Doctoral Psychology Internship Training Brochure · MULTICULTURALISM & DIVERSITY The Student Health...
Transcript of Doctoral Psychology Internship Training Brochure · MULTICULTURALISM & DIVERSITY The Student Health...
Doctoral
Psychology Internship
Training Brochure
Hofstra University
Student Health and Counseling Center
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY .............................................................................................................................. 3
COUNSELING SERVICES: AN OVERVIEW ................................................................................................ 3
MISSION STATEMENT ................................................................................................................................ 3
MULTICULTURALISM & DIVERSITY .......................................................................................................... 4
INTERNSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM .......................................................................................................... 4
Typical Weekly Training Schedule………………………………………………………………….………..5
TRAINING APPROACH ................................................................................................................................ 6
AIMS, COMPETENCIES, AND LEARNING ELEMENTS ............................................................................. 7
DUE PROCESS AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES……………………………………………………….…10
Due Process Guidelines…….………………………………………………………………….……..…10
Intern Rights and Responsibilities………………………………………………………………………11
Problematic Behavior……………………………………………………………………………………..12
Responding to Problematic Behavior: Due Process Procedures……………………………………12
Intern Grievance Procedures…………………………………………………………………………….15
ELIGIBILITY AND COMPENSATION…………………………………………………………………….………16
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES…………………………………………………………….16
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HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
Hofstra University is a close-knit community of students, faculty and staff that prides
itself on it’s small class sizes, dedicated professors and it’s beautiful, dynamic campus, located
on scenic Long Island, just twenty five minutes East of New York City. Hofstra offers its eleven
thousand students more than 140 undergraduate and 150 graduate programs, in Liberal Arts and
Sciences, Business, Communication, Education and Allied Human Services and Honors studies,
as well as a School of Law and a Medical School. Students also have access to extensive services
designed to help them find their niche and to participate actively in the Hofstra community.
Student Health and Counseling Center at Hofstra University is housed within the Division of
Student Affairs. The Division is comprised of multiple offices working together to promote
student learning, growth, and success, in and out of the classroom.
STUDENT HEALTH AND COUNSELING CENTER: AN OVERVIEW
Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides a full range of
services and programs designed to promote the health, personal development, and psychological
well-being of our student body, as well as the Hofstra community. Our dedicated staff is
committed to providing services reflective of the individual and cultural diversity upon which
Hofstra prides itself. Staff includes doctoral-level psychologists who provide supervision and
training, psychology interns, psychology externs from the Ph.D and Psy.D. programs at Hofstra
University, crisis counselors who manage after-hours crisis interventions on-campus, and nurse
practitioners. Student Counseling services provides individual psychological and educational
counseling to university undergraduate, graduate, law and medical students. Additional student
counseling services include crisis intervention, group counseling, workshops, campus outreach
programs, community programs, consultation and referrals. The Student Health and Counseling
Center is located in the Wellness and Campus Living Center and acts as a fully integrated health
center on campus.
Training Staff
John C. Guthman, Ph.D., Director
Dodie A. Gillett, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Internship Education and Training
Merry McVey-Noble, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Director
Daniel Rinaldi, Psy.D., Staff Psychologist
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Student Health and Counseling Center is to provide accessible and
holistic-oriented, short-term medical care and mental health interventions that enhance well-
being and offer students a more meaningful and successful college experience. Collaborative
partnerships are developed to educate and empower students in areas of self-care and assist in
making essential connections within the Division of Student Affairs and greater university
community. Individual and group counseling is available to students who are having difficulty
with emotional, behavioral, academic, or adjustment concerns. The collaborative counseling
process is used to clarify problems, establish realistic goals and develop active, short-term
treatment solutions.
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MULTICULTURALISM & DIVERSITY
The Student Health and Counseling Center Internship training program respects diversity
and multicultural awareness, and attends to these issues throughout training activities, including
supervision and clinical practice with our diverse client population. The staff at the Student
Health and Counseling Center is committed to the awareness and affirmation of diversity in all
of our endeavors. Awareness of diversity and multiculturalism pervade all aspects of training and
service.
Interns will be provided with exposure to clients of differing ethnicities, cultures, sexual
orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, religious affiliations, ages, genders and abilities.
Training seminars are provided throughout the year addressing various topics related to diversity
and multicultural issues. One of the objectives of the Student Health and Counseling Center is to
increase awareness of these important issues in the university community. This is promoted by
providing workshops and lectures to students and staff focusing on celebrating diversity
throughout Hofstra University. We strive to recruit interns who are committed to embracing the
challenges and rewards of providing services to a varied and broad-ranging population.
INTERNSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM
The doctoral psychology internship program at Hofstra University’s Student Health and
Counseling Center provides a broad-based training experience representative of the varied roles
of psychologists in the workforce. The training staff recognize the importance of clinical
practices that are based on scholarly inquiry, and advocate a scholar-practitioner model in all
aspects of training and service delivery. The overall goal is to move interns through a sequence
of experiences both clinical and didactic which build competence and confidence in clinical
work within a diverse multicultural setting. Our model emphasizes the essential role of research
and promotes a value of professional development for lifelong learning within an ethical
community of professional practitioners.
The internship program is designed for doctoral students engaging in the advanced
clinical training phase of their education. Interns receive intensive training in all aspects of
outpatient clinical intervention, with a specific focus on individual psychotherapy and primary
prevention workshops and presentations designed to service the diverse Hofstra University
community. Exposure to risk assessment practices, group psychotherapy, and collaborative
referral and consultation practices are also organized within this developmental training model.
Interns are under the guidance of licensed, doctoral level psychologists and receive constructive
supervision in their clinical work, including assessment, diagnosis, case formulation, and
treatment, within a Cognitive and Behavioral framework. Knowledge of empirically supported
interventions is fundamental to the delivery of professional services and an integral part of the
training model.
The internship involves 40 hours of varied clinical and didactic training totaling 2000
hours for the training year. Each intern receives a minimum of two hours weekly of individual
supervision and two hours of weekly of group supervision, as well as the ongoing support of the
supervising staff psychologists. Seminars, peer supervision and consultation, directed readings
and case conceptualization and presentations enhance intern training. In addition, professional
staff work collaboratively with interns to address crises and to provide outreach services to the
Hofstra community.
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Typical Weekly Training Schedule
Interns at the Student Health and Counseling Center provide a range of services to
university students. On average, 20 to 24 hours per week during the academic semesters are
spent involved in direct face-to-face clinical services. Interns devote an additional 9 hours per
week to seminar training. The remainder of their time is allocated to administrative
responsibilities, case management and special projects. During the January session and Summer
terms, interns’ time is more focused on project development, outreach programming, research
and administrative duties. Time is also granted for grand rounds and conference attendance off
campus throughout the training year.
Direct Service: Average hrs. (during
Fall/Spring semesters)
Individual Counseling 14 hours Weekly
Intake Evaluations 5 hours Weekly
Crisis Consultation/Triage 3 hours Weekly
Group Counseling 1 hour Weekly
Outreach/ University Consultation 1 hour Varies
Total 24 hours
Training Received:
Individual Supervision 2 hour Weekly
Group/Team Supervision 2 hours Weekly
Supervision of Group work 1 hour Weekly
Professional Issues Seminar 1 hour Weekly
Multicultural Seminar 1 hour Weekly
Outreach Seminar 1 hour Weekly
Advanced CBT Skills Seminar 1 hour Weekly
Total 9 hours
Administration:
Case Management 5 hours Weekly
Program Planning/Research 2 hours Weekly
Total 7 hours
Total Average Hours for Academic Semesters 40 hours
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TRAINING APPROACH
The internship program with the Student Health and Counseling Center promotes a
Cognitive and Behavioral approach to psychological research and practice to the spectrum of
issues presented by the student body and university community. Interns will approach problems
from this data-based perspective, and are expected to maintain an up-to-date awareness of
developments in the field of Cognitive and Behavioral practice. Supervising psychologists are all
trained within this paradigm and provide the structure to assist trainees in developing within this
theoretical structure. While we respect a variety of differing clinical perspectives, we
specifically encourage that clinical problems be conceptualized within a Cognitive and
Behavioral framework, in order to develop a consistent, research-driven approach to a variety of
clinical issues.
Training is sequential and follows a developmental model where interns acquire more
autonomy as the training year progresses. Incoming interns are provided with an intensive
orientation that allows them to learn about their training year including expectations for
professional development, clinical work, supervision, and an introduction to support services on
campus and in the community. All clinical experiences gained by interns in the first portion of
the training year are closely supervised in order to assess competency and scaffold learning
activities. Senior staff provide opportunities for monitoring intern sessions via video recordings
which are subsequently viewed and discussed during supervision. Early in the training year,
clinical diagnoses assessed by interns are identified in consultation with a supervisor. Interns are
challenged to integrate the CBT therapy model with practical treatment considerations.
Administrative tasks including accurate and thorough written representation of mental status
assessment, treatment plan and clinical progress are also reviewed thoroughly in supervision
early in the internship program.
Over time, interns are given increased autonomy with the goal of acquiring confidence
for independent functioning and decision-making by the end of the training year. Formal
evaluations performed at the midway point and upon completion of the internship track intern
growth in identified competency domains. Supervisors provide ongoing feedback to interns
throughout the year in order to facilitate professional development and shape career goals. Senior
staff provide supervision for group counseling experiences throughout the training year and
direct interns toward relevant academic resource materials intended to supplement their learning.
In training seminars, topics early in the internship year are considered to be more basic,
including issues commonly encountered in the university setting and fundamental to clinical
practice. Initial training topics include boundary maintenance in therapy, conducting crisis
evaluations, and case conceptualization. Seminars progress in complexity over the course of the
training year focusing on professional development issues and more involved clinical topics.
Throughout the year interns meet bi-monthly with the Training Director as part of the
Professional Issues seminar, providing opportunity for review and discussion of ethical and
professional issues faced by psychologists working in a variety of roles and settings. Additional
intern seminars address outreach programming development, multicultural competence and
advanced skills development in cognitive-behavioral therapy.
As part of the training experience interns are encouraged to further develop presentation
skills through community outreach projects and clinical case presentations to professional staff.
This may include opportunities to present relevant research and explore individual interests
associated with social responsibility and advocacy.
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AIMS, COMPETENCIES, AND LEARNING ELEMENTS
Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center Doctoral Psychology Internship
Program adheres to all standards set for by APA Standards of Accreditation (SoA). The
overall aim of Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center Doctoral
Psychology Internship Program is to prepare interns for competent, professional, and ethical
practice as psychologists, primed to work in various clinical roles. Intercultural awareness
and competency are highly valued and the internship training program strives to develop
sensitive professionals attuned to the multiple levels of client diversity. The program further
aspires to promote an integrative, holistic, and preventative health care perspective through
collaboration with other health care practitioners. Interns are expected to achieve
intermediate to advanced competency in all nine SoA Profession Wide Competencies,
including research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional
values, attitudes, and behaviors, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment,
intervention, supervision, and consultation and interprofessional/ interdisciplinary skills.
Competency: Research
Learning Elements:
• Demonstrates the substantially independent ability to critically evaluate research.
• Demonstrates the substantially independent ability to disseminate research or other
scholarly activities (e.g., case conference, presentation, publications) at the local
(including the host institution), regional, or national level.
Competency: Ethical and Legal Standards
Learning Elements:
• Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
o the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of
Conduct;
o Relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service
psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and
o Relevant professional standards and guidelines.
• Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in
order to resolve the dilemmas.
• Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.
Competency: Individual and Cultural Diversity
Learning Elements:
• An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may
affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.
• Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to
addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training,
supervision/consultation, and service.
• The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in
the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional
activities). This includes the ability apply a framework for working effectively with areas
of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their
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careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group
membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.
• Demonstrate the ability to independently apply their knowledge and approach in working
effectively with the range of diverse individuals and groups encountered during
internship.
Competency: Professional Values, Attitudes, and Behaviors
Learning Elements:
• Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity,
deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the
welfare of others
• Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage
in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional
effectiveness.
• Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.
• Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of
independence as they progress across levels of training.
Competency: Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Learning Elements:
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including
colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving
professional services.
• Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are
informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language
and concepts.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult
communication well.
Competency: Assessment
Learning Elements:
• Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical
literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant
data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions
of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.
• Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and
guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while
guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that
are subjective from those that are objective.
• Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the
assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.
Competency: Intervention
Learning Elements:
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological
services.
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• Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.
• Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment
findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision
making.
• Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is
lacking.
• Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent
with ongoing evaluation.
Competency: Supervision
Learning Elements:
• Identify and understand theories and methods of supervision.
• Apply supervision knowledge in direct or simulated practice with psychology trainees, or
other health professionals. Examples of direct or simulated practice examples of
supervision include, but are not limited to, role-played supervision with others, and peer
supervision with other trainees.
Competency: Consultation and Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary skills
Learning Elements:
• Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.
Apply this knowledge in direct or simulated consultation with individuals and their families,
other health care professionals, interprofessional groups, or systems related to health and
behavior.
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DUE PROCESS AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
The following describes the due process and grievance procedures for doctoral interns at
Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center (SHACC). The staff at SHACC
values a training atmosphere of positive growth and professional development recognizing that
challenges throughout the training year are to be expected. SHACC staff are dedicated to
assisting interns with any challenges they may face while in training. The goal of our due
process is to identify and remediate concerns or problems in order to maintain a constructive
learning environment and provide interns with the necessary skills to become confident and
competent professionals. The following provides information about informal and formal
processes used by SHACC to address problematic behavior including identification and
evaluation of areas for growth or deficiency.
1. Due Process Guidelines
2. Intern Evaluation
3. Intern Rights and Responsibilities
4. Problematic Behavior
5. Responding to Problematic Behavior: Due Process Procedures
6. Intern Grievance Procedures
DUE PROCESS GUIDELINES
1. Interns will receive a copy of their rights and responsibilities, due process and
grievance procedures during the initial orientation to the Student Counseling Services
Doctoral Psychology Internship program. Approaches to informal and formal
evaluation are also provided and reviewed at that time along with expectations of
interns regarding professional conduct and functioning.
2. SHACC will communicate with the intern throughout the training year of any noted
concerns or problematic behaviors. The Training Director (TD) may elect to inform the
intern’s academic program of identified concerns depending on the nature and severity
of the problematic behavior. 3. The intern will be provided adequate and meaningful opportunities to respond to any
identified concerns or problem behaviors.
4. In response to identified problematic behavior the TD and training staff may initiate due
process procedures. A reasonable time frame for remediation will be outlined.
5. If an intern wishes to appeal the program’s action the Appeal Procedures portion of this
document describes the steps for doing so.
6. When making decisions about an intern’s performance, the SHACC training staff may
seek confidential consultation from relevant professionals in the field including APPIC
and APA.
7. The TD will document (in writing) any actions taken by the program and the rational
for the action(s). All relevant parties will be provided with a copy of the document.
INTERN EVALUATION: Interns are evaluated on a number of different aspects of their training experience. Supervising staff psychologists will assess each intern’s development in the following broad domains:
1) Demonstration and command of technical, clinical skills
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2) Performance of administrative duties
3) Interpersonal skills and demonstration of the ability to work collaboratively
and cooperatively with others at Student Counseling Services 4) Ability to benefit from supervision and corrective feedback
5) Demonstration of independent initiative
6) Ethics in clinical practice.
While interns are provided ongoing feedback during weekly supervision sessions, formal
written evaluation will be provided at the midpoint and conclusion of the year-long internship.
Interns will meet with the TD to review the evaluation and discuss areas for growth and/or
concern. The written results of the formal evaluations will then be shared with the appropriate
faculty at the intern’s academic institution.
INTERN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The following delineates the rights and responsibilities of interns as they progress through their
training year with SHACC.
Intern Rights:
1. The right to a clear statement of goals, objectives, rights and responsibilities at the st art of the internship.
2. The right to clear, accurate and timely evaluation of performance.
3. The right to be trained by licensed supervisors who are in accordance with APA
ethical guidelines.
4. The right to be treated professionally and with respect throughout the training year.
5. The right to initiate informal grievance procedures directly with the individual or
individuals involved or through the TD or supervisor.
6. The right to due process should informal resolution of grievance prove inadequate.
7. The right to privacy for one’s personal life.
Intern Responsibilities:
1. To read and understand the rights and responsibilities including all information
provided in the SHACC training manual and to seek clarification when necessary.
2. To behave within the ethical guidelines set forth by the profession of psychology
and delineated by the American Psychological Association.
3. To act in a manner that is consistent with the laws and regulations set forth by the state
of New York.
4. To conduct oneself in a professionally appropriate manner set forth by SHACC at all
times as clearly addressed in the SHACC training manual.
5. To meet all training requirements and expectations including active participation in
all training, didactic, service and overall activities of SHACC.
6. To make effective use of supervision and to respond in a professionally
appropriate manner to constructive feedback.
7. To manage personal concerns effectively and seek outside help should such
concerns interfere with professional functioning.
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PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR:
The supervisory staff at SHACC may utilize professional judgment to determine when an intern
is not meeting expected professional standards or is displaying signs of problematic behavior.
Interns will be evaluated based on a number of criteria both formally and/or informally
throughout the placement and will be provided with appropriate feedback should they fail to meet
such standards. Although challenges may be expected as a normal part of the training experience,
SHACC follows the guidelines of Lamb, Roehlke, & Butler (1986), viewing behavior as
problematic when one or more of the following conditions or characteristics occur:
1. The problem conditions include behavior which falls outside acceptable, professional
and ethical boundaries.
2. The intern does not acknowledge, understand or address the problem when it is identified
3. Appropriate and/or significant changes in problematic behavior do not occur as a function
of feedback, remediation efforts, and/or time.
4. The problem is not merely a reflection of a skill deficit which can be rectified by academic
or didactic training.
5. The quality of services delivered by the intern seriously and negatively falls below the
expectations of SHACC.
6. The problem may negatively impact multiple areas of professional functioning. 7. A disproportionate amount of attention by supervisory training staff is required.
Additionally, the following constitute areas of problematic behavior within SHACC:
1. The intern exhibits an inability and/or unwillingness to acquire and integrate professional standards into one's repertoire of professional behaviors.
2. The intern’s personal behavior or performance negatively impacts the public view of the Student Health and Counseling Center.
3. The intern’s personal behavior or performance negatively impacts relationships with
peers, other trainees, supervisors, or other staff in a manner that disrupts normal
office activities.
RESPONDING TO PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR: DUE PROCESS PROCEDURES
I. Informal Response:
Based on previously stated criteria and at the discretion of the training staff, due process
procedures will be initiated by any staff member who deems the intern’s behavior to be
unacceptable and problematic. If any member of the professional staff identifies a concern
about an intern’s behavior, the staff member will first discuss the issue with the intern in
question, if appropriate. If such an informal procedure does not adequately resolve the
issue, the staff member will bring the issue to the supervisor who will then arrange a
meeting with the intern, the TD, and the supervisor, to discuss the behavior and identify a
solution. Concerns or problems to be addressed may also occur when an intern receives a
rating of “Below Expected Competency” on any item of the formal Intern Evaluation and
will be reviewed with the intern by the TD.
II. Formal Review:
Should it be deemed necessary for the intern to receive further review due to severity of the
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problematic behavior and/or if informal attempts at resolution are unsuccessful, the TD
will initiate a formal review of the presented issue. Written notice to the intern of the
problematic behavior will be initiated. This notice will outline identified concerns,
remedial actions required, and a time line as to when such action will need to occur. A
notification of the potential sanctions to be implemented as well as the intern’s rights to
appeal will be included.
III. Remediation and Sanctions:
Various strategies to remediate the problematic behaviors are available and will be
implemented based upon the discretion of the supervisory staff and in relation to the
severity of the behavior. Should an intern not be meeting appropriate performance
standards as indicated by any number of factors including low scores on formal
evaluations, feedback provided by clients and other staff, or limitations in completing
expected administrative tasks, several possible options for remediation are offered:
1. Schedule modification that is time limited and may include the following:
• Increased supervision, either in time or with additional supervisors
• Altering the content and focus of supervision to specifically address the
low performance standard
• Reduction or modification of direct client work to provide additional focus
on improvement of identified deficits
• Recommendations for personal therapy to address any concerns negatively
impacting professional work (resources for off campus referral options are
available through SHACC)
• Requiring academic or didactic coursework
2. Probation: Should the area of intern problematic behavior be of significant severity,
the intern will be placed on probation. The intern will be provided with a letter
outlining the problematic behavior, along with remedial action required to correct
the behavior. This will include a timeline for completion of remediation, an
explanation of how sufficient progress will be determined and possible
consequences should the problematic behavior not be corrected. The TD will closely
monitor the intern’s behavior in question and training staff will provide remediation
and close supervision during this time limited sanction.
Should the intern not have made sufficient progress toward altering the problematic
behavior by the conclusion of the stated probationary period, the TD in consultation
with the supervisory staff will determine possible courses of action. The TD may
provide continued remediation efforts (that may involve a similar plan with a longer
time period, or a new remediation plan) or in the absence of sufficient progress the
TD may also initiate further sanctions. The intern will be notified in writing and
notice will be provided that should the behavior not change, the intern will not
successfully complete the internship training program.
3. Suspension: If it determined that the intern’s problematic behavior has a significant
adverse impact on client welfare or the campus community then they will be
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suspended from all clinical duties. The intern will be provided with a letter
outlining the problematic behavior, along with remedial action required to correct
the behavior. This will include a timeline for completion of remediation and return
to clinical duties, an explanation of how sufficient progress will be determined and
possible consequences should the problematic behavior not be corrected.
4. Dismissal: Interns will be terminated from the training program under the
following circumstances: a. Previously attempted remediation is not successfully accomplished
b. Intern engages in a serious infraction of APA ethical standards
c. Intern engages in serious violation of SHACC policy and procedures
d. Intern engages in a serious legal violation
e. Intern engages in any other behavior or condition that seriously jeopardizes intern,
client or staff welfare and well-being or engages in behavior which seriously
compromises the public view of professional staff in the office of Student
Counseling Services
Dismissal may be invoked after remediation plans have failed or may occur
immediately based upon the severity of the identified behavior, or if the intern is
unable to complete the program due to physical, mental or emotional illness. In such
instances, the TD may bypass any attempts at remediation and previously described
notification procedures. The TD will communicate this action to the intern’s
academic department.
IV. Appeal Procedures:
Interns are provided opportunity to appeal decisions made following the outcome of
due process procedures and are required to initiate the following steps:
1. The intern must submit the appeal in writing along with all supporting
documentation within five working days of receiving the sanction letter.
2. The TD then has five working days from receipt of written appeal to convene a
committee consisting of three members adjunct to the SHACC training
program. This committee may include (however is not limited to) faculty from
the Department of Psychology, administrators within the Division of Student
Affairs or other employees of the University believed to have insight in
contributing to fair review. The intern may also request individuals to be part of
the committee. 3. The appeal committee and the intern will convene within five working days to
review the written appeal along with any supporting documentation and the
explanation of sanctions from SHACC.
4. Within five working days of the appeal meeting, the committee advise the TD of
any recommended revisions to sanctions or remediation plans. The TD may accept
in whole or in part or reject any recommendations of the appeal committee and will inform the intern and related staff of the decision within three working days.
5. The intern may consult with the ASARC’s jurisdiction if the intern is not satisfied
with the results of the appeal. Information can be obtained at http://appic.org/
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INTERN GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES:
When interns identify significant concerns related to their internship training experience, they
are expected to attempt informal resolution of the problem through discussion with the person
or persons involved. If informal attempts to resolve the grievance should prove unsuccessful,
intern grievances should then be brought to a supervisor or the TD. Complaints brought against
the TD will be brought to a supervisor.
If the grievance is of a highly sensitive nature or not appropriate for informal resolution with
the parties involved, the trainee may bring the issue directly to the TD or supervisor for
informal resolution. At any time the intern may file a formal grievance in writing with all
supporting documents with the TD. The TD will then implement the following procedures:
1. If needed, a review panel will be convened to make a recommendation to the TD to review
the intern’s grievance. The panel will consist of three individuals chosen by the TD with
recommendations also accepted from the intern who filed the grievance.
2. Within five working days the panel will convene to review the intern’s grievance along
with any relevant supporting materials.
3. The panel will establish consensus based on majority vote about recommended actions to
be taken (if any) and submit a report in writing to the TD.
4. The TD reserves the right to accept or reject the panel’s recommendations and will inform
the intern and necessary staff of the outcome.
5. If the intern disputes the TD’s final decision they reserve the right to appeal based upon
the established Appeal Procedures.
6. In the event that the TD is the focus of the grievance, an acting supervisor would serve as
the review agent.
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ELIGIBILITY AND COMPENSATION Eligibility
Applicants must be doctoral degree candidates enrolled in either a clinical or counseling
psychology Ph.D. or Psy.D program. All or most academic work for the doctoral degree should
be complete by the start of internship. Applicants must be matriculated at their home institutions
which confirm they are providing academic credit for their internship. Candidates are expected to
have had specific training in assessment and diagnosis, as well as relevant practicum experience.
Preference will be given to candidates from APA-accredited doctoral programs and those with
clinical experience working with young adults, especially college students. Approval to pursue
an internship from the respective program Training Director is required.
Stipend and Benefits
The Pre-doctoral Internship Training Program offers a stipend of $20,000 as well as financial
support to cover the cost of acquiring student health insurance from Hofstra's Student Health
Insurance Plan. Release time for workshop and conference attendance/presentations, dissertation
defense, and job interviews is granted on an as-needed basis pending approval by the Training
Director. Interns have access to desktop computers in order to undertake the responsibilities
attendant to the internship position. University library privileges and access to our on-campus
fitness center are also provided.
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES
Application Procedures
Applicants for the Hofstra University Student Health and Counseling Center Doctoral Internship
Training Program must submit the following application materials through the Applicant Portal
on APPIC's webpage (www.appic.org) by the date listed on our website:
• Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form. The AAPI may
be downloaded from www.appic.org.
• A cover letter describing your relevant professional experiences and how they relate to
our training program. Please include how your goals for internship match with our site.
• Curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts of graduate course work
• Three letters of recommendation, with at least two from supervisors with direct
knowledge of your clinical work
Selection Procedures
The selection committee will review all applications and candidates will be notified by the date
listed on our website if they have been selected for an interview. In accordance with APPIC
policies, we notify all applicants of their interview status if they submitted a complete
application. Please contact the Training Director if you have not received notification by that
time. For applicants who are invited to interview, several dates will be offered for in-person
interviews. We try to have a variety of dates and times available, and we will work with you the
best we can to find a time that fits your schedule.
This is a full-time internship program. Please see our website for the current year’s start date.
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Please Note: Hofstra University requires a background check that verifies that candidates have
no criminal or other record that would preclude employment in the University's judgment. These
background checks will be conducted following the APPIC Match, and offers will be contingent
upon successfully completing the background check (see APPIC Match Policy 6b permitting
certain eligibility requirements).
APPIC Guidelines
The internship program at Hofstra University’s Student Health and Counseling Center adheres to
the procedures established by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers
(APPIC) for the recruitment and selection of doctoral interns and participates in the match. This
internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will
solicit, accept, or use and ranking-related information from any intern applicant. This program is
currently an APPIC member (#2384) and is not APA-accredited. Our program code for the
match is 238411.
For Questions regarding the Student Health and Counseling Center’s Doctoral Psychology
Internship Program, please contact:
Dodie A. Gillett, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Internship Education and Training
Student Health and Counseling Center, Hofstra University
(516) 463-6745
Nondiscrimination Policy
Hofstra University is committed to extending equal opportunity to all qualified individuals
without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age,
national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status (characteristics
collectively referred to as “Protected Characteristic”) in employment and in the conduct and
operation of Hofstra University’s educational programs and activities, including admissions,
scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school administered programs. This
statement of nondiscrimination is in compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, the Age Discrimination Act
and other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to nondiscrimination
(“Equal Opportunity Laws”). The Equal Rights and Opportunity Officer is the University's
official responsible for coordinating its overall adherence to Equal Opportunity Laws. The
University’s Title IX Coordinator is the University’s official responsible for the University’s
efforts to comply with and carry out responsibilities under Title IX.