The Providence Medical Group Internship training model is aligned with American Psychological Association’s newly revised Standards of Accreditation (SOA) for training in health service psychology. The internship is designed to promote the competency training model described in the SoA. Those successfully completing the internship should know and exemplify high standards of legal, ethical, and professional conduct. They should be able to provide a wide variety of clinical services, including assessment and psychotherapy, for individuals across the lifespan and from diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, and social backgrounds.
In addition to our nine areas of competency which are the major focus of internship training, interns will also engage in training opportunities such as:
Didactics: Didactic workshops are offered weekly with few exceptions. Didactic topics deliberately include diversity considerations such as social determinants of health, structural racism, culturally informed care, LGBTQ+ health and mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion in relation to the care teams we work in as Behavioral Health Providers as well as the patients we serve, addressing health inequity and disparities, and much more. Throughout the course of the training year presenters will be asked to include identity centering and incorporate specific learning objectives related to both DEI and lifespan considerations.
Comprehensive Assessment: Interns will complete at least two comprehensive assessments throughout the training year. Interns will attend didactics facilitated by assessment specialty psychologists to grow knowledge and skills and discuss comprehensive assessment considerations for diverse populations. Inter assessments will be supervised by a specialty assessment psychologist as they select assessment measures, administer and interpret assessment data, and write a diagnostic evaluation. The assessments will include a review of history, comprehensive clinical interview, and the administration of at least three (each) objective assessment measures from the following categories: personality measures, intellectual tests, cognitive tests and/or neuropsychological tests.
Formal Program Evaluation/Development: Interns complete a formal program evaluation and implementation (PEI) project, collaboratively selected by the intern and their respective supervisors. Work will include utilization of a structured model of program development, review of literature, needs assessment, implementation, data collection and outcomes. Projects must be reviewed by the Internal Review Board prior to proceeding. Specific activities will be based on program and clinic needs and interns’ areas of interest and expertise.
Peer Supervision and Video Review: Interns develop clinical supervision skills by providing peer supervision with a practicum-level doctoral student who is also placed in an integrated primary care clinic. Interns will record peer supervision meetings that may be reviewed by the Training Director, the Primary Supervisor, or the Practicum Supervisor. Interns will be asked to select and share brief sections of their recorded peer supervision meetings for discussion in supervision of supervision meetings. Supervision of supervision is designed to facilitate self-reflection about the supervisory alliance, identify supervisory strengths and opportunities, and encourage interns use of best practice strategies for providing clinical supervision.
Patient Case Presentations: As a component of group supervision, interns will alternate presenting a clinical case for team discussion and feedback. Interns will complete one formal presentation per quarter. Trainees should include and evaluated on the following: overview of reason or referral, biopsychosocial conceptualization, meaningful identity markers, cultural and contextual considerations, evidence-based considerations for the care provided to this point, therapeutic considerations and specific questions or points of discussion for the group to consider.
Reflective Local Practices: All interns will participate in quarterly reflective local practices and diversity dialogues. Trainees choose and attend four culturally specific places or events that are connected to the local Oregon community. Except with permission from the Training Director, interns participate in groups of at least two. A written reflection will be due by the end of each quarter. Interns will participate in a facilitated discussion related to what was learned and observed about the local culture during the outing.
