Psychology Internship

Core Clinical Training Experiences

The goal of our program is to train advanced doctoral level practitioners to provide evidence-based psychological services to diverse populations in multi-disciplinary settings across the continuum of care. Our specific goals are to prepare interns in the theories and techniques of assessment, intervention, and consultation necessary for an entry-level professional psychology position. Our approach to training is that of an apprenticeship where training faculty demonstrate clinical skills, professional attitudes, and ethical standards.

The program offers two clinical internship training tracks: Adult and Child. While all interns focus on either adult or child populations, they rotate through other areas to develop skills in assessment, consultation, and intervention across the continuum of care (e.g., inpatient to outpatient).

Adult interns schedule regular intakes and psychological evaluations for bariatric weight loss surgery in the Adult Therapy Clinic, where they also follow patients for therapy. Within the Adult Consult Liaison Service, they complete brief psychological evaluations of adults and provide psychological consultation to medical services at least one afternoon per week. In addition, they are expected to complete at least one of the following additional rotations (or more as their schedule and available supervisors allow): Partial Hospital Program (PHP), Adult Inpatient, Knapp Inpatient Rehabilitation, Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Service, or/and Neuropsychology.

The Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Service (CAPS) is the home base for the Child interns, who conduct intakes and assessments with children, adolescents, and families on an outpatient basis the entire year. They also follow therapy patients through CAPS throughout the training year. In addition, they provide consultation for children and adolescents on the pediatric inpatient units and other medical services. Child Interns also engage in at least one of the following: Pediatric Gender & Sexual Health Clinic, Adult Therapy Clinic, Neuropsychology, Partial Hospital Program (PHP), Adult Inpatient, and Adult Consultation Service.

Adult Consult Liaison Service

The Adult Consult Liaison Service was established in 1998 to ensure the timely provision of psychological services to requesting physicians and other providers in the Department of Psychiatry. The service also provides training in psychological evaluation and health psychology consultation. Interns are assigned to the Consultation Service at least one afternoon per week during the entire training year. This is an elective rotation for interns training within CAPS.

There are two main focuses of this service. First, physicians and providers from medical inpatient units in the hospital can request psychological consultations. These often focus on issues such as coping after trauma (e.g. motor vehicle accidents, thermal injuries), adjustment to disability or injury, behavior management, and pain management. Psychology interns routinely have opportunities to provide consultative services to patients on the Orthopedic, Surgery, Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Burn units.

Second, psychology interns may be involved in Critical Incident Support to teams around the hospital in response to varied identified stressors.

Adult Therapy Clinic

Adult interns experience a year-long placement in the Adult Therapy Clinic with one or more days per week of therapy. CAPS interns selecting this as a rotation may schedule four patients per week in this clinic. Interns are expected to carry their adult therapy cases during their other rotations. A variety of psychotherapy orientations are practiced, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy. Both long-term and short-term approaches are used. Interns are taught to implement specific interventions using a variety of evidence-based treatment modalities. The current patient population includes many individuals with serious and persistent psychopathology, and the challenge to develop effective strategies for change is ever present.

Adult Bariatric Surgery Evaluations (BSEs)

Adult interns will receive training on how to conduct a psychological evaluation for people interested in pursuing bariatric surgery.  There is a developmental process of training involving observation of a BSE completed by another provider prior to observation of the intern conducting at least one BSE interview.  Eventually, interns will complete interviews independently.  Reports will be reviewed and edited in collaboration with the supervisor during the training year.  Group supervision will be used to review existing research on BSEs and discuss cases.

Adult Group Therapy

Several opportunities for group therapy experience are available. Interns can co-lead outpatient groups in the Adult Therapy Clinic depending on the interest and availability of staff and patients. Common group offerings include DBT skills , CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training, Co-occurring Disorders, LGBTQ Process Group, Interpersonal Process, and Mind-Body.  Interns can co-facilitate groups on inpatient (e.g., CBT and SMART recovery) and co-lead groups during their Partial Hospital Program (PHP) rotation and take part in groups during their Inpatient rotation.  There are also varying group opportunities within the HOPE (First Episode Psychosis) program (e.g., Social Skills Training and Multifamily groups).

Child Adolescent Psychiatry Service (CAPS) — Assessment

Interns are assigned to CAPS for the full year and conduct diagnostic assessments and comprehensive psychological evaluations with children and adolescents. As a part of these activities, they administer, score, and interpret testing batteries that often include tests of intellectual functioning, academic skills, social-emotional functioning, attention, and personality tests. They also write diagnostic assessments and evaluation reports, give feedback, maintain chart records, and engage in various case management duties. They work with schools, community agencies, and the courts as necessary.

Child Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) — Therapy

In addition to the activities described above, interns conduct individual and family therapy. They are expected to maintain their therapy caseload during their off-unit rotations. Presenting therapy concerns include behavioral problems and parenting concerns, as well as a full range of psychiatric disorders. The primary therapy orientation is cognitive-behavioral with a variety of specific interventions taught/supervised including, CBT, TF-CBT, behavioral activation, habit reversal, exposure/response prevention, and parenting skills training. Interns are taught to tailor their interventions to the specific needs of the child in the context of their cultural background and particular life situation. This is an elective rotation for Adult interns.

Pediatric Consult Liaison Service

Child interns provide consultation to pediatric inpatients on the Pediatric Units and other medical units. Typical consult requests include assessment of suicide risk, mental health symptoms, and disposition planning, health and behavior evaluations, support with coping with injuries and/or recent trauma, behavior management issues, and coordinating better care between patients and staff. Psychology staff and trainees are often asked to facilitate communication between a patient and the patient’s family members when a significant injury or death has occurred.  This is an elective rotation for Adult Interns.

Supervision & Didactics

The Psychology training faculty values the opportunity to work closely with interns in training and supervision. While all staff has adopted an "open door policy," interns are assigned several specific supervisors. Each intern has a primary supervisor who serves as a mentor and coordinates the training experience for the intern throughout the training year. For the Adult interns, the primary supervisor also provides supervision of therapy; for the Child interns, the primary supervisor provides supervision for either assessment or therapy. During rotations, interns work with and are supervised by staff associated with that rotation.

All interns receive additional supervision/consultation by attending weekly supervision groups. Currently, there is a supervision group for psychological evaluations for bariatric weight loss, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focused group, Adult Consults, Pediatric/Child Consultation, as well as a general case discussion/consultation group. Interns also participate in post-group discussions/supervision with the staff therapist or facilitator after group therapy sessions. In addition, individual supervision is provided for the adult and pediatric consultation services.

In total, interns receive at least 4 hours of supervision per week, of which a minimum of 2 hours per week are individual supervision.

Training Orientation

The internship year begins with three weeks of orientation when interns are introduced to the faculty and the facility as well as to policies and procedures. The orientation also includes a series of lectures on foundational topics such as using Epic (our electronic medical record system), learning about rotations and other services around the hospital, interviewing, report writing, mandatory reporting of abuse, working with interpreters, and clinic procedures.

Didactic Seminars

After orientation is completed, the three weekly, one-hour didactic seminar series begin. These series focus on assessment, therapy, DEI, and consultation/health services. Other interventions included in the seminars include child-focused CBT, Motivational Interviewing, ACT, DBT, CPT, PE, and trauma-focused treatment for children. Further, a series of talks related to professional development issues are presented throughout the year in monthly meetings with the training director.

In addition to the psychology-specific didactic offerings, the Psychiatry Department sponsors a weekly Special Topics Seminar and a monthly Psychiatry Case Consultation series.  Interns are also encouraged to attend hospital-wide training on topics such as ethics in healthcare, LGBTQ health, and departmental-specific presentations.

During the internship year, two all-day workshops are arranged jointly by several of the local APA (CoA)-accredited internship sites. The workshops focus on diversity and on supervision and ethics.

Faculty

The Psychology training faculty values the opportunity to work closely with interns in training and supervision.

Our Faculty

Marcia Jensen, Ph.D., L.P., Director of Psychology Training

• Manju Elizabeth Alexander, Ph.D., L.P.
• Marissa Alliegro, Ph.D., L.P.
• Yosef Amrami, Ph.D., L.P.
• Autumn Bussuvanno, Psy.D., L.P.
• Marielle Demarais, Ph.D., L.P.
• Melissa Eisenmenger, Ph.D., L.P.
• Allison Foy, Ph.D., L.P.
• Nouf Gazdar, Ph.D., L.P.
• Marchion Hinton, Ph.D., L.P.
• Marcia Jensen, Ph.D., L.P., Director of Psychology Training
• Courtney LeClair, Ph.D., LP
• Hyun-Soo Lee, Ph.D., L.P.
• Lisa Legrand, Ph.D., L.P.
• Mohammed Lodhi Khan, Ph.D., L.P.
• Adrine Maresco, Ph.D., L.P.
• Patrick McMahon, Ph.D., L.P.
• Scott Miller, Psy.D., L.P.
• Mitch Radin, Psy.D., L.P.
• Mercedes Santana, Ph.D., L.P.
• Lindsay Schreiber, Psy.D., L.P.
• My-Tien Ton, Ph.D., L.P.
• Cameron Weaver, Ph.D., L.P.
• Kristen Wiik, Ph.D, L.P.

Rotations

Adult Psychiatry Clinic – Required Yearlong Rotation for Adult Interns

Conduct intakes and follow adult outpatients for psychotherapy within the Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. Conduct bariatric weight loss surgery evaluations in partnership with an interdisciplinary team that includes professionals from the departments of Internal Medicine, Surgery, Nutrition, and Psychiatry. Psychologists and trainees perform psychological evaluations of potential bariatric surgery patients, provide evaluation services for medical and psychological interventions, and provide or coordinate further psychological care.

Adult Consultation Service – Required Yearlong Rotation for Adult Interns

Provide consultation to adult medical inpatient units and support to patients adjusting to illness/injury. Critical Incident Support to teams around the hospital.

Child/Adolescent Psychiatry Service (CAPS) – Required Yearlong Rotation for Child Interns

CAPS offers outpatient psychological and psychiatric services for children and adolescents. Psychology staff and trainees provide assessment, evaluation, and psychotherapy. Psychiatrists (with nursing support) offer psychiatric medication management.

Pediatric Consult-Liaison Service – Required Yearlong Rotation for Child Interns

Provide consultation to pediatric medical inpatient units to determine disposition recommendations and support with coping with injuries/loss.

Adult Inpatient Psychiatry

Inpatient Psychiatry is comprised of 3 general units and 3 ICU units, with a total of 102 beds for patients 18 years and older that are experiencing acute psychiatric problems. Patients receive evaluation, stabilization, and short-term care. Interns can elect to complete an Adult Inpatient (A-IP) rotation in which the intern functions as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team, co-leads CBT and dual-diagnosis (SMART Recovery) groups and provides individual care to patients.

HOPE Program

The HOPE Program is a comprehensive intervention program for people who have experienced a first episode of psychosis. The HOPE Program uses the NAVIGATE model of treatment to accomplish these goals. The program helps individuals and their families navigate the road to recovery by supporting efforts to function well at home, on the job, at school, and in the social world. Five mental health services are included in the treatment plans, including individual therapy, individualized psychiatric medication evaluation and management services, supported employment and education, family therapy and education focused, and psychiatric case management.

Partial Hospital Program (PHP)

The PHP is a time-limited, structured program of psychotherapy and other therapeutic services specifically designed to meet the mental health needs of persons in an acute crisis. The program provides short-term (approximately three weeks) intensive mental health treatment as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization or as an option following brief inpatient stabilization. Most of the treatment occurs in group format, including psychotherapy as well as psychoeducational, occupational therapy, and recreational therapy groups. Patients are followed by a psychiatrist and provided medication management.  When participating in the program, PHP patients usually do not see their outpatient therapists. Interns often co-lead a daily therapy group during their time with this service.

William W. Jepson Day Treatment Program (DTP)

The Day Treatment Program is an intensive outpatient program that provides similar but less intense treatment than the PHP. Specific programming is offered in different tracks for those with (1) schizophrenia or psychotic disorders, (2) mood or personality disorders, and (3) Co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. Patients can be involved in the Day Treatment Program and continue with their outpatient therapist.  Interns often co-lead a daily therapy group during their time with this service.

Neuropsychology

While not a required part of the training, many interns choose to gain experience with neuropsychological testing. Neuropsychologists provide an assessment of adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients from all hospital departments to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning. Patients with a head injury, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, substance abuse, epilepsy, learning disorders, mental retardation, multiple sclerosis, HIV infection, carbon monoxide poisoning, developmental disorders, cortical and subcortical dementias, and psychiatric disorders are regularly assessed. Interns conduct testing and have the opportunity to write reports under the supervision of one of the neuropsychologists.

Health Psychology and Specialty Training Experiences

Health Psychology consultation has become a major focus of our training program in recent years. Physicians, nurses, and other health care providers have become increasingly aware of the role psychological factors play in the acute care and long-term management of many medical disorders. At Hennepin Healthcare, psychologists are important consultants and members of multidisciplinary teams serving the complex treatment needs of patients. Interns are encouraged to round out the training year by selecting from the many specialty training experiences available at Hennepin Healthcare, some of which are listed below. If a particular training experience does not formally exist, it may be possible for arrangements to be made to develop appropriate and unique experiences for the intern.

Burn Center

The Burn Center is a 17-bed intensive care unit that provides comprehensive care to adults and children with thermal injuries (burns, frostbites, and hypothermia) as well as patients requiring specialized wound care. The Burn Center is part of HCMC Trauma Services but is also independently certified by the American Burn Association (ABA). As part of the team approach to patient care, a staff psychologist attends weekly rounds and offers consultation to other team members. Psychological services are made available to patients and families by psychology staff. Trainees help patients cope with traumatic circumstances of the injury, the immediate and long-term psychosocial aspects of the physical trauma, and the post-discharge adjustment to everyday life.

Outpatient Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Clinic

This multidisciplinary team of providers offers comprehensive outpatient care, education, and research to serve rehab patients (and families) with mild to moderate TBI or stroke. The multidisciplinary team meets on Mondays for weekly rounds to coordinate care for these patients. Clinical psychology staff and trainees provide diagnostic evaluation and psychological interventions (including psychoeducation).

Inpatient Knapp Rehabilitation Center

The Miland E. Knapp Rehabilitation Center is an acute rehab program serving inpatients and outpatients, ages 13+, whose physical and cognitive impairments restrict activity and community participation. The interdisciplinary treatment team involves an inpatient psychologist and neuropsychologist.

Pediatric Gender and Sexual Health Clinic

The Pediatric Gender and Sexual Health Clinic provides primary health and mental healthcare to children, adolescents, and young adults with a range of gender identities and sexual orientations. This may include those who are transgender, nonbinary, exploring or questioning their gender, or those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or exploring their sexual orientation. The clinic is interdisciplinary and is staffed by providers with expertise in the intersection of gender care and mental health, pediatrics, nursing, and social work. Interns involved in this clinic will participate in staff consultation meetings, initial intake evaluations, individual and family therapy, outpatient appointments, and more complex psychological evaluations. There will be opportunities to be involved in outpatient group therapy for gender diverse youth. Trainees will be expected to participate in weekly supervision and didactic sessions focused on pediatric gender and sexual health. There may also be opportunities for research involvement.

Sleep Clinic

Assessment and therapy for sleep problems.

Additional Possible Experiences

Consultation and Brief Intervention Service (CBIS)

The Consultation and Brief Intervention Service is a time-limited, structured program designed to provide diagnostic clarification, treatment, and stabilization for patients with mental health needs in our community and our health system. The program provides 90 days of mental health treatment and stabilization to allow adequate time to identify the appropriate level of care needed and establish the indicated long term follow up if applicable. CBIS is a part of the S1 Adult Psychiatry Clinic, the treatment team includes a psychiatric provider (physician assistant/nurse practitioner, psychiatrist), psychology provider, social worker, and nurse.

Pediatric Brain Injury Team

Working with this team offers training and experience for interns in the treatment of children with acquired brain injuries. This multidisciplinary team manages the acute, rehabilitative, and follow-up care of children and adolescents who have sustained brain injuries. Psychologists and neuropsychologists perform an assessment of the patient, participate in family and school conferences, and provide counseling as needed to help the patient and family cope with problems arising from the brain injury.

Mother-Baby Program

The Mother-Baby Day Hospital is an intensive outpatient mental health treatment program for pregnant women and mothers of children age 3 or younger who are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional distress that make it difficult to function at home or at work, take care of themselves or their baby, and/or bond and connect with their baby.  Treatment includes group and family psychotherapy; support for mother-baby bonding and connection; health education on topics such as the transition to motherhood, grief, and loss, caring for a baby or young child, and relaxation and mindfulness; and medication evaluation and management.  Individual appointments with a perinatal psychiatrist, therapist, or lactation consultant may be scheduled before or after the Day Hospital hours. *** Please note that this is a new training experience and availability of the rotation will depend on multiple factors. 

Despite shifting to providing clinical services and training remotely at the beginning of the pandemic, our commitment to providing excellent clinical care and meaningful training experiences remains. The safety of our trainees, staff, and patients is a priority.  We have taken numerous safety measures at our hospital and satellite clinics to ensure that every patient who comes into our system is screened for COVID-19 symptoms. Our Infection and Prevention team is working to implement strategies to keep everyone safe.  Interns at Hennepin Healthcare will be required to have the full primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine.  For team members receiving a medical or religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccination, additional risk mitigation efforts (e.g., testing, masking, etc.) implemented by EOHW and Infection Prevention must be followed.

We will update our training materials as we know more about what the 2024-2025 training year will look like. For now, we can confirm that internship interviews will be taking place virtually. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Meet our trainees

2020-2021 Child Interns:

• 2020-2021 Child Intern Allison Momany, MA Shares Experience YouTube 
• 2020-2021 Child Intern Yosef Amrami, MA Shares Experience YouTube

2020-2021 Adult Interns:

• 2020-2021 Adult Interns Marissa Alliegro, MS and Nouf Gazdar, MS Share Their Experiences YouTube

2022-2023 Intern Cohort Video:

• 2022-2023 Psychology Interns Share Their Experiences YouTube