Psychology Internship

OVERVIEW OF INTERNSHIP

The Internship utilizes a number of training sites within Temple University Health Sciences System and is administratively housed in the College of Health Professions. The departments of the College of Health Professions include members from Communication Sciences, Health Information Management, Kinesiology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, and Therapeutic Recreation who are involved in clinical, teaching, and research activities. The College of Health Professions prides itself on its historical commitment to training, service, and research and its multidisciplinary orientation, which is reflected in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and collaboration. The College of Health Professions consists of several faculty who work with the internship program that includes clinical psychologists employed in the Department of Public Health and Kinesiology.

The primary goal of the Internship is to provide the exposure and experience necessary for the intern to assume the roles and responsibilities of a competent entry-level psychologist who represents the scientist-practitioner model. We expect the intern will achieve increasing levels of responsibility and autonomy as the year progresses. The intern will extend and sharpen clinical skills by exposure to a patient population that is highly varied in age, physical condition, cultural background, and psychopathology. By working in a broad range of settings and with professionals of differing orientations and expertise, the intern can begin to translate theory into practice and evaluate the efficacy and compatibility of differing treatment techniques. The internship primarily involves experiences to train professionals to work with underserved populations in a health sciences center. 

The Psychology Internship Training Program at Temple has been structured to help interns function as developing professionals in a wide range of clinical settings.  The Internship Program at Temple University Health Sciences Center follows a mentoring model based on the scientist-practitioner philosophy of training.  Following completion of the internship year, the intern will demonstrate the capacity to accurately assess, conceptualize, and institute effective treatment strategies for individuals who present with cognitive, behavioral, or emotional difficulties secondary to neurological, medical, or psychiatric illness; and will be able to communicate this information to other treating disciplines while maintaining an appreciation and understanding of pertinent cultural and ethical issues.  In addition, interns will gain a basic understanding of research design, data analysis, and research methods.

The internship runs from July 1 to June 30 of each calendar year. Intern activities include providing clinical services for child, adolescent, and adult psychiatric, medical, and neurological populations in both inpatient and outpatient settings. In addition to clinical responsibilities, interns spend approximately one day each week engaged in research activities and nearly one quarter of their time in diverse educational activities such as individual and group supervision, case conferences, clinical rounds, and seminars.

Each intern rotates through the three four-month rotations listed below. While on each rotation, the intern functions as an integral member of the multidisciplinary treatment team in that setting. At the same time, the intern maintains an ongoing caseload of outpatient psychotherapy and assessment hours through our outpatient clinic.