Clinical Activities
Intake Assessments:Interns meet with individual clients to assess presenting problems and formulate diagnoses. Interns assess the severity of the problem (risk assessment), determine the most appropriate interventions, and discuss treatment alternatives with the client. During the intake process, interns also assess the client’s motivation for treatment.
Individual Psychotherapy: Interns eventually carry a caseload of approximately 15 hours of individual psychotherapy clients per week. Emphasis is given to providing brief therapy, a model that tends naturally to coincide with the duration of the academic semester.
Group Psychotherapy: Interns have the opportunity to co-lead groups during their year at CAPS with opportunity to be a part of the full process of group formation including screening potential group members (all with the support of their co-leader/supervisor). Interns may have the option of developing their own group focused around their own special interests. Interns have the opportunity to learn what is involved in the development, recruitment, and running of a group from the ground up. Groups may include process groups as well as topic-oriented groups. Within our group program, we have a well-developed mindfulness meditation program that includes beginning and advanced meditation groups, along with an MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy) group.
Clinical Access Team/Initial Consultation and Risk Assessment: Interns have the opportunity to practice skills in rapid risk assessment and crisis management during their initial consultations with students who are seeking services. Interns provide 4-5 scheduled Initial Consultations (ICs) per week. During orientation, they have the opportunity to observe senior staff conducting ICs, and then have the opportunity to conduct ICs while receiving direct supervision. Interns are at all times provided with immediate supervision and assistance for situations in which clients urgently require hospitalization or in which other unexpected measures may be needed.
Clinical Supervision: Interns may have the opportunity to supervise one master’s level practicum student (extern) in psychology or a related field during their internship year, for either a semester or a year. Interns schedule one hour of individual supervision with the practicum student, and are provided 1 hour of group supervision of supervision for this experience.
Outreach/Campus Community Participation: Although outreach is not a major focus of the internship experience, interns have opportunities to participate in outreach activities during the internship year. Examples of outreach activities include, but are not limited to: orientation activities, depression screenings, activities aimed at increasing awareness of sexual violence/assault and domestic violence/intimate partner abuse, AOD outreach programming, and outreach programming related to LGBTQ services and awareness.
Brief description of the typical work day for an intern at this training site: Conducting initial consultations, intake assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, outreach, supervising a practicum student, receiving supervision and didactic training in a busy college mental health setting. Opportunities for rotations/apprenticeships in an area and/or population of interest. Opportunities for specialized focus with specific populations including LGBTQ* students, international students, students of color.