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 group therapy, and psychological/neuropsychological testing. Each intern is assigned a psychology extern to mentor/supervise.

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 may be required to present one brief, in-service lecture on the topic of their choice that is relevant to inpatient psychology. Interns are observed by supervisors in vivo weekly while facilitating milieu groups. Interns are expected to complete on adult psychological/neuropsychological evaluation during this rotation as part of the testing requirement.

During the Assessment and Disposition Rotation, interns spend one full day each week in the psychiatric ER and meet weekly as part of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (CAPS) staff. While on this rotation, interns also complete up to one child and one adult outpatient intake evaluation weekly and are expected to complete at least one child/adolescent psychological/neuropsychological evaluation as part of the psychological testing requirement. Interns are also expected to present one in-service lecture relevant to child/adolescent psychology.

The Wellness Recovery Program focuses on supporting patients diagnosed with severe mental illnesses (SMI).  The Program 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 facilitate five to six groups each week and complete at least one adult psychological/neuropsychological evaluation as part of the psychological testing requirement.

Interns are required to attend in-service training sessions in their assigned rotations, weekly meetings with the internship training director, weekly grand rounds (September through June), and psychology staff meetings bimonthly. Interns are also required to attend weekly didactics, during which members of our multicultural staff and other providers address issues pertinent to their specific cultural backgrounds, clinical interests, and other relevant psychological topics across the lifespan.

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 Center, psychiatric 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 psychological/neuropsychological 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
• Clinical and psychological testing experience with both children and adults
• Experience with varied treatment approaches and assessment methods/materials
• A master’s degree completed prior to the start of internship

The Clinical Psychology Internship Program only considers students from APA- and CPA-accredited programs in Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and combined Clinical-School 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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.