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Method

The primary training method is experiential. Interns spend approximately 65% of their time in direct service activities including individual, couple, and group counseling; teaching classes; providing clinical supervision; engaging in consultation and outreach; and conducting psychological assessments. With senior staff, interns co-lead therapy groups, co-teach courses, and conduct couples co-therapy. In addition, interns spend four hours a week in research and scholarly activities.  (Please see Projected Service Agreement and Planning Your Schedule in the Training Manual.)

While the UCC internship is generally a 40 hour per week experience, there is some variability due to the academic calendar and university holidays.  During peak periods, interns can expect to work a few hours more than 40 hours per week; during university break periods, however, interns may be less heavily scheduled.  The internship is defined as a 2000 hour experience.  Therefore, in a year comprised of 50 weeks, interns are responsible to average 40 hours per week in order to fulfill internship requirements; meeting this mark should also fulfill the most stringent state licensure requirements. 

Training methods and activities are sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity. For example, interns acquire skills for conducting intake interviews in the following sequence: 1) during Orientation and Training, they receive didactic instruction in the policies and procedures for conducting intake interviews, read the UCC clinical services manual regarding intake interviews, watch electronic recordings of intake interviews role-played by UCC senior staff members, and engage in role-played interviews with peers; 2) interns observe in vivo senior staff conducting intake interviews; 3) when prepared, interns conduct intake interviews in the presence of a senior staff member who observes and provides feedback; this is repeated until a senior staff member approves the intern to conduct intake interviews independently; 4) interns conduct intake interviews independently; 5) in the Multidisciplinary Clinical Team meeting, interns compare their clinical interview assessment with the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) scores of their intake clients and present oral summaries of the intake assessment for case disposition; interns receive feedback from the Team regarding their intake presentations; 6) interns may consult with their Team Leader or any other senior staff colleague regarding problematic intake interviews either while the client is in the session or after the session. Interns have the opportunity to test their "intake hypotheses" by comparing their clinical interview assessments to the OQ-45 scores of intake clients and by following up with ongoing therapists who are usually members of the same Clinical Team to determine the accuracy of their initial evaluations of clients seen at intake. Training in each of the service delivery areas of the UCC is similarly sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity.

Training methods and activities also utilize the unique aspects of the environment at the University of Utah to provide comprehensive training and experience in principles of multiculturalism. For example, since 33.5% of clients presenting for intake identify as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), a training module in the initial orientation and training schedule acquaints interns with cultural practices, religious beliefs, unique terminology, and church resources as they relate to the practice of psychotherapy in this public university. Interns can use this knowledge and awareness with their clients, so as to communicate accurate empathy and develop appropriate treatment plans that are respectful of clients' religious/cultural values. Similar training sessions are held for other client populations of interest, such as LGBTQ clients. During fall semester, the Psychotherapy and Culture Seminar series affords interns and staff members an opportunity to expand their knowledge of varied aspects of diversity such as race/ethnicity, ability/disability, language, sexual orientation, gender, spirituality, and socioeconomic status through selected readings, discussions, invited speakers, and case presentations. Subsequently in spring semester, interns are expected to implement their theoretical knowledge about a particular underserved population representing one or more aspects of diversity by planning and implementing a clinical, psychoeducational, or research initiative to meet an identified need in the campus community.

Psychology interns receive two hours each week of regularly scheduled individual supervision with their primary supervisor, a psychologist who has been licensed for at least three years. All interns have two different primary supervisors at UCC during the training year. In addition, interns receive half an hour of individual supervision from their group therapy co-leaders who are senior staff members. These supervisors may be from disciplines other than psychology (e.g., social work). Interns who are providing couples therapy with a senior staff member also receive a half-hour of individual supervision with their co-therapist staff member. Again, senior staff co-therapists may be from disciplines other than psychology. Interns typically receive additional individual supervision on research, testing, outreach and process consultation activities from the persons responsible for training in those areas. Interns also may receive individual supervision/consultation from any senior staff member as needed.

Interns typically receive 5-7 hours a week of group supervision and training through consultation and seminar groups. These provide a forum for presentation of cases, discussion of clinical and multicultural issues, exchange of ideas, mini-lectures on selected topics, review of research and theoretical articles, and monitoring of ethical concerns. Some training seminars are exclusively for psychology interns (e.g., Psychology Training Seminar and Supervision Seminar), some are for social work and psychology interns (e.g., UCC Training Seminar), and others are attended by interns and senior staff members (e.g., Psychotherapy and Culture Seminar, Clinical Case Consultation, and Staff Development). Interns attend consultation groups relevant to the work they are doing in the agency.

General Outcome Measures

Interns are invited to choose training experiences from a wide spectrum of activities. During orientation and training sessions at the beginning of the training year, interns plan and set goals for service delivery and training activities which include counseling, teaching, outreach/consultation, research, and providing clinical supervision. This initial plan is refined after the preliminary review that occurs early in fall semester or as the need arises, so that interns can adapt their training experiences in light of their own needs and those of the Center.

A Projected Service Agreement (PSA) is used each semester where all members of the UCC staff, including interns, specify portions of time to be spent in each service delivery area. This targeting system provides interns with a structure to ensure their participation in diverse training opportunities as well as to practice negotiating with colleagues and peers to achieve personal training goals, while meeting the service delivery mandates of the UCC.

Evaluation. Interns are expected to achieve intermediate to advanced competency in each of the 9 goal areas described above. Evaluation is both formative and summative. Interns receive performance feedback on a daily or weekly basis as they function in various capacities within the UCC. A Preliminary Review is held early in fall semester where all senior staff members discuss their observations of each intern’s performance. If deficits are identified, then the primary supervisor discusses the concerns with the intern, and together they plan training experiences to increase the intern’s level of skill. There are two Performance Evaluations, one at the end of fall semester and one just prior to the end of the internship, where interns receive oral and written feedback concerning their performance. If an intern’s performance is not considered to be at the intermediate or advanced level of competency, then the supervisor along with the Director of Training works with the intern to develop a plan, so that the intern can achieve the necessary level of proficiency to successfully complete the internship.

Proximal evaluation measures include:

1. Review of the content of interns' Projected Service Agreement and activity summaries.
2. Contributions in training seminars.
3. Staff observations recorded in the preliminary review and in the two performance evaluation meetings.
4. Titanium reports and documentation of number of intakes and ongoing counseling hours completed.
5. Monthly reports from the Director recording the percent of actual to targeted hours of intake and returning appointments, and the range of these percentages for Senior Staff over the same time period.
6. Primary supervisor’s written evaluation of intern’s performance.
7. Client reports of behavior change via the Outcome Questionnaire-45.
8. Written instructor evaluations regarding intern’s teaching.
9. Ratings by practicum supervisee(s) on supervisor evaluation forms.

Distal evaluation measures include:

1. Length of time to complete doctoral degree following internship.
2. Obtaining a professional position in psychology relevant to the intern's long term career goals.
3. Achieving licensure as a psychologist.
4. Professional contributions of former interns to their institutions or agencies, their communities, the discipline of psychology, and/or national or international issues related to research and practice in psychology.
5. Presentation records of former interns at national, regional, state and local professional meetings.
6. Publication records of former interns who are in academic and applied settings.
7. Participation of former interns in local, regional, national, and international professional organizations.
8. Alumni Follow-up Survey.

UCC Services

Direct services provided by the Counseling Center include preventive, developmental, and therapeutic procedures designed to: (a) remove existing psychological barriers to personal growth and functioning and (b) assist in the actualization of individual, group, and institutional capabilities and resources.

Counseling and Psychotherapy

Individual and Couples: Through a 12-session brief therapy model, clients are assisted in increasing their personal and academic functioning. To gain experience in providing long-term therapy, interns may carry a selected number of clients long-term. Psychiatric evaluation by a psychiatric resident or staff psychiatrist, as well as referral to more appropriate community resources, may be part of an assessment/treatment plan.

Group: UCC has a strong program in group therapy. Each intern participates as a co-therapist for a process-oriented therapy group. There are several theme or special issue groups including LGBTQ2 Group, Graduate Student Group, Recovery Group, Women of Color Group, Anxiety: Mind-Body Approaches, Strengthening Self-Esteem, as well as general Yalom-type, Interpersonal Process Groups.

Crisis Intervention: UCC staff members respond to walk-in or call-in clients who are experiencing mental health crises. Crisis coverage is distributed among all senior and intern staff from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm on Tuesday.

Teaching (Credit-bearing University Classes)

All interns teach undergraduate courses in Successful Career Planning and in Multicultural Issues. These are conceptualized as preventive and developmental interventions that are psychoeducational in nature.

Successful Career Planning (ED PS 3960): Interns collaborate with staff members in Career Services to assist upper division undergraduate students in the career planning process. The course includes 5 didactic class sessions and 3 individual appointments with each student. Students complete personal assessments related to their values, skills, interests, and personality styles as they relate to academic major and career choice. They explore the world of work, set personal goals, and develop skills for the job search process. Interns meet with staff in Career Services to plan the course content during the first half of a semester. Then, each intern instructor coordinates one section of the course in the second half of the semester. Along with Career Services staff, interns present information in class sessions and meet individually with students to interpret interest and personality assessments and to provide feedback on goals, vitae, and personal introductions. Interns provide oral and written feedback to students and assign credit/no credit grades (1 credit hour).

Introduction to Multicultural Issues (ED PS 3010): Interns co-teach with a senior staff member a course that meets the diversity education requirement of the University of Utah. They assist students in exploring similarities and differences among men and women from various cultures, religions, sexual orientations, economic classes, and geographical locations. They provide selected readings, films, panel discussions, and guest speakers to supplement experiential learning, lectures and discussion (3 credit hours).

Collaborative Outreach/Consultation

Outreach Presentations: Interns present two or more psychoeducational workshops in classes, for student clubs and organizations, or for staff and faculty groups every semester.

Faculty and Staff Consultation: Interns may provide process consultation services to administrative units, academic departments, and student service agencies. Activities may include: (a) responding to campus crises, (b) helping faculty or staff members manage psychological or social problems they encounter with employees or students, (c) skill training (e.g., stress management, communication), (d) organizational development, and (e) assisting faculty with test selection, administration, and interpretation.

Clinical Supervision

Interns provide individual clinical supervision to practicum counselors who are second year students in the Counseling Psychology program. They participate in a weekly Supervision-of-Supervision Seminar, which includes discussions of models of clinical supervision, case presentations of supervision, and didactic readings and discussions of supervision issues.

Assessment

Interns conduct assessments including clinical interviews and selected standardized measures of ability, personality, and achievement with individual clients. Interns are expected to write one formal integrated assessment report each semester as well as a written summary of results and recommendations for the client's use. They participate in an Assessment Seminar, a module within the Psychology Training Seminar, where principles of assessment in clinical practice are discussed and test reports are reviewed.

Counseling Center Staff

Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, and Psychiatric perspectives are readily accessible to interns. The core professional staff is supplemented by selected staff associates, including Student Affairs professionals, faculty members in academic departments, and practitioners in the community who provide additional training. Staff members participate in agency administration and serve as coordinators of intervention areas. Co-teaching and co-therapy with senior staff members is characteristic of agency training. Senior staff members provide back-up for interns dealing with clients in crisis. Interns consult with staff psychiatrists about issues related to medication and hospitalization.

Supervision, Feedback and Evaluation

Psychology interns receive feedback concerning their performance as UCC staff members. This ongoing, shared assessment is an integral part of the learning process and includes evaluation of ethical and professional behavior and assessment of skills and individual styles of counseling. Copies of "Trainee Rights and Responsibilities and Due Process Procedures," "The Comprehensive Evaluation of Student-Trainee Competence in Professional Training Programs," and "Personal Disclosure Policy for UCC Trainees" are provided during the initial orientation and training period. (Please see the Training Manual.)

The agency employs a comprehensive evaluation model developed by a task force of the APA's Council of Chairs of Training Councils (CCTC; APA, 2004).  This model recognizes the importance of evaluating not only the acquisition of counseling, intervention, and teaching skills, but of other elements of professional development and functioning (i.e., cognitive, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, technical, and ethical functioning). 

A licensed psychologist is responsible for the direct supervision of an intern's counseling and psychotherapy cases. Interns meet with their primary supervisor for two hours a week and may consult more frequently as needed. Each intern also receives regular feedback about other UCC experiences from staff members directly responsible for those activities. Early in the training year, a preliminary review is conducted so that adjustments in interns’ training and responsibilities may be made when needed. Twice a year, the intern's primary supervisor provides a formal, written evaluation. (Please see Evaluation of Trainee in the Training Manual.) This evaluation is discussed and shared with the intern, and a copy is placed in the intern's permanent file. Similarly, interns complete written evaluations about the quality and style of the supervision that they have received and share that information with their supervisors twice a year. (Please see Supervisor Skills Evaluation Form in the Training Manual.) A written report on each intern's performance is sent semiannually to the director of the intern's academic program.

Training Opportunities

Clinical Supervision: All interns receive two hours of individual weekly supervision from UCC psychologists who have been licensed a minimum of three years. Formats are diverse, including observation, co-therapy, review of electronic recordings, case discussion, and review of written case documentation. In addition, interns conduct couples and group therapy with senior staff co-therapists who serve as the supervisors for those training experiences.

Psychotherapy and Culture Seminar: Interns and staff participate in structured diversity training in Fall and Spring Semesters.  Each year the agency chooses a different focus related to the broad theme of Psychotherapy and Culture.  For example, during the 2008-2009 year we focused on trauma and the treatment of trauma from multicultural perspectives.  In Fall Semester the seminar applied therapeutic and multicultural lenses to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, as well as techniques used in responding to natural disasters in general.  In Spring Semester we focused on trauma via the treatment of veterans returning from active combat duty.

UCC Training Seminar:  Psychology and Social Work Interns meet jointly for this weekly seminar which runs Fall and Spring semesters.  Seminar topics rotate and are presented by UCC staff and guest speakers with expertise in each of the following areas:

• Multicultural & Diversity Issues (10 Weeks)
• Consultation and Collaborative Outreach (5 weeks)
• Group Therapy (5 weeks)
• Couples Therapy (4 weeks)
• Substance Abuse Assessment & Motivational Interviewing (4 weeks)

Psychology Training Seminar:  Psychology Interns meet in a weekly seminar led by agency psychologists for discipline-specific training in the following areas:

• Clinical Case Conceptualization (10 weeks)
• Assessment Training (10 weeks)
• Professional Development Issues (8 weeks)

Supervision Seminar: Theoretical and experiential supervision issues are discussed. Trainees present their supervision work with doctoral practicum counselors via electronic recordings and discussion. They give and receive feedback on their supervisory skills. This training group meets every week for one hour throughout the academic year.

Diversity Initiatives:  In Spring Semester interns design and carry out a Diversity Initiative to meet the needs of under-served populations on campus.  These initiatives often involve collaboration with other Student Affairs agencies or student groups on campus.  Diversity Initiatives of previous interns include collaboration with the director of the LGBT Resource Center to develop a mentoring program; collaboration with faculty members at the LDS Institute of Religion to acquaint them with services offered at the UCC and to identify ways to best meet the needs of students who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; development of counseling brochures to address unique concerns of American Indian, Spanish speaking, LGBTQ, and first generation students; collaboration with staff at the Center for Disability Services to increase physical and emotional accessibility of UCC services for students with disabilities.

Clinical Team Meeting: Interns meet weekly for one hour with members of their integrated vertical clinical teams to present intake assessments, effect disposition of clients, and acquire their case loads. They observe senior staff role models and provide modeling for practicum counselors on their teams with respect to presenting cases, giving and receiving feedback, and providing recommendations. They learn to collaborate with colleagues to provide the best disposition and treatment planning for each client.

Psychiatric Consultation: Interns may refer clients to staff psychiatrists for joint case management including diagnostic consultation and/or medication evaluations. Interns are encouraged to participate in these diagnostic interviews.

Other Training Activities

Research: Interns may participate in program evaluation research and needs assessment. They may collaborate with other UCC staff and interns related to ongoing UCC research projects or may initiate their own projects. Research activity is supported through access to data and/or research participants, allocation of weekly research time (4 hours/week), and consultation on experimental design and analysis.

Administration: Trainees serve on at least one standing committee within the UCC such as the Training Committee or the Diversity Committee. They also may serve on ad hoc UCC committees. Opportunities also are available to serve on university-wide committees such as the "Love Your Body Week" program committee.

Program Development: Trainees are encouraged to contribute their expertise to improvements in services, programs, and training. Past trainee contributions include presenting a seminar on effective counseling strategies with Arab American clients, developing and implementing a career development workshop for Pacific Islander high school students, developing and delivering a feminist therapy group, conducting a joint research project presented at an international conference, and developing and implementing a workshop on White privilege.

Staff Development: A seminar series of invited speakers provides continuing education to senior staff and trainees every month. Topics usually relate to clinical issues.  Recent presentations included "Racial Inequality in Higher Education: A View Through Critical Race Theory;"  "Wilderness Therapy for Young Adults;"  "One Woman, Two Countries, and Three Cultures;"  "DBT Network of Utah; Walking with Clients on the Middle Path Toward a Life Worth Living;" and "Counseling the Transgender Person. "

Clinical Case Consultation (Optional): Interns may attend this meeting for one hour every week where problematic cases are discussed and consultation obtained with the Clinical Director, staff psychiatrist, substance abuse specialist, and other senior staff members. Once a month, this meeting focuses on clients who are being treated for disordered eating.

Trainee Peer Group: Psychology and Social Work interns participate in a bimonthly peer group meeting. They decide on format and content based on their needs.

Intensive Workshops: From time to time, intensive workshops are provided by UCC for psychology interns and other UCC trainees. For example, half-day workshops on Campus Crisis Response and on Career Development Interventions were presented to interns in Fall, 2007. Staff and trainees also participated in "Safe Zone Training," a three hour workshop presented by staff and students from the LGBT Resource Center.

University Agencies Associated with Training

University agencies provide interns with opportunities for outreach and consultation. These agencies include Career Services, Women's Resource Center, University College Advising, Center for Ethnic Student Affairs, Center for Disability Services, International Center, LGBT Resource Center, Housing and Residential Education, and University Student Apartments. Trainees also may attend Psychiatry Grand Rounds and Grand Rounds at the University Neuropsychiatric Institute.

Physical Facilities and Equipment

The UCC is located in the Student Services Building and provides individual offices for interns, group therapy rooms, a conference room, and a professional library with reference books and tapes. Individual offices are equipped with network-linked personal computers and digital recording and viewing equipment.  Via the Student Services Computer Network one can access MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Outlook, various library databases, and SPSS. The agency uses Titanium, a scheduling and record-keeping software system accessible in every intern office. In addition, three group rooms and three individual counseling offices are equipped with one-way mirrors and digital video recording equipment.

The Student Services Building is centrally located on campus and also houses Career Services, University College Advising, Financial Aid and Scholarships, Admissions, and Registration.

The University Testing Center is part of the Counseling Center and provides administration and scoring of interest, ability, personality and values inventories. Manuals are available for tests administered at the Center. The Learning Enhancement Programs (including Supplemental Instruction and the Tutoring Center) also are part of the UCC. Services include courses in Strategies for College Success (Ed. Psych. 2600), workshops, consultation, and self-instructional materials. Supplemental Instruction consists of group tutoring for students in particular academic courses. The Tutoring Center provides one-to-one academic assistance for a nominal fee. The Center for Student Wellness (CSW), another branch of the UCC, promotes a healthy campus environment and serves as an information and referral center for students, faculty, and staff. The CSW also is responsible for federally mandated substance abuse prevention and education programming.

Application for Internship

We welcome applications from all interested and qualified Psychology Intern candidates! Applicants will apply to the internship by forwarding all materials via AAPI Online.  Details about AAPI Online can be found at the APPIC web site: www.appic.org.  Please note that we require applicants to submit a 2-3 page case conceptualization describing successful assessment and intervention strategies with a recent client.

Please see Psychology Internship Application for more detailed information and a checklist.

Preference in the selection of psychology interns will be given to applicants who have completed their preliminary (or comprehensive) examinations and expect to complete most or all of their dissertation research prior to beginning the internship. Criteria for selection include academic performance, clinical experience, letters of recommendation, the correspondence of an applicant's interest with a university counseling center setting, evaluation of the applicant's written case conceptualization, and performance in a telephone interview and follow-up telephone discussion.

In an effort to avoid undue financial burden for any intern applicant, we do not conduct in-person interviews. All top candidates are interviewed by telephone. However, we are very proud of the UCC physical facilities and are happy to have you visit during an optional open house that we will hold on Friday, January 8, 2010. Please click on the Open House Invitation for more specific information. The Open House is an opportunity for you to visit our site and meet informally with some of the senior staff members with whom you would be working during internship. Current interns will also be available to respond to your questions. Whether or not you elect to attend the Open House is not a consideration in the selection process. The Open House is for your information only and is not a selection tool for us.

The UCC follows the APPIC Match Policies and agrees to abide by the APPIC Policy that no person at the UCC will communicate, solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information prior to the release of the Match results.  Finally, the University of Utah requires that all benefited employees complete a background check.

We hope that you will strongly consider applying to the Psychology Internship at the University Counseling Center at the University of Utah, and wish you the best of luck in the application and match process.

 

References

American Psychological Association (2003).  Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists.  American Psychologist, 58, 377-402.

American Psychological Association (2004). The comprehensive evaluation of student-trainee competence in professional training programs. http://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/cctc.html

Belar, C.N., Bieliauskas, L.A., Larsen, K.G., Mensh, I.N., Poey, K., & Roehlke, H.J.(Eds.). (1987). Proceedings: National conference on internship training in psychology. Washington, DC: Association of Psychology and Postdoctoral Internship Centers.

Belar, C.N., & Perry, N.W. (1992). National conference on scientist-practitioner education and training for the professional practice of psychology. American Psychologist, 47, 71-75.

Belar, C.N., & Perry, N.W. (Eds.). (1990). Proceedings: National conference on scientist-practitioner education and training for the professional practice of psychology. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.

Morrill, W.H., Oetting, E.R., & Hurst, J.C. (1974). Dimensions of counselor functioning. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 52, 354-359.

Pace, D., Stamler, V.L., Yarris, E., & June, L. (1996). Rounding out the cube: Evolution to a global model for counseling centers. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74, 321-325.

Stoltenberg, C. D., Pace, T. M., Kashubeck-West, S., Biever, J. L., Patterson, T., & Welch, I.D. (2000). Training models in counseling psychology: Scientist-practitioner versus practitioner-scholar. The Counseling Psychologist, 28, 622-640.

Stone, G.L., & Archer, J., Jr. (1990).  College and university counseling centers in the 1990's:  Challenges and limits.  The Counseling Psychologist, 18, 539-607.

Whiteley, S. M., Mahaffey, P. J., & Geer, C. A. (1987). The campus counseling center: A profile of staffing patterns and services. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28, 71-81.

Weigel, R. (1994).  University Counseling Center: History, services, future.  Paper presented at the Student Affairs Directors Meeting, University of Utah.  (Available from the University of Utah.)

 

The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and seeks to provide access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities. Reasonable prior notice is needed to arrange accommodations.
All interested persons are encouraged to apply.

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