Psychology Internship

American Psychological Association accredited since 1983, the Henry Ford Health Sciences Center offers a tracked program designed to prepare interns for work or advanced training in these areas of professional practice:

The psychology internship program is a tracked program offering training in neuropsychology and health psychology. The program's tracks provide the intern with in-depth experience in a specific area of practice. This approach both deepens and broadens the scope of experience the intern receives. All interns follow a core curriculum covering professional and clinical topics and participate in at least one group supervision per week.

Accreditation information

The program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1983. The Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association regularly reviews the Psychology Internship Program of the Henry Ford Health Sciences Center. That office may be consulted for further information regarding the program's accreditation status and the guidelines for accreditation. Visit their website or contact the office at:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: (202) 336-5979

Goals

The primary goal of the internship is to prepare interns for advanced specialty training in either neuropsychology or health psychology or, in some cases, entry-level general clinical positions. Our focus is to develop a clinician with strong diagnostic and conceptualization skills who, as the expert in psychology, interacts with patients and fellow providers in supportive and culturally sensitive ways. While some of our graduates go on to academic careers, our "product" is a scientifically disciplined practitioner who maintains the intellectual curiosity and critical thinking of the scientist in that clinical endeavor.

Initial orientation

Prior to the start of internship, interns participate in the hospital’s general orientation program after which they will have two days of program specific orientation. This helps interns become familiar with the Behavioral Health programs within which interns work. Representatives from each of the various programs and divisions explain the purposes of the programs and referral procedures. Several hours are devoted to understanding the nature of the health care system in which the program operates and the impact that our care system's structure has on the provision of care.

Intern workload

We expect interns to provide the equivalent of 20 to 23 hours of direct patient care per week. This will consist of assessment interviews, psychological testing, report writing, and psychotherapy sessions. Typical hours are 8:00am – 5:00pm but may vary based on rotation. Interns establish working hours with the administrative supervisor responsible for the service on which they work.

Supervision

The format of supervision varies from rotation to rotation. Although the total amount of supervision an intern receives will vary as a function of the rotation and the intern's level of expertise in a given area of functioning, all interns will receive a minimum of two hours of individual supervision and two hours of group supervision per week, most commonly more. Interns and supervisors are encouraged to review the nature of their supervisory process and to work toward constant improvement of that process. In addition to providing clinical and teaching supervision, supervisors assist interns to develop a professional identity of their own and refine their professional goals.

Didactic curriculum

The didactic curriculum consists of Departmental Grand Rounds, the psychology core curriculum, and rotation specific didactics (discussed in the rotation description). Grand Rounds and core didactics occur Thursday mornings.

Grand Rounds

Weekly departmental grand rounds meet on Thursdays at 8:00am from September through June. This series includes internal and external speakers whose presentations vary from year to year. Topics may include epidemiology of disorders or recent research in pathology, diagnosis, or treatment. Attendance is required of all psychology interns and psychiatry residents. Faculty members are also required to attend and many staff members attend as well.

Core didactics curriculum

We offer a variety of core didactics:
Our Medicine for Psychologists series is typically scheduled once per month. A medical illness is addressed during these didactics, which includes the medical components, the interface with psychological and cognitive symptoms, and the evidenced based treatments appropriate for use.
The Culture & Diversity series includes several didactics including: Social Determinants of Health, Health Literacy, Health Disparities, and Exploring Privilege.
The Career Development series discusses several topics. Applying for fellowship includes the steps to be aware of, how to look for sites that align with career goals, and managing the application process. The Cover Letter and CV is a workshop that allows interns to bring current copies of their CV and an example of a cover letter. We discuss formatting of these as well as ways in which interns can help themselves stand out. In the EPPP/licensure, we review the process of applying for and taking the EPPP and things to be aware of for when applying to licensure. Finally, we discuss considerations for future jobs.
The Business of Healthcare series includes several components. The Program Evaluation didactic discusses how to conduct a program evaluation including a needs assessment, program development, gathering data, and analyzing outcomes. Budgeting includes understanding how to manage a budget within a health care system and understanding the basics of billing and reimbursement. The Future Directions of Health Care discusses what the trends have been for psychologists gaining employment in health care and what is anticipated for what psychologists may do in the future.
The Neuropsychology series discusses commonly administered neuropsychological tests and how to interpret them, how the use different substances can affect the brain, and how to differentiate between a depression and dementia diagnosis, especially in the elderly population.

In addition to the above series, other didactics that are more unique in nature are given. Examples of other commonly given didactics include: Survival Skills- Admitting a Patient, Psychopharmacology, Managing Difficult Patients, Supervision, Professionalism & Ethics, and Transitioning from Internship

Because the training needs of each intern cohort is unique, each year, the Internship Director will solicit topic requests from the current interns to add to the didactic schedule.

Psychology Internship Training Director:
Lisa R. Matero, PhD, ABPP
Henry Ford Health
1 Ford Place, 1C
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: (313) 874-6611
Email: LMatero1@hfhs.org

Associate Training Director:
Brent Funk, PsyD, ABPP
Henry Ford Health
1 Ford Place, 1C
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: (313) 874-6611
Email: BFunk1@hfhs.org

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