Part-Time Pre-Doctoral Internship in Psychology

Note:  The pre-doctoral internship position has been filled for the
2007-2008/2008-2009 academic years.

The Concordia University pre-doctoral internship in psychology provides clinical experiences, supervision, and training to doctoral level clinical or counseling psychology graduate students.  The internship is part-time for two academic years and there is one position available each year.  Those components of the internship are provided within an integrated framework of developmental, relational, and experiential perspectives.  The goal of the training program is to provide crucial learning experiences that prepare the intern for the many roles of a competent and ethical professional psychologist.  Our focus is on the roles specific to the college/university counselor, though the skills learned will also prepare interns for work in other settings.  The goals of the internship will be accomplished through supervision, training, and direct experience with counseling, crisis management, assessment, consultation, teaching, outreach/educational programming, and collaboration with other departments.

Integrated Framework:

Developmental:  Building upon the skills and competencies already acquired in coursework, practica, and other relevant experiences the internship will provide an opportunity for the intern to further expand his or her knowledge, skills, and competencies.  More specifically, the internship experience will enable the intern to enhance confidence and autonomy, to become an active part of the counseling center and campus, and to integrate his or her experiences into a stronger sense of professional identity and style.  A developmental perspective is also routinely applied to supervision with the intern as well as to case conceptualization of counseling clients, most of whom fall into the 18-24 year old age range.

Relational:  Working from the premise that most if not all of life is relational in nature, the intern will consider the interpersonal, intrapersonal, and systemic/contextual aspects of all elements of his or her work at the internship and how those variables affect the overarching goals of student development and success.  Those relational variables will obviously be considered within the context of the therapeutic relationships that the intern forms with his or her clients, but will also be applied to the supervisory relationship, the instructive and other relationships with students, the consultative relationships with staff and faculty, and the collaborative relationships formed with other staff members in the Student Services department. 

Experiential:  Much of the experience of the intern will occur via a learning-by-doing approach.  The internship will offer a variety of experiences related to clinical work, client diversity, other services for students, and other roles within the campus that allow the intern to immerse himself or herself in the functions of a college/university counselor.  The intern will be a fully functioning member and representative of the Counseling Services staff, the Student Services department, and the university community and will be involved in all aspects of running the center and serving students.

Components of Internship:

Individual Counseling:  The intern will demonstrate effective skills related to intake interviewing and diagnosis, case conceptualization, treatment planning, content and process work with clients, and other aspects related to the therapeutic process.

Crisis Intervention:  The intern will intervene effectively and professionally with clients in crisis situations, including assessment of the problem, evaluation of risk, problem-solving, sensitivity to legal issues, and other aspects of crisis care.

Assessment:  The intern will utilize the clinical interview, risk assessments, and objective testing to effectively define client issues and diagnoses as well as relevant goals for the treatment plan.

Consultation:  The intern will demonstrate effective skills related to consultation to students, staff, faculty, parents, and other relevant campus constituents.  Those skills will relate to utilization of his or her psychological and interpersonal knowledge base, use of problem-solving strategies, and provision of appropriate recommendations and referrals, among other related skills.

Outreach and Educational Programming:  The intern will effectively provide a variety of experiential outreach and educational programs to students.  Those efforts may include classroom presentations, interactive and topic-specific program development and implementation, and other services that focus on student development, wellness, and success.

Teaching:  The intern will provide effective instruction for one to three classes per semester for students who are at risk for academic problems or who are on academic probation for not maintaining minimum GPA or completion standards.  Students who are part of the intern's class and who wish to seek counseling during the same semester will seek counseling from the Director of Counseling Services to eliminate a dual relationship and/or conflict of interest.

Ethics:  The intern will have a strong understanding of professional ethics, state law, and conduct standards for the center and campus and will integrate that understanding with all aspects of his or her work. 

Components of Training:

Supervision:  The intern will receive two hours of individual supervision each week for their counseling cases.  Additional supervision and/or case consultation can be requested with the supervisor as needed or desired at any time.  Also, case consultation with an external consultant will be provided once per month in order to allow for another perspective of client care.  The intern will review and sign an informed consent for supervision form and will abide by it throughout the duration of the internship.  A learning contract will be completed at the beginning of each semester, specifying goals and objectives for the internship. 

Training:  The intern will be provided with a variety of educational training experiences.  The main aspect of training will consist of topic-driven cooperative learning experiences with the supervisor and possibly other interns and/or practicum students.  Additionally, the intern may choose to partake in continuing education workshops, workshops provided on campus, or other creative ideas for enhancing training.

Evaluation:  The intern is expected to exhibit high-quality work and holds primary responsibility for tracking their direct service and other hours in order to accrue enough hours by the end of the internship.  At the end of each semester, formal written evaluations are conducted and will be evaluated based on the accomplishment of learning contract goals as well as on the delivery of all services and professionalism.  Additionally, the student will be given ongoing feedback throughout the course of the internship.  Additionally, the intern will be able provide a formal written evaluation on the supervisor each semester.

Other Details:

Other Duties:  Though the main components of the internship are listed above, other minor duties may occur on a regular or as needed basis.  For instance, the intern will take part in the once-monthly Student Services departmental staff meeting and other potential meetings that arise. 

Time Frame:  Given the small size of the center and the university, as well as the 10-month academic calendar, the internship will take place over 10 months of time (typically mid-August through mid-June), on a part-time basis (25-30 hours per week), and across two academic years.   This arrangement will allow the intern to earn their required 2000 hours on a part time basis and may be best-suited for students who cannot relocate out of the Twin Cities or those who need to continue working in their current jobs.

Location:  All services will be provided on campus.  The intern will have his or her own office, which is located directly across from the main Counseling Services office.

Stipend:  We will provide a small stipend to help offset some of the expenses of internship.  The stipend is linked to the intern's teaching load.  Students who have masters degrees will be paid $1800 per class taught.  The student must teach at least one class a semester but cannot teach more than two classes per semester.  Thus, the stipend will range between $3600-7200 for each year.

Liability Insurance:  The intern will carry his or her own student liability insurance policy and will be required to provide proof of insurance prior to seeing any clients.

Application:  The intern application consists of:

• A letter of interest in the internship program
• A current curriculum vitae
• A current transcript that demonstrates the completion of all steps required prior to internship and/or a letter from the university that verifies the student's readiness for internship
• Names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three references who are well qualified to speak to the candidate's qualifications and clinical skills
• Copy of APPIC application, including essays

Contact Information:  Questions and applications can be directed to -

 Amy L. Swanson, Psy.D., LP
 Licensed Psychologist/Director
 Counseling Services, DH 310
 Concordia University, Saint Paul
 275 Syndicate Street North
 Saint Paul, MN 55104
 651-641-8252