Internship Positions
Internship Positions
Residents are matched to one of the following clinical tracks; Hillside Children’s Center, URochester Medicine Addiction-Forensic Clinical Research, Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Outpatient Behavioral Health (Adult), Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Integrated Care, Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Neuropsychology at the Neuroscience Institute, Rochester Psychological Assessment & Testing (RPAT), or Ontario County Mental Health (OCMH).
Hillside Children's Center
The Hillside Children’s Center is a non-profit organization consisting of more than 100 coordinated programs in 41 locations across New York and Maryland which provide comprehensive health, education, and human services for children and families. Residents at this placement site work as part of a multidisciplinary team treating youth placed in residential care from across New York State. Residents are responsible for psychological evaluations, consultation with the treatment team including family and external funders, and delivery of evidence-based group and individual therapy. Residents placed with Hillside will work directly with youth and families who have experienced complex and intergenerational trauma. Evidence-based practices used include dialectical behavior therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. Residents also have the opportunity to gain experience in the school connected to the residential campus, providing evaluation services and supporting intervention plans for youth placed in residential care. This residential campus has youth with emotional and behavioral disorders as well as dually diagnosed youth (who also have a Developmental Disability). The majority of students in this school have experienced complex and intergenerational trauma.
Learn more about Hillside Children's Center
University of Rochester (UR) Addiction, Testing, & Innovative Technology Clinical Research
Residents in the University of Rochester Addiction, Testing, & Innovative Technology Clinical Research track focus on developing advanced skills in clinical service delivery and translational clinical research within a multidisciplinary team. Residents are placed at Strong Recovery clinical site. Clinical training emphasizes psychological assessment and group therapy, including CBT, DBT, mindfulness-based, and trauma-focused groups for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions. Residents also have opportunities to develop trainings and educational resources for clinicians focused on evidence-based approaches to substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions. Residents conduct psychological testing with adults and adolescents receiving substance use and/or mental health treatment. Testing helps provide a clearer understanding of a client’s strengths, challenges, and emotional and behavioral functioning. Residents use psychological assessment to help clarify diagnoses related to mood, anxiety, trauma, personality, attention, and other mental health concerns, as well as to identify factors that may be affecting treatment. Results are used to support diagnostic understanding and develop individualized treatment recommendations.
Research training involves active participation in ongoing clinical research, including data collection, analysis, and dissemination through presentations and publications. Projects often involve the use of interactive and digital health technologies, such as digital assessments, behavioral tracking tools, and technology-based intervention platforms (e.g., a User-Friendly, Customizable Avatar Assisted CBT Platform [RITch®CBT], 3D Organ Simulation Tools for Motivational Interviewing, Virtual Reality Mindfulness Tools). Residents are expected to contribute meaningfully to research activities, including manuscript development using existing datasets and involvement in federally funded randomized controlled trials targeting co-occurring disorders. Under the supervision of a licensed clinical psychologist, residents may have the opportunity to complete court-ordered competency to stand trial assessments and mental health evaluations (e.g., Mental Health and Drug Court Evaluations).
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Outpatient Adult
The RRH Adult track will provide trainees with opportunities at outpatient mental health clinics including RRH’s Evelyn Brandon Health Clinic, Greece Behavioral Health Clinic, Rochester Mental Health Clinic, and Genesee Mental Health Clinic. Four residents are placed within clinics treating adult (18+) clients. The psychiatric characteristics of clients treated includes the full diagnostic range of the DSM-5. Residents across clinics have the opportunity to conduct individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy. Residents will also engage in psychological assessment in order to provide differential diagnoses and recommendations for ongoing treatment/referrals.
Residents will learn efficient evaluation and report writing procedures. Residents at RRH work closely with a multi-disciplinary team of licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists. Residents are assigned to teams of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and therapists for weekly case discussions and clinical presentations. This track allows residents opportunities to provide consultation on behavioral health leadership projects and complete inpatient consultations and evaluations on an as needed basis. Lastly, residents are provided with leadership opportunities including presentations at staff meetings, best-practice presentations, practicum student supervision, and participation in program development and behavioral health research projects.
Learn more about RRH Adult Outpatient
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Integrated Care
The RRH Integrated Care clinical rotation provides trainees with opportunities to engage in the integrated care model of treatment, providing outpatient mental health services to individuals within their primary care, family care, and/or specialty care offices. The embedded setting allows for thorough collaboration with the medical care team of each individual served, providing comprehensive care. Resident will have the opportunity to gain experience in working with our refugee community, individuals struggling with chronic pain, as well as individuals with comorbidities. Residents will have the opportunity to engage in individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy while also conducting comprehensive evaluations and psychological assessments. Residents will work on a multi-disciplinary team consisting of licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and a psychiatrist, as well as with the medical team and physicians at their sites.
Rochester Regional Health (RRH) Neuropsychology at Neuroscience Institute
Neuropsychology residents at the RRH Neuroscience Institute receive supervision from a team of postdoctoral-trained neuropsychologists. Residents conduct evaluations with a variety of neurological populations, with etiologies including ischemic stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, the spectrum of traumatic brain injuries (mTBI/concussion to severe), anoxic brain injury, brain tumor, metabolic and other encephalopathies, neurodegenerative disease/dementias, autoimmune neurologic disorders (such as multiple sclerosis), psychiatric disorders presenting with primary cognitive symptoms and others. The age of patients served ranges from infant to geriatric. Residents rotate through the inpatient program and all major outpatient clinics. In addition, they participate in didactics reviewing neuroanatomy, clinical disorders, as well as neuroradiology rounds.
There are also opportunities for resident involvement in stroke and dementia support groups, as well as opportunities to supervise practicum/extern students. Within the comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program, residents will assess and treat the widest range of ages, neurological conditions, including etiologies noted above as well as traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injuries. Resident will learn efficient evaluation and report writing procedures and hone psychotherapy skills within the inpatient setting. Interdisciplinary collaboration and presentations at staff conferences are regular components of the resident’s inpatient rehabilitation experience. The outpatient clinics provide opportunity for more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment with a variety of patient populations.
The memory clinic provides neuropsychological evaluation to assist with differential diagnostic clarification including dementia subtypes versus other neurological or psychiatric factors. At the memory clinic, residents will collaborate with our neurology partners, including the opportunity to learn about advanced neuroimagery. In addition, the concussion clinic exposes the resident to the complexities of post-concussion disorder that can often have premorbid and psychological factors that may prolong and exacerbate the symptoms. Furthermore, the general outpatient neuropsychological clinic provides a context for training in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation and report writing with a wide range of neurological patient populations. Residents may also provide psychotherapy with neurological patients in the outpatient context, addressing emotional adjustment, coping, and existential concerns.
Learn more about RRH Neuropsychology
Ontario County Mental Health (OCMH)
The Ontario County Mental Health (OCMH) Department is situated in the heart of Western New York, in the Finger Lakes Region. OCMH clinic’s Director of Community Services, Jessica Mitchell, Ph.D., through the Local Government Unit (LGU), is responsible for the distribution of funds (federal, state and/or local dollars), oversight and compliance of programs with State regulations, and the development of local plans for behavioral health services for individuals living with developmental, mental health, and/or substance or alcohol abuse disabilities in the community. OCMH operates a certified outpatient mental health clinic treatment program, licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) through the Mental Health Department.
The OCMH clinic serves individuals from ages 5 through adulthood, with a wide-range of psychological conditions or presenting concerns, from depression or anxiety, trauma or co-occurring disorders, to serious mental illness or emotional disturbances. The clinic offers evidence-based practice within the context of a multidisciplinary team approach, including psychiatric/medical providers, social workers, mental health counselors, peers/case workers, and in collaboration with other helping professionals or systems of care to support individuals’ recovery. These include the Departments of Social Services, Public Health and Probation, school districts, primary care offices, Health Homes case management providers, crisis service providers, local hospitals, etc. OCMH’s internship training program includes a broad range of clinical and professional experiences within a rural, community-based setting, which can assist psychology residents in the development of their professional identity as providers of psychological services.
Psychology residents will have opportunities to participate in didactic or training opportunities, as well as to develop, integrate, and synthesize their professional skills through a) direct clinical work; b) consultation and involvement in county/community-based committees or programs; and c) provision of psychological testing and evaluations for clients of the clinic and/or court-ordered evaluations. Psychology residents will also have opportunities to offer supervision to social worker or mental health counseling residents, offer in-service or educational training to clinical staff or other county/community partners, as well as opportunities to observe or participate in school-based clinic work or consultation groups depending upon interest.