Each quarter, an intern is assigned to one of the three Major areas of Study (Clinical-Child/Pediatric Psychology, Medical/Health Psychology, or Clinical Neuropsychology) to conduct assessments/consultations conjointly with or under the supervision of faculty within that Division. Assessments and consultations include outpatients referred to the Psychology Clinic and inpatients within UF Health Shands Hospital. Assignments for training in assessment and consultation are made on a quarterly basis. The assignments for training are based on an individualized training plan that is developed jointly by the intern and the Training Director and take into account the intern’s previous training experiences and future career goals. Within their Major area of Study, the interns will work with a variety of faculty. The precise structure of assessment/consultation training will vary by Division due to the different service demands and training goals. Interns typically engage in assessment/consultation activities for two full days a week.
Training in psychological interventions and psychotherapy is generally conducted when the intern is not engaged in assessment/consultation training during the week. Each intern is expected to carry a range of treatment cases with respect to presenting problem diagnosis, age, sex, and socio-cultural diversity. Interns normally maintain a caseload of 5 to 10 cases per week, with the goal of at least 4 direct intervention hours per week. Interns typically receive 1/2 hour of individual supervision per one hour of therapy. Psychotherapy supervision is not subject to the quarterly rotation system that is used for assessment/consultation assignment. Interns continue with a therapy supervisor from the start of a case through to its conclusion.
It is expected that over the course of the internship year that interns will accumulate 200 or more hours of direct contact with patients in psychotherapeutic interventions as well as 200 or more hours of direct contact with patients in assessment/consultation. Didactic training and an opportunity for research involvement are also integral parts of the training program. Didactic training has both general and specialized components. All interns are expected to attend the weekly Departmental Friday Colloquium Series, and the weekly Intern Training Seminar (which is devoted to presentations and discussions related to ethics, professional practice, career development, program development and the integration of empirical and clinical knowledge).
For the second half of the year, the Intern Training Seminar is focused on developing supervision skills and participating in tiered supervision with CHP graduate students. All interns also attend one or more Major area of Study meetings, which are devoted to clinical and research issues specific to the identified area of interest (Child/Pediatric Psychology, Health/Medical Psychology or Clinical Neuropsychology). In addition, interns collaborate with departmental faculty in research either by participating in an ongoing investigation or by attending lab meetings. Research involvement during the workweek is generally limited to 10% time. Collectively, 10% to 20% of the interns’ time each week is devoted to didactic and participatory experiences designed to demonstrate of the integration of science and practice in clinical psychology.