A Practitioner Model informed by Theory and Research guides the SHaW-Mental Health Training Program. Interns are trained to ground their practice of psychology in theory and research. This model is principally accomplished in an intensive, supervised university counseling center experience working with a multicultural group of interdisciplinary professionals. Imbued in this model are service provision, didactic and experiential instruction, and the use of psychological theory/research.

SHaW provides a setting in which interns increase and strengthen their abilities to practice psychology throughout their year with the agency. Training involves developing both core skills and positive professional identity essential for the work of an entry-level psychologist providing services including:

• Individual and group counseling
• Assessment and diagnosis
• Crisis intervention
• Programming/outreach/teaching/consultation
• Training/supervision

SHaW-Mental Health recruits students from scientist-practitioner and scholar-practitioner departments so that they come with a foundation of theoretical and research-based knowledge, with the capacity to engage in theoretical and research-based inquiry, and with a readiness for intensive training in practice. SHaW continues training in integrating practice and theory and research as these provide the underpinnings of the practice of psychology. A part of competent practice also includes being informed about the seminal and current theoretical and research-bases of psychology and social work. SHaW-Mental Health accomplishes integration through:

• Developing critical thinking to guide the use of research to inform clinical practice
• Generating clinical hypotheses to explore in supervision
• Participating in in-service training programs on best current practices in clinical practice, (e.g., training, supervision, crisis response, ethics, and so on).

The environment in which this model of training occurs is designed to provide a collaborative milieu for training. To accomplish this, SHaW-Mental Health provides a mentor/apprenticeship environment. This is operationalized in a variety of ways including:

• Staff provide clinical and professional identity role modeling.
• Staff collaborate with interns in both clinical and outreach capacities.
• Staff create a milieu respectful of interns: honoring their cultural identities, valuing their positive self-growth, and establishing a strong work ethic.

This is the basic model and setting for the SHaW--Mental Health Training Program. This model and setting are further guided by seven philosophical tenets which describe in more detail the basic values of the SHaW-Mental Health Training Program.

Trainees are Primarily in Training.
The primary purpose of the internship is to train interns to practice psychology. Intensive supervision and didactic instruction are the primary vehicles for training and evaluating interns.

Mentorship is the Cornerstone of Professional Development.
Interns are always under the direct supervision and guidance of several staff members. SHaW Training Program is founded on the belief that individuals grow primarily as the product of significant relationships. The Intern-Supervisor relationship provides the foundation for growth in core skill areas and in professional identity development.

Interns are in Training to Develop Professional Identities.
SHaW staff provides opportunities for interns to work with culturally diverse professionals from various disciplines (e.g., clinical and counseling psychology, social work, student services, marriage and family therapy, psychiatry, assessment, medicine, and nursing). Interns are provided time to process and reflect on their experiences in order to promote growth and integration of their professional confidence.

The Growth of a Professional Identity Occurs Developmentally.
The Training Program provides higher levels of direction and structure initially, with movement towards greater autonomy and responsibility. High levels of structure assist transition into a new system by providing guidance and direction. Interns have multiple opportunities to be increasingly autonomous in all aspects of their functioning at SHaW.

Training Needs are Met Through the Expertise of SHaW Staff and Other Campus Professionals.
SHaW provides exposure to a broad range of experiences and theoretical perspectives during the year, both internally and externally. This allows interns to seek their own areas of interest within different venues such as clinical intervention, programming, consultation, psychopharmacology, alcohol and other drug usage, assessment, multiculturalism, didactics, case presentation, and scholarly inquiry.

Individuals Learn in Individual Ways.
The Training Program uses various learning methods including practical experiences, modeling, process-based activities, group, didactic, experiential, and self-guided learning. SHaW provides an environment that is supportive and challenging and based in part on interns’ self-assessments. Time is spent initially working with interns to assist them in defining their goals and desires for training.

Psychologists are Informed Through the Integration of Science and Practice.
Theory, research, and practice mutually inform each other. Interns are guided and encouraged in their pursuit of observing, inferring, formulating, and evaluating clinical hypotheses. Interns generate clinical hypotheses based on theory and research.

The mission of the SHaW internship is to provide a training experience that prepares interns to meet the demands of the role of psychologist as well as meet licensure requirements for psychologists.

Doctoral interns are expected to achieve the follow goals over the course of their internship experience at SHaW:

The development of skills in the following areas:

• Research
• Ethical and legal Standards
• Individual and Cultural Diversity
• Professional Values and Attitudes
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Assessment
• Intervention
• Consultation and Interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills
• Supervision
• Outreach

In accordance with public disclosure APA accreditation guidelines, SHaW does not use distance education technologies for training and supervision.

Successful completion of internship criteria

In order to successfully complete internship, the following criteria must be met:

• Satisfy the 2000-hour training requirement. This may include intake assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, crisis evaluation, consultation, outreach, paperwork, administrative responsibilities, etc.
• At least 25% of the 2000-hour requirement (500 hours) must be accounted for by direct services activities such as intakes, therapy, outreach, and crisis evaluation.
• Completion of all clinical paperwork prior to departure as reviewed by your supervisor(s).
• Completion of all of end of internship paperwork and documentation.
• Completion of outreach participation requirements as outlined in syllabus, teaching at least one seminar to practicum students, TQI project, case presentation, and dissertation presentation unless otherwise waived by the Director of Training
• Receive evaluations from SHaW-Mental Health at a minimum level of achievement rating of four (4) on all elements of the Profession Wide Competencies (Ex. Categories of Research, Ethical and Legal Standards, etc.) in the final evaluation.

Direct Services

Individual Counseling: Interns engage in individual counseling seeing students in brief model therapy providing between 15-18 individual contact hours a week. Individual counseling involves assessing and conceptualizing from a theoretical frame-of-reference, presenting problems, providing clinical disposition, and formalized treatment planning and implementation.

Group Counseling: Interns are involved with co-leading one or more of the various types of groups with a staff member to have the opportunity to work directly in a clinical situation with a supervisor. Most groups are general therapy groups but there may be opportunities to participate in thematic groups if resources are available.

Crisis Evaluation and Intervention: Interns participate with increasing responsibility and autonomy in the day and evening on-call rotations at SHaW-Mental Health providing emergency assessments to clients who present to SHaW on a walk-in basis or after-hours.

Screening: Interns conduct over-the-phone or in-person appointments with students who are seeking to enter into services at SHaW-Mental Health.

Alcohol and Other Drug Counseling: We offer an opportunity for all interns to carry a caseload which includes working with students with either substance use as a primary or co-occurring diagnosis. Interns who want more focus in this may increase this number on their case load and may also engage in outreach/educational activities around wellness and prevention activities/website resource development.

Psychoeducational Programming and Outreach: SHaW engages in a wide range of programming and outreach including invited presentations to departments, classes, and residence halls. Interns will be a part of outreach programming at SHaW through joining other staff in presentations as well as developing their own based on their areas of interest and expertise. Interns participate in a campus-wide, interdisciplinary committee focused on suicide prevention and SHaW-Mental Health’s participation in a large-scale end-of-the-year mental health awareness festival on campus.

Individual and Group Supervision: Supervision of interns is conducted on a regularly scheduled, individual basis by licensed professional staff. Interns have two individual supervisors during the time they are with SHaW-Mental Health as well as one group supervisor. Additionally, ongoing seminars provide opportunities for additional supervision in a group format. Interns are expected to be prepared each week for supervision. Preparation involves reviewing video recordings, organizing cases, preparing questions, and reviewing set goals for supervision to set directions for each session of supervision.

In accordance with the 2003 APA Ethical Guidelines including the 2010 Amendments, SHaW does not require the disclosure of personal information. We do believe it is useful to share information about how SHaW views self-disclosure in the supervisory experience so candidates are fully informed about the SHaW-Mental Health supervision model:

• With awareness that professional activities may be impacted by personal experiences, beliefs, and values, interns may choose to disclose and are encouraged to do so as long as the intern feels the information has a bearing on their professional functioning.
• Supervisors may notice significant incidents and patterns in intern professional behaviors that suggest behaviors may be influenced by personal experiences, beliefs, and values. Supervisors may ask interns to reflect on this in the defined context of encouraging professional growth.
• Interns choose how much and what to disclose. Interns are not penalized for the choice not to share personal information. Supervision is never viewed as psychotherapy.

Case Conference: Interns are integrated into weekly case conference supervision meetings with senior staff at SHaW-Mental Health. Case conference is an opportunity for interns to learn from senior staff by listening to case presentations as well as present cases for feedback from a broader audience than individual supervision. Interns will be responsible for 2 formal case presentations over the course of the year as well as informal case presentations in their case conference meetings in preparation for the formal case presentations.

Supervision of Supervision: Interns are provided with training in supervision models as well as discussion of supervision experiences throughout the academic year.

Program Evaluation: Interns will complete a Total Quality Inventory (TQI) project as a part of internship responsibilities to gain an experiential understanding of program evaluation methods in addition to academic learning about program evaluation.

Teaching/presentations: Interns will have the opportunity to teach at least one seminar to practicum and social work trainees during the academic year. Those who wish to teach more, may be able to present multiple presentations. Interns will also present their dissertation research at the end of the year to SHaW staff.

Multicultural Portfolio project: Interns will participate in a number of activities over the course of the year designed to assist them in building their professional abilities to work from a multicultural framework and to connect with staff who have particular areas of clinical and multicultural expertise. Focus will be both on what interns may learn during their internship from project based work, but also what they will be contributing to the system at large to enhance the ability of SHaW to serve a diverse student population.

Seminars: Interns will participate in a number of educational seminars designed to complement the experiential learning during the internship year. See Training Seminars for further information.

Case Management: Interns are responsible for managing their own caseloads so that they have continually and consistently have enough clients. In addition, administrative time is provided each week so that interns can also write up reports and case notes, write business/professional letters and e-mails, return telephone calls, consult with supervisors and other staff, and do general planning.

Committee Meetings: Interns are viewed as administratively responsible individuals whose opinions are highly valued. As a result, interns may participate as members of one of the various teams that make up the working groups of SHaW. Examples of committees interns may participate in include the Suicide Prevention Committee, Eating Disorders Treatment Team, Rapid Access Team etc.

Intern Selection: Interns will participate in the intern selection process. Interns may review applicant files, make recommendations, and actively engage in the interview process.

Staff Meetings: Staff meeting is held once a month for 1-2 hours. The purpose of the staff meeting is for staff to have a set time each week to share office and university-wide information, to experience scheduled learning experiences together, process through various staff issues as they arise, and to share colleagueship which becomes especially important when the semester becomes busy. All administrative, professional, and internship staff members attend these meetings. Interns are strongly encouraged to participate in these meetings as full staff members.

Fall and Spring semesters: 40-45 hours per week

*Other may include paperwork, supervision preparation, specialized rotations, professional development activities (research, reading, etc.)
Winter break and summer activities will differ as client flow changes during these points in the academic year.

SHaW-Mental Health is a 2000-hour internship

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Seminar: Specialized training and supervision of AOD treatment issues.

Diagnostic Reasoning Seminar: Specialized focus on cultivating diagnostic interviewing, reasoning, and treatment planning skills.

Peer Process/Professional Development Seminar: Focus on profession development issues for emerging psychologists. Topics may cover issues such as ethics, licensure, job searching, and professional identity development.

Consultation/Outreach: Seminar to focus on development of consultation/outreach skills and increasing understanding of working in a college counseling environment.

Multiculturalism: Seminar focused on development of cultural awareness in clinical practice. Seminars will focus on both on therapist self as a cultural being as well as clinical issues related to clinical treatment of a diverse clinical population.

Treatment and Intervention Seminars: Training in treatment and intervention in areas such as Suicide and Crisis Assessment; Treatment Models; Specific Clinical Issues (ex: eating disorders, sleep, etc.)

Psychopharmacology Seminar: Exposure to understanding more about use of medication in the treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Specialized/Personalized Training Experiences: Mentorship relationships with staff member with specialized training interest (example eating disorders, etc.)

Evaluation Procedures: Each semester SHaW Staff who are serving in the capacity of supervisor are responsible for evaluating their interns. Evaluations are completed by supervisors and reviewed with supervisees who are given opportunity to formally respond to each evaluation. In addition, supervisees complete an evaluation for their supervisors. The Director of Training collects evaluations after they have been reviewed. Supervisor evaluations by supervisees are given to the Director of Training for filing. Supervisee evaluations are filed in their files.

The process for evaluation of supervisees is as follows: Evaluations are conducted formally using evaluation forms and through discussion. Evaluations occur at several levels among supervisees and supervisors. Supervisees are evaluated for all experiences including individual, screening, on-call and group work; outreach and programming; assessment; alcohol and other drug work; and diversity work.

Supervisees are also given opportunity to evaluate all individuals from whom they receive evaluation. Supervisees are also provided with formal opportunity to respond to any evaluation they receive. Supervisees also provide evaluation on their overall SHaW experience in written and verbal forms.

Evaluation occurs three times during the course of the training year:

• December at the mid-way point of the year. This is a group evaluation with all of the supervisee’s supervisors. The supervisee receives feedback, reviews Fall goals and sets/reaffirms final Spring goals, and is assisted in generating methods by which to meet the training goals.
• May to assess at the end of the regular academic year to address progress. This is a group evaluation with all of the supervisee’s supervisors. The supervisee receives feedback and reviews regular academic year goals for progress for the year and unfinished goals for continued training after SHaW.
• July is the final assessment period prior to exit from internship and reflects continued feedback on specialized summer projects, continued clinical work, etc.

UConn Background
Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut (UConn) is the state’s flagship institution of higher learning. Since its inception as an agricultural school, the University has grown to include 14 Schools and Colleges at its main campus in Storrs, separate Schools of Law and Social Work in Hartford, four regional campuses throughout the state, and Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant College and a Space Grant Consortium institution. The University spans 4,057 acres at its main campus and regional campuses, and an additional 210 acres at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.

The University of Connecticut stands as a school of choice for academically talented students. UConn is marking its 10th straight year among the nation’s Top 25 public universities, safeguarding and building on its strengths over the last decade as a pacesetter in student success and academic excellence.  U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings place UConn as No. 23 among the nation’s public institutions, the same ranking it held last year and a spot that it shares this year with two peer institutions. UConn (Main Campus) ranks 18 out of 58 public research universities in graduation rate for all freshmen and 18 out of 58 public research universities for minority first-year students.

Designated as a Carnegie Foundation Research University-Extensive institution, a distinction shared by fewer than four percent of America’s higher education institutions, UConn has more than 70 research centers where faculty, graduates and undergraduates explore everything from improving human health to enhancing public education and protecting the country’s natural resources. The University is undergoing an amazing transformation-UConn has been renewing, rebuilding and enhancing its campuses through an unprecedented $2.3 billion, 20-year state investment in the University’s infrastructure.

The University of Connecticut complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action, including the provision of reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. UConn does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religious creed, age, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability, veteran status, prior conviction of a crime, workplace hazards to reproductive systems, gender identity or expression, or political beliefs in its programs and activities.  Employees, students, visitors, and applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to address limitations resulting from a disability. For questions or more information, please contact the Associate Vice President, Office of Institutional Equity, 241 Glenbrook Road, Unit 4175, Storrs, CT 06269-4175; Phone: (860) 486-2943; Email: equity@uconn.edu / Website: equity.uconn.edu.

The Student Body
The undergraduate population at UConn grew to over 18,917 students at the Storrs campus in the fall 2020. There are also over 6641 graduate and professional students enrolled in the University, Storrs campus. With the addition of attractive new housing options, UConn boasts one of the highest percentage of students living on campus of any public university in the United States.  Approximately 11,600 students live in campus residential facilities., The student body is exceedingly bright and capable. As the institution has risen in prominence to a top research institution in the nation, many students are making UConn their first choice: 54.1% of freshman entering in the fall of 2020 were in the top 10% of high school class, while 85.6% were in the top 25% of high school class. US News & World Report ranks UConn as a “more selective” institution, exemplified by a 2020 entering student body at the main campus that included 71 valedictorians and 82 salutatorians. The first- year retention rate is 94% which ranks UConn among the top 25 public universities in the nation with 385% more minority freshman than in Fall 1995.

In Fall 2020, 77% of undergraduate enrollment comes from in-state. The student body is diverse with approximately 40% of undergraduates describing themselves as affiliated with underrepresented groups. Fifty-two percent of undergraduate students are female. International students comprise eight percent of the student body. The average SAT score of entering freshmen is 1281 on the main campus in Storrs.

In addition to their academic studies, students are active in co-curricular activities. Athletics within this championship NCAA Division-I institution has created the phenomenon known among UConn students as “Huskymania” and many participate in and/or follow varsity, club, and intramural sports. There are over 550 student organizations ranging from honor societies, arts, media, and cultural interest groups in which students are engaged.

The Campus
UConn is engaged in a building program that is the envy of most university presidents. To date, the landmark UConn 2000 construction program has created more than 8.1 million square feet of new and renovated space for research, teaching, living, and learning. Recently completed projects include award winning buildings for the School of Business, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Engineering and the departments of chemistry, biology-physics and agriculture-biotechnology. Throughout the University system, classrooms and laboratories are being built and renovated at a remarkable rate, placing UConn’s facilities among the very best of the nation’s public research universities. More than 100 classrooms have been completely refurbished with voice, video, and data capabilities added. Residential living environments have also been evolving to include the latest innovations nationally in university housing with additions. All of these cutting-edge facilities offer learning environments with a focused approach toward helping students succeed academically and interpersonally. In 2006, the Student Union completed a two-phase $62.8 million expansion that added a food court, retail space, and a 500-seat movie theatre. The final last addition brought together for the first time, all six cultural centers, with the Asian American Cultural Center, Puerto Rican and Latin American Cultural Center, Rainbow Center, and Women’s Center located on the fourth floor and the African American Cultural Center and the International Center in the newest area of the Student Union building.

Transportation is convenient; students walk to classes or ride University shuttle buses. The graceful design of the campus pedestrian core encourages foot traffic, inviting students to gather for discussions and to become engaged in the rich and dynamic life of the University. The state-of-the-art Homer Babbidge Library is the intellectual center of university life. Containing more than 500 computers, 2.5 million books, and nearly 25,000 journals, as well as 180,000 maps and 35,000 reference sources, it provides 24-hour study lounges and a gourmet café. UConn is also in continual building with two new classroom buildings in current construction with a total of +10, 000,000 square feet of building space.

UConn's dynamic 191,000 square foot Student Recreation Center was built with program input from students, staff and the Student Advisory Committee. Located in the epicenter of campus, the Recreation Center is steps away from the South Parking Garage, UConn Bookstore, Gampel Pavilion, and Homer Babbidge Library.

Minimal Eligibility and Qualifications
Applicants must complete all formal requirements towards Ph.D. or Psy.D. candidacy in Counseling or Clinical Psychology, including:

• All course work necessary for the title of doctoral candidate including comprehensive exams.
• Acceptance of dissertation proposal by dissertation committee no later than the APPIC ranking date.
• A minimum of 360 AAPI Doctoral Intervention Hours.
• A minimum of 150 direct therapy hours with adults and adolescents.
• Interns selected for review must be from APA or CPA accredited doctoral programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Clinical experience with college student population in a college/university mental health setting.

The stipend for the 2025-2026 Internship is $35,568 with full and generous UConn health and leave benefits.

Application

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
APPIC Match Number: 2178

Refer to the APPIC website for more details and complete application instructions for applying online. All application materials listed below should be uploaded via the APPIC applicant portal. We do not accept any paper materials. Interested candidates should submit:

• Completed AAPI Online.
• Cover letter.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• Official graduate transcript(s).
• Three letters of recommendation, with at least two from clinical supervisors who will speak directly about the quality of your clinical work and your engagement in clinical supervision.

Application materials should be uploaded no later than Friday, November 1, 2024.

Application Instructions Specific to SHaW-MH
SHaW requests all of the aforementioned information for the purpose of processing your application for internship. This information is kept confidential and is not provided to anyone without your prior written consent. Responses to all items are required to have your application considered complete. Failure to complete any items will mean your application is not complete and it will not be considered by the SHaW Internship Selection Committee.

Some doctoral programs require their students to have additional training contracts and evaluations completed by their internship programs. The UConn SHaW-MH internship does not enter into training contracts with academic training programs, and the UConn SHaW supervisors do not complete evaluations on interns developed by academic training programs. Our training program’s evaluation procedures are extensive and comprehensive and copies of completed evaluations are provided to doctoral programs. If you are enrolled in an academic training program that requires such training contracts and evaluations, you are strongly encouraged to consult with your Director of Clinical Training as to whether or not you are eligible to apply to our program.

Completed applications arriving by the deadline are carefully reviewed for degree of fit with our internship program. Applicants being given serious consideration are contacted no later than December 15 to schedule an interview.

This year we anticipate offering all interviews over the phone or WebEx for social justice issues related to burden of cost on applicants and to support the health and safety of our community and our applicants. We are hopeful to offer interviews in either mid-Dec or early January.

Intern selection is based on a combination of the following factors:

• Fulfillment of minimum eligibility and qualifications for candidates.
• Degree of fit between applicant’s stated goals for training with the SHaW training mission/goals/philosophy.
• Degree of support for candidate qualifications and fit with internship training program from recommendation letters.
• Demonstrated clinical acumen based on the interview.
• Previous university counseling center experience.
• Knowledge of the research and theoretical underpinnings of counseling center practices.
• Demonstrated sensitivity during interview to the unique needs of multicultural populations.

Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data (Data tables as required by APA IR C-27I)

Date Program Tables are updated: 8/5/2024

.

.

.

*Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

(Provide an Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts)

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time.  For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.

As an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited internship site, we abide by the APA Accreditation Operating Procedures; if you need to contact the Commission on Accreditation, please call (202) 336-5979 or write:

APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org;
Web: apa.org/ed/accreditation