Internship
Training Activities
Direct Service:
Interns spend about 50% of their time in providing direct service, which includes intakes, individual, group, and couples' therapy. They receive two hours per week of individual supervision, one hour of group supervision, and one-hour consultation with the psychiatrist. Additional time is offered for supervision of group psychotherapy. Additional ad hoc supervision is provided for unexpected crises or ethical dilemmas.
Professional Meetings:
Interns meet bi-weekly with senior staff for one hour to discuss administrative issues, coordinate outreach events, and fine-tune clinical procedures and policies.
Professional Development:
All clinical staff meet every week for two hours of professional development. These take the format of a rotating schedule for case conferences, diversity training, and invited guest speakers on clinical topics. Senior staff members take turns planning each month of professional development activities.
New Intern Orientation:
Interns are provided with a period of formal orientation for the first week of their training. (See Intern Manual, Appendix M).Topics covered usually include a review of the policies and procedures manual; the intern manual including the grievance process, familiarity of agency filing procedures; e-mail and voice mail procedures; the rhythm of the year activities and expectations; personnel policies; leave policies; the institution's sexual harassment policies; the mission statement for the Institution, Student Life and the Counseling Center; and an introduction to key personnel and offices on campus.
Case Management:
Interns spend an average of four to five hours per week in writing intakes, progress notes, terminations, and handling phone calls to clients. They spend time preparing for supervision. Professional readings are done after hours or at times when caseloads are down.
Outreach Activities:
Interns spend an average of four hours per week in outreach activities. These may take the form of classroom presentations on mental health topics, awareness tables and screening days. They are paired with senior staff for these activities initially. In their second trimester they are allowed to handle classroom presentations independently. They have the opportunity to collaborate with mental health professionals from the community for screening days such as National Depression Screening and Anxiety Screening. Opportunities for working with peer educators are also available.
Supervision:
Interns are provided with two hours of individual supervision on a weekly basis. They also have the opportunity to work with two different supervisors in order to experience different supervisory styles and theoretical approaches. A third hour is spent in group supervision, and supervision of group therapy is additional.
Intake and Emergency Coverage:
The entire staff shares responsibility for emergency coverage. Interns serve as back-up emergency coverage to senior staff for their first two trimesters. In the second half of their training year they are allowed to serve in primary roles under supervision. They are assigned to fours hours of intakes per week. They may also do extended intakes to take advantage of supervision in formulating treatment goals and plans before finalizing treatment plans with clients. Senior staff must be involved in assisting with the emergency hospitalization of clients in keeping with Colorado statutes.
Psychological Assessment:
A minimum of four assessment batteries will be required of each intern; two to be completed by January and two by May. These should include both projective and objective instruments.
Dissertation Release Time:
Interns who have not yet completed their dissertations are entitled to up to 30 hours for completing work on their dissertations. The Center considers it important to provide some support in helping them to complete their academic requirements.
