All interns will have an ongoing caseload of adult, adolescent or child patients. Our psychology interns are expected to obtain at least 10 face-to-face patient contact hours (25% of time) per week for a total of no fewer than 500 hours over the course of the year.

Patient contact hours accumulate through individual, group and family intervention as well as assessment administration. We review each intern’s performance and assign patients based on the intern’s readiness. As interns gain skills, they are assigned more complex and challenging cases.

Interns conduct co-intervention and participate in direct observation or other training opportunities with their primary and/or secondary supervisors when possible.

JVCHC sees diverse patients across the lifespan for many presenting concerns, but common diagnoses treated include:

• Adjustment Disorder
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• ODD
• Trauma

Interns will gain exposure to a variety of theoretical orientations to apply culturally appropriate and sensitive treatment. Primary modalities include evidence based treatments designed to support patients with a variety of presenting concerns and offer short- and long-term applications of treatment based on patient need, such as

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

Additionally, interns will gain experience serving as consultants to primary care providers by

• Providing in-the-moment, acute, solution-focused interventions through the integrated model in an on-demand delivery system as medical providers request/require.
• Performing and interpreting psychological assessments requested through referral from medical providers

Interns will enhance their knowledge and skills in diagnostic clarification, case conceptualization and treatment planning. Interns are required to complete 10 assessment reports. These reports may be in the form of comprehensive evaluations, diagnostic consultations or primary care behavioral health assessments.

Reports must include relevant biopsychosocial history to inform diagnosis, at least two empirically supported psychological/behavioral measures, a summary of findings and treatment recommendations.

Assessments are supervised by licensed psychologists and should focus on history, test results, case conceptualization and report writing skills. As competency is gained, supervisors may allow interns more autonomy in the administration and completion of assessments.

Primary supervision is individual, face-to-face supervision with a licensed psychologist. The goal of a supervisory relationship is to develop constructive, collaborative working alliances that support growth, learning and quality care provision.

Interns are assigned two primary supervisors. Primary supervision is solely done by licensed psychologists on staff. Two hours of individual, face-to-face intensive supervision are required each week. Interns may receive more than the required two hours of individual supervision to meet the 4-hour supervision requirement.

Our program also uses an Integrated Developmental Model of Supervision to guide training. Supervisors recognize that learning and skill acquisition is a developmental process and interns enter the program at differing developmental levels of competency. Learning goals, which are established collaboratively with each intern through an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), are designed to take differing developmental needs and interests into account.

At the beginning of the year, interns complete a self-assessment of skills and interests that assist supervisors in understanding their training needs from a developmental perspective. Additionally, interns have an opportunity to contribute to the selection of specific supervisors based on areas of interest and expertise.

Interns engage in an intensive orientation to facilitate their transition to internship and their readiness to engage in service delivery. Initial training emphasizes the essential knowledge and skills needed to provide psychological services while identifying growth edges that can be focused on throughout the internship year.

The ultimate goal of our internship program is to contribute to a breadth of training that serves to create strong generalists that are ready to independently practice in ethical, competent, and successful ways. We are constantly looking to add meaningful and purposeful training opportunities to build our curriculum and enhance the learning environment.