Internship Program

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values?

No

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

The Psychology Department at the VALBHCS is committed to competency-based training and close supervision in a highly collegial setting. Our doctoral internship program has been fully accredited by APA since 1980 and we currently offer 2 tracks; 1 slot in the neuropsychology track and 5 slots in the generalist track. Our primary goal is to train interns to conduct an array of psychological services in a large VA healthcare system. We serve primarily adult veterans and some active military service personnel, the majority of whom are male but with a higher percentage of women in younger cohorts. We have been known for our behavioral health training as well as more traditional psychological services, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based treatments. We accept both clinical and counseling students and no distinction is made between them concerning the content of training experiences. We tailor our internship program to the specific needs and interests of each intern. With the advisement of the Training Director and intern preferences taken into account, interns are assigned rotations over the training year (general track interns: two 6- month concurrent rotations for a total of 4 rotations; neuro track intern: year-long rotation in neuropsychology in addition to two 6-month concurrent rotations) that blend their individual training needs and interests. Our program also includes several programmatic elements, including: seminars (EBP, assessment, professional development, supervision of supervision, and diversity), grand rounds/journal club, and other rotation-specific didactic and interprofessional experiences. Throughout the training year, interns are required to complete at least one comprehensive assessment case with integrated report, and provide supervision to a practicum student on at least one therapy case. Interns may elect to complete an intern clinical/research project.

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:

Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours - Yes - Amount: 450 hours (general track); 300 hours (neuro track)

Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours - Yes - Amount: 100 hours (general track); 300 hours (neuro track)

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Consistent with VA policy, internship funding can only be provided to students who are in good standing at an American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined psychology or at a Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) accredited program in Clinical Science. Students with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for re-specialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology are also eligible. In addition, we require that students have at least three years of doctoral level study and that their university advisor or director of training verify readiness for internship on the Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI Online). Only 52 week full-time internships are available. Our training programs are committed to creating a supportive learning environment for individuals of diverse backgrounds, and as a federal agency, we abide by the U.S. Government Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Reasonable Accommodation policies. The Psychology Internship Program follows a policy of selecting the most qualified candidates and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes attempting to ensure an appropriate representation of individuals along many dimensions, including (but not limited to) gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnic/racial minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Other Benefits (please describe): Authorized Absence (AA) may be requested for off-site educational workshops/seminars, conferences, other approved training activities, graduation, and dissertation defense. Requests for authorized absence are negotiated on a case-by-case basis between the intern, Director of Training, Executive Training Committee (ETC), and the Chief Psychologist. Interns may combine authorized absence with annual leave if they wish.

*Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.