Training Opportunities

As an emerging clinician, the Barnes Center at The Arch training program seeks to aid in your development while honoring your unique needs and interests. The health and wellness team is committed to exposing you to a variety of experiences, theoretical orientations and professional activities to foster your personal and professional growth. Through a multicultural framework, Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling encourages strong generalist practice with emphasis on social justice and high quality care. We are growth-based, individually tailored and geared towards the preparation of empathic, inquisitive, ethical, scientifically sound and versatile practitioners.

The training program operates from a Developmental-Mentoring model with emphasis on experiential learning, multicultural awareness and scholarly inquiry. We value your individual professional development path, while helping to build on prior knowledge and experience to achieve competencies in clinical service provision. Opportunities are presented in a graduated way and you are expected to increase your responsibilities as well as your autonomy as the year progresses.

Fostering the value of work and life balance, trainees are encouraged to build a schedule that reflects this throughout 20 hours per week. Typical activities include the following.

• Case Conference: Weekly case conferences are hosted for all trainees on site, allowing practice of case presentation and conceptualization.
• Case Management: You will be allotted weekly time to complete paperwork and navigate case management for your clients.
• Group Counseling: There are opportunities to either process-observe a group and/or co-lead a group with a staff member. Supervision of group is provided.
• Individual Counseling: Seeing clients in a brief therapy model for approximately 8-10 hours per week.
• Individual Supervision: You will receive one hour of supervision per week with an assigned professional staff member. During the Spring Semester you will receive a second hour of supervision from a doctoral level clinical or counseling psychology intern.
• Initial Consultations: You will conduct brief (45-minute) initial consultations with clients seeking services and refer them appropriately.
• Seminars: Weekly seminars are hosted for all trainees. These will be educational in nature and are designed to complement the experiential learning of the training year.
• Social Justice Project: You are expected to complete a social justice project throughout your training year. This involves participating in assessment and self-reflection around your needs and skill level with multicultural work, identifying an organization or student group to connect with and planning/implementing a project related to themes of social justice.

Recruitment for trainees begins early in the spring semester. Placement of four paid positions will be for the academic year. Tuition waivers are dependent upon negotiations with home departments, therefore they cannot be guaranteed.

• Preference will be given to applications received by outlined date.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have had two or more practicum placements with relevant experience conducting individual and group counseling with adults.

To be eligible for placement, students must meet the following.

• Be enrolled in a mental health focused master’s or doctoral level program at Syracuse University. Examples include: clinical psychology, counselor education, mental health counseling, school psychology, social work or marriage and family therapy.
• Students must complete at least one full year of practicum prior to joining.

Application Requirements Link

The complete job posting is available in Handshake. To apply, please submit the following via email.

• Cover Letter: Stating your interest in the position and how a placement at Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling may best meet your training goals for the coming year.
• Current curriculum vitae or resume.
• Endorsement from your Director of Training stating that you are qualified to enter into an advanced clinical training placement.

Application Contact Link

Julie Woulfe, Ph.D., Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling assistant director of training 
jmwoulfe@syr.edu
315.443.8000

Goals of the Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology include assisting in the development of a well-rounded generalist in the profession of health service psychology. Additionally, the internship works to support students in mastering the following skills and knowledge.

• Assessment
• Consultation
• Ethics
• Individual and Cultural Diversity
• Interpersonal Communication
• Intervention
• Professional Values, Attitudes, Behaviors
• Research
• Supervision

Heather Cosgrove, Ph.D., assistant director of counseling training
hecosgro@syr.edu
315.443.8000

The goal of the Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology is to prepare interns to become entry-level Health Service Psychologists readily able to join the profession in a variety of settings. As a capstone training experience, interns will be provided an opportunity to integrate their professional skillset with academic knowledge, self-reflection and rich clinical practice. Interns will build on their previous training experiences to deepen their knowledge and skills in a structured, supervised setting to achieve the degree of functioning of an entry-level psychologist.

Program Overview Link

As part of Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling, the program provides a full range of counseling, individual and group counseling, crisis services, outreach programming, consultation and supervision of clinicians in training. Counseling is part of an integrated system with Recreation, Health Care and Health Promotion. Each department works closely together to achieve holistic student support, drawing from every Dimension of Wellness. Our training program seeks to aid you in your development as an emerging psychologist while supporting your unique needs and interests. We are committed to exposing you to a variety of experiences, theoretical orientations and professional activities to foster your personal and professional growth. Through a multicultural framework, Counseling encourages strong generalist practice with emphasis on inclusivity and high-quality care. We are growth-based, individually tailored and geared towards the preparation of empathic, inquisitive, ethical, scientifically sound and versatile practitioners.

Our internship program has several opportunities that may appeal to interns looking for unique training experiences, such as the following.

• A large, diverse staff from a variety of backgrounds and professions.
• Thriving group program (includes general process, structured and topical groups).
• Opportunity to provide clinical supervision to counselors in training.
• Rotations available, including but not limited to: behavioral health, athletics, eating disorder specialization, DBT, training (administrative), or alcohol and other drugs.
• A consultation project centered on social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Three hours of individual supervision per week.
• Weekly process support group for interns.
• Emphasis on mentoring, identity development and professional growth.
• Membership in an integrated system with high collaboration points between Health Care, Counseling, Recreation and Health Promotion.

Training Values and Desired Qualities of Interns Link

Counseling upholds the following training values and desired qualities of interns.

1. We value counseling center work and interns who have a genuine interest in working with an emerging adult population in this setting.
2. We strive to meet our interns where they are in their developmental journey while helping them to develop and enhance their already advanced skillset.
3. We value practitioners being well-rounded generalists, able to effectively perform in a variety of tasks including individual counseling, assessment and diagnosis, supervision, crisis services, groups and consultation.
4. Our training provides a broad base of experience while also honoring individual goals. We work in collaboration with each intern to identify broad objectives as well as individual-specific skills to develop.
5. We value self-awareness, including working knowledge of one’s values and areas for growth. Interns who are invested in their personal development and professional awareness will be a good fit at this site.
6. We train within a brief counseling model with an emphasis on evidence-based practices.
7. We value work with diverse populations and building on our interns’ culturally relevant counseling skills.
8. We value interns having a sound theoretical foundation as well as knowledge of evidence-based practice.
9. We emphasize an environment that is respectful, supportive, collaborative, dedicated and has a sense of humor.
10. We value personal responsibility and professionalism including independent learning, self-motivation, self-direction, independent thinking and judgment in intern roles.
11. We value knowledge of and engagement in ethical and legal behavior.
12. We value professional development through supervision.
13. We value engagement in self-care and conscious striving towards wellness.
14. We value attention to practice within the larger systems in which we exist including the Student Experience division, Syracuse University and the off-campus community.
15. We value the ability to identify an area of specialized practice and pursue deeper knowledge within a specific domain (see specialty rotations).

Training Model Link

The goal of our internship program is to assist in the development of a well-rounded generalist in the profession of health service psychology. We also seek to facilitate growth and development in the profession-wide competencies of health services psychology as laid out in the Standards of Accreditation (SoA) (APA 2015). Broadly speaking, our goal is to support interns in mastering skills and knowledge in the following areas.

• Research
• Ethics
• Individual and Cultural Diversity
• Professional Values, Attitudes, Behaviors
• Interpersonal Communication
• Assessment
• Intervention
• Supervision
• Consultation

Our training program operates from a Developmental-Mentoring Model with emphasis on experiential learning, cultural competency, identity development and scholarly inquiry. We value meeting you where you are at while building on prior knowledge and experience to achieve competencies in clinical service provision. Opportunities are presented in a graduated way and you are expected to increase your responsibilities as well as your autonomy as the year progresses. Interns will be given opportunities to stretch beyond their current developmental stage with necessary support and quality supervision throughout the training year.

A core value of our training program is that of mentorship. Relationships are a catalyst to personal and professional growth, and you will be able to acquire knowledge, be socialized into the profession and obtain support as you solidify your identity as a clinician. Interns can expect to receive exposure to diverse role models, have relationships with multiple supervisors and have a variety of opportunities to work conjointly with staff as part of the mentoring experience.

Throughout the training year there will be a strong emphasis on “learning by doing.” You will be integrated into all facets of Counseling and will be expected to operate under careful supervision through a wide variety of tasks. Multicultural competency is incorporated within all training, including didactic seminars, supervision, clinical experience and consultation. Interns are expected to honor the importance of clinical practice informed by science and scholarly inquiry, which is also integrated into the work they will be doing.

• Developmental Process: Interns are presented with a sequential, cumulative training experience with increasing levels of responsibility and expectations as they progress through their internship year. The internship year begins with an orientation period where interns can expect to receive training around center policies and procedures and the core tasks associated with their role. Interns also begin shadowing training staff as they learn our initial consultation process, on call procedures and crisis appointments prior to interns taking on these tasks themselves. Early in the training experience, interns are closely supervised and provided with considerable direction in defining their goals for internship. This is in partnership with their individual supervisors and the Training Director. As the internship progresses, interns are provided with less direction and are encouraged to act with increasing independence. By the end of internship, interns have achieved the ability to function autonomously in their role. This is done through support, mentorship, training, and supervision activities geared toward achieving independence.
• Individualized Training: As part of the developmental process in gaining skill and competence, we recognize that interns are also bringing a variety of skills, experiences and training needs to internship. The program offers flexibility to tailor parts of the internship to meet the unique strengths, needs and interests of each intern. Training staff work closely with interns to identify their training goals for the year, which are revisited and revised as desired. Interns can also expect to maintain clinical caseloads and service activities that are consistent with their training needs and interests. Interns’ input and preferences are considered when determining primary and secondary supervisor assignments, consultation assignments, group treatment assignments, committee participation and specialty rotation assignments. There will be opportunities throughout the training year for interns to participate in outreach initiatives or groups that are of particular interest to them.
• Diversity and Multicultural Awareness: Our staff is committed to the awareness and affirmation of diversity in all functions of our department. The internship program attends to diversity/multicultural issues through activities including didactic seminars, supervision and actual clinical experiences. We are also committed to supporting the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of our campus and interns are expected to complete a consultation project centered around social justice themes during the summer of their internship year. Interns are expected to develop self-awareness, knowledge and skills relevant to the needs of various groups and individuals and to be skilled in the implementation of interventions which appropriately address such needs.

Syracuse University Link

Syracuse University is a private research University located in central New York state. The campus itself is in the heart of the city of Syracuse, sprawling 276 acres. Syracuse University is organized into 13 schools and colleges with nationally recognized programs in information studies/library science, architecture, communications, business administration, sport management, public administration and engineering. On average, Syracuse University hosts an enrollment of over 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students with the campus being largely residential. Syracuse University is well known for its Division I athletic teams, including men’s basketball and football. Additionally, Syracuse University has been ranked highly as a “best college for veterans” and recently completed a $63 million state-of-the-art National Veterans Resource Center in 2020. Syracuse University has a diverse student population, representing all 50 states and over 115 countries. Approximately 10% of all students are from outside the U.S.

City of Syracuse and Broader Community Link

Syracuse is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York, with a city population of 145,252 and an additional 662,577 residents in the surrounding metropolitan area. It is the economic and educational hub of Central New York. The Greater Syracuse area is a region of rolling hills, flat plains, lakes and streams. It is situated close to the Finger Lakes region, Adirondack Mountains, as well as Lake Ontario. Syracuse benefits from easily accessible transportation options, including an international airport, regional transportation center (e.g. bus, train), and a car ride away from other metropolitan areas such as Boston, New York City and Philadelphia. In terms of weather, Syracuse enjoys a four-season climate with marked seasonal changes. It is known as one of the snowiest cities in the world, with an average annual snowfall of 124 inches.

Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling Link

Counseling is located on the third floor of the Barnes Center, a newly built (est. 2019) state-of-the-art wellness facility in the center of campus. Our department employs 30+ full-time staff from a variety of backgrounds including: psychologists, clinical mental health counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. Counseling also coordinates a graduate student training program, employing four graduate students per year in Counseling and an additional two behavioral health interns in the Health Clinic. Our staff and trainees represent a variety of perspectives on dimensions of culture, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity and religion. We do not enforce any one theoretical approach, instead encouraging and supporting a range of theoretical orientations including interpersonal, psychodynamic, cognitive/behavioral, multicultural/feminist, family systems, etc.

Barnes Center at The Arch Vision Link

Every Syracuse University student will have the capacity to learn, connect and thrive in a healthy, respectful and supportive environment. We strive to be leaders in college wellness by providing integrated care and an unsurpassed student experience. Utilizing a social justice framework, we endeavor to create an inclusive and welcoming environment that is safe and comfortable for all we serve.

Barnes Center at The Arch Mission Link

To provide quality integrated wellness services and programs, which support a holistic and inclusive student-centered experience promoting lifelong growth and development.

Statement On Diversity Link

Syracuse University maintains an inclusive learning environment in which students, faculty, administrators, staff, curriculum, social activities, governance and all other aspects of campus life reflect a diverse, multicultural and international worldview. The University community recognizes and values the many similarities and differences among individuals and groups. At Syracuse, we are committed to preparing students to understand, live among, appreciate and work in an inherently diverse country and world made up of people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds, military backgrounds, religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, cultural traditions, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities. To do so, we commit ourselves to promoting a community that celebrates and models the principles of diversity and inclusivity.

Our doctoral psychology internship is a full-time, 2,000 hours program, maximizing its applicability for licensure requirements in most states. Interns are scheduled for 42 hours per week, which includes five hours for lunch, two hours of charting time and four hours per week dedicated to the specialty rotation area.

Formal and informal feedback are provided throughout the training year. Interns will also have regular opportunity to give feedback as well. Formal written and verbal feedback are provided at three points during the year (usually mid-fall semester, end of fall semester, and then at the end of the year). Beyond this, informal verbal feedback is given regularly throughout the training year. All manner of evaluation is regularly assessed and revised upon/based on feedback from staff and trainees. Core values of our training program rest on honest, direct communication and feedback.

Applicants for internship are required to meet the following conditions to be given full consideration.

Minimum Requirements Link

1. Minimum 500 Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Grand Total Practicum Hours; Minimum 300 Total Intervention Hours
2. Minimum three years of graduate training in a clinical or counseling psychology doctoral program.
3. Comprehensive exams passed by application deadline.
4. Graduate program that is American Psychological Association (APA) accredited; Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) accredited is also acceptable.
5. Endorsement by department chair regarding readiness for internship.

Preferred Criteria Link

1. 350+ hours supervised psychotherapy experience (e.g. individual, couples, group) in graduate level practicum.
2. Psychotherapy experience with adult client populations (similar to college age populations).
3. Experience providing group-based treatments.
4. Experience providing services to diverse client populations.
5. Counseling center experience.

Additional Relevant Experience Link

1. Crisis Intervention
2. Outreach and Consultation
3. Providing clinical supervision and/or clinical supervision coursework.

Applications must include, as a part of the universal Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) application, the following:

1. Cover Letter
2. Three letters of reference. At least two of these letters should be from recent clinical supervisors.
3. Verification of internship readiness from graduate program training director.
4. Current Curriculum Vitae
5. Official Graduate Transcript

The Internship Selection Committee assesses the appropriateness of the practicum training through review of application materials. Applicants are rated in a variety of ways, including the amount and types of training and clinical experiences they have, how their APPIC essays fit with our department’s philosophies, values, approaches and professional functions, and the intern’s overall fit with what our training program has to offer. Candidates who stand out as having experiences and training goals compatible with what our program offers are invited for interviews. After all interviews are completed, the Intern Selection Committee (which typically consists of the Training Director, Training Committee members and additional staff members as needed) meets to discuss each candidates’ qualifications and fit with the internship program.

The Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling training program values appropriate “fit” with candidates who believe our site will be an excellent match with their training goals. Our internship in Health Service Psychology is designed to facilitate the development of skills to be an entry-level generalist psychologist.

Our program requires that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at the time of application.

• Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours: 300
• Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours: Not Applicable

Applicants for our internship program should be degree-seeking candidates in an accredited doctoral program in Counseling Psychology or Clinical Psychology, should have completed the appropriate coursework and supervised practicums, and be certified as ready for the internship by their home departments. We generally look for a minimum of 500 hours of supervised practice, including 300 hours of direct clinical services. However, given that many practicum training experiences in 2020 and 2021 were disrupted by COVID-19, for the coming year we will allow more flexibility in the hours requirements and instead focus more on whether the applicants have acquired the necessary competencies to progress to internship training.

We ask that applicants have their dissertation proposal completed by the ranking deadline. We seek candidates from accredited programs. Eligibility for employment at Syracuse University requires a background check that verifies that candidates have no criminal record that would preclude employment.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for the Upcoming Training Year* Link

• Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-Time Interns: $35,000
• Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-Time Interns: Not Applicable (No half-time internship positions.)
• Program Provides access to medical insurance for intern?: Yes
• If access to medical insurance is provided:
  • Intern contribution to cost required?: Yes
  • Coverage of family member(s) available?: Yes
  • Coverage of legally married partner available?: Yes
  • Coverage of domestic partner available?: Yes
• Hours of Paid Personal Time Off:
  • Five days of excused pay.
  • Approximately 10 paid University holidays.
  • One hour of sick leave accrued per 30 hours worked.
• In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?: Yes
• Please visit the Syracuse University Human Resources Benefits webpage for additional benefit information.

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

Intern Supervision Link

Mentorship, supervision and collegial support are foundations of the Counseling department and cornerstones of the internship experience here. Our supervisory staff offer a variety of different theoretical orientations and/or styles of supervision, and value the importance of balancing support and challenge in a developmentally appropriate way for interns. The purpose of supervision is to assist with the growth of clinical intervention skills, foster complex and sound clinical judgment, and facilitate enhanced self-awareness around factors that can significantly impact clinical and professional functioning.

Primary Individual Clinical Supervisors Link

Each intern is assigned one primary clinical supervisor with whom they meet with two hours a week over the course of the internship year. All primary supervisors are licensed psychologists in the State of New York. The primary clinical supervisor is allotted 1.5 hours per week to prepare for each supervision session by reviewing clinical documentation, providing feedback on video recordings and gathering training materials to share with their supervisee. The primary supervisor provides supervision of 2/3 of the intern’s caseload (approximately 12 clients) and reviews relevant notes and disposition for the assigned clients. It is the intern’s responsibility to track which clients on their caseload are assigned to their primary and secondary supervisors, and to update this list weekly using the provided document.

Secondary Individual Clinical Supervisors Link

Each intern is also assigned one secondary clinical supervisor with whom they meet with one hour per week over the course of the internship year. Secondary clinical supervisors are licensed clinicians in New York State from a variety of backgrounds, including: LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, Ph.D., or Psy.D. As a multi-disciplinary agency, we recognize the value of receiving supervision from experienced staff representing diversity in training, work and life experiences. The secondary clinical supervisor is allotted one hour per week to prepare for each supervision session. They provide supervision for 1/3 of the intern’s caseload (approximately six clients). Secondary supervisors are responsible for all clinical oversight of this caseload, including documentation and video review. Interns may opt to work with a secondary supervisor who offers a specialized perspective regarding a theoretical approach, presenting concern or client population, and focus their caseload in their supervisor’s area of expertise.

Supervision of Group Counseling Link

Group counseling is highly valued at our center, and all interns are provided the opportunity to receive experience and supervision in leading groups. We offer process-oriented counseling groups, structured psycho-educational groups, open support groups, and identity specific groups as part of our programming. In the fall semester, interns are paired with a professional clinical staff member for group co-facilitation over the course of the year. Interns will receive 30 minutes/week of supervision from their group co-facilitator. Interns will also engage in a weekly group consultation meeting with the Groups Coordinator where they can discuss their experiences in group, show video recordings, and give and receive feedback with each other. Evaluations are conducted at the end of each semester that an intern co-facilitates group.

Supervision of Supervision Link

Interns gain experience in providing supervision for graduate student counselors in training. Their supervisees may be beginning or advanced practicum students in school or clinical psychology doctoral programs, the clinical mental health master’s program or the master’s level social work program at Syracuse University. During the fall semester, interns attend a one-hour weekly didactic seminar on supervision facilitated by a senior staff member. Interns begin supervising a graduate student trainee during the spring and receive supervision of supervision with a member of the training staff 1.5 hours weekly that semester. Supervision of supervision consists of didactic training and discussion of relevant literature on various topics in supervision, processing of issues as they arise within supervisory relationships, showing video recordings of supervision sessions, giving and receiving feedback, suggestions, and support from fellow interns and the training staff.

• Individual Counseling: Our center operates from a brief therapy model, and interns can expect to provide individual psychotherapy as their most common mode of treatment. There is also opportunity to conduct longer-term therapy with a few cases. Interns are typically expected to carry an average of 10-12 individual ongoing clients per week, although the number will likely be higher in times of peak demand during each academic semester.
• Initial Consultations: Interns conduct brief (30-45 minute) initial consultations with clients seeking services at our center for the first time, or after returning to treatment after a long break. Initial consultations form the basis for establishing rapport, clarification of client needs and goals, behavioral observation, quick intervention and referral to appropriate resources. Interns can expect to conduct on average 2-3 initial consultations per week. This number may be increased in the fall to assist with building a caseload, and then reduced once full caseload is reached.
• Same-Day Consultations: All staff are assigned a certain number of same-day blocks per week. Each block is 60 minutes in length, although sessions typically last between 30-45 minutes. During this time, interns are expected to see students who call or drop in that “same day” and are requesting services immediately. Clients can be both new to Counseling and ongoing clients who are currently using our services. The function of this appointment is the same as our initial consultation model—focused on brief intervention, quick assessment, rapport building and connecting students to resources. Interns can expect to have 2-3 same-day shifts per week.
• Crisis Call Daytime Coverage: Interns will cover one crisis call (“daycall”) time slot per week. Each slot is for 60 minutes, and during this time interns are expected to be available to respond to any urgent/emergent calls that come into the center during our normal business hours. Calls can include: consulting with a concerned family member or staff member, responding to a student in distress, risk assessments, hospitalizations or coordinating with other on campus departments around mental health concerns/crises.
• Group Counseling: Our department offers a variety of counseling groups. At the beginning of their training year, interns are assigned a group to co-facilitate. They can submit preferences for both group topic and co-facilitator to the Training Director and Groups Coordinator. Pairings are based on several factors, including but not limited to the intern’s past group experiences, the intern’s expressed interest, etc. Interns are also expected to develop groups in their own areas of interest with the guidance of the professional staff. Interns can expect to spend at least 1.5 hours per week in direct group facilitation.
• On-Call Crisis Intervention: Beginning in October of the fall semester, interns will enter our after-hours rotation and be the primary therapist on call for after-hours crisis calls that filter through our system. We utilize Protocall services for non-emergent concerns, however, on-call staff must still be available for emergent consultation with our Student Living team, our police department, and Protocall services. Interns can expect to be on call 3-4 weekdays in the spring semester, as well as one weekend and one Saturday shift (10 a.m.-2 p.m.).
• Supervision of a Graduate Student Trainee: During the spring semester, interns will be assigned to work with a graduate student in training at Counseling. This student may be from a doctoral or master’s level program and will also have an assigned senior staff member as their second supervisor. Interns will oversee half of the graduate student trainee’s caseload and provide one hour of supervision per week. Interns will also participate in a weekly “supervision of supervision” seminar with a member of the training staff to discuss emerging supervision issues and considerations.

• Orientation: Interns receive an orientation to the internship program, Barnes Center at The Arch Counseling and the University community during the first three weeks of the internship. They meet with professional and support staff within Counseling to become familiar with each staff member and their responsibilities. They also meet with outside departmental staff with whom Counseling has frequent and critical contact. Interns observe and participate in orientation activities for students and parents. They also receive didactic instruction regarding the training program, Counseling, policies and procedures, due process and grievance procedures, and activities that will be required of them as they begin to see clients. In addition, they begin to sit in on and observe professional staff during initial consultations and crisis services.
• Training Seminars: Interns participate in a series of two-hour seminars which meet weekly from late August through July, with a break between semesters. Most of these seminars are didactic lecture-discussion meetings, which may be supplemented when possible by videotape or live demonstrations encouraging experiential learning. Seminar topics cover areas relevant for clinical practice in a University counseling center. Initial seminars may focus on the fundamental tasks/skills for internship practice, such as intake interviewing, ethical and legal issues, goal-setting, crisis intervention and brief interventions. Later seminars may focus on more nuanced evidenced-based techniques and treatments for specific clinical approaches or diagnostic groups.
• Intern Support Group: Interns meet for one hour per week (during a lunch hour) to process their experience in the internship and Counseling as a whole, and to discuss general matters relevant to professional development. The group is facilitated by a professional staff member whose focus of service within Counseling is significantly different from the psychologists on the staff. This component is intended to directly support the emotional development of interns in a manner that complements efforts provided in supervision.
• Formal Case Presentations: Interns will present 1-2 cases each to the professional staff using a format provided by the Training Director. This component is intended to provide interns with an opportunity to demonstrate to the professional staff their capacity to conceptualize, plan and implement a treatment in a theoretically coherent fashion. Cases are expected to highlight concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion such as: power dynamics, themes of oppression and privilege, considerations around identity and cultural considerations in conceptualization.
• Specialized Rotations: Interns are allotted four hours per week to participate in a specialized rotation, which they will be assigned at the start of internship. Specialized rotation options may include: eating disorder treatment, behavioral health in integrated care, substance use treatment, athletics and student athletes, working with trauma and sexual violence, administrative (training) and/or Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Interns submit their preferences for their specialized rotations to the Training Director and assignments are based on fit, individualized training goals and availability of the specialty rotation. A staff member heavily associated with the rotation will serve as a mentor for the intern as they move through the rotation and gain experience. Interns will work with the Training Director and their staff mentor on goals and training tasks related to gaining specialization in their identified area.
• Social Justice Summer Consultation Project: During the summer months of internship (approximately end of May through July), interns will complete a social justice consultation project with another department or student group on campus. Throughout the training year, interns will complete assessments and self-reflection around their own identities, skills, areas of growth and the multicultural work that they engage in. Through these assessments as well as the multicultural seminar, interns will formulate goals centered on social justice to implement through a consultation project during the summer months of internship. Interns may opt to collaborate with a specific department or student group on campus to provide culturally competent programming, volunteer with a population or organization that aligns with their identified goals, attend cultural events, speakers, or festivals aligned with an area of growth, or conduct research on the unique needs of certain populations and design an outreach program oriented towards this group. The scope and execution of the project is ultimately up to the intern in close consultation with the Training Director. At the end of internship, interns are expected to have completed their project and will present on their experiences to the professional staff.

Additional Rotating Training/Consultation Meetings Link

In addition to regular supervision and intern seminars, interns will also attend other meetings throughout the training year geared towards orienting and integrating them into our system:

1. Crisis Consultation/Risk Assessment Meetings
2. Intern Case Conferences
3. Intern Meetings with the Training Director
4. Staff Meetings (Weekly)
5. Group supervision meetings with full staff (weekly).
6. Consultation meetings on sexual and relationship violence, alcohol and other drugs, and/or eating disorder treatment as applicable.

Interns spend, on average, between 40-43 hours per week in activities related to internship. All our interns are full-time. While most of the activities are required from each intern, there are opportunities for choice in the special rotation areas. The general time commitment per week is highlighted below.

Sample Weekly Activities for Doctoral Interns Link

Activities and distribution of hours subject to change.

Interns in our program receive formative evaluations in a variety of ways in order to receive continuous feedback on areas of strength and growth edges. First, interns receive intense supervision and continuing evaluation through their primary and secondary supervisors on a weekly basis.

Second, intern progress and growth is discussed biweekly at the training committee meeting. This includes comments from individual supervisors, group supervisors and staff observations of how the interns are progressing. The designated primary supervisor shares with the intern feedback generated from these meetings.

Supervisors (individual, group) complete a formal Intern Competency Assessment at three points during the training year (late October, end of December, and end of their training year). Within these assessments are minimum levels of achievement (three out of seven as a rating achieved on all elements by the end of the Fall semester, and four out of seven achieved on all elements by the end of internship) that interns are expected to make as they progress through internship. For more information on these assessments, please refer to the training manual. A summary of these assessments are sent to the doctoral interns’ graduate programs to provide their home departments written feedback about their progress.

By the end of the training year, each intern is expected to amass at least 2,000 hours, with at least 500 of those hours being clinical work. To successfully pass internship, each intern is also expected to achieve the minimum level of expected competency (rating of “4” or higher) in all areas for their final evaluation by the end of the training year.

In the unusual event that any psychology intern is not progressing as expected at any point in the year in any competency area, the training committee will review their performance and develop recommendations, in consultation with the intern, to help the intern optimize the possibility of success.

In addition, interns will also provide evaluation and written feedback to their supervisors in December and the end of their training year. Interns will also have regular meetings with the Training Director to discuss or air any grievance, make suggestions and reflect on their training experience. At the end of the internship year, interns engage in a formal evaluation of the overall internship program.

Grievance Policy Link

A core value of our agency is that of honest, direct and respectful dialogue. This is to promote a safe and transparent work environment. It is recognized that there may be times when conflicts emerge, and it is important for interns to orient themselves to the appropriate procedures in identifying and resolving their grievances. When informal attempts have been inadequate in sufficiently resolving the conflict, a more formal procedure is in place to help interns address their needs (outlined below).

Potential grievances may present in different ways, including: Link

1. Problem with a peer.
2. Problem with a member of the support staff.
3. Problem with a clinical supervisor.
4. Problem with the Training Director.
5. Problem with your group counseling supervisor/co-leader.
6. Problem with other Counseling staff.
7. Problem with some aspect of the training program.

Grievance Procedure (Informal and Formal) Link

1. In the event an intern encounters any difficulties or problems (e.g., poor supervision, personality clashes, other staff conflict) during their training experiences, and intern can:
   1. Discuss the issue with the staff member(s) involved;
   2. If the issue cannot be resolved informally, or if the intern is uncomfortable with directly approaching the persons involved, the intern may discuss the concern with the primary supervisor, the Training Director or any member of the training team. The role of these persons will be to support, mentor and/or direct the intern in how best to proceed with the concern and to recommend appropriate resources for consultation;
   3. If the primary supervisor, Training Director or member of the training team cannot assist the intern in resolving the issue, the intern can formally challenge any action or decision taken by any member of the training staff by following the below procedure:
      1. The intern should give notice by filing a formal complaint with the Training Director in writing, and provide all supporting documentation. If the intern is challenging a formal evaluation, the intern must do so within five (5) working days of the receipt of the evaluation.
      2. Within three (3) working days of a formal complaint, the Training Director must consult with the Director of Counseling and implement review panel procedures as described below. If the formal complaint involves the Training Director, the Director of Counseling will appoint someone from the training committee to fulfill the Training Director function with regard to the complaint.
   4. If a training committee member has specific concern about an intern, the staff member should:
      1. Discuss the issue with the intern(s) involved.
      2. Consult with the intern’s primary supervisor and/or Training Director.
      3. If the issue is not resolved informally, the staff member may seek resolution through the formal grievance procedure for concerns with the intern behavior or performance.

Review Panel and Process (Hearing) Link

1. When needed for an intern complaint, a review panel will be convened by the Training Director or the Director of Counseling. The panel will consist of three staff members (which could include an intern) selected by either the Training Director or the Director of Counseling with consultation with the intern involved in the dispute. The intern has the right to hear all facts with the opportunity to dispute or explain the behavior of concern.
2. Within five (5) working days, a meeting of the review panel will be conducted in which the challenge is heard and relevant material is presented. Within three (3) working days of the completion of the review, the review panel submits a written report to the Training Director including any recommendations for further action. Recommendations made by the review panel will be made by majority vote.
3. Within three (3) working days of receipt of the recommendation, the Training Director will either accept or reject the review panel’s recommendations. If the Training Director rejects the panel’s recommendations, due to an incomplete or inadequate evaluation of the dispute, the Training Director my refer the matter back to the review panel for further deliberation and revised recommendations or may make a final decision.
4. If referred back to the panel, they will report back to the Training Director within five (5) working days of the receipt of the request for further deliberation. The Training Director then makes a final decision regarding what action is to be taken.
5. The Training Directors informs the intern, staff members involved, and, if necessary, members of the training staff of the decision and any action to be taken or not to be taken.
6. If the intern disputes the Training Director’s final decision, the intern has the right to appeal the decision following the steps in the Appeals process section below.

Due Process and Disciplinary Policies for Addressing Intern Competency Deficits Link

Insufficient professional competence is defined as interference in professional functioning which is reflected in one or more of the following ways.

• An inability and/or unwillingness to acquire and integrate professional standards into one’s repertoire of professional behavior.
• An inability to acquire professional skills in order to reach an acceptable level of competency.
• An inability to control personal stress, psychological dysfunction and/or excessive emotional reactions which interfere with professional functioning.

Insufficient professional competence is operationalized by evaluation forms and constitutes a rating of one out of seven on any item or documentation of one of the concerns below brought by the individual supervisor to the Training Director or noted on a formal written evaluation form. This is also true if an intern achieves below a “3” on all elements of the evaluation form by the end of the Fall semester, a remediation plan will also be required. Insufficient professional competence typically takes the form of one of the following characteristics.

1. The intern does not acknowledge, understand or address a problem when it is identified.
2. A problem is not merely a reflection of a skill deficit which can be rectified by academic, didactic training or supervision.
3. The quality of the services delivered by the intern is negatively affected to a significant degree.
4. A problem is not restricted to one area of professional functioning.
5. A disproportionate amount of attention by senior staff is required.
6. The intern’s behavior does not change as a function of feedback, remediation efforts and/or time.
7. A problematic behavior has potential for ethical or legal ramifications, if not addressed.
8. The intern’s behavior negatively impacts the public view of the agency.

Inadequate performance can be differentiated from insufficient professional competence in that it merely reflects a skill deficit, while insufficient professional competence reflects behavior and/or attitudes that prevent an intern from reaching competent practice. Both are addressed by the remediation procedures.

If there are concerns about an intern’s performance, the relevant staff member must bring this to the intern’s attention. The staff member can choose to take this step after consulting with the Training Director. The staff member must then discuss strategies for skill acquisition or ways to improve intern performance with their intern. Irrespective of how and when the staff member chooses to address the issue of concern with the intern, the staff member must inform the intern’s primary supervisor and/or the Training Director, at minimum. It is up to the staff member if they want to raise the concern during a Training Committee meeting.

If the behavior or performance continues to be of concern resulting in an inadequate or unsatisfactory rating on the intern’s formal evaluation, the supervisor will discuss the areas of concern with the intern and consult with the Training Director. The primary supervisor and the Training Director are responsible for informing the intern regarding such concerns about their behavior. The intern will have the opportunity to respond formally, in writing, to the evaluation or staff concerns. The Training Director will then review the evaluation and any response from the intern to determine was subsequent action, if any, should be taken to address the concern. This may be done in consultation with the intern’s primary supervisor or other training staff members. When the Training Director is the primary supervisor, the Training Director and a minimum of two other training staff members form a committee to review the evaluation and any response from the intern to determine what subsequent action, if any, should be taken to address the concern.

Remediation Procedures Link

If at any time an intern disagrees with the following notifications, remediation or sanctions, the intern can implement an appeal as outlined in the Appeals process section that follows.

Remediation procedures are activated when one of the following occurs.

• An intern earns a rating of one on any evaluation form element.
• An intern earns a rating below the Minimum Level of Achievement (any rating below a three) on any evaluation form element during the end of the Fall semester evaluation period.
• A supervisor documents a written concern necessitating remediation on a formal evaluation.
• Any member of the senior staff documents a written concern with the Training Director.

The latter is likely to happen with a problem or infraction so serious that it must be reported and addressed prior to the next formal evaluation period. The intern will receive a copy of any formal complaint within two (2) working days of when it is filed. The procedures are initiated by the Training Director informing the Training Committee within a week of the notification. If deemed necessary by the Training Director in consultation with Counseling’s administrative team, a Remediation Committee will be formed. This committee will consist of three senior staff members who are not the intern’s current individual supervisor. If the Training Director has a significant conflict of interest or multiple relationship type of concern with the intern in question and cannot participate in the committee, the Training Director shall appoint a designee. Remediation Committee members will gather information from collaterals relevant to the issue, as well as the intern and the intern’s current individual supervisor(s). The Remediation Committee will discuss the case and arrive by consensus by majority vote on one of the following remediation actions. When appropriate, Remediation Committee members will suggest steps to resolve the issue and what conditions indicate successful remediation within five (5) working days of their final decision. When implementing remediation or sanctions in response to the identification of inadequate performance or problematic behavior in an intern, the training staff must consider the welfare of clients and the needs of the intern in question, other interns, training staff and other agency personnel. Courses of action are determined by the remediation procedures highlighted above, and may include but are not limited to the following.

1. No Action: No action will be taken when the Remediation Committee determines that no problem actually exists.
2. Verbal Warning: A verbal warning will be given to the intern to discontinue the behavior in question. If the behavior is discontinued, no further action will be taken.
3. Written Acknowledgment: A written acknowledgment formally acknowledges that the Training Director (or other training staff members) are aware of and concerned about the intern’s performance and ability to fulfill their responsibilities; the concerns have been brought to the attention of the intern; the intern must work with the Training Director and the intern’s primary supervisor to rectify the behavior(s) related to the concern; the behavior(s) in question, if not remedied, may warrant more serious action; and the training staff will communicate with the intern’s department regarding the matter. A written acknowledgment may be removed from the intern’s file when the intern responds to the concerns and successfully completes the internship.
4. Written Warning: A written warning to discontinue the behavior in question will be given to the intern and placed in the intern’s file. A copy of the written warning will be kept in the intern’s file, and a copy will be sent to the intern’s graduate program. At the end of the internship, the Training Director, in consultation with the intern’s primary supervisor and the Center Director, may elect to remove the letter from the intern’s file at the request of the intern. If the letter is retained in the intern’s file, the intern may submit a letter stating their position regarding the behavior(s) noted in the written warning.
5. Schedule Modification: A remediation-oriented, closely supervised period during training designed to assist the intern’s ability to fulfill their responsibilities and complete the internship. The period typically includes increased guidance and review of the intern’s work and professional activities by the training staff in conjunction with the Training Director. Any number of modifications to an intern’s schedule may be implemented at the discretion of the training staff, including, without limit: increased supervision and instruction by previously-assigned supervisors and/or other staff, changes in the format, emphasis and/or focus of supervision, a recommendation of steps to assist the intern to adequately perform their professional responsibilities by resolving issues that impact performance, reducing the intern’s clinical or other workload, or required academic coursework or readings. The Training Director, in consultation with the intern’s supervisors, will typically determine the scope and length of a schedule modification and when/if the intern should resume their regular schedule.
6. Probation: Probation is defined as a specific period of time when remediation determined by the committee will be implemented. Remediation may consist of such actions as increased didactic work, increased readings, increased supervision time, recommending therapy outside Counseling, etc. The intern will be closely scrutinized by their supervisors and the Training Director during this time. Termination of probation is determined by the training committee at a specific future date. If the intern has not adequately changed the behavior by the specified date, probation may be continued or some other sanction may be implemented. The intern will be given a written statement of the probation conditions. Report of the probation will be made to the academic department either immediately or at the next scheduled report time.
7. Temporary Withdrawal of Activity Privileges: If the welfare of the intern or clientele is at risk, the intern will receive a temporary withdrawal of relevant activity privileges to prevent harm. This will occur for a specific time period and be accompanied by remediation activities, both to be specified by the Remediation Committee. If the intern can demonstrate that the problem has been sufficiently addressed by the end of this period, activities will be resumed and will likely be accompanied by a probation period. The intern will be informed in writing of the conditions of the temporary suspension. This action will be communicated to the academic department immediately.
8. Suspension and Dismissal: Suspension of all activities and dismissal from Counseling may be initiated if it is determined by the committee that imminent harm may occur to the clientele of Counseling if the intern continues or if remediation is found to be unsuccessful. The committee will make a recommendation for suspension and dismissal to the Director of Counseling who will make the final decision. The intern will receive written notice of the dismissal. The academic department will be informed that the intern has not and will not successfully complete the internship.

Any significant concerns requiring formal remediation will need to be communicated with an intern’s academic department as well as noted on any references provided by Counseling staff for future jobs, licensure or other opportunities outside of our system.

Appeals Process Link

Should an intern choose to appeal any of the above-mentioned actions, they must inform the Training Director in writing within five (5) working days of the receipt of notification of the action. The following steps will then be taken to review the appeal.

• A review panel, consisting of the Training Director as chair, one training staff member selected by the Training Director, and one training staff member selected by the intern, will be convened.
  • If the Training Director is either the intern’s primary supervisor or the party who brought the complaint, then the Training Director cannot be a member of the review panel and the Clinical Director will select two training staff members and designate one to be the chair of the panel.
• The intern retains the right to be present and hear all facts with the opportunity to dispute or explain their behavior, prior to discussion by the review panel. Decisions by the review panel will be made by majority vote.
• Within one week of the completion of the review hearing, the review panel will submit a report to the Director, with a copy to the intern, including any recommendations for further action.
  • Within one week of the receipt of the panel’s report, the Director will accept the review panel’s recommendation for action, reject it and provide an alternative, or refer the matter back to the panel for further deliberation. In the latter instance, the panel will then report the results of further deliberation to the Director.
• When the final decision has been reached, the intern, the intern’s academic program and other appropriate individuals will be informed in writing.

Intern Training Manual, Counseling and Career Services, University of California Santa Barbara and the Intern Manual, Student Counseling Center, Illinois State University