, a history of trauma, and interpersonal difficulties with peers, staff, or their employers. Interns and clinical supervisors collaborate to select appropriate evidence-based treatments depending on individuals’ presenting concerns and adapt treatments to individuals’ cognitive and behavioral skills. Individuals who receive behavioral therapy are typically verbally fluent people diagnosed with mild to moderate intellectual disability. Many of these individuals have a co-occurring diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or an anxiety disorder. Interns are expected to initially engage in co-therapy with their supervisor and transition to independently managing one to two behavioral therapy cases by mid-year in this rotation.

 

NEURODEVELOPMENT CENTER (MINOR ROTATION)

 

Interns conduct comprehensive psychological evaluations at The Arc Neurodevelopment Center located in Birmingham, AL on The Arc's main campus. Interns collaborate with their supervisors to serve individuals across the lifespan (early childhood through adulthood) who demonstrate developmental differences and may meet criteria for a neurodevelopmental disability. Interns gain experience utilizing a variety of cognitive, developmental, social-emotional, and behavioral assessment tools to address individuals' and families' presenting concerns about development. Interns have the opportunity to participate in and lead initial intake interviews with individuals and their family members, complete psychological testing with a testing battery tailored to each individual, and provide diagnostic feedback and recommendations to individuals and their families.