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 Competence (including all aspects of research formulation and implementation)

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 Developmen

• 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 one day per week working in a specialized training area selected by them during the APPIC application process. Specialized training areas include 1) Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 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 on cases referred to the pediatric consultation-liaison service and 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.