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Psychology Doctoral Internship Program

Psychology Doctoral Internship Program

*Due to COVID-19, we are taking steps to ensure the safety and quality of training for our interns, while adhering to APPIC, DAABHS, and CDC guidelines and recommendations. For more information, please see DHS’s Response to COVID-19.

Overview

The Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services offers a one-year, full-time, doctoral internship in professional psychology at the Arkansas State Hospital. The program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and has been fully re-accredited until 2033 by the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation (CoA). The CoA can be contacted at:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation

750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20001-4242
(202) 336-5979 (phone)
(202) 336-6123 (TDD/TTY)
(202) 336-5978 (fax)
apaaccred@apa.org (email)

The overarching goal of the program is to train a generalist within the context of the scientist-practitioner model. Graduates of our internship program will be adept at integrating science with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of professional clinical practice. At the completion of the training year, our interns are expected to have developed proficiencies in diagnosis, assessment (including forensic evaluation), professional documentation (including report-writing and charting), individual and group therapy, and consultation with peers and related professionals. Our graduates should be competent to effectively work with a variety of patients in different treatment contexts while keeping a mind to both individual and cultural diversity. Interns are also expected to learn to function effectively as a member of interdisciplinary teams. The program’s generalist approach capitalizes on the variety of training opportunities available within the program and prepares graduates to serve as clinicians or researchers in various professional settings.

Opportunities include working with adults and adolescents who present with a range of behavioral and mental health issues at all levels of severity. Common presenting issues at the hospital include acute and chronic psychotic disorders, behavioral disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders, developmental disabilities, personality disorders, malingering, and various adjustment reactions. 

Training occurs at the Arkansas State Hospital (ASH), a facility located within a larger medical community (including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences- UAMS and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System) in midtown Little Rock. Off-site supplementary training may include, but is not limited to, the following: joint intern seminars with the other local APA-accredited internship training programs; travel with supervisors to observe electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS); and travel to observe expert witness testimony by supervisors. 

Clinical Rotations

The training year is divided into three, four-month rotations. The intern will have one primary training location during each four-month period, with the exception of Adolescent Services which is divided between the hospital’s two adolescent residential treatment units. During these rotations, supervisors will work together to allow interns opportunities to work with identified populations of interest and/or participate in research and program development (i.e., forensic, SMI, adolescent, neuropsychology) as available. Rotation assignments are arranged so that interns can continue following treatment cases from one rotation to the next, thus providing the opportunity for experience with longer-term treatment.

Adult SMI Rotation: Training takes place on one of the hospital’s adult SMI inpatient units which primarily treat patients civilly committed for psychiatric treatment. An emphasis is placed on psychological assessment and specialized inpatient group therapy techniques. Interns will participate in treatment planning meetings; co-lead group therapy with their supervisor; conduct comprehensive psychological evaluations, neuropsychological evaluations, and violence risk assessments; and may be called upon to develop individualized behavior modification plans. Neuropsychological testing is conducted on this rotation from referrals throughout the hospital. Interns will also have the opportunity to engage in individual therapy, develop treatment groups, and conduct staff training.

Adolescent Rotation: Training takes place on two adolescent units. One unit offers a treatment program for male adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors. Group therapy based in cognitive-behavior theory is the primary treatment modality; additional rotation experiences can include family therapy, individual therapy, and psychological testing/consultation. Interns will also learn about case management, developmental issues, and an interdisciplinary team approach to treatment. Interns spend approximately 20 hours per week on this clinical assignment.

The other adolescent unit is a general co-ed inpatient unit. On this unit, interns conduct group therapy, comprehensive psychological assessments, individual therapy, and participate in the development and implementation of behavioral support and management plans. There may also be opportunities for restoration work with adolescents ordered by Juvenile Court. Interns participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings and spend approximately 20 hours per week on this clinical assignment.

Forensic Evaluation Rotation: The focus of this rotation is on assessment of individuals who have been court ordered for evaluation. Interns have the opportunity to provide forensic evaluations on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, for men and women, ages adolescent to older adult. Types of evaluations include competency to stand trial (fitness to proceed), criminal responsibility, culpable mental state at the time of the offense, violence risk assessment, and evaluation of a defendant’s capacity to be restored to fitness. 

Commonly used instruments with which the intern can expect to gain proficiency include, but are not limited to, the following: Competence- Evaluation of Competency to Stand Trial- Revised (ECST-R), MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool- Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA), Competence Assessment for Standing Trial for Defendants with Mental Retardation (CAST*MR), and Juvenile Adjudicative Competence Interview (JACI); Malingering- Inventory of Legal Knowledge (ILK), Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST), Validity Indicator Profile (VIP), and Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS); and Violence Risk Assessment- the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, Version 3 (HCR-20 V3) and the STATIC risk assessment instruments.  Other assessment instruments commonly used during these evaluations include those to assess cognitive and personality functioning and trauma.

By the conclusion of the training rotation, interns can expect to independently administer and score assessment instruments, write their own reports under supervision, and submit the final product to the court.  Interns typically complete a minimum of 8 evaluations during this rotation, but those who enter the program with more knowledge and proficiency could easily complete 15 or more.

In addition to gaining proficiency in forensic evaluation, interns have the opportunity to observe their supervisors provide expert witness testimony statewide. They also have the opportunity to participate in forensic didactic and case-law seminars with fellows in the affiliated forensic post-doctoral fellowship training program and to observe the fellowship mock trial as available. Former interns have been subpoenaed to court (but have not had been needed to testify). The majority of forensic psychology faculty completed formal post-doctoral fellowship training in forensic psychology. Ongoing forensic research opportunities are available at ASH.

Didactic Seminars

Interns attend a 90-minute didactic seminar three times per month, specifically for interns. Psychology faculty and other licensed professionals from the community present to the interns on a wide variety of clinical issues. These meetings provide more in-depth information on important clinical issues such as Ethics, Diversity, Evidence-Based Treatment, and Supervision.

Monthly psychology department meetings also provide interns with didactic training opportunities. Members of the psychology department present a one-hour seminar on a relevant topic-of-choice on a rotating basis throughout the year. Each intern must present at the psychology department meeting one time during the course of the training year. Many interns choose to use this presentation as an opportunity to prepare for the dissertation defense or to otherwise rehearse presentations slated for local, state, or national conferences.

Historically, several times per year, interns from the Arkansas State Hospital, the Little Rock Veteran’s Administration Hospital, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences come together for joint intern seminars. Topics for seminars in the past have included the following: Life after Internship, Ethics, Diversity, and Corporate Compliance/HIPAA.

Interns participate in department Journal Club meetings a minimum of three times each year. Interested interns will be asked to select a journal article relevant to issues of Evidence-Based Treatment, Ethics, or Diversity and lead a discussion among faculty and peers.

To supplement these mandatory didactic seminars, interns are also required to attend an additional 15 seminars during the course of the training year. They may choose from Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Psychopharmacology presentations, SMI Lunch and Learn Lectures, and Forensic Case Law seminars.

Supervision

Interns are assigned a primary training supervisor on each rotation, with the exception of Adolescent Services where they are supervised by psychologists on each of the two training units. They meet with their rotation supervisor for 90 minutes a week for supervision, as well as on an as needed basis. Interns also have a primary, long-term supervisor whom they meet with for one hour weekly throughout the internship year. The long-term supervisor, selected by the internship Training Directors after thoughtful consideration of the intern’s interests and training needs, provides continuity throughout a training program that is divided into three training rotations with multiple clinical placements. Additionally, group supervision is held for 90 minutes each week and follows a course agreed upon by the supervisor and internship class. The intern may expect to receive a minimum of four hours of supervision per week, 2 ½ of which are spent in scheduled individual supervision. 

The intern spends additional time shadowing and consulting with their supervisors. With their offices located next door to or in the same vicinity as their supervisors, interns have the opportunity for continuous communication with their supervisors. Supervision takes various forms including co-therapy and co-assessment with supervisors, review of test data and written reports, feedback based on observation, and modeling by the supervisor. 

Feedback on performance is a continuous part of the supervision process. At the mid-point and end of each rotation, supervisors complete and review with the intern a rating form assessing clinical and professional functioning. The intern also rates the quantity and quality of the experience on each rotation, including the supervision received during the rotation. These ratings are reviewed by the Training Directors and the Chief of Psychology, and the program is committed to considering feedback and incorporating suggested changes to improve the training quality and internship experience. 

The following link is a list of current psychology supervisors with their areas of special interests and competencies. click here

Stipends and Benefits

The stipend for the 12-month appointment is $36,155. Fringe benefits include twelve holidays, twelve vacation days, up to twelve sick leave days as needed, and optional comprehensive medical and hospitalization plans (PLEASE NOTE: Insurance coverage does not become effective until the first day of the month following hire and ends on the last day of employment unless the intern elects to have COBRA). Up to five educational leave days can also be negotiated with the Training Directors for dissertation leave time, comprehensive exams, and graduation.   

Eligibility and Application

Eligible applicants are doctoral degree candidates from APA-accredited programs in clinical or counseling psychology who have completed all course work; successfully passed qualifying exams and proposed their dissertation topic; and meet minimum clinical and assessment hours. Applications must be complete by November 13 and only completed applications will be considered on the APPIC Match list deadline.

If an applicant is unable to complete their application by November 13 due to extenuating circumstances, they are invited to call and talk with the training directors. Applicants will be notified of their status regarding an interview on or before December 8. In effort to make interviews equally accessible to all applicants, interviews this year (December 2023-January 2024) will all be held both virtually and in-person. No preference will be given to applicants regarding their interview style preference. Additionally, interviews are scheduled on a first response basis.

The DAABHS Psychology Internship Training Program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. Applications to the program are made using the uniform APPIC application form available on the APPIC website.

Internship applicants should also submit transcripts of all graduate school work, three letters of reference, a curriculum vita, and a redacted psychological evaluation work sample. All of these materials can be uploaded to the APPIC on-line system. The APPIC match number for the DAABHS/ASH Internship Program is 110411.

The DAABHS internship program makes offers of internship following the computerized match procedures and time table set by APPIC. The internship program follows the Department of Human Services (DHS) policy in offering fair and equal opportunity in acceptance of interns. Applicants are accepted regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. All persons selected for new employment or a change in employment within DHS must submit to a drug test as a pre-condition of employment. All hiring decisions are contingent on the applicant successfully passing the drug test (illegal drugs and medical marijuana are not allowed).

Additionally, as part of the DHS hiring and employment process, all applicants selected for job offers in designated positions and all incumbent employees in such positions are required to successfully complete the formal process for employee criminal and maltreatment history checks as established in DHS policy. Applicants for psychology internship positions must complete this formal process of criminal and maltreatment history checks.

The training program begins in late July/early August of every year and ends the following year in late July, according to pay period schedules.

Training Directors

NameTitlePhoneEmail
Rebecca Aldea, PhDCo-Director of Training501-263-7344Rebecca.Aldea@dhs.arkansas.gov
Taisha Jones, PhDCo-Director of Training501-251-6488Taisha.Jones@dhs.arkansas.gov

For a full list of psychology staff click here.

Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data

Date Program Tables Are Updated: 09/01/23
Internship Program Admissions

Program Disclosures

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.No
If yes, provide website link (or content from brochure) where this specific information is presented: NA

Internship Program Admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program.  This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

The doctoral psychology internship training program at the Arkansas State Hospital / Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services is a one-year, full-time training program dedicated to providing training opportunities in accordance with the highest standards of practice. The overarching goal of the program is to train generalist clinicians within the context of the scientist-practitioner model in the comprehensive care of adolescents and adults with serious mental illnesses (SMI). Graduates of the internship program will acquire a minimum of 2000 clinical training hours and will be adept at integrating science with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of professional clinical practice. At the completion of the training year, interns are expected to have developed proficiencies in diagnosis; assessment, including forensic evaluation; professional documentation, including report-writing, development of positive behavior support plans, and charting; individual and group therapy; and consultation with peers and related professionals. The training program at the Arkansas State Hospital is divided into three, four-month long supervised clinical rotations and includes a variety of didactic seminars and various other optional training opportunities. The internship training year typically begins on the fourth Monday of July through the fourth Friday of the following July each year. 

Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? Yes

Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours:     Minimum of 450

Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours:    Minimum of 75

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Students must have at least 3 years of graduate training, have passed their comprehensive exams by the application deadline, and must have successfully defended their dissertation proposal by the application deadline. The student’s graduate program must be APA approved in either Clinical or Counseling Psychology.   

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year*

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns$36,155.00
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns: N/A
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern:Yes

If access to medical insurance is provided

Trainee contribution to cost required?Yes
Coverage of family member(s) available?Yes
Coverage of legally married partner available?Yes
Coverage of domestic partner available?No

In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns in excess of personal time off and sick leave? Yes

Other benefits: 

The interns also get 12 paid holidays annually.

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

Initial Post-Internship Positions

(Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts)     

2019-2022

Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts:      9

Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree:            0

PDEP
Academic Teaching00
Community Mental Health Center                             00
Consortium00
University Counseling Center00
Hospital/Medical Center00
Veterans Affairs Health Care System10
Psychiatric Facility41
Correctional Facility00
Health Maintenance Organization00
School District/System00
Independent Practice Setting30
Other00

Note:  “PD”=Post-doctoral residency position; “EP”=Employed Position.  Each individual represented in this table should be counted one time.  For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.