Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Psychology Doctoral Internship Program

The Psychology Internship training program embraces the philosophy that the pre-doctoral internship year represents a transition period for the emerging professional psychologist during which the intern moves from the role of graduate student to that of the autonomous professional. Training and supervision during the year should prepare the intern to enter the field of health service psychology with those skills needed to function independently and with the confidence and professional self-awareness to make maximum use of the individual’s talents. Therefore, our training goal is to develop generalists who can function in a broad range of professional settings using a variety of skills. Reciprocally, our training program stimulates and enriches the training faculty and enhances the quality of patient care.
The internship program emphasizes a generalist specialty with development of extensive proficiencies in various facets of psychology (i.e., personality, intellectual, neuropsychological and psycho-diagnostic assessment, psychotherapy, scholarly inquiry, research competence, consultation) with a rural Veteran patient population. The training year provides time to develop professionally and to set the stage for further post-doctoral specialization to enhance the diversity of the training experience. The faculty encourages applications from individuals with a variety of competencies and interests. The program facilitates professional development of interns by increasing their sensitivity to the cultural and individual diversity of the patients we serve and the professionals with whom we work. Significant attention is given to encouraging interns’ personal, professional, and ethical development, consistent with the demands of becoming a psychologist.

The primary goal of the program is to train future independent licensed practitioners whose clinical decisions are informed by the integration of science and professional practice of psychology, in keeping with a Scholar-Practitioner Model. Significant attention is given to encouraging the intern’s personal, professional and ethical development, consistent with the developmental needs of becoming a health service psychologist. Attention is also given to intern training needs, long term professional goals, and anticipated public health needs. Our specific goals for interns include: 

Growth in knowledge:

We focus our clinical training and didactics on preparing a rich professional practitioner knowledge base. The internship is designed to provide a broad range of training experiences in the contemporary practice of professional psychology with some opportunity for subspecialty training and to satisfy licensure requirements for most states in the U.S.

Sensitivity to cultural and individual diversity:

We strive to provide the interns diverse and wide-ranging clinical training experiences with an appreciation of multicultural/diversity sensitivity. The program facilitates professional development of interns by increasing their sensitivity to the cultural and individual diversity of the Veterans we serve, including those living in rural areas, and the professionals with whom we work. To enhance the diversity of the training experience, the faculty encourages applications from individuals with a variety of competencies and interests, as well as applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Appreciation of professional diversity:

The program is designed so that interns have interactions with and supervision by several of the training faculty. This provides for a broad range of experiences with psychologists who have diverse racial, gender, academic, theoretical, practice, and specialty backgrounds. Further, many of our training opportunities incorporate an interprofessional approach to treatment, allowing interaction with an interdisciplinary team.

Generalized competence:

The internship program emphasizes and develops a broad range of generalist skills (i.e., personality, cognitive, neuropsychological and psycho-diagnostic assessment, psychotherapy, scholarly inquiry, research competence, consultation) with diverse Veteran patient populations.

Preparing for future roles:

The training year provides time to develop professionally and to set the stage for further post-doctoral specialization in the areas of health psychology/behavioral medicine, neuropsychology, geropsychology, and trauma and stressor-related disorders. Interns will be prepared to assume clinical and research-focused professional health care positions wherein they will provide empirically based interventions and likewise contribute to the professional knowledge base. The Veterans Health Administration(VHA) prides itself on providing state-of-the-art training for healthcare professionals, then hiring former VA trainees to serve Veterans in their professional careers. Our internship program embraces these values, and many of our graduates go on to successful careers in VHA.

In keeping with our goals, all internship training is designed to be sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity as the year progresses to meet both the needs of the interns and community at large.

Major rotations: 

Each intern completes three, 4-month major rotations. Periodically, certain rotations may be mandated but none are currently planned for the 2025-2026 training year. Most rotations are chosen by interns which allows for training opportunities that will best help to meet their longer-term professional goals. Split rotations (two half-time rotations) are possible, with the prior approval of the supervisors involved and the Director of Training. Rotation offerings may vary depending on supervisory availability. The Director of Training maintains final approval on all rotation selections.

Minor rotations:

Over the course of the training year, interns also participate in a 12-month minor rotation that grants additional experiences in group psychotherapy, brief assessment cases, unique individual services, long-term therapy cases, etc. The minor rotation is intended to be flexible and accommodate the needs of the major rotations so as to not exhaust the intern or detract from the major rotation experiences. Individual cases and interest in unique patient care experiences are selected in line with verbalized intern interests and case/service availability.

Special interest programs:

The special interest project gives each intern the opportunity to engage in a year-long project focused on the creation of a reference, aid, group protocol, etc. The special interest project allows interns to display applied skills and knowledge towards creation of a final product that can benefit future trainees, the GCVHCS system, training faculty, psychologists, other disciplines/professionals, or patients indirectly.

Dissertation support:

Although interns will be very busy with their clinical work, the training faculty encourages them to organize their professional activities, whether on-duty or off-duty, so that progress continues on their dissertation (assuming it has not already been completed). While support in completing the dissertation is available on a limited basis, it is presumed that interns have proposed their projects, collected data, and/or are in the final stages of analysis and write-up when they begin their internship year. Some dissertation topics, however, require samples that can only be obtained in settings like our Healthcare System. In the past, some interns have utilized our Veteran population to collect dissertation data. This arrangement, though, is not guaranteed to be available and would require extensive preparation in reference to IRB and the GCVHCS Research and Development Office requirements prior to initiation of the internship or very soon after initiation of the internship. We prefer that interns complete their dissertations before or during the training year, and then focus intensely on licensure and moving into postdoctoral fellowship or employment.

Additional training:

Each Thursday is devoted to training seminars, group supervision, or other meetings (Grand Rounds presentations, Training Supervisors Meeting, Monthly Psychologists Meeting). Other training activities include conducting cognitive and personality assessments with Veterans, serving a term as Chief Intern, and developing and implementing self-care stratagems/skills as a means of promoting a greater work-personal care balance during the workday.

Supervision and evaluation:

Supervision is an integral part of the training program and is designed to foster education, professional competence, personal and professional growth, ethical responsibility, and personal integrity. At the beginning of the internship year, the goals of supervision, process of supervision, and characteristics of good supervisors and supervisees are reviewed. Outlines of this information are provided for each intern to reference during the training year. Supervisors are licensed psychologists who share their knowledge and expertise, model technique and professional behavior, and encourage interns to develop generalist skills using a variety of assessment-diagnostic, intervention, treatment team consultation, and research methods. Interns are expected to apply critical thinking and contemporary, empirically based skills to professional, legal, and ethical issues related to the practice of psychology. Interns receive a minimum 4 hours of licensed supervision per week, at least two of which are provided through individual supervision. The remaining supervision hours occur through extra individual or group supervision, including the weekly Group Supervision meeting with training leadership. Additional supervision may likely occur through other scheduled or unscheduled and formal or informal supervision contacts and sessions.

Specific rotation activity goals and objectives are communicated to interns in writing at the onset of each rotation activity. Faculty supervisors meet monthly to discuss the progress of interns toward meeting these goals and objectives. At mid-rotation, supervisors and interns are prompted to exchange feedback on the rotation experience and review goals and objectives. Patient and hospital staff feedback are reviewed and integrated into the evaluation of intern progress. At the end of each rotation, interns and their primary supervisor(s) complete formal, written competency evaluations that are forwarded to the Director of Training (DOT). The information in these evaluations is used by the DOT to provide ongoing feedback to interns, supervisors, and academic training directors. Successful completion of relevant rotations, seminars, and general activity objectives constitute exit criteria for completion of the program.

Problem issues and due process resolution:

Normally, problematic behavior or less than satisfactory performance is resolved by the intern and the rotation supervisor. In rare instances, formally amending the intern’s training plan is necessary. We have a written due process document which details policies and procedures that are implemented in these cases. The procedures for handling grievances are designed to protect the rights of the student, the supervisor and the training program.

Required hours and holidays:

There are 11 Federal Holidays throughout the year and interns accrue 104 hours of Annual Leave and 104 hours of Sick Leave as Federal Employees, over the course of the training year. In order to certify the 2080 hour per year requirement of most states and account for time off on holidays and use of Leave, interns are required to obtain and document an average of 45 hours of work per week.

Remote seminars:

Seminars may be offered remotely, with presenters and participants at different locations during the seminar transmission. Remote seminars may be offered by Teams, Zoom, or other approved platforms, and information will be readily available to participants in advance of the seminar or soon after completion of the seminar. The expectation is that any seminars offered remotely will be attended in their entirety, with Interns actively participating.

Telework:

Interns who have completed initial Orientation requirements and have demonstrated adequate clinical and administrative skills relative to their desired rotations may be eligible for telework during a public health crisis. Telework is a privilege, requiring adherence to a formal Telework Agreement and completion of all prerequisites for telework. The safety of our Veterans and Interns are always at the forefront of what we do, but while every effort is made to secure telework during any public health crisis, telework itself is not guaranteed and can be limited. It is important for Interns to maintain an online presence and complete clinical and/or administrative duties as effectively as they would in person when they are teleworking. In this way, we can know that our Veterans and our Interns are always safe during any public health crisis.

Unique circumstances:

Reasonable efforts will be made to maintain safety of all Interns throughout their participation in the program. Facility requirements related to face-to-face contact with Veterans and colleagues will be provided to each Intern, and adherence to these requirements is obligatory. Interns who require accommodations for a disability should seek these accommodations via the Human Resources department.

During the Acute Inpatient rotation, the intern will become a part of an interdisciplinary treatment team consisting of representatives from psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing and allied health disciplines. The intern is afforded an opportunity to assess and intervene with patients from diverse backgrounds, exhibiting florid presentations of a wide range of psychiatric-behavioral disorders. The intern will be involved with various activities including, but not limited to, intake interviewing, development of treatment plans, consultation, providing patient education, individual and group psychotherapy, and conducting diagnostic assessments. This rotation serves as a rich source of clinical training in the area of clinical assessment.

The Clinical Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine rotation emphasizes use of an expanded biopsychosocial perspective in the prevention and treatment of health-related conditions. The mission of Health Psychology is to maximize the physical and psychological functioning of Veterans through health promotion programs, individual goal-oriented treatments, and group psychoeducational programs that teach self-management of chronic medical conditions, while additionally reducing overall health care costs through application of these programs. We operate under the premise that learned ways of thinking and behaving can compromise health or promote wellness. Interns on this rotation are trained to respond to consultations from healthcare providers and to assess and treat a wide variety of medical conditions that are caused or impacted by lifestyle and/or psychological factors. Medical conditions frequently treated by health psychologists include chronic pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, tension and migraine headache, temporomandibular disorders, insomnia and other sleep disorders, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, and compliance with difficult medical regimens. They may also offer disease management, primary prevention, and health promotion programs (e.g., tobacco cessation, weight loss), as well as programs in population health management. Interns may work with interdisciplinary teams comprised of a variety of health-care professionals. Current programs of this type may include the OEF/OIF Traumatic Brain Injury/Polytrauma program, OEF/OIF/OND Post-deployment Clinic, Inpatient Medical/Surgical Unit, and the MOVE! weight management program. Rotations in Behavioral Medicine may emphasize sleep-related difficulties or chronic pain management.

The Mental Health Outpatient Clinic (MHOC) is multidisciplinary and provides opportunity for interprofessional training. The clinic is staffed by psychologists, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, social workers, addiction therapists, and nurses. It is an open clinic, which means that it accepts consults and referrals from all services throughout the hospital. The clinic provides a wide range of mental health services, as well as coordination of Veteran care across the facility. The population served by this clinic is diverse and represents a wide range of clinical issues and presenting problems. Frequently presented clinical issues and diagnoses include: mood disorders, substance-related disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, impulse control disorders, personality disorders, bereavement, partner relationship issues, anger management, emotional dysregulation, gender and sexual disorders, pain disorders, combat and non-combat PTSD, Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and Adjustment Disorders. Less frequently presenting issues include Eating Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, and Dissociative Disorders. Comorbidity is present in most patients treated within this clinic, which provides an even broader and more diverse exposure for interns. The Veteran population is diverse with respect to racial/ethnic identity, gender, and age and typically corresponds with our local VA Medical Center catchment population.

The geropsychology rotation occurs within the Community Living Center (CLC), this rotation provides services to individuals that typically presents between the ages of 50 to as high as individuals in their 90s. Service emphasis of this rotation is varied and may include: brief cognitive assessment, psychotherapy/counseling for individuals presenting with age-related difficulties (e.g. Death of spouse, life transitioning difficulties after retirement, coping with loss of functional autonomy with decline of physical capacity, etc.), research/literature analysis and compiling psychotherapy and psychoeducational resources, assisting in brief capacity interviews, consultation with other disciplines on specific cases, and other options. Veterans with the CLC neighborhoods live on site, with their own rooms and ready access medical services and medical staff oversight. Units within the CLC service as palliative care, dementia care, long-term care, and shorter-stay rehabilitation care.

Interns on this rotation assist in conducting neuropsychological assessments for referred patients, progressing to increased independence in administering the evaluations over the course of the rotation and writing the integrated report. Referral questions include differentiating normal aging and early dementia, determining cognitive functioning after moderate-to-severe head injury or after a significant illness affecting the central nervous system, and assessing the potential impact of cognitive difficulties on work performance.

The Integrated Primary Care Mental Health rotation offers interns the opportunity to work as embedded practitioners in the outpatient primary care clinics. Here, interns will serve as first points of contact for Veterans newly expressing mental health concerns and/or seeking mental health services. An integral component of this position is collaborating with physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, dieticians, and clinical pharmacists to ensure that a holistic approach is taken in treating each veteran. Through this rotation, interns also could gain experience in lethality assessment and crisis intervention. This area of service is rapidly growing within the VA system, as the standard of care increasingly involves a team approach to treatment with the goal of providing all the Veteran’s healthcare needs under one roof. Through the Integrated Primary Care Mental Health rotation, interns may hone their skills in clinical interviewing, diagnosis, and triage in addition to providing short-term, solution-focused treatment (i.e., four to six sessions) and addressing issues incorporating both mental health and behavioral health components. As with the MHOC, the Integrated Primary Care Mental Health accepts referrals from most other services.

RRTP-DOM is a 45-bed residential program where Veterans live in a therapeutic community setting and receive treatment for PTSD, chronic mental illness (CMI), and/or substance use disorders (SUD). Veterans attend structured group therapy and education-based groups, process groups and individual therapy. A wide variety of interventions are offered across these modalities of treatment including anger management, mood management, introduction to 12-Step Recovery, education on the biological basis of addiction, medication management of symptoms, and ambulatory detox if needed. Veterans with a history of substance use disorders are also required to attend AA/NA meetings. The average length of stay for Veterans in the RRTP-DOM for SUD and CMI tracks is 30-45 days while Veterans participating in PTSD treatment are in RRTP-DOM for 28 days.

Interns on this rotation acquire skills necessary to function as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team, will conduct psychological interviews on new admissions, develop mental health treatment plans for individual patients, conduct suicide risk assessments, and create safety plans. To develop the skills necessary to function as a member of a treatment team, interns will attend treatment team meetings and at least one weekly screening committee meeting. This rotation also affords interns the opportunity to acquire skills in conduction of individual and group psychotherapy for patients which address a wide variety of behaviors that arise from substance abuse/dependence, PTSD, and/or CMI. Interns will conduct weekly individual psychotherapy and co-facilitate group therapy sessions. Interns develop their own learning plans, much like the treatment plans developed by our individual patients. They may select to work with any variety of patients and groups.

The Biloxi Medical Center is the administrative hub of the health care system, and home to medical and surgical in- and outpatient programs, Primary Care medical teams, Emergency Department, extended care programs providing rehabilitative therapies and geriatric care, and various specialty clinics. Inpatient and outpatient mental health services for Veterans in the rural and urban Mississippi Coastal area are also located in Biloxi. In addition to general psychiatry and geriatric inpatient units, outpatient programs include a Mental Health Clinic, Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders Clinic, and Women’s Mental Health Clinic. The RRTP-DOM provides intensive bed programs for substance abuse, PTSD, serious mental illness and homelessness-work therapy. The Mobile, Eglin, and Panama City Outpatient Clinics as well as the Pensacola Joint Ambulatory Care Center provide community-based primary medical and mental health care to eligible southern Alabama and northwest Florida Veterans with the Biloxi VA Medical Center providing tertiary inpatient care as needed. All treatment (i.e., mental health, medical, or extended care) is formulated under the primary care model with patients assigned to single providers supported by specific health care teams. Interns in our Biloxi Internship program may rotate to the CBOC or JACC facilities, as well as within our main facility, should there be willing training faculty at these alternative sites.

The Gulf Coast area is a relaxed beach resort setting. French and Spanish explorers settled the area in the late 1600’s attempting to gain strategic and economic control of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The area has been home to 1st Nations individuals, French Acadians (“Cajuns”), African Americans, Slavic Fishermen, and Vietnamese Americans. Since the 1950’s, numerous federal agencies and large industries have been located in our general area, including: the National Space Technologies Laboratories, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Keesler Air Force Base (a major Air Force electronics, communication, and medical/surgical training facility, the home of the Naval Construction Battalion (Seabees), and the Pensacola Naval Flight Training Center (home of the Blue Angels precision flying team).

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a major tourist destination and is home to several casinos with their related hotels, fine dining and entertainment facilities. Each year, the interns enjoy many Coast diversions including Mardi Gras, art and entertainment festivals, yacht and powerboat racing, and various fishing rodeos and seafood festivals. Some other noteworthy annual events include: “Cruisin’ the Coast” hosting some 5000 antique and classic cars, “Smokin’ the Sound” offshore powerboat races, and the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. Fine cuisine and entertainment have always been a part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast tradition, as have the 26 miles of beach and the bays, bayous and rivers with their associated water sports and recreation. The Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center is host to big name concert entertainment, boat and camper shows, arts and crafts exhibitions, and numerous conventions. Biloxi is also home of two minor league sport teams: the AA-minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Shuckers, and the Federal Prospects Hockey League team Mississippi Sea Wolves.

The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System is accredited as a research facility by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP). In our efforts to provide quality and cutting-edge care to Veterans, this facility encourages all disciplines to pursue research endeavors. At times, some training faculty members actively pursue their own research programs, which may translate to opportunities for interns to participate in research.

Our information resources

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been a leader in the development of the computerized medical records. The VA’s Computerized Patient Records System (CPRS) is currently the most sophisticated system in VA use. Interns will utilize CPRS for chart review of progress notes, consults, radiological reports, health care summaries, discharge summaries, pharmaceutical information, etc. All employees and interns have accounts on the health care system computer network (VISTA – a VA internal intranet system), general internet access, and an e-mail address.

Computers are available in all psychology stations (including intern offices and/or spaces). Most health care system communications are conducted via computer. The Information Management Service-Information Center staff support the clinical, educational, and research activities of the health care system by providing knowledge-based resources in electronic and print formats. The Electronic Library webpage provides a core collection of traditional text resources (book titles, subscriptions, and audiovisual materials and equipment) and an extensive collection of electronic resources. Interlibrary Loan service and assisted computerized literature searches are available.

The Advanced Theory and Practice Seminar is oriented around developing basic clinical conceptualization abilities that may be used to: (1) swiftly and flexibly conceptualize a range of cases; (2) facilitate understanding of behavior from a more “whole” perspective that can explain both adaptive and maladaptive behavior; and (3) provide a counterpoint balance to the reductionistic method of modern psychodiagnostics. Seminars will mostly be interactive and emphasize simple conceptual models (e.g. biopsychosocial) over more complicated and rigid, pathology-oriented conceptual models.

Case Processing works to bridge the gap between learning DSM-5 diagnoses and their associated polythetic criteria and applying these paragon models of behavioral and neurological disorders to real-world or real-world inspired cases. This interactive didactics involves working through differential diagnoses, conceptualization, light treatment prognoses, and hypothetical directions of treatment. Psychology interns will have the opportunity to facilitate their own case processing didactic during the course of the seminar series.

The EPPP Power Hour was formed to assist in providing early steps for preparation for the EPPP licensure examination via granting exposure to assessment questions derived from past EPPP and EPPP prep materials, increase comfort with the daunting licensure examination, and give some practical advice on test taking strategies that are relevant to the examination. This didactic series is also facilitated in a less stringent and strict atmosphere and strives to increase comfort and shift perspectives of the EPPP and other formal examinations to intrinsic motivation to learn over extrinsic fears of failure as the assessment approach method.

The Neuropsychology Seminar consists of presentations designed to provide basic education about Veterans in the areas of Neuropsychology, including information about the various domains and disorders that are assessed, basic neuroanatomy, test administration, and report writing. It includes training in the use of standardized tests such as the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. It is useful for individuals preparing to take the EPPP who have had no coursework in Neuropsychology, and it serves as a review for those who have. Discussion of the various domains and disorders are supplemented with case presentations pertinent to the topic being discussed.

In response to the varied requests for presentations, learning opportunities, and facilitator formats that don’t fit cleanly into the other didactic and pedagogy series, this series was developed to allow flexibility during the course of the year to topic requests, presentations, seminars, etc. that training faculty, sibling-disciplines, and/or interns may be willing to provide to further and support knowledge bases, clinical skills, critical thinking skills, and paradigm shifts, etc. with the only requirement being that topics must conform to the overarching topic theme of relating to the philosophy and/or science of psychology.

The Psychological Assessment Seminar meets weekly for the entire year. The goal of the assessment seminar is to help the intern acquire the skills necessary to select, administer, score and interpret a battery of diagnostic psychological tests. In addition to training in the use of objective and projective assessment instruments, the intern will learn to conduct and document the results of a mental status examination. Relevant concepts will be richly illustrated using case history materials gathered from past and present medical center patients. The seminar also includes instruction in the preparation of the psychological testing report, a review of current literature related to assessment, and discussions of cultural and ethical considerations. Interns are encouraged to bring test data to the seminar for discussion.

As the traditional boundaries between behavioral and medical science are blurred with the omnipresent realities that one impacts the other, it is becoming increasingly necessary for clinical psychologists to possess a foundational understanding of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The vast majority of the individuals one works with in psychotherapy, assessment, education, etc. service settings will be actively engaged in pharmacotherapy and present with potential medical complications. This seminar series is intended to assist in providing this foundational knowledge so one is better equipped to navigate this potentially overlooked area of our field.

During Grant Rounds Trial (GR Trial), presentations are made by the interns with a review of the relevant recent literature involving a problem in assessment or intervention. Each intern will present all the research for his or her Grand Rounds presentations on his or her assigned GR trial date. The Director of Training and the internship cohort will critically review the research being presented and suggest possible further avenues of research.

The Diversity seminar seeks to integrate topics of diversity, communication, and the impact of society on intrapersonal and interpersonal (including therapeutic) relationships. Case presentation, lectures, open discussions, and other methods of learning may be utilized in facilitating learning and thoughtful reflection in this seminar series.

As part of the foundational domains of proficiency expected of all psychologists, the Science and Art of Supervision seminar series was formed to overview the literature behind providing clinical supervision as well as discuss real-world scenarios a clinical supervisor may face. A focus of the seminar is reflective practice as interns move from primarily functioning as supervisees to taking on the role of clinical supervisor. This seminar occurs early in the year to prepare interns for peer and tiered supervision experiences.

Special Topics seminar offers lectures oriented around specialized knowledge in diagnostics, treatment, and/or engagement with unique populations and/or with unique presenting concerns. This seminar is flexible in approach and may be more discussion-based or traditional lecture structured, depending on the preference of the specific didactic facilitator overseeing the specific seminar date.

The VA offers additional clinical training didactics via the Talent Management System (TMS) and seminar series. Additional seminar series may also be passed on by training faculty to are hosted by community, university, and other settings.

Group Supervision meets on a weekly basis, supervised by the training program leadership. Interns discuss current cases and elicit feedback from their supervisors and peers. Professional development issues and cohort dynamics may also be a focus of the Group Supervision meetings. Interns will also practice peer supervision in several of these weekly group supervisions.

To increase comfort during the year of training and foster greater professional growth in shared areas of interest, interns are paired with training faculty sharing professional interests, interpersonal characteristics, or other relevant variables. The mentor does not serve as an evaluative supervisor and works to offer support to the intern and have been noted to offer additional support during difficult periods in life, knowledge and experience with early career pursuits, and general information and reciprocal engagement in the philosophy and science of psychology.

Psychology Grand Rounds will be led by each intern one time during the training year. Interns, on a rotating basis, present a case in either assessment or intervention. Faculty, interns and other students attend and participate. Interns must present assessment data, review contemporary literature related to the disorder, and lead discussion concerning the diagnosis and treatment of the case. Attention is given to diversity in patients and populations presented.

*The Grand Rounds Trial was created to support this activity by allowing a practice run, peerfeedback, and time to alter presentation prior to the formal Grand Rounds presentation.

The Assessment Training Program provides services to the Biloxi center and to the Mobile Outpatient Clinics (For Mobile OPC - when available). Consultation requests are received from a wide range of sources: Neurology, Medicine, Primary Care, Psychiatry, Extended Care, and even Employee Health. After learning to properly administer the assessment measures, Interns are assigned full psychological assessment reports throughout the year, with a minimum of six (6) overall reports completed and two (2) of these being fully integrative batteries possessing both cognitive (e.g. RBANs, WAIS, DKEFS, etc.) and personality (MMPI, MCMI, PAI, etc.) assessments. This training experience is supported through the Neuropsychology Seminar, Clinical Assessment Seminar, and individual and group supervision.

The concept of self-care is often spoken about as an after-work series of activities, despite the reality that it is often most useful and beneficial when included during work hours, when mental- emotional difficulties often occur. As a means of fostering greater bridging between work roles and self-care needs, it is strongly encouraged that training faculty and trainees utilize and practice methods of self-care during training day seminars and on rotation workdays (e.g. walking supervision [on topics that don’t contain patient PII] on a nice day, sitting outside under the shade during a seminar on mindfulness, taking a brief mindful breathing break by the pier during a few hour, etc.). It is hoped that by modeling and practicing self-care during these training activities, interns may be more willing and comfortable in implementing self-care strategies in future settings they work in after procurement of their doctorate and license.

The Chief Intern is appointed by the Director of Training on a rotating schedule from among the intern class. The primary job of the Chief Intern is to represent the intern class to the Director of Training and other training leadership, as needed, with some of the duties relevant to the psychology training program. Some traditional duties of the Chief Intern have included: responsibility for leading and recording the monthly Steering Committee Meeting, attending the monthly training faculty meeting as a representative and liaison for the internship class, serving as the point of contact for information that needs to be conveyed to the training cohort or collected from the cohort, and other duties as relevant and necessary. These varied duties are consistent with the overarching goals of the training program and needs of the Behavioral Health Service.

Titles: Program Manager – Specialty Psychology Programs; Clinical Health Psychologist
School: University of Alabama, Birmingham

Internship: Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX

Post-doctoral Fellowship: Clinical Health Psychology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX

License: Kansas, 1999 – Present

Duties: Dr. Alexander is responsible for providing a full spectrum of health psychology behavioral medicine services within the medical center. He is currently involved with the Health Psychology Behavioral Medicine Clinic, Behavioral Sleep medicine Clinic, MOVE! Program and the Traumatic Brain Injury-Polytrauma screening program. Dr. Alexander is currently a VHA national training consultant for the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) training program.

Professional Interests: Dr. Alexander’s theoretical orientation is primarily cognitive behavioral with an emphasis on comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and treatment. His special passion is in the behavioral assessment and treatment of sleep disorders including insomnia, breathing-disordered sleep, and circadian rhythm disorders. He is an avid supporter of the integration of mental health professionals into primary care and specialty medical clinics, with strong emphasis on the behavioral health consultant model of care. He has special interest in the proper referral, and comprehensive assessment and treatment of veterans returning from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Alexander is a strong advocate for patient-centered care and is a member of the GCVHCS Whole Health committee. He is currently developing programs to be provided under the Whole Health system of care.

Personal Interests: My family, travelling, soccer, music, movies, food, video games

Title: Clinical Psychologist – Acute Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit

School: Palo Alto University

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS/Biloxi VAMC)

Post-doc: Salem VA Medical Center – Geropsychology

License: License-Eligible

Duties & Professional Interests: Dr. Bacigalupi is a license-eligible clinical psychologist working within the interdisciplinary treatment team on the Acute Psychiatric Unit of the GCVHCS. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to providing brief psychotherapy, crisis intervention, risk assessment, diagnostic assessment, cognitive testing, de-escalation strategies, and group psychotherapy.

Professional Interests: Her clinical and research interests include suicidality, geriatric care, interpersonal and dynamic approaches to therapeutic interventions, as well as clinical emergencies and crises.

Personal Interests: In her personal life, Dr. Bacigalupi enjoys live music, exploring new culinary experiences, reading, swimming, spending time with loved ones, and as a native New Orleanian, of course, all things Mardi Gras.

Titles: Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist - MOPC

School: Florida Institute of Technology (PsyD-MS)

Internship: Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, AL

Post-doctoral Fellowship: Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR

License: Alabama, 2019 – present

Duties: Dr. Boozer operates the neuropsychology clinic at the Mobile CBOC. Duties include providing specialty consultative services in neuropsychology, administration/scoring and interpretation of various neurocognitive measures using a flexible battery approach and providing therapeutic feedback to patients and families. Supervision of clinical neuropsychology training via provision of graduate level supervision in affiliation with University of South Alabama (USA) clinical psychology doctoral program and supervision of a predoctoral psychology internship rotation in clinical neuropsychological assessment.

Professional Interests: Professional interests include differential diagnosis of dementia, nuances and interactions of mental/emotional health and cognitive functioning, military TBI, functional neurological disorders, and diversity and cultural considerations.

Personal Interests: Personal interests include yoga, hanging out with my German shepherd mix rescue dog, reading, long walks while listening to podcasts, and discovering new coffee shops, art galleries, and brunch cafes.

Titles: Licensed Psychologist Outpatient Mental Health

School: University of Georgia

Internship: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS ) – The University of Kansas

License: Hawaii

Duties: Dr. Brown works on the outpatient unit in the Behavioral Health department. She is a generalist practitioner, where she provides individual and group therapy. Her theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), however, she also incorporates a plethora of other modalities including Gestalt, Transactional Analysis and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She is dedicated to providing evidence-based practices for the well-being of all veterans.

Professional Interests: Her interests include multiculturalism and diversity, Energy Psychology, and training and supervision.

Personal Interests: She enjoys cooking, traveling, ballet performances, making corny jokes, and improving her spiritual well-being.

Title: Clinical Psychologist – Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program-Domiciliary (RRTP-DOM); Assistant Program Manager (APM) - Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program-Domiciliary (RRTP-DOM)

Schools: M.S. – The University of Southern Mississippi (Counseling Psychology) – 1994; Ph.D. – Texas A&M University (Counseling Psychology) – 1999

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (1997-1998)

License: Louisiana (2004)

Duties: I currently work with the Veterans living in the RRTP-DOM, primarily in the substance use disorder/addiction track. However, coverage is provided at times for the other tracks of the RRTP (MASD-EBP/PTSD, Dual Diagnosis, and CMI). Individual responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: individual and group psychotherapy; comprehensive intake and suicide risk evaluations; progress monitoring through measurement-based care (pre/posttest measures); admissions screening and assessment; chart reviews for prospective admissions; program and group curriculum development and enhancement; and participation on an interdisciplinary team including peer support, chaplaincy, medical staff, pharmacy, social work, and recreation therapy. I am also designated Chair of our Stakeholders Committee.

Approach to Treatment: I rely heavily on my thinking and case conceptualization on 12-Step Facilitated Recovery. However, understanding that one size does not fit all, I translate this thinking into the language and application of CBT. Interpersonal and process-oriented approaches along with understanding and teaching the biological aspects of addiction are heavily stressed. I try to apply this in a practical manner that will help with treatment and aftercare.

Professional Interests: I enjoy wrestling with and trying to integrate the various theoretical models of understanding addiction (medical, disease, faulty learning, avoidance, and reward seeking). I do not view these as necessarily antithetical to each other, as each may be equally valid and apply differentially to an individual’s path into compulsive drug use and/or compulsive behaviors. I employ cognitive behavioral strategies when trying to give Veteran’s practical coping strategies. I strongly encourage those struggling with addiction to “write their own narratives.” Addiction may have led to individuals losing contact with themselves and acting against their values. People’s individual spiritual/religious beliefs or lack thereof, are never off limits. One’s thoughts and beliefs are more often than not stronger than the facts.

Personal Interests: I was born and raised in New Orleans, so I love everything NOLA and Mardi Gras! In some ways being south of I-10 makes people from this area more like New Orleanians than Mississippians; a hypothesis that has not been formally tested! I enjoy fishing, riding my bike and working in the yard. I enjoy watching college sports, especially football, baseball and softball. I currently can’t seem to get enough education on Evolutionary Psychology, Reward Deficiency Syndrome, and the historical place of religious and philosophical beliefs. To balance this, I have been known to thoroughly escape in Science Fiction. This is the way…

Title: Clinical Psychologist – PRRTP

School: William James College (formerly Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology), Newton, MA
Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS/Biloxi VAMC)

License: License-Eligible

Duties: Dr. Ellis is a license-eligible psychologist working in the Residential PRRTP-DOM. Dr. Ellis is a generalist practitioner, providing individual and group psychotherapy. His theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). He is dedicated to providing evidence-based practices for the well-being of all Veterans.

Professional Interests: His interests include trauma focused care, substance abuse treatment, and exploring the potential benefits of service dog utilization.

Personal Interests: In his free time, Dr. Ellis enjoys running, hiking, and spending time outdoors. Dr. Ellis is a 10x finisher of the Home Base program 9K race, which takes place at the historic Fenway Park, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Additionally, Dr. Ellis is a 4x finisher of the 26.2 mile Tough Ruck marathon. When he’s not running, hiking, or exploring new trails, Dr. Ellis can often be found taking in a concert or making waves in the water.

Title: Neuropsychologist

Schools: Florida State University, Webster University, and Adler University

Internship: Erie Psychological Consortium- Major rotation in neuropsychological services in outpatient and inpatient settings

Post-doctoral Fellowships: 1st year- Forensic Psychology/Neuropsychology Services and Rehabilitation Associates-Jonathan Mack, Psy.D. ABN; 2nd year- Neuropsychology Practice-Patrick Gorman's

License: Florida, 2016 – present

Duties: Dr. Fares conducts full outpatient neuropsychological evaluations and occasional inpatient, bed side assessments. She is the Diversity Mentorship Coordinator and she coordinates and leads the Neuropsychology Seminar.

Professional Interests: Brain injury, movement disorders, agent orange, neurofeedback, cognitive rehabilitation, neurodevelopmental disorders and advocating for the profession.

Personal Interests: Poetry, traveling, backpacking, fitness and nutrition, fishing, kayaking, biking, and hiking.

Titles: Licensed Psychologist, Active Management of Pain (AMP) Program; Pain Team Psychologist

School: University of Southern Mississippi

Internship: Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System

License: Florida, 2024 – present; Mississippi, 2022 – present

Duties: Dr. Jordan is a pain psychologist who devotes 100% of her clinical time to supporting the Gulf Coast Non-Interventional Pain Team, based out of the Pensacola JACC. Through this role, she also serves as the lead psychologist for the Active Management of Pain (AMP), an interdisciplinary group program co-run with a Pain Physical Therapist. Prior to working at GCVHCS, Dr. Jordan was in a similar role at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans, LA. She currently serves as an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Southern Mississippi teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses focused on counseling theories and addiction psychology.

Professional Interests: Professional interests include the application of evidence-based treatments in behavioral medicine settings (e.g., chronic pain treatment), treating co-occurring trauma and addiction disorders in the management of chronic pain, providing interdisciplinary care, Whole Health approaches, and supervising future psychologists. Theoretical orientation is foundationally Cognitive-Behavioral, integrating third wave approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as pain neuroscience-based approaches to understanding the dynamic relationship between chronic pain and the whole-person experience.

Personal Interests: Personal interests include spending time with her family (including preparing for her firstborn come September 2024!) and Border Collie named Topo, raising backyard chickens with her hobbyist husband, and taking advantage of living at the beach (Pensacola, FL) while reading novels of any genre. An avid distance runner and former collegiate athlete, she is also passionate about all things fitness, having taught multiple modalities while living in New Orleans, including Lagree megaformer and indoor cycling. She is now a converted Peloton rider.

Titles: Psychologist, Behavioral Health Acute Inpatient Unit; Co-Director of Psychology Training (CO-DOPT); Assessment Seminar Coordinator; Member, Ethics Consultation Committee; Member, Disruptive Behavior Committee

School: University of Southern Mississippi

Internship: Michigan State University Counseling Center

License: Louisiana, 2010 – 2023; Mississippi, 2022-current

Duties: Dr. Lawley is a generalist psychologist on the behavioral health acute inpatient unit. The acute unit consists of two locked wards that primarily serve Veterans who are in crisis and/or a danger to themselves or others. Individual duties include personality assessment and screening of cognitive functioning, individual and group therapy, risk assessment, and consultation as needed in these areas. Groups are on a broad range of topics, including mindfulness, impulse management, values-consistent behaviors, and psychoeducation. Interns are welcome to design and implement their own type of standing group. Collaborative duties include working with a diverse treatment team to coordinate acute care, advocacy, and planning for mental health treatment after discharge. Prior to working at the VA, Dr. Lawley was teaching at an M.S. program in counseling. Dr. Lawley also previously worked on the RRTP for several years.

Professional Interests: Professional interests include psychological assessment, supervision, ethics, and multicultural issues in psychology. His theoretical orientation is primarily cognitive-behavioral, with heavy interpersonal, developmental, and narrative influences. (Constructivist, if you have been exposed to that).

Personal Interests: Personal interests include computers and technology, cars (including his greatest non-human joy, a 2002 MR2), tabletop and video games of all kinds, and history.

Title: Clinical Psychologist

School: Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus, Puerto Rico.

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care Systems (GCVHCS/Biloxi VAMC).

Post-doctoral Fellowship: Rural & Underserved Interprofessional Fellowship at GCVHCS/Biloxi VAMC.

License: Iowa, 2023-Present

Duties: Behavioral Sleep Medicine – Sleep Lab Clinic. Normal duties include interventions designed at improving symptoms of sleep wake disorders. Special focus on providing EBP with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Imagery Rehearsal Therapy for Nightmares. Also, consulting with other medical and behavioral health providers on matters of sleep disorders or difficulties.

Professional Interests: PSTD, sleep wake disorders, phobias, EMDR, and VR.

Personal Interests: Family, spending quality time with Gianni (6-year-old German Shepard), beach and flip flops all day, dancing, cooking, and reading about dreams and nightmares.

Title: Team Lead & Staff Psychologist (PTSD RRTP)

School: University of Southern Mississippi

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (Biloxi VAMC)

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Memphis VA Medical Center (Trauma Recovery Services)

License: Mississippi (6/2021 – Present)

Duties: Dr. Perez serves as Staff Psychologist and Team Lead for the interdisciplinary PTSD RRTP, with roles involving clinical supervision, consultation, admissions coordination, psychodiagnostic assessment, treatment planning, provision of evidence-based group and individual treatments for PTSD and relevant comorbidities, patient staffing, and discharge planning. He also emphasizes the importance of ongoing program development and evaluation. Further, he serves as the PRRTP Nursing Liaison and sits on the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship training faculty. Lastly, he emphasizes a scientist-practitioner model of both consuming and producing research, currently being in the early stages of data repository development.

Professional Interests: Evidence-based practices (EBPs) for trauma- and stressor-related disorders, behavioral sleep medicine, polytrauma, chemical dependency, program development and evaluation, cultural competence, interdisciplinary training, and research, non-exhaustively.

Personal Interests: I absolutely adore spending time with my family, which typically consists of chasing a toddler around until she retires to watch Peppa Pig or put stickers on any inanimate object within her grasp, while trying to discover which goofy noise will make my infant son laugh next and watching brain-numbing reality television (e.g., Survivor, 90-Day Fiancé) with my spouse. Originally being from the suburbs of Dallas, TX, I enjoy taking advantage of the local nature (e.g., saltwater fishing, golf, parks) and cuisine.

Titles: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) and Clinical Psychologist

School: The Wright Institute

Internship: Wasatch Mental Health

License: Florida

Duties: Mix of administrative, coordination of care and some direct care. LGBTQ+ VCC program coordination development and duties including veteran care coordinator such as but not limited to outreach, education, PRIDE in all who served group, letter writing, evaluations and also provide clinical support and consult management to behavioral health.

Professional Interests: Underserved and marginalized populations, advocacy, quality management, collaboration, empowerment, communication, ethics, promoting education and awareness in general and innovation represent a portion of my professional interests.

Personal Interests: My personal interests include empowerment, inclusion, humanity, learning, arts (visual, audible, textural), animals and nature.

Titles: Deputy Associate Director of Training (DADOT) and Licensed Psychologist – Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program-Domiciliary (RRTP-DOM)

School: The University of Southern Mississippi

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (Yes, I stuck around…)

License: Alabama (2021 – Present)

Duties: I currently work with Veterans in RRTP-DOM, primarily in the substance use and addictions emphases. Individual responsibilities I maintain include but are not limited to the following: individual and group psychotherapy services; comprehensive intake and suicide risk evaluation; progress monitoring through measurement-based care; admissions screening and assessment; comprehensive chart reviews for prospective admissions; program and group curriculum development and enhancement; and participation on interdisciplinary team including peer support, chaplaincy, medical staff, pharmacy, social work, and recreation therapy. There may be opportunities for exposure to violence risk assessment for Veteran disruptive behavior and providing behavioral support services for Veterans engaging in tobacco cessation efforts.

Professional Interests: I enjoy philosophical discussions regarding mitigation of barriers to care, challenging traditional ideas of readiness-to-change and substance abuse treatment, and “function v. form” when approaching patient care among other current, relevant topics. For theoretical orientation, I subscribe to more of theoretical integrationist perspective than other schools of thought. I primarily therapeutically operate from cognitive-behavioral, third-wave behavioral, and humanistic pillars, grounding conceptualization through a broad yet culturally sensitive biopsychosocial model.

Personal Interests: I’m one of the South’s only ice hockey fanatics (Go Rangers!). I’m into almost anything that has a competitive element, including most sports, video games, and game shows. I enjoy watching Twitch, browsing Reddit, and hearing any Harry Potter, The Office, or Impractical Jokers reference integrated into conversation. I like being outdoors whenever I can, whether it’s playing with my daughter and or my dog, working in the yard, or walking the Bay Bridge with my wife.

Titles: Behavioral Medicine Psychologist, Whole Health Integration Champion; Program Manager for SUD/CP Services

School: University of Kentucky

Internship: Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System

License: Alabama

Duties: Behavioral medicine/clinical health psychology with emphasis in chronic pain and somatic complaints, pre-surgical psychological evaluations, audiology-psychology collaboration, diagnostic clarification assessments, post-traumatic stress disorder, promote and organize integration of complementary medicine/services in the healthcare setting.

Professional Interests: I specialize in strategies that integrate the mind/body approach to behavioral health such as mindfulness/meditation-based interventions, clinical hypnosis, EMDR, ACT, and biofeedback. Even though much of my clinical time is dedicated to assisting those with chronic pain conditions there is a lot of variety in referrals from physicians for diagnostic clarification in Veterans with suspected somatic disorders.

Personal Interests: My interests include all things nerdy and fun including: video games, table-top RPGs, miniature painting, 3d printing, calligraphy, gardening, cooking, and a good old-fashioned book. My poor husband has to put up with my collections of random things and not-so-random gadgets.

Titles: Co-Director of Psychology Training (CO-DOPT), Clinical Psychologist – Community Living Center (CLC)

School: Regent University (PsyD-MS) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (MSCP)

Internship: Mississippi State Hospital

License: Mississippi, 2013 – present

Duties: Dr. Ware operates within the Community Living Center (CLC) and often works with other units for coverage assistance. Individual duties are variable but do include provision psychotherapy services; psychological assessments; occasional provision and monitoring of brief outcomes assessments; neurocognitive screeners; and other clinically relevant tasks that may be required. In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Ware serves(ed) as the Director of Training for the Doctoral Internship and Externship programs from 2020 to 2025. He has previously worked within a PTSD clinical team (PCT), helped start and run a Substance Treatment and Recovery – Intensive Outpatient Program (STAR-IOP), worked within the Acute Psychiatric Unit of the GCVHCS, and served a dual administrative-clinical role for a court-committed state hospital substance use treatment unit.

Professional Interests: Professional interests include the mechanisms and function that underlie treatment approaches and theory, psychopharmacology, acceptance-mindfulness behavioral therapies, and theory and philosophy of psychology, amongst other topics. Theoretical orientation is primarily “3rd wave” cognitive-behavioral (primary influence is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT]), but frequently includes variations of standard cognitive-behavioral, existential, solution-focused, and interpersonal theory into his overall conceptualizations and treatment approaches).

Personal Interests: My Personal interests include regular exercise, audiobook-driven outdoor walks, traveling with my wife, peaceful water-based experiences, orchestral events, burning money on new electronic gadgets, VR and video games, playing sports (primarily tennis, soccer-football, and baseball-softball), and devolving into hysterical nonsense with my significant other and fur-child.

Applicants for the internship program must be degree candidates in APA-accredited doctoral programs in clinical or counseling psychology who have fulfilled departmental requirements for internship as certified by their university training director. Only US citizens are eligible to receive stipend support. A physical exam certifying good health is required of applicants who are selected for the internship program at the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System. A security background check is also required.

VA Headquarters in Washington, DC notifies us in January of each year of the budget that we will receive for the following internship year. The 2024-2025 stipend is $33,469 per year. There are 11 federal holidays, and interns accrue an additional 26 days of leave during the year. Additionally, interns are granted authorized absence for dissertation related activities and approved educational programs. Interns are eligible for optional Government Life and Health Insurance benefits.

Application materials (AAPI) are located on the APPIC web site. We will receive your completed application when you select us as one of the sites for which you are applying. Our training program faculty will review your application via the Selection Portal of the APPIC site mentioned above.

We require letters of recommendation from at least three (3) supervisors who are familiar with your academic and applied performance in psychology. One (1) of these letters should be from individuals familiar with your academic work and two (2) from individuals familiar with your applied work (e.g., practicum placements). “Letters of Readiness” from a program’s Director of Training cannot be one of these letters of recommendation.

The Psychology Internship Training Program at the VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and has been since 1980. Contact APA at: 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Phone: . Visit the APA web site at http://www.apa.org/

The Psychology Internship Training Program at the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and fully subscribes to their selection procedures and policies. This site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. Please visit the APPIC web site to obtain additional information including the Uniform Application and Match Rules at http://www.appic.org/.