Doctoral Psychology Internship Overview

The intern training program at UCSB’s Counseling Services is committed to an internship that emphasizes both the professional and personal development of its psychology interns in a counseling center setting. We were first accredited by the American Psychological Association in 1988 and were successfully reaccredited in 1993, 2000, and 2005.

For further information, contact APA at: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750 First Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-4242, (202) 336-5979. The program email address is: apaaccred@apa.org. For other APA matters call (202) 336-5500 or visit the website at: http://www.apa.org.

For interns, the internship year is a time of professional growth in which existing skills are strengthened and new skills developed. Personal growth also occurs as one’s own style and sense of self-worth become integrated with one’s professional identity. Interns are encouraged to demonstrate professional initiative while receiving support and consultation from staff. By the culmination of the internship experience, interns are expected to function as entry-level professionals with a sense of both ethical and professional responsibility.

Training at Counseling Services can be conceptualized as covering four primary areas: counseling/clinical services, crisis intervention, supervision and consultation/outreach. Psychological assessment is a secondary area of learning. In their counseling/clinical work, interns primarily work with individuals and therapy groups but may also conduct some couples counseling. The supervision component involves supervising a doctoral-level practicum student for the academic year. Crisis intervention and consultation/outreach experiences will vary from year to year. Crisis work may involve individuals seen during on call crisis hours or special circumstances with groups or individuals. Outreach/consultation varies according to requested programs.  Counseling Services maintains liaisons or contacts with departments including the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP, which serves Chicano(a), Asian, American-Indian and African American populations on campus, as well as low income and first generation students), the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Student Health Service, the Women’s Center and the Disabled Students’ Program.

The underlying philosophical base of the internship program rests on developmental, multicultural, crisis intervention and brief therapy principles. Brief therapy models are taught through training seminars. DSM-IV-TR diagnoses and treatment planning are integrated with the intake process. For detailed program information, see our most recent APA self study at: www.appic.org/downloads/UCSB_selfstudy_2005.doc

Training Philosophy

The psychology internship at Counseling Services trains doctoral-level professional psychology students in accordance with a practitioner-scholar model. As a scholar, the intern learns to apply and integrate knowledge of current clinical practices based on empirically derived literature. As a practitioner, the intern then combines this knowledge with the systematic collection of information about clients/groups. This leads to conceptualization of the problems/issues and hypothesis formation. Both clinical interventions and supervisory discussion provide the means for hypothesis testing.

The internship is viewed as the first opportunity for interns to integrate disparate areas of knowledge acquired through formal academic training and practice, then to apply this learning in an intensive clinical experience. Our model incorporates a developmental approach that is reflected not only in integrating, refining and enhancing interns’ beginning clinical skills and ethical understanding throughout the year, but also in developing a maturing professional identity. A mentoring relationship is a key element of this model. Through the intimacy of a mentoring relationship, the training can be tailored to the intern’s individual strengths and needs that will foster optimal professional and personal growth. Mentoring includes both support and challenge in a training process that involves didactic, observational and experiential learning. Developmentally, interns are expected to proceed from a beginning level student clinician to an entry level psychologist. The mentoring relationship progresses from that of a student-supervisor role to one of emerging colleagues. Along with this progression is an increasing responsibility for more clinically complex clients and a more independent functioning with agency tasks.

As part of a maturing professional identity, interns are expected to incorporate the attitude of openness and collaboration to a multiplicity of clinical problems/issues as well as to professional interactions and relationships. The developing professional identity incorporates a sense of courtesy and respect for all working relationships and recognition of the work of all members in a community. This professional mindset also includes the attitude of openness to life-long learning and the continual development of skills. The maturing professional is also expected to have an understanding of ethics that involves not only legal issues and professional boundaries, but also incorporates ethics as a “professional conscience” that considers the welfare of the client(s) as a primary consideration. An understanding of self in terms of one’s own history, background and diversity is crucial in learning to understand, respect and honor the differences of others, whether it‘s clients or co-workers.

Given these goals, opportunities for personal exploration and reflection may occur throughout the year. When appropriate, interns are encouraged, but not required, to explore historical influences and personal data which may affect subsequent clinical practice. The Internship Training Program functions in a manner consistent with the American Psychological Association’s 2002 Ethical Standard 7.04 (Student Disclosure of Personal Information) as contained in the Revised Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2002).

The Psychology Intern at Counseling Services is trained in a university setting which provides the experience of working in an established community. This setting provides the intern with opportunities that require the conceptualization of issues and development of interventions utilizing a systems and organizational perspective as part of a team. Learning to consider diversity from a multitude of perspectives, as well as using a holistic and developmental approach, is a fundamental value. The intern develops generic skills that provide the basis for sound consultation, evaluation and intervention in any system.

Internship Training Goals

GOAL 1.   To facilitate the development of psychology interns as entry-level psychologists with intermediate to advanced practitioner skills in the areas of ethical/legal knowledge and conduct, clinical skills in working with groups and individual clients, provision of supervision, crisis intervention, consultation/outreach and psychological assessment.
·  To develop the capacity to apply data collection and hypothesis testing to the diagnostic and treatment planning process in clinical work, group counseling, supervision, crisis intervention, consultation/outreach, and psychological assessment.

Objectives:

• To develop a professional identity sufficient to enable the psychology intern to function as a competent and ethical psychologist in a variety of settings.
  
  
• To develop and expand knowledge and clinical skills in individual counseling/therapy with a short term focus.
  
  
• To develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of group process and intermediate to advanced clinical skills in providing group therapy.
  
  
• To develop the knowledge, understanding and application of intermediate to advanced supervisory skills for providing clinical supervision.
  
  
• To develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of crisis intervention.
  
  
• To develop intermediate to advanced skills in managing crisis situations with clients.
  
  
• To prepare professional psychology interns as practitioners who can provide basic services that incorporate preventative, crisis and developmental interventions.
  
  
• To develop the ability to assess and implement crisis interventions that include a systemic as well as an individual perspective.
  
  
• To develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of systems and organizations.
  
  
• To develop intermediate to advanced skills required to provide consultation/outreach services.
  
  
• To develop the ability to assess and implement consultation/outreach services that include a systemic and developmental perspective.
  
  
• To develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of psychological assessment procedures to further the psychotherapy process.
  
  
• To build on existing knowledge of, and competency in, psychological assessment with an emphasis on the application of these skills to further the psychotherapy process.

GOAL 2.   To facilitate the ability of psychology interns to integrate scientific thinking and an understanding of scientific validation with the clinical process.

Objective:

• To develop the capacity to apply data collection and hypothesis testing to the diagnostic and treatment planning process in clinical work, group counseling, supervision, crisis intervention, consultation/outreach, and psychological assessment.

GOAL 3.   To foster a maturing professional identity as a psychologist that engenders openness, respect and collaboration with others and life long learning.

Objective:

• To develop an ongoing commitment to openness, respect and collaboration with others, as well as a continual process of self-examination and personal/professional growth.

GOAL 4.   To facilitate a maturing professional identity that incorporates an awareness of personal/professional strengths and limitations and combines these with a personal understanding of diversity (e.g., gender, ethnicity, disability).

Objectives:

• To develop an ongoing commitment to self-awareness and self-examination regarding the psychology intern's own identity, values, and worldview.
  
  
• To develop the personal and professional awareness of strengths and areas of growth as a clinician, group leader, clinical supervisor and in the use of psychological assessment procedures.
  
  
• To develop the knowledge, sensitivity and basic counseling skills needed to work with diverse populations.
  
  
• To develop an increased understanding of multicultural applications and limitations of traditional psychological assessment procedures.
  
  
• To develop the ability to assess for and implement crisis interventions that incorporate sensitivity to individual and cultural differences.
  
  
• To develop the ability to assess and implement consultation/outreach services that incorporate a sensitivity to individual and cultural differences.
  
  
• To develop, at least at a beginning level, knowledge of and sensitivity to the provision of supervision in a multicultural context.

GOAL 5.   To engender an understanding and knowledge of the ethical and legal professional issues and their application in the clinical setting.

Objective:

• To develop a professional identity sufficient to enable the psychology intern to function as a competent and ethical psychologist in a variety of settings.

Counseling

The primary foci of the psychology intern’s time at Counseling Services will be individual and group clinical work, the provision of supervision of a doctoral practicum student and crisis intervention. Each intern schedules approximately 12-16 weekly client hours, co-leads one to two groups during any given quarter, and conducts three intakes per week. Beginning fall quarter, client caseloads gradually build up through referrals from the two case assignment teams, which are composed of counseling staff and interns. After fall quarter, interns may be given the freedom to develop groups of their own.

Caseload Supervision

Services are offered to all undergraduate and graduate students. Common presenting issues are relationship problems, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. However, issues may range from general developmental concerns to more severe psychological problems. Short-term modalities are emphasized. Typically, clients are seen for 4 – 10 sessions per year for individual counseling. Full-time staff, including interns, may carry two clients beyond this limit for professional or training purposes. There are also numerous opportunities for collaborating with the psychiatric staff of the Student Health Service on clinical cases as well as for collaborating with other campus organizations.

Supervision Training

A significant part of the training experience is to be the primary supervisor of a doctoral psychology practicum student for the academic year, October through June. Weekly seminar meetings provide an opportunity to discuss supervision theory, view recorded counseling or supervisory sessions and discuss the supervisory process. Interns are expected to read The Integrated Developmental Model for Supervising Counselors and Therapists by Stoltenberg, McNeill and Delworth and Jane Campbell’s, Becoming an Effective Supervisor: A Workbook for Counselors and Psychotherapists. Other books can be utilized according to intern preference and need. In conjunction with the IDM model, the work is primarily developmentally focused for the supervisee and supervisor.

Consultation/Outreach

Another area in which psychology interns receive formal training is consultation and outreach. In collaboration with the consultation supervisors, interns set goals for what they would like to accomplish. Interns can be involved with staff in response to outreach requests received from departments and residence halls, and they will also choose an area of focus for the year. The consultation supervisors supervise the interns’ overall consultation activities, but interns will also work with other staff as needed.

Interns will participate in regular Consultation Team meetings. These meetings are for training and discussing staff and interns’ outreach and consultation work. By the end of the internship year, interns are expected to be familiar with the theory and practice of consultation. The primary theoretical perspectives utilized are developmental, systems, multicultural and community models. Consultation and outreach services typically involve workshops, presentations and trainings for staff and students. Interns may also have the opportunity to participate in debriefings following crisis incidents on campus. 

Liaisons or informal contacts are maintained with a number of campus departments and organizations. Depending on their areas of interest, interns may choose to become involved in existing liaison relationships or develop their own. Existing liaisons/contacts include (but are not limited to): Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Residential Life, Women’s Center, Disabled Students Program (DSP), Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity (RCSGD), Student Health Service, and Re-Entry Students.

Other Training Experiences

In addition to working with individuals and groups, psychology interns also participate in a number of other clinical training experiences:

Required:

1. Intern Seminar
   Weekly two hour training sessions which include presentation of clinical materials and other counseling topics such as group process, multicultural counseling, ethical/legal issues and psychological assessment.
   
   
2. Supervision of Supervision Seminar
   Weekly 90 minute session with a licensed staff member on the process of supervision (from October through June, interns supervise doctoral-level practicum students from UCSB's graduate program in counseling psychology for one hour per week).
   
   
3. Case Assignment Team
   Two hour weekly meeting in which staff members discuss intakes, determine assignment of cases and consult about difficult clients.
   
   
4. Consultation Team
   Weekly one hour meeting for staff and interns involved in consultation/outreach. Meetings are for discussions of ongoing consultation/outreach activities and for training in consultation.
   
   
5. Two Brief Therapy Models
   One hour weekly seminar time in fall (6-Session Crisis Model) and winter (Klerman's Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression) to implement training in these models and their applications with current clients.
   
   
6. Multicultural Seminar
   One hour weekly seminar time in spring for staff and interns to discuss clinical cases or issues related to their multicultural work.
   
   
7. Staff Professional Development
   Meetings for Counseling staff development. These sessions often include outside speakers on clinical issues or current topics of interest to the psychology staff as well as broader community issues such as diversity and violence.
   
   
8. "Shrink" Lunch
   Monthly meetings with Student Health Service psychiatrists, the SHS social worker and the SHS psychiatric nurse.
   
   Optional:

9. Teaching
   Interns may have the opportunity to be involved with either of two undergraduate courses: Education 164, a course in career process offered by Career Services or Education 165, a course in counseling theory and practice offered by UCSB’s Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology Department. This will be done on their own initiative.
   
   
10. Committee Involvement
    Interns may elect to participate on the Training Team and other committees that may be formed throughout the year to examine various counseling issues.
    
    
11. Developing Resources
    Interns may choose to develop self-help resources for the Stress Management Program Office, workshops or a new group after checking with senior staff.

Evaluation Procedures

Evaluation of psychology interns occurs quarterly. Staff members involved with the activities of each intern assess the intern’s performance along dimensions applicable to their area using such means as video recording review, discussion and direct observation. Quarterly evaluation is conducted primarily for developmental purposes to guide the interns’ focus for their continuing growth and to provide them with extensive feedback on their work. Summary reports are sent to the interns’ departments in January; final evaluations are sent in August.

Counseling Services staff members are frequently asked to provide letters of recommendation for interns seeking further training or professional positions following the completion of our internship program. An intern’s request for professional recommendations or references from our staff will require an acceptance that these recommendations may include both areas of strength and areas for further growth. If an intern has any concerns about the information offered by any of our staff in the form of a recommendation or reference regarding performance, we would encourage the intern to address these issues directly with that individual.

Salary and Benefits

Psychology interns currently receive a salary of $25,848. As employees of UCSB, interns qualify for either a fully paid health care program (HMO) or a more traditional program involving supplemental compensation. Business travel accident insurance is also provided. Auto and home/renters insurance may also be secured at a group insurance rate. Vacation and sick leave are accrued at 10 hours and 8 hours per month, respectively. Hours are allotted for leave time for job search and dissertation defense.

Weekly Allocation of Hours

All psychology interns work a 40-hour week. The chart below shows how time is typically distributed on a weekly basis among the various training activities.

Direct Service

(17 - 19 Approximate Total)


Training

(9 - 10 Approximate Total)


Administrative Planning

(9 - 10 Approximate Total)


Professional Development*

(1 Approximate Total)


*There are hours provided for professional development leave.