Welcome to the Clinical Psychology Internship and Externship Programs

Maimonides Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry offers internship and externship programs in clinical psychology. Our program exposes interns to a culturally diverse patient population, inpatient and outpatient treatment approaches, and the psychiatric emergency room. Upon completion, interns can diagnostically assess and treat all levels of mental illness within the public mental health sector, including hospital-based settings.

Our Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA)

American Psychological Association

The Psychology Internship program

The Psychology Internship experience

The multi-disciplinary Psychology Internship Program features three 4-month-long rotations: Adult Inpatient Unit, Wellness Recovery Program, and Assessment and Disposition. Additionally, interns carry a caseload of five adult and five pediatric long-term therapy cases.

Interns are fully integrated within each assigned rotation and participate in all treatment and clinical activities. Each intern has two supervisors for long-term therapy cases, one for child/adolescent cases and one for adult cases. Interns also receive several hours of weekly supervision, including group supervision in their units of rotation, peer supervision from another intern, and additional supervision for psychological/neuropsychological testing. Each intern is assigned a psychology extern to mentor/supervise.

Adult Inpatient Unit Rotation

On the adult inpatient unit, interns are responsible for five daily therapy groups, one each day of the week. Interns also have the opportunity to work with patients individually and to complete inpatient psychological evaluations as needed. During this rotation, interns participate in daily team rounds and admission interviews. Interns are also responsible for leading a community meeting one morning a week to orient patients and discuss any unit issues that arise. During this rotation, interns are each required to present one brief, in-service lecture on the topic of their choice that is relevant to inpatient psychology.

Assessment and Disposition Rotation

During the Assessment and Disposition Rotations, the intern’s time is split between the Adult Outpatient Service (AOS), the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service (CAOS), Rapid Access (RAC), Psychological Testing, and the Psychiatric ER. While on this rotation, interns are expected to complete at least one child/adolescent evaluation.

Wellness Recovery Program Rotation

The Wellness Recovery Program focuses on supporting patients in their wellness and recovery goals and daily maintenance. The clinic serves an adult population 18 years and older with a chronic history of inpatient hospitalization. Many of the patients in this program are diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, or bipolar disorders. The Wellness Recovery Program emphasizes patients’ wellness recovery goals such as gainful employment, formal education, and volunteering. During this rotation, interns will provide case management for twenty patients, complete at least one psychological assessment, and facilitate five to six groups each week.

In-service training

Interns are required to attend in-service training sessions in their assigned rotations, weekly meetings with the training director, weekly grand rounds, and psychology staff meetings. Interns and externs are also required to attend weekly instructional seminars, where members of our multicultural staff and other providers address issues pertinent to their specific cultural backgrounds, and other relevant topics across the lifespan.

Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data

The psychology internship at Maimonides Medical Center is a generalist program grounded in the scholar/practitioner model. There are three 4-month rotations: inpatient, wellness-recovery (outpatient SMI population), and assessment and disposition. The location is a community mental health outpatient clinic, inpatient facility, and a psychiatric ED at a medical center.

Prior to the start of this internship, it highly recommended that applicants have completed the following:

  • 700 total direct contact hours
  • 50 total direct contact assessment hours

Preference is given to candidates with:

  • A dissertation proposal approved by the internship start date
  • An expressed interest in working with a multicultural population in the public sector
  • At least 3 years of graduate/clinical experience
  • At least 700 intervention hours by the start of the internship
  • At least 50 psychological/neuropsychological assessment hours by the start of the internship
  • Clinical and psychological testing experience with both children and adults
  • Experience with varied treatment approaches and assessment methods/materials

How to apply

The Clinical Psychology Internship Program only considers students from APA- and CPA-accredited programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. The internship program participates in the APPIC psychology internship match. Thus, completed applications should be submitted through the APPIC portal by November 15th. Only submissions that include three letters of recommendation, one comprehensive psychological/neuropsychological evaluation, and one case report will be considered.

Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year

Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns $27, 405.00
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns N/A
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern? Yes
If access to medical insurance is provided:
Trainee contribution to cost required? Yes
Coverage of family member(s) available? Yes
Coverage of legally married partner available? Yes
Coverage of domestic partner available? Yes
Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation) 140 hours
Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave 84 hours
In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave? Yes
Other benefits: $200 monthly lunch voucher; 5 conference days; 12 holidays + 1 personal day

Initial Post-Internship Positions

2020–2023
Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts 18
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree 0
PD EP
Academic teaching 0 1
Community mental health center 0 1
Consortium 0 0
University Counseling Center 4 0
Hospital/Medical Center 0 1
Veterans Affairs Health Care System 0 0
Psychiatric facility 0 0
Correctional facility 0 0
Health maintenance organization 0 0
School district/system 0 0
Independent practice setting 9 2
Other 1 1

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position

Program Disclosures

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values. No

How to apply

The Clinical Psychology Internship Program only considers students from APA- and CPA-accredited programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. The internship program participates in the APPIC psychology internship match. Thus, completed applications should be submitted through the APPIC portal by November 15th. Only submissions that include three letters of recommendation, one comprehensive psychological/neuropsychological evaluation, and one case report will be considered.

Electives

The Psychology Internship program is pleased to announce the addition of four elective programs.

Perinatal Mental Health:

Up to 2 interns with a specific interest in perinatal mental health will have the opportunity to be assigned to the perinatal mental health sub-clinic, including

  • A caseload of up to 5 perinatal mental health patients for individual therapy
  • Monthly didactics on perinatal mental health
  • Monthly case conferences
  • Weekly individual supervision with a psychologist assigned to the perinatal mental health clinic

LGBTQIA+ Mental Health

Up to 2 interns with a specific interest in LGBTQIA+ mental health will have the opportunity to be assigned to the LGBTQIA+ mental health sub-clinic, including

  • A caseload of up to 5 adolescent and adult clinic patients for individual therapy
  • Co-facilitation of one or two LGBTQIA+ groups
  • Monthly case conferences
  • Weekly individual supervision with a psychologist assigned to the LGBTQIA+ mental health clinic

Cancer Center

2 interns with a specific interest in psycho-oncology will have the opportunity to spend 4 hours a week for 6 months providing behavioral health services to patients of the Cancer Center, including

  • Short-term individual therapy
  • Short-term group therapy
  • Weekly didactics
  • Weekly individual supervision with the Cancer Center Director of Behavioral Services
  • Note that the Cancer Center is located offsite nearby

Consult/Liaison Psychiatry

Interns with an interest in consult/liaison psychology will have the opportunity for shadowing psychiatrists and psychiatry residents on the C/L service and providing short-term supportive and skills-based therapy to patients admitted to medical units in Maimonides Medical Center

The Psychology Externship program

The Psychology Externship Experience

The Clinical Psychology Externship Program offers experiences in the Child and Adolescent Outpatient Service, and the Wellness Recovery Program.  Externs may work directly with patients in individual, group, and family therapy. They receive at least 1 hour of weekly supervision and participate in all aspects of treatment related to their assigned unit. They receive additional supervision for psycho-diagnostic evaluations.

In weekly group sessions, externs receive additional instruction in psychopharmacology, career development, the role of multiculturalism in therapy, and child and adolescent trauma treatment. They also receive peer supervision from a current intern.

How to apply

Externs must have a master’s degree at the start of their externship. They must be able to conduct therapy sessions and administer the full battery of basic psychological tests. They must also be present at the hospital for 16 hours spread over 2 days, including Fridays for didactics. Externships start the 1st Monday after Labor Day and end approximately June 30.

To apply, please:

  • Submit a letter from the university internship director signifying readiness to begin an externship year
  • Provide by email:
    • 2 letters of recommendation
    • Curriculum vitae
    • Cover letter  stating preferred rotation  and indicating that you will have obtained your master’s degree by the beginning of the externship year
    • Transcript (does not have to be official)

Once accepted, externs must provide:

  • A physical and proof of a purified protein derivative  (PPD) tuberculosis test, as Maimonides will not be able to perform in-house examinations
  • Malpractice insurance from their respective schools as per university guidelines

Externs currently in our service must wait at least 1 year after externship completion to apply for an internship at Maimonides. Interviews are arranged by e-mail, according to the dates set by the Doctor of Psychology NY (PSYDNY) guidelines for scheduling interviews and notification of applicants.

The future of medical care is you

Maimonides’ Clinical Psychology Internship and Externship Programs provide superior educational experiences in an environment that assures a balance between academic and clinical activities. We take great pride in our success in preparing interns and externs to become the next generation of expert psychologists.

Apply to the Psychology Internship and Externship Program today!

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