Psychology Internship Responsibilities

CSUSM SHCS has the following additional goals for interns:

1. To provide a wide array of experiences so that interns will be professionally “well rounded.”
2. To foster each intern’s professional growth.
3. To provide appropriate feedback via supervision in order to help interns refine professional skills.
4. To help interns clarify their plans in regard to securing future training opportunities or employment subsequent to completion of the CSUSM SHCS Internship Program.

Intern Activities and Responsibilities

Time Commitments

1. Minimum requirements for internship hours are set by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), and by state licensure laws. APA requires that full-time internships be completed in no less than 12 months and does not set a specific number of hours for internship completion. Minimum hours required for internship completion are set by APPIC and by the states, which vary from about 1500 to 2000 hours (though some states have no minimum hours requirement). APPIC and the CA Board of Psychology require the internship to be completed with a minimum of 1,500 total hours of supervised professional experience. APPIC further requires internship sites to meet state licensure requirements in the state where the internship is housed. In terms of direct service, APPIC requires that at least 25% of trainees’ time is spent in “face-to-face psychological services to patients/clients” and CA mandates that interns receive at least 10% of supervision of the total time worked each week.
2. The CSUSM SHCS 12-month internship provides over 2,000 total internship hours, inclusive of all eligible holidays and leave time. This fully satisfies APPIC requirements and California’s supervised professional experience (SPE) regulations for licensure. To receive the Certificate of Completion, interns must successfully accrue a minimum of 1,500 SPE hours, which must include at least 500 direct service hours. Because some jurisdictions demand higher minimum totals for SPE and direct service than California, interns planning to practice outside of California must research their state's licensing board regulations early. Please inform the Training Coordinator and your supervisor immediately about your target hours accruals for internship.
3. Demand for service can fluctuate throughout the year, with the lightest client load typically occurring during the winter break and summer semester. Thus, it is recommended that interns complete 460-470 hours of direct service by the end of May, leaving 30-40 hours for summer semester. CSUSM SHCS want to emphasize that interns have the legal right to take time off whenever they need it. To enable interns to acquire enough SPE and/or direct service hours for state licensing boards, it is recommended that interns carefully plan their time off at the center, keeping in mind that taking leave during peak periods may impact hours accruals. This helps interns balance personal well-being with target hours accruals for internship.
4. Time-off includes vacation and sick time accrued monthly in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and major holidays observed by the University. Additional time off must be approved by the interns' individual primary supervisor and the SHCS Director of Counseling & Psychological Services. Vacation time must be requested at least 30 days in advance of time for approval to be considered.
   

Clinical Activities

1. Interns will devote 50-55% of time providing direct clinical services (average of 20-22 client contact hours/week), including psychotherapy (individual, group, and couple therapy), phone consultations, crisis intervention, and clinical consultation. Clinical consultation does not count toward the 500 required intervention hours.
2. Psychotherapy
   1. Average of 13-15 individual therapy hours/week.
   2. Although a brief therapy model is used with most clients, interns are allowed to have 4 long-term clients.
   3. Interns will co-facilitate at least one therapy group, with a senior staff member, during the fall semester. During the spring semester, interns will create their own group Interns are encouraged to develop and create a group based on their interest and/or CSUSM students’ needs.
   4. Provide multiculturally competent services to the CSUSM student population and work with at least 10 clients culturally different than you.
   5. Provide individual primary supervisor with a minimum of 7 recordings (concurrent audio and videotape or direct observation via Zoom) of therapy sessions each academic semester (total of 14 recordings for the training year).
   6. Interns will shadow a senior staff member completing one intake and will be shadowed for one intake.
3. Phone Consultations
   1. Interns will be responsible for approximately three 30-minute Phone Consultations (PC) weekly.
   2. PC schedule to be determined at the start of each semester.
   3. Interns will shadow a senior staff member on at least two phone consultations and then they will be shadowed by a senior staff member on a minimum of two phone consultations at the beginning of the semester prior to conducting phone consultations independently. Feedback will be provided to interns by senior staff members following shadowed sessions and the intern may complete phone consultations independently once deemed ready by their supervisor(s).
4. Crisis Interventions
   1. Interns will be available for crisis interventions on an as needed basis when not providing direct services or receiving/providing supervision. Interns are responsible for one two-hour Mental Health Triage block each week.
   2. When interns have accrued sufficient hours, are on track to complete internship hours requirements, and have demonstrated competence in PC triage and MH Triage, then they are eligible to give their summer PCs and MH Triage to interns that need additional opportunities to get direct service hours.
5. Case Presentations
   1. Interns will make two case presentations: one in the Fall semester during group supervision, and one in the summer semester to the counseling team,
   2. Presentations are required to make use of audiotape and videotape, unless unable due to technology (e.g., HIPAA Compliant Zoom does not allow for recording) or for clinical reasons.
6. Research Review and Presentation
   1. Interns will complete a presentation of research material on their dissertation topic as a didactic seminar presentation sometime during the training year.
   2. Interns will identify ways to incorporate research into their proposed group for Spring semester, case presentations, clinical interventions, use of assessments with identified populations, and/or diversity dialogue. 
7.  Administrative
   • Maintain client charts and other clinical records as described in Clinical Policies & Procedures. 

Supervision & Training

1. Receive 1.5 hours of individual supervision per week.
2. Receive 1.5 hours of group supervision per week. Approximately 30 minutes per week of group supervision is devoted to supervision of group therapy during the spring and/or summer semesters. 
3. Receive 1 hour of group supervision of supervision per week.
4. Receive 30 minutes of individual supervision per week with the co-facilitator of their group therapy during the fall semester.
5. Receive 1-hour, monthly group supervision with Training Coordinator.
6. Secondary supervision will be as needed or required (as described in Internship Policies and Procedures: Secondary Supervision).
7. Receive 45-minute psychiatric consultation per week for clinical case consultation, training, and case assignment.
8. Attend weekly 2 hours training didactic seminars covering a range of topics presented by staff and community-based clinicians. A formal evaluation process, completed on Qualtrics, of the training seminars completed by the interns will help to provide regular feedback regarding the seminars and ensure the quality and integrity of the organized training curriculum. Evaluation links will be sent to the interns via email following the completion of the training seminar that week. Examples of didactic seminars offered during the training year:
   • Working with Latine/x Clients
   • Working with Asian-American Clients
   • Working with Black and African-American Clients
   • Working with Men & Masculinity
   • Working with LGBTQ Clients and the Coming Out Process
   • Short-Term Trauma Treatment
   • Treatment of Eating Disorders in the College Counseling Setting
   • Supporting Persons with a History of Criminal-Legal Involvement
   • OCD Treatment and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
   • Working with Undocumented and Mixed Status Clients
   • The Science of Mindfulness
   • Religious and Spiritual Diversity in Psychotherapy
   • Performance Psychology
   • MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy,
   • Preparing for Licensure
   • Loan Forgiveness
9. Attend monthly 1-hour Diversity Dialogues. This is a mandatory professional development and didactic requirement for all staff. This training series is aimed at supporting the development of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills of all participants, by engaging participants in discussion, reflection, and integration of their learning into their work as clinicians. Interns will lead at least one Diversity Dialogue per school year focused on a topic around diversity of their choosing. Diversity is defined broadly and includes diversity in all contexts including race, gender, sexual orientation, social class, ability, language, documentation status etc. Interns can facilitate using a wide range of materials (e.g., journal articles, podcasts, videos, books, PowerPoint presentation) and facilitation styles (e.g., discussion, experiential, didactic, reflective). Examples of diversity dialogue presentations that have been provided in previous years:
   • Supporting Indigenous Clients and Reflecting on Settler Privilege
   • Restorative Policing and Cutting-Edge Mental Health Treatments
   • Working with Vets, Supporting Clients with Eating and Body Concerns and Exploring Body Liberation
   • Mental Health with Somali Refugee & Immigrants
   • Chronic Pain and Substance Use
   • A Discussion on Class, Grief and Culture
   • Understanding bisexuality and Supporting Bisexual Clients
   • Recognizing and Challenging Weight Stigma/Sizeism
   • Therapy with Gen Z
   • Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome
   • Disconnected and Distressed: Working with the Anxious Generation
   • The Importance of Using Inclusive Language

View: Biographical Statements for clinical supervisors. The licensed supervisory staff for the Doctoral Internship Psychology Program includes Dr. Juan Alvarez*, Dr. Jay Howell*, Dr. Lissa Lim*, Dr. Ryan Stevenson, and Dr. Leah Tappero*.

* Provides primary supervision

Education and Outreach 

A big component of university counseling center work is providing education and outreach to students and the campus community. Interns are required to participate and present/co-lead a minimum of 10 outreaches across the training year. Each outreach can be counted in only one of the categories below.

1. Participate in 2 campus screening days coordinated by SHCS (e.g., Depression Screening Day). These may be held outside of normal work hours to meet operational need. Hours will be flexed accordingly.
2. Participate in a minimum of 4 outreach events organized by campus partners (e.g., outreach liaisons, tabling, counselor presence). These outreaches can include events run by Health Educator, Mental Health Educator, and/or Violence Prevention Educator and Advocate at SHCS.
3. Present/co-lead a minimum of 4 outreaches where an intern is presenting a workshop, guest lecture, healing circle, or other type of presentation to a class, students at one of our campus community centers, or other student led events.
4. Consult with University staff outside of SHCS pertaining to clinical knowledge and within HIPAA guidelines.

Examples of outreaches that have been provided in previous years:                     

• Counselor presence at Suicide Prevention Candlelight Vigil
• Counselor presence at Domestic Violence Vigil and Speak Out
• Presentation on Anxiety and Coping Strategies
• Presentation on Feminist Therapy and Misogyny
• Presentation on Self-Harm
• Tabling at Orientation Resource Fair
• Facilitator for DRO Community Care Circle
• Training for Housing Behind Closed Doors
• Presentation on Mental Health, Wellness, & Self-Care
• Facilitator for Let's Talk
• Presentation at Cougar Blue Day

• Tabling at Feminist Festival

Outreach Liason

1. Interns will work with the Training Coordinator and/or Orientation and Didactic Training Coordinator to identify a student support services to develop an outreach liaison with for the training year. Past cohorts have developed a liason with APIDA Student Life, Women & Gender Equity Center, Black Student Center, LGBTQA Pride Center, ACE Scholars Services, and LatinX Center.
2. Group supervision time with the Training Coordinator will be used to check-in and process about the outreach liaison work. 
3. Interns will select one research article that focuses on the student population for their outreach liaison to discuss in supervision. 
4. Interns will develop and create a presentation to showcase their collaboration with their outreach liaison to the counseling center team during the summer.

Staff meetings

• Attend Counseling Services weekly staff meetings and monthly SHCS all-staff meeting.

University Meetings & Events

• Attend periodic Student Affairs and other University-wide meetings and events. An intern will not be required to attend events scheduled outside her/his/their work hours unless the SHCS Director of Counseling & Psychological Services/Training Director or other University administrator indicates that attendance is critical (e.g., emergency situation on campus).

Administrative Responsibilities

1. Complete clinical paperwork in the Point N Click system in a timely fashion.
2. Evaluations of supervisors are completed at the mid-year and end-of-year. (See Internship Policies and Procedures: Evaluations). Formal evaluations of the training program are completed at the mid-year and end-of-year.
3. Ongoing evaluation and feedback to supervisors is strongly encouraged throughout the year.
4. Complete regular evaluations of weekly didactic training seminars.
5. Complete various personnel forms as necessary.
6. Complete monthly SPE logs and CHRS time reporting weekly.
7. Maintain daily schedule on Point and Click scheduling software program used by Counseling Services and maintain consistent schedule on Outlook.
8. Use administrative time for scholarly activities and preparation for outreach, case presentations, and evaluation of articles.

Sample of Weekly Activities:

 Total Hours: 40 

*May vary week to week