Psychology Internship Program va medical Center Hampton

Psychology Internship Program

Veterans Affairs Medical Center

100 Emancipation Drive

Hampton, VA 23667

Accreditation Status

Application & Selection Procedures

1. 
   U.S. citizenship. VA is unable to consider applications from anyone who is not currently a U.S. citizen. Verification of citizenship is required following selection. All interns and fellows must complete a Certification of Citizenship in the United States prior to beginning VA training.
   
2. 
   A male applicant born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26 to be eligible for any US government employment, including selection as a paid VA trainee. Male applicants must sign a pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they can be processed into a training program. Exceptions can be granted only by the US Office of Personnel Management; exceptions are very rarely granted.
   
3. 
   Interns and Fellows are subject to fingerprinting and background checks. Match result and selection decisions are contingent on passing these screens.
   
4. 
   VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees. Interns and Fellows are not required to be tested prior to beginning work, but once on staff they are subject to random selection for testing as are other employees.
   

Internship applicants also must meet these criteria to be considered for any VA Psychology Internship Program::

1. 
   Doctoral student in good standing at an APA-accredited graduate program in Clinical or Counseling psychology. Persons with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA criteria for respecialization training in Clinical or Counseling Psychology are also eligible.
   
2. 
   Approved for internship status by graduate program training director.
   

1. 
   Must have a minimum of 1200 practicum hours with a minimum of 400 practicum hours of intervention and assessment.
   
2. 
   Must have completed at least 5 integrated psychological assessment batteries and have administered at least 5 WAIS-III/WAIS-IVs and/or other intellectual assessments and at least 5 MMPI-IIs and/or PAIs.
   
3. 
   Please note that completion of all academic work including the dissertation is preferred.
   

• 
  Curriculum Vitae
  
• 
  Graduate transcripts
  
• 
  Three letters of recommendation
  
• 
  A cover letter of interest describing your past training and career goals. Your cover letter should also indicate to which track(s) you are applying.
  
• 
  The APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI)
  
• 
  Supplemental Material (please submit in online application in Supplemental Section): A recent psychological assessment report that includes the integration of at least 2 psychological tests and a clinical interview
  

COMPLETE APPLICATIONS (to include the psychological assessment report) MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 15.

The Psychology Internship Program is funded by the Office of Academic Affiliations of the

Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office as an annual, earmarked allocation to the medical center.

The current annual internship stipend at VA Hampton is $23,974. This stipend requires a full calendar

year of training; our start date is in mid August each year. VA provides health care benefits for interns as for any other VA employee. Health benefits are also available to dependents and married spouses of interns and fellows. With the recent Supreme Court decision, health benefits are now available to legally married same-sex spouses of interns regardless of state of residency. However, unmarried partners of

either sex are not eligible for health benefits. Insurance programs can be selected from a wide array of

options. More information about VA stipends and benefits are available at

www.psychologytraining.va.gov/benefits.asp.

Psychology Setting
The Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences (MH&BS) Service provides a full range of mental health and rehabilitative services. The Service is multidisciplinary and is composed of members of the Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Work and Nursing Services. It is affiliated with the Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Virginia Consortium Program for Professional Psychology and provides clinical training, education and research opportunities to both medical residents and students within a wide variety of theoretical and clinical modalities. The MH&BS Service providers treat a variety of male and female veterans who range in age from early 20's to 80's and have an average age of 40 years. Seventy percent (70%) are service connected and 20-30% are indigent. Sixty to 70% are of African American and Hispanic origins while the remainder are Caucasian. All major diagnostic categories are represented including mood disorder, psychosis, dissociative disorders, dementia, delirium, personality disorders and substance abuse. Over 50% of the patients seen by the clinical staff are dually diagnosed. Interventions include somatic therapies, individual psychotherapy, family meetings/therapy and various group modalities.
The psychology program of the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center is an active component of the MH&BS Service Line and has 40 Ph.D./Psy.D. clinical staff, 2 post-doctoral fellows in clinical psychology (Emphasis Area: Women & Trauma), and 7 bachelor/masters level psychology technicians. Staff competencies represent a wide array of clinical and theoretical orientations including psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal and supportive psychotherapies. Evidence-based psychotherapy, marital and family therapy, various group modalities, biofeedback, and EMDR are also provided as indicated.

Training Model and Program Philosophy

The mission of the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center Pre-doctoral Psychology Internship Training Program is to provide a training experience that ensures quality health care for our nation’s veterans and ensures that the Department of Veterans Affairs has a constant source of well-trained and qualified psychologists for future employment. The Psychology Internship Program seeks to foster the development of the requisite skills, roles and values of the professional psychologist. Acquisition of problem-solving attitudes that will enable interns to cope with situations beyond their current level of skills and knowledge and prepare them to meet new problems via innovation and research is a major training focus as well. The internship program is based on a scholar–practitioner model with an emphasis on training in the area of applied clinical practice. It is designed to train interns to function as independent, ethical, and competent professional psychologists with an emphasis on the provision of mental health services for adult medical center patients. Thus, our philosophy is to implement and promote established, reliable, valid, and efficacious treatment modalities and protocols to the greatest extent possible and to encourage actively our interns to draw upon the empirical body of literature to enhance the development of their professional skills. As scholar-practitioners, we remain abreast of current empirical findings in our chosen areas of professional practice to further our knowledge of treatment advances in order to inform clinical decisions.

Program Goals & Objectives

• 
  Knowledge and application of ethical principles
  
• 
  Productive use of supervision and/or consultation
  
• 
  Professional interaction
  
• 
  Responsibility and self-direction
  
• 
  Positive coping strategies
  
• 
  Maintenance of good rapport with patients
  
• 
  Sensitivity to cultural and individual differences
  
• 
  Use of relevant interview data
  

• 
  Administration of commonly used tests and measurements
  
• 
  Interpretation of assessment and test data
  
• 
  Writing a well-organized psychological test report
  

• 
  Case conceptualization
  
• 
  Formulation of appropriate treatment goals
  
• 
  Presentation of well-timed and effective interventions
  
• 
  Productive use of countertransference
  

• 
  Group Therapy Challenges
  

• 
  Competent professional consultation
  

• 
  Appropriate use of scholarly and research-based literature
  
• 
  Research/professional writing skills
  
• 
  Demonstration of professional skills
  

Program Structure

173111 General Psychology (3 positions)

173112 Integrated Behavioral Health (2 positions)
Mental Health Access Clinic: All interns are required to take an active role in a Mental Health Access Clinic. The purpose of this weekly 2-hour clinical experience is four-fold:

1. 
   To streamline the referral process of patients to Mental Health and Behavioral Science Service Line (MHBS).
   
2. 
   To establish an initial clinical point of contact for patients referred to MHBS.
   
3. 
   To expedite the scheduling of acute psychiatric patients.
   
4. 
   To collect standardized information regarding the baseline functioning of patients referred to MHBS. Specifically to:
   

(b)Assess the presence and severity of suicidal and/or homicidal ideation

(c) Assess the general level of symptomatology in referred patients
During this yearlong clinical assignment, interns will gain training and experience in several significant clinical and administrative areas that professional psychologists are normally expected to perform:

1. 
   Experience in brief assessment and the appropriate triage of a varied population of psychiatric patients. Presenting symptoms include, but are not limited to, depression, anxiety, suicidality, homicidality, psychosis, dementia, traumatic stress reactions, dissociative disorders and phobias
   
2. 
   Experience in the administration and interpretation of a brief clinical assessment battery
   
3. 
   Experience in brief clinical interviewing and relaying feedback regarding assessment results to both patients and medical staff alike
   
4. 
   Experience in consultation with other mental health providers and allied medical center staff.
   
5. 
   Experience in the administration and management of a mental health sub-specialty clinic
   

Training Experiences

This site provides specialized training in comprehensive psychodiagnostic assessment and intervention with acutely disturbed patients who require brief/short term hospitalization. The intern will have the opportunity to learn skills in interviewing, diagnosis, formulation of treatment plans, case management, and milieu and group psychotherapies. Multidisciplinary patient reviews, intake interviews, treatment planning and daily ward activities provide the intern the opportunity to interact within the entire therapeutic community.

Supervision in Outpatient Mental Health is available in a wide variety of treatment modalities and theoretical orientations (e.g., psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, marital/family systems therapy, and specialized group therapies). Patients represent a wide range of diagnostic categories and of educational, socioeconomic and ethnic origins.

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT) is an outpatient treatment program specifically designed to provide services to veterans diagnosed with combat and military-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The psychology intern is expected to function as a full member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and may be assigned to co-lead skills training groups, trauma-focused groups, and interpersonal process groups.  Interns will learn how to conduct trauma assessments, diagnostic interviews and formulate treatment plans.

The Drug Abuse Program (DAP) treats approximately 75 male and female veterans in an eclectic mix of therapeutic community; AA and 12-step techniques, cognitive-behavioral and spiritual interventions, and traditional psychosocial and psychiatric management approaches. The intern will be trained in the use of a semi-structured interview leading to a written diagnostic summary and will participate as a co-therapist in specialized group treatments, e.g., PTSD, anger management and sexual abuse. Time-limited individual psychotherapy and psychodiagnostic testing will also be a function of this training option. Interns will also assume an active role within the DAP Treatment Team and assist with the provision of information and on-going treatment planning.

This team provides collaborative, co-located, evidence based care at the VAMC Hampton. This program also incorporates a Behavioral Health Lab (BHL) Hub, a cutting edge model for providing short-term, behaviorally based interventions (including care management for depression, at-risk drinking, and obesity) to primary care patients at both VAMC Hampton and VAMC Fayetteville. Interns on the Primary Care PACT rotation provide functional assessments, triage, brief interventions, education and consultative services regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns.

During the Fall of 2012, the VAMC Hampton Women’s Building opened on campus. This state-of-the-art facility offers an innovative approach to providing comprehensive health care to female Veterans. It provides co-located care for women Veterans where they receive primary care services, gynecological services, primary care mental health services, specialized mental health services, and sexual trauma services all in one building. Some of the functions that trainees will perform on the Women's PACT rotation include: participating in multidisciplinary treatment teams, delivering brief consultation-based services to Veterans, primary care providers, and the Women's PACT members, and providing short-term and long-term psychotherapy to include evidence based approaches. 

The APOC is a rural, community-based clinic in Elizabeth City, N.C. This clinic primarily serves Veterans in northeastern North Carolina with a catchment radius of about 50-100 miles. This clinic is located about 90 minutes from VAMC Hampton. Interns on this rotation will perform comprehensive evaluations and assessments to diagnose and treat psychiatric conditions and psychosocial stressors observed in a rural Veteran population, i.e., PTSD, Major Depressive conditions, substance abuse and dependence, readjustment issues, serious mental illness, family turmoil, and anger management. In addition to providing evidence-based psychotherapies as a routine part of care, the APOC also has a number of Telemental health courses that interns will have the opportunity to lead or co-lead.

The Community Living Center (CLC) is a 120-bed inpatient and support care unit. CLC utilizes an interdisciplinary team approach to assist patients admitted for a variety of medical, physical and cognitive conditions to attain the highest possible level of independence, health and physical functioning. Major diagnostic categories of CLC patients include dementia, complex medical disorders, cerebral vascular accidents, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, respiratory conditions, post-surgical care (amputations and fractures), neurological conditions, diabetes, cancer, HIV and geropsychiatric conditions. The primary activities of this training option will include: brief cognitive assessment; psychological assessment; behavioral goal setting; individual, group/family therapy; patient education; staff training/consultation; and interdisciplinary team participation. The Hospice Care Program is a 10-bed hospice unit designed to provide sensitive support for veterans with advanced, progressive, incurable illness. This portion of the training experience will focus on providing treatment to veterans and their families via an interdisciplinary treatment team approach consisting of a physician, social worker, psychologist, pharmacist and various volunteer staff.

The major focus of this 90-day residential program for homeless veterans is to assist veterans to function in a self-sufficient and independent manner. Rehabitat addresses the emotional, physical, spiritual, medical and social impairments often associated with homelessness. Ninety percent of the veterans enrolled in this multidisciplinary treatment program are dually diagnosed with psychiatric and co-morbid substance abuse diagnoses. Interns electing this highly specialized training experience will have an opportunity to conduct individual and group therapies, provide consultation and take an active role in program development and case management practices.

This rotation will familiarize the intern with the administrative aspects of a mental health service delivery system. Experiences in the following activities will be made available: conducting audits to identify programmatic deficiencies; developing programs to meet changing patient and Medical Center needs; evaluation of practitioner performance and creating performance appraisals; developing and analyzing results of needs surveys; participating in Center-wide committees; and training/supervision of pre-doctoral practicum level students.

This training option will build upon the intern's initial experiences gained in the required PCT rotation. Interns will receive in-depth training in objective psychometric assessment of both PTSD and co-morbid disorders and will assume the role of co-therapist in one or more long-term interpersonal process group settings. The intern will also be responsible for developing and conducting one 5-week didactic workshop in an area of personal expertise/interest.

Interns can elect to focus on the treatment of the lifespan exposure to sexual trauma including child/adolescent, adult civilian and/or Military Sexual Trauma (MST). There will be opportunities for interns to engage in intake interviews, outpatient based individual psychotherapy, couples therapy (heterosexual and gay/lesbian), structured psycho-educational psychotherapy groups (Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training, Cognitive Processing Therapy trauma focus groups, MST and Coping with Childhood Sexual Trauma psycho-educational groups), interpersonal process oriented psychotherapy groups and psychodiagnostic evaluation.

The 64 bed Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Unit is the largest long-term care facility in the VA system.  The intern selecting this training option will assist in providing assessment/treatment for traditional mental health issues (depression, PTSD, SMI, substance abuse; adjustment to SCI), cognitive functioning (screening and neuropsychological) and behavioral health issues such as smoking cessation, pain management, coping and compliance with complex, medical/health issues; developing treatment plans and providing input to the regular 90-day treatment plan.  Interns will participate in weekly staffing, mental health rounds, interdisciplinary conferences, provide patient and staff education programs.

This training option will build upon the intern's initial experiences gained in the required PCT rotation. The major emphasis of this 60-day residential treatment program for veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is teaching acceptance-based coping strategies by means of applying Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills training as treatment for PTSD. With this training experience an intern will have an opportunity to conduct individual and group therapies, perform case management, and gain experience with a psychologist's role on a multidisciplinary treatment team in a residential setting.

Health Promotion/Disease Prevention (HPDP) is a VA initiative launched in recognition that maladaptive health behaviors affect the development and maintenance of chronic disease. This assignment incorporates a strong behavioral-medicine focus and emphasizes the unique health psychology skills involved in the provision of both individualized patient-centered care and population-focused care to support veterans in making positive health behavior changes. The intern will collaborate with the facility's Health Behavior Coordinator (HBC) and an interdisciplinary HPDP Program Committee in the provision of a variety of activities which include direct clinical care (individual and/or group) as well as several or all of the following components consistent with HPDP initiatives:  medical staff education and training, consultative services, program development/management/evaluation, performance improvement, and various other health care leadership/administrative tasks. The intern will have the opportunity to engage in biopsychosocially oriented health behavior evaluations and individual and group empirically based and time-limited interventions, such as motivational interviewing, health behavior coaching, problem solving therapy, CBT for Insomnia or Chronic Pain, Smoking Cessation counseling, and preparation for organ transplant surgery.

The PRRC is an Outpatient Transitional Community Center that operates under the premise that mental health recovery is possible for every veteran diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The program offers intensive, evidenced based group therapy to veterans diagnosed with SMI, to encourage mental health recovery and to assist veterans in obtaining meaningful, self-defined roles in their communities. A sample of groups currently offered includes: Social Skills Training (SST), Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Co-occurring Disorders, Multi-Family Group Therapy (MFGT), NAMI Certified Peer-Led Support Group, and interpersonal process groups.  During this rotation, an intern will have the opportunity to lead/co-lead group therapy, develop individual recovery plans, assist in community integration activities, and participate on a multidisciplinary treatment team in an outpatient setting. Additional flexibility is available for time-limited individual therapy, psychological assessment, and development of new groups.

The SeRV-MH clinic addresses the specific needs of Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND).  A multidisciplinary approach is utilized in the SeRV-MH clinic to offer a seamless transition to civilian life for veterans who have been deployed to combat zones.  Psychology interns will receive training in providing ongoing assessment of clinical treatment needs (e.g., relational, occupational, and emotional adjustment) as well as the application of evidenced-based treatments.  A focus of this rotation will be treatment for combat or operational stress reactions, such as sleep problems, panic, and other anxiety related disorders. In addition, interns may have the opportunity to work with veterans diagnosed with PTSD and adjustment disorders.  This elective rotation will offer the intern an opportunity to provide brief individual therapy with a primary focus on helping veterans develop skills to effectively cope with the transition to civilian life.  Interns will also be able to gain long term therapy experience with OEF/OIF/OND veterans that are participating in more extensive empirically supported treatments (e.g., CPT, ACT, PE, etc). Some opportunities for couples and family work may be available during this rotation. Interns will enhance group therapy skills by co-facilitating OEF/OIF/OND skills-based groups (e.g., Afterdeployment, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, etc.)  and may also co-facilitate trauma focused groups for this population (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). As we continue to learn more about the growing needs of this population, this rotation allows interns to utilize flexibility and creativity while gaining experience with program development and evaluation. 

To maintain good standing in the program, interns must maintain minimum levels of achievement on outcome measures. The intern is evaluated mid-rotation and at the end of the rotation using the Predoctoral Psychology Internship Core Competencies Form. The minimum threshold for satisfactory performance on all clinical competencies is expected to be at the Rating of 3 (Performance at the Entry Level for a Predoctoral Intern or higher. To complete internship successfully, the intern must obtain a rating of “4” or higher on the Overall Rotation Competency Score on 4 of their 6 rotations. The Director of Training will monitor the intern's progress throughout the training year and will follow the procedures as defined in the Management of Problematic Behavior and Due Process document.

The interns are considered full members of the clinical staff for the purposes of all staff activities, office support, and work accommodations. Interns rotate through 3 office spaces over the course of their training year. These offices are located near the outpatient mental health clinic, the Director of Clinical Training, and/or other supervisors. Each intern office has a PC with Windows, internet access, e-mail, and internal programs.

Administrative Policies and Procedures

Training Staff

Trainees

Kelly Martincin (IBH Emph Area), Cleveland State University, Counseling, Ph.D.

Luke Seltzer (General Psych Emph Area), Rosemead School of Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Katherine Shaw (General Psych Emph Area), Argosy -DC, Clinical, Psy.D.

Marlana Webster (IBH Emph Area), James Madison University, Clinical, Psy.D.

Laura White (General Psych Emph Area), Florida Institute of Technology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Catherine DeBoer (IBH Emph Area), Regent, Clinical, Psy.D.

Nicole Hofman (General Psych Emph Area), University of South Dakota, Clinical, Ph.D.

Lindsay Phebus (General Psych Emph Area), Nova Southeastern University, Clinical, Psy.D.

Tabitha Sierra (IBH Emph Area), Regent, Clinical, Psy.D.

Nicole Scaro (General Psych Emph Area), MN School of Professional Psych, Clinical, Psy.D.

Ashley Glover, James Madison University, Psy.D.

Alexis Pitts, Tennessee State University, Ph.D.

Blake Webster, Wichita State University, Ph.D.

Vanessa Handsel, University of Tennessee, Clinical, Ph.D.

Kristen Ogilvie, Wright Institute, Clinical, Psy.D.

Carol Robinson, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Kristie Fleming, The University of Memphis, Counseling, Ph.D.

Janette Mance-Khourey, University of Akron, Counseling, Ph.D.

Jennifer Thiessen, Rosemead School of Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Christine Lovelady, Loyola College in Maryland, Clinical, Psy.D.

Mirela Militaru, American School of Professional Psychology (Argosy), Psy.D.

Haya Soya, Florida Institute of Technology, Psy.D.

Peter Johnson, Loyola College in Maryland, Clinical, Psy.D.

Stephanie Nowacki-Butzen, Regent University, Clinical, Psy.D.

Mark Skellie, Georgia School of Professional Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Brandon Bryan, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Sarah Ingle, University of North Texas, Clinical, Ph.D.

April Muldrow, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Evan Alvord, George Fox University, Clinical, Psy.D.

Abigail Craine, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Stacie Otey-Scott, Regent University, Clinical, Psy.D.

Tonia Bagby, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clincal, Psy.D.

Kimberly Smeltzer, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Clincal, Psy.D.
2004-2005 Interns

Deborah Vick, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Tiffany Rogers, Georgia School of Professional Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.
2003-2004 Interns

Ronald Field, Farleigh Dickenson University, Clinical, Ph.D.

Cynthia Hand, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.
2002-2003 Interns

Kathy Babel, Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, Clinical, Psy.D.

Philip Hatfield, Fielding Institute, Clinical, Ph.D.
All interns have provided consent for their names to be posted on our website.

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