Predoctoral Internship and Postdoctoral Fellowship In Psychology

Goals and Objectives

The Child Study Center Psychology Fellowship seeks to provide a general clinical program with an emphasis on child clinical psychology. The program prepares professionals to successfully address the complexities associated with children who are psychologically vulnerable. Individuals trained at the Center learn to work within traditional and nontraditional settings, and to embrace diverse roles and responsibilities. An over-riding goal of the training program is to demonstrate to fellows, through a combination of practical and didactic experiences, that provision of mental health services to children requires intervention at multiple, interacting levels of influence.

Our program is aimed at candidates in clinical psychology who seek a coordinated two-year program. The objectives of our program are designed to develop competencies across the following areas:

Treatment

• Treatment Competence (including psychotherapy and other forms of intervention)
• Knowledge of Service Delivery Models (including individual, family, in-home)
• Application of Theoretical Models (including developmental, behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems)
• Assessment and Evaluation (including any clinical practice area involving assessment and evaluation except psychological testing)
• Use of supervision (including preparation and approach to learning)

Assessment

• Psychological Assessment (including test selection, administration and scoring, interpretation and report writing)
• Introductory Neuropsychological Assessment (including test selection, administration and scoring, interpretation and report writing)
• Communication Skills (oral and written)
• Use of Supervision (including preparation and approach to learning)

Research

• Research Opportunities: Exposure to and participation in the formulation and implementation of applied child clinical research)

Consultation

• Consultation Competence with Colleagues
• Consultation Competence Across Settings (including educational, medical, community)
• Use of Supervision (including preparation and approach to learning)
• Communication Skills (oral and written)

Knowledge

• Knowledge of Theoretical Models (developmental, behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems)
• Knowledge of Cultural and Ethnic Perspectives
• Knowledge of Psychological Disorders of Childhood
• Knowledge of Research (including clinical application)

Professional Development

• Ethical Standards
• Interpersonal Skills (with colleagues, parents, children, schools, agencies)
• Other Professional Conduct Standards (including adherence to agency standards, respect for all agency staff, promptness)
• Teaching and Supervision (including Models of Supervision)

The predoctoral training year focuses on implementation of clinical services in the community. Fellows evaluate and treat patients through the outpatient clinics of the Child Study Center. In addition, interns spend approximately 10-15 hours per week working in a specialized training area selected by them during the APPIC application process. Specialized training areas include 1) Autism, 2) Early Childhood, 3) Pediatric Psychology, and 4) Trauma and Children. Each training area provides clinical and research opportunities.

Approximately 50% of the postdoctoral training year focuses on hospital-based evaluation and treatment of children with serious psychiatric illness. Fellows work as primary clinicians on a child or adolescent psychiatry inpatient unit and consult to the pediatric emergency department. The remaining 50% of postdoctoral training is dedicated to the specialized training area initiated during the predoctoral internship year. Continued clinical intervention with children and families, along with more intensive involvement in ongoing research projects, is highlighted in the specialized training area.

Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program Outcomes

The Yale Child Study Center Psychology Training program has been the recipient of HRSA Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) funding since its inception in 2002 and has received competing continuation funding through 8/30/2010; the Yale GPE training goals are specifically designed to train leaders in the field of child psychology who will go on to careers in research, teaching, clinical services, and advocacy for medically underserved populations. The training model provides clinical and didactic training experiences which allow interns to work with underserved populations across a range of areas. Training experiences emphasize gaining expertise in areas of specialization (AOS), while participating in a generalist curriculum of psychological assessment, intervention, consultation, professional development, and research. These experiences increase access to clinical services and address the needs of underserved populations, including::

• Children exposed to violence
• Children affected by HIV/AIDS
• Children with serious psychiatric illness
• Children with significant developmental disabilities
• Children with school-related problems
• Children diagnosed with serious physical illness

Four psychology interns participate each training year; one in each of the four identified areas of specialization: Autism, Early Childhood, Pediatrics, and Children and Trauma. Each intern has an individualized course of study that incorporates didactic and clinical experiences. Interns are based at the Yale Child Study Center, but engage in multi-agency and multi-disciplinary collaborations through linkages with hospital and community based initiatives. Each intern remains for a postdoctoral training year with increased emphasis on training within the area of specialization and hospital-based work. These experiences are designed to increase the workforce of culturally competent psychologists who can effectively work with, and teach others to work with, medically underserved populations.

This two-year integrated approach shows promise in developing a cadre of practitioners prepared to go on to provide leadership in the areas of clinical service, teaching, and research to medically underserved children and families. Thus far the model has demonstrated its success in a number of ways:

• One hundred percent of program participants work extensively with underserved populations, in both the generalist training curriculum and in their area of specialization, including working with children from HPSAs.
• One hundred percent of program completers continue to work with underserved populations during their post-doctoral year at the Child Study Center, including working with children from HPSAs.
• Career choices following completion of the two-year program model suggest that participants are beginning career trajectories which will enable them to make significant contributions as leaders in improving the knowledge, skills, competencies, and outcomes both in the development of the health professions workforce and in the delivery of services to underserved populations.

Yale Child Study Center GPE Interns - Graduate Outcomes

GPE Completers are identified by number and year of internship completion

Intern ID And Area of Specialty (AOS)	GPE Year	Current Employment Setting	Current Job Title
1: Early Childhood	2002-2003	Medical School	Associate Research Scientist, Yale Child Study Center
2: Generalist	2002-2003	Medical School and Hospital	Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry, Columbia University; Staff Psychologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, NY
3: Generalist	2002-2003	General Hospital	Chief Child Psychologist, St. Joseph's Hospital, Patterson, NJ
4: Generalist	2002-2003	Children's Hospital	Child and Adolescent Staff Psychologist, Children's Hospital of Boston, MA
5: Trauma	2003-2004	University	Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina
6: Autism	2003-2004	Public School District	School Psychologist, Philadelphia, PA
7: Early Childhood	2003-2004	Medical School	Clinical Instructor, Stanford University, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, CA
8: Pediatrics	2003-2004	Children's Hospital	Psychology Fellow in Child Health and Behavior Research, Rainbow Babies Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio
10: Pediatrics	2004-2005	Therapeutic camp and treatment center for children with diabetes	Founder and Director, Circle of Life Camp, Inc. Loundonville, NY Circle of Life Center, White Plains, NY
11: Early Childhood	2004-2005	Group practice	Psychologist, Boston Neuropsychological Services, Newton, MA
12: Trauma	2004-2005	University	Postdoctoral Research Fellow, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, NY
13: Autism	2004-2005	Medical School	Associate Research Scientist, Autism Program, Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT
14: Autism	2005-2006	Medical School	Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago
15: Trauma	2005-2006	Foundation/Advocacy Agency	Psychologist, Center for Effective Practice, Middletown, CT
16: Early Childhood	2005-2006	Medical School	Postdoctoral Fellow Boston Children's Hospital
17: Pediatrics	2005-2006	Medical School	Psychologist, Baystate Medical Center, Assistant Professor Tufts
18: Autism	2006-2007	Medical School	Associate Research Scientist, Autism Program, Yale Child Study Center
19: Trauma	2006-2007	State Children's Hospital	Psychologist, Riverview Hospital for Children, Middletown, CT Instructor, Yale Child Study Center
20: Early Childhood	2006-2007	Medical School	Boston Children's Hospital, Faculty Harvard Medical School
21: Pediatrics	2006-2007	Medical School	Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University Medical School
22: Autism	2007-2008	Medical School	Psychologist, UCLA Autism Treatment Center
23: Trauma	2006-2007	University	Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame
24: Early Childhood	2007-2008	University	Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois University
25: Pediatrics	2007-2008	Medical School	Assistant Professor, University of Utah