Secondary Placements

A1. McLean Southeast Acute Residential Treatment (ART)

The McLean ART is a 22 bed short-term (1-2 weeks) co-ed residential program serving teens with a wide range of serious psychiatric problems. Residents typically have a complex combination of individual impairment, family challenges, and system needs. Treatment is intense, and includes milieu treatment (DBT based psychoeducational, with numerous group therapies included), individual and family therapy, psychiatry and case management. During their 20 hour per week placement interns manage a caseload of 2 cases and are responsible for all aspects of treatment. Interns typically lead 2 groups per week, and administer between 6 and 10 psych testing batteries a year. Interns receive a minimum of one hour of individual supervision, separate supervision for testing, with no less than 2 hours of supervision per week. For more information on the McLean Southeast ART Program visit www.mcleanhouspital.org/treatment/adolescent-art.

A2. South Shore Educational Collaborative

South Shore Educational Collaborative is a therapeutic day school located in Hingham, MA. The 20-hour-per-week placement is either in the Quest Program, which serves the elementary/middle school population, or in the two high school programs (Careers and South Shore High). SSEC serves students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Students present with a wide range of diagnoses and clinical presentations, including high functioning ASD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, as well as complex family situations and systemic stressors and challenges. Given the nature of SSEC’s population and programs, there is a heavy emphasis on therapeutic supports and interventions, and the work tends to be much more clinical in nature than other school-based positions might be.

The SSEC interns’ roles include a wide range of clinical activities. In addition to multi-disciplinary work with teachers, speech and language pathologists, occupational/physical therapists, behavioral specialists, and school-based clinicians, interns typically run classroom groups, complete psychoeducational evaluations, participate in IEP development and meetings, and have a revolving caseload of students that are referred for a STARTS 45 school day assessment at SSEC. 45 day assessments are for students who have not been successful within their school district, creating exposure to students with complex presentations and high social-emotional needs. SSEC provides an hour each of individual and group supervision, a biweekly psychiatry consultation as well as informal learning opportunities in collaborative problems solving, academic achievement testing, behavioral de-escalation strategies, and social pragmatics which can generalize to many contexts and settings.

Completing STARTS evaluations is a major responsibility of interns at SSEC. STARTS evaluations are integrative reports completed during the 45 day assessment period, and are comprised of information from the referring school district, parents, teachers, outside providers, and the results of testing completed by specialists within the school. As part of the STARTS assessment process, the intern helps to develop and write social-emotional and behavioral goals for the student’s upcoming IEP. The assessment process provides enriched opportunities for clinical consultation with families and outside providers to inform recommendations for educational success. Throughout the assessment period, interns will gain experience conceptualizing cases, working with a multi-disciplinary team (teachers, counselors, speech-pathologists, behavior specialist, occupational therapist, etc.), and implementing IEP goals within the classroom.

For more information on the SSEC programs, visit www.ssec.org.

B. Step One Early Intervention Program

The Step One Early Intervention program provides educational and therapeutic services to children from birth to three years and provides support, coaching, and education to their families. It is a family-centered, community-based program that works with families to better understand and meet the individual needs of their children. Children eligible for the program are those who were born prematurely; have feeding, vision or hearing problems; are slow to sit, stand, walk or talk; have a delay in one or more areas of development; were born with a disability or health condition that affects their development (Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc.); or are at risk for delay due to prematurity or family problems such as homelessness, substance abuse, or family violence. Clinicians also help parents access support within their community for mental health challenges, domestic violence, and/or homelessness. Services are provided in the family’s home, community locations (e.g., a childcare center or preschool), and at Aspire Health Alliance’s Molly Hirshberg Learning Center. Our program utilizes the Floortime model, a relationship-based therapy for children with autism.

Psychology interns at Step One work as part of an interdisciplinary team of professionals providing developmental and infant mental health services to young children, birth to three, and their families. Responsibilities include home visiting a caseload of young children with developmental delays or risk factors (and their caregivers); co-leading a weekly developmental, therapeutic parent-child group; and participating as part of a team providing weekly developmental assessments. Interns receive 2 hours of individual supervision weekly. For more information on the Step One Early Intervention program visit www.aspirehealthalliance.org.

C. McLean Southeast Adult Program

Adult Inpatient and Partial Hospital Placement
McLean Hospital SouthEast is a satellite program of McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. Located in Middleborough, MA, the McLean SE adult program consists of a 30-bed inpatient unit and 16-slot Partial Hospital Program treating both men and women with a wide range of psychiatric conditions. The inpatient length of stay averages about one week, and the PHP (Mon.– Fri.) length of stay averages approximately two weeks. Both levels of treatment are intense and include individual, group, and family therapy, as well as psychiatry, case management, and milieu treatment. The primary treatment modality is CBT, though other treatment approaches are utilized as well. During their 20-hour-per-week placement, interns manage three-to-four cases, lead three-to-four groups a week, and have regular opportunity to administer psychological testing. Interns experience both the inpatient and Partial Hospital Programs. Interns receive a minimum of one hour of individual supervision, separate supervision for testing, with no less than 2 hours of supervision per week. For more information on the McLean Southeast Adult Inpatient program visit www.mcleanhospital.org or the McLean Southeast Adult Partial Hospitalization program www.mcleanhospital.org.