VA Salt Lake City Health Care System/Psychology - Internship

Type of Site: Internship, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, APA Accredited

Program Description:

The VASLCHCS offers broadly-based, generalist training through training in assessment, treatment, and consultation/liaison in BOTH medical and mental health settings. Interns select four Major Rotations (3 months each) for their training year.  Concurrently, all interns have Minor Rotations engaging in six months of both Outpatient Mental Health and Psychological Assessment. This structure allows for both breadth and depth of clinical experiences, as well as exposure to a variety of treatment approaches and supervision.  Major rotations vary annually, we offer anywhere from 8-12 rotations, depending on supervisor availability.  Rotations may include:  Inpatient Psychiatry, Mental Health Consultation/Liaison, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Behavioral Health/Primary Care, Geropsychology, Medical Psychology, Health Promotion & Disease Prevention, Polytrauma and Caregiver Support, Palliative Care, Addictions, Pain Medicine, and Comorbid Substance Abuse & PTSD, and VITAL (OEF/OIF veteran outreach in college settings). Within these settings, interns function as providers, consultants, and members of interprofessional teams. They are exposed to serious psychopathology and complex medical conditions, allowing them ample opportunity to put to use the diagnostic and treatment skills learned in their academic settings. The six-month Outpatient Mental Health placement provides interns with the opportunity to provide psychotherapy (individual and group) and receive exposure to Evidence Based Psychotherapy. Populations may include veterans with combat-related PTSD, Military Sexual Trauma, Substance Use Disorders, Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Serious and Persistent Mental Illness. The six month Psychological Assessment experience involves providing the full range of services associated with psychological and neuropsychological assessments (intake, testing, scoring, write-up, and feedback provision). Referrals for psychological evaluations come from medical, mental health, and other specialty clinics requesting differential diagnosis and treatment planning. Evaluations are closely supervised, with interns being exposed to a variety of styles and approaches to psychological assessment.

Training Director: Sarah Turley

Address: 500 Foothill Drive

Mental Health Administration

c/o Mari Hanson 116A

Salt Lake City, Utah 84148

Phone: 801-582-1565 x 2775

Populations:Adults, family, older adults, inpatients, outpatient, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender, Spanish-speaking, rural, urban, low-income, homelessness, veterans

Treatment Modalities:Assessment, individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, group therapy, community intervention, consultation/liaison, crisis intervention, brief psychotherapy, long-term psychotherapy, cognitive rehabilitation, primary care

Experience: Health psychology, sexual disorders, rehabilitation psychology, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, assessment, neuropsychology-adult, serious mental illness, anxiety disorders, trauma/PTSD, sexual abuse, substance use disorders, geropsychology, counseling, vocational/career development, religion/spirituality, empirically-supported treatments, public policy/advocacy, program development/evaluation, supervision, research, administration, integrated health care – primary and specialty

Position Information

Position Begins: 8/15/2016

Number of Full Time Slots expected in next class: 8

Number of Part Time Slots expected in next class: 0

Full Time Annual Stipend: $23,974

Fringe Benefits: Dissertation Release Time, Dental Insurance, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Professional Development Time, Sick Leave, Vacation, Private Offices, Individual Assessment Kits

Applications/Interviews: Application Info available on the website: http://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/SaltLakeCityVA.asp

Applications due:11/04/2015

Interview Dates:January 2016

Interviews include: We offer a interviews and an open house to invited applicants on select Mondays and Fridays in January, tentatively planned for January 4, 22, & 25 for 2016. The interview & open house day provides an applicant the opportunity to meet psychology supervising staff, have two individual interviews, tour the facility, and participate in a non-evaluative luncheon with current interns (no staff present). We will arrange telephone interviews for those unable to attend the open house.

Requirements for application: Masters degree required by application deadline, Pass comprehensive exams by application deadline, dissertation proposal approved by application deadline

Minimum number of AAPI Intervention Hours: 400

Minimum number of years of grad training required: 3

Additional Information: Prefers students from Clinical and Counseling Psychology programs. Prefers students from APA-Accredited programs. Prefers Ph.D. and Psy.D. degrees, but applicants with Ed.D degree acceptable.

Summary of 2015-2016 Internship Class

• ·      109 completed applications
• ·      38 applicants invited for interviews
• ·      6 total interns (all from APA/CPA accredited, Ph.D. programs)

• ·      Of the 6 total interns, 4 were from a Clinical Psychology program, and 2 were from a Counseling Psychology programs