Psychology Internship Program

All interns’ experiences are designed to meet our educational model by ensuring the program’s foundations are based upon the following:

• High quality supervision
• Training in empirically based assessment and treatments.
• A broad range of clinical experiences and didactics.
• Specialized training and experience in an intern’s specific interest area.
• Individualized intern experience based upon intern’s goals and level of prior experience/skills/professional development.
• Research/scholarly activity/quality improvement opportunities.

The training model is competency-based within the practitioner-scholar framework. The internship year is designed to be sequential, cumulative, and graduated in complexity. There will be increased expectations for the interns’ performance in the core competencies as their knowledge, experience, and expertise grow and develop. As the year progresses, interns will be assigned more difficult and complex tasks based upon their level of competency. Initially working under close supervision of experienced and skilled staff members, students will be expected to work with increasing independence as they develop individual competencies. Training will be conducted in a format that encourages growth of the student clinically and professionally throughout his/her time in the program. Supervision is expected to match the needs of the intern in a way that facilitates professional development and progression. Thus, the intensity of supervision diminishes over the course of the rotation and internship as the intern matures into the role of a colleague, rather than a student. It is during this internship program that future psychologists should receive their final formal year of educational and clinical training experience. The program is dedicated to providing interns with a supportive and collegial environment in which they receive direct supervision to guide them through their journey of personal and professional development.

The overarching aim of the Martinsburg VA Medical Center Psychology Internship Program is to prepare diverse doctoral-level psychology interns to function as highly competent, ethical, generalist entry-level psychologists. By the end of the training year, interns should be equipped to provide well-rounded care to adults in a health care setting, especially to a Veteran population. It is impressed upon interns that they have the duty and privilege to serve as representatives for their own professional identity, the psychology internship program, and the field of psychology. 

The aims of the of the program are achieved through a focus on interns accomplishing the following core competencies: integration of science and practice/research; ethical and legal standards; individual and cultural diversity; professional values, attitudes, and behaviors; communications and interpersonal skills; assessment; intervention; supervision; and consultation and inter-professional/interdisciplinary skills. Overall, the growth of professional identity, along with the attainment of these core competencies, prepare interns for successful entry into the profession. 

Interns receive education in a variety of formats, through a broad scope of didactic trainings that are based upon scholarly research. Additionally, trainees take on the responsibility for exploring research on their own and present their findings to their peers, psychologists, and other disciplinary staff. Trainees receive direct clinical experiences in multiple settings within the medical center working in collaboration/consultation with a diverse multi-disciplinary staff. The clinical experience is guided in supervision with well-trained psychologists who understand the role and importance of being an ethical supervisor.

The Psychology Internship Program is sponsored and viewed as an integral part of Martinsburg VA Medical Center, whose mission is to provide excellence in care to Veterans, military retirees and dependents. The Training Program is dedicated to providing professional growth opportunities for interns while simultaneously enhancing the quality of patient care. The Martinsburg VA Medical Center is strongly invested in preparing interns for psychologist roles throughout VHA and especially within this medical center, having hired over 40% of the interns who completed our Internship Program and several others working as psychologists at other VA medical centers nationwide.

Core Learning Experiences
(major rotations - 4-month duration)

• Primary Care Mental Health Integration
• Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) /Outpatient Mental Health
• PTSD

Elective Learning Experience Possibilities
(minor rotation - 3 to 6-month duration)

• Community Living Center/Tranquility House (Dementia Care) *
• Neuropsychology
• VISN 5 Training (Administration) *
• Tele-mental health/CVT
• Home Based Primary Care *
• Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
• Specialty Primary Care Mental Health Integration focus
• Medication Assisted Treatment (opiate treatment program)
• Clinical Capacity Team
• “Make Your Own Minor”

* availability impacted by COVID 19

Training Opportunities & Additional Experiences 

• Internship Didactic Seminar Series
• Multicultural/Ethics Journal Club
• Intern Scholarly Presentations
• Certification as a Primary Care Mental Health Integration provider
• Capacity evaluations
• Training in EBP's primarily used in VA settings, including: CPT, CBT-I, CBT-CP, PE & Motivational Interviewing
• Mental Health Team Meetings
• Participation and leadership within facility committees
• Member of Mental Health Diversity Committee

Stipend, Leave & Benefits

• $29,593 (for 2022-2023 year)
• 13 days paid vacation, paid government holidays and up to 5 days paid time off to attend conferences, graduation and/or dissertation defense
• Health care benefits package

Application Requirements

Interested applicants should submit the following materials through APPI: 

• Curriculum Vitae
• Transcript
• Letter of Intent
• Three letters of recommendation, including at least one from the following:
  • A Faculty Member
  • Supervisor from Practicum
  • References should complete the reference section in AAPI. Traditional letters of reference are not required.

*All 3 positions have been filled for the 2022-2023 Internship Year have been filled. 

Total positions offered - 3
MATCH Number: 2349

Candidacy Requirements 

• Applicant in good standing APA-accredited clinical/counseling psychology doctoral program
• Approved for internship status by program’s graduate training coordinator
• U.S. Citizenship
• Registration and participation in the APPI Match
• Dissertation proposal approved by March of  incoming year
• Comprehensive exams passed by March of incoming year

National Matching Program

APPI Online