Internship Overview

Psychology Internship Requirements for Completion

1. Successful clinical work in each of two (2) half-time placements as determined by supervisors. Direct service
   time of at least 25% (APA minimum requirement) and not to exceed 40% (the program’s aspirational goal).
   Interns will receive monthly feedback about these goals as the year progresses. A minimum of 370 direct service hours are required for the outpatient placement. Evening availability 2 days a week is also required at the outpatient placement.
2. Successful rotation at the Adult and Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention Services as determined by the Program Director.
3. Attendance and active participation in all mandatory seminars as determined by seminar leaders.
4. Successful completion of a minimum of five (5) psychological testing batteries and corresponding written
   reports as determined by testing supervisors.
5. Successful demonstration of ability to produce a relevant research product and ability to communicate findings
   and implications of this research as determined by supervisors and/or training staff.
6. Successful navigation of the program’s evaluative system, including the Individual Learning Plan, Supervisors
   and Intern Conference, Mid-Year Evaluation, and Final Evaluation. These documents are found in the Intern
   Handbook.
7. Active participation in the evaluation of the training program by completing supervisor and seminar
   evaluations during the training year.

Seminars

A variety of required and optional seminars are offered to interns during the training year. Required seminars for all interns include Psychological Testing, Professional Issues, Cultural Curiosity, Supervision and Consultation and either Child or Adult Clinical Seminar. The clinical seminars routinely include material on individual, group, and family therapy, as well as multicultural competence. In addition, a variety of brief and extended workshops and seminars are offered on issues of topical interest, such as psychological trauma, learning disabilities, play therapy, substance abuse/dual diagnosis, psychopharmacology, physical and sexual abuse, adoption, licensure and more.

Evaluations

Interns are evaluated twice during the course of the training year to assure that their individual training goals are being met, as well as to ensure the fulfillment of their responsibilities to the various placements. Interns also have the opportunity to provide written evaluations of their supervisors, seminars, and the overall training program.

Stipend and Benefits

The internship carries a stipend of $37,440 along with the option of health and dental insurance coverage. (Specific costs to interns vary with plan selected.) There are nine (9) paid holidays, five (5) days of sick time, and twelve (12) days of paid time off for professional development, vacation, or personal time.

In the event of a medical condition and/or family needs that require extended leave, an intern would have access to reasonable unpaid leave as needed. Upon returning from the agreed upon leave, the intern would be expected to extend the hours of their internship to meet the 1960 hours of internship training required for licensure in many states.

Policies and Procedures

The internship program policies and procedures are available to download here, Intern Policies and Procedures.

Additionally, this internship 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.

Staff

Mental Health services are provided by a staff of more than 500 full – and part-time employees. Professional staff includes psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical nurse specialists, special education teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and outreach workers. The multidisciplinary environment provides an ideal climate for training, which has always been a priority at Aspire Health Alliance. In addition to our APA accredited internship program for doctoral psychology students, clinical training in social work practice is offered. Affiliations are maintained with a number of local colleges and universities with schools of social work.

Interviews

For the doctoral psychology internship program, completed applications are due no later than November 5, 2023 and will be reviewed by a panel of training supervisors. Our program is committed to policies of non-discrimination in intern selection and hiring on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, physical disability, or other forms of diversity. The training program avoids any actions that would restrict program access on grounds that are irrelevant to success in graduate training individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

If you wish to apply to our internship for the 2024-2025 year, please download and review the following documents:

In regard to COVID-19 changes, our internship program is operating in-person (on-site) at all placements, with continued use of telehealth in the provision of some clinical services.

In your cover letter, please let us know which of our tracks and secondary placements are of interest to you and about your interest in training in a community mental health setting. Applicants are selected for interviews based upon whether there is a good match between Aspire Health Alliance’s programs and the students’ training and experience. Applicants selected for interviews will be notified by email by December 9, 2023. There are two interview days for adult track applicants and another two days for the child/adolescent and early childhood tracks.

Each interview day includes opportunities to meet internship supervisors, staff, and current interns in both formal and informal meetings, as well as structured group and individual interviews. Candidates should plan to be available from 9:00 am until 2:30 pm for interviews.