Training Activities
Training activities have been structured to be sequential, increasing in intensity and encouraging of interns' increasingly independent functioning. Interns spend approximately 16 hours per week engaged in training activities. Supervision modalities include weekly individual supervision, supervision for group therapy, group supervision and triage. Seminars include weekly supervision of supervision, intern meeting and twice-weekly attendance in one of the ongoing seminar modules. Seminar modules are organized by themes, all of which contribute to the development of professional skills at an intermediate to advanced level.
Individual Supervision with Primary Supervisor
Interns are supervised by a licensed psychologist for a minimum of two hours each week on their individual therapy clients. Supervision is provided by a primary supervisor for the entire year in order to allow for the development of greater depth in the supervisory relationship and a more thorough assessment of the intern's personal and professional development. However, to allow for exposure to alternative styles, the two hour supervision time block may be split between the primary supervisor and another available supervisor midway through the internship year. That is, the intern is supervised for one hour by the primary supervisor, and is supervised by another supervisor during the second hour. Additional individual supervision and consultation sessions may be arranged with other staff members as needed.
Supervision of Group Therapy
Interns receive weekly individual supervision on their group activities. The supervisor is a senior staff member who may be the co-leader of the group, and is most often not their primary supervisor. As a result, interns receive additional exposure to different orientations. Interns will receive additional guidance from the CAPS Groups Coordinator.
Case Group
Group supervision occurs every week for one hour, beginning in late
August and continuing until the end of the internship. The group includes all of the psychology interns and a licensed psychologist from the staff. The experience primarily involves the presentation of case material by the interns. A secondary focus is the exploration of two different models of brief psychotherapy over the course of the year. These models do not represent any official agency model, but are presented for exploratory purposes in addition to whatever theoretical orientation the intern adopts. Interns are encouraged to present or explore their case material in terms of the brief treatment theory of interest for that semester. The presentations should include audio and video material as well as self report. The weekly format is that each intern, in sequence, presents a case and poses some question/questions or designates a topic that s/he would like to discuss with the group. Interns who are not presenting respond in turn to the questions or topics of interest. The group leader also makes a response. There is then more general discussion about the case , which can include conceptualization, goals or interventions.
Triage - Intake Disposition Meeting
Each intern is assigned to a triage team that meets one day per week. Each triage team is comprised of a senior staff team leader (psychologist or social worker), a psychiatrist, and trainees (doctoral psychology intern, psychology practicum, social work intern and, when schedules permit, psychiatric resident). Following the completion of the two intakes, all team members reconvene for one hour to present and discuss each case seen (usually totaling 6 clients). The triage team meeting integrates three overlapping clinical and training purposes. First, a multidisciplinary group process is used to reach consensus regarding clinical disposition and recommendations for the case. Secondly, interns are instructed in presenting cases in an efficient manner and supervised in the honing of their case conceptualization and diagnostic skills. Finally, this training activity supports the interns' integration of the theoretical and science-based literature introduced in both the assessment and psychophysiology/psychopharmacology seminars in the practice of providing intake assessment. In keeping with the developmental training model, after the interns' orientation period is over, interns are then encouraged to adopt a training role in helping the psychology practicum and social work trainees develop their intake skills by being observed, providing tandem intakes, and observing and providing feedback to these trainees. Additionally, in keeping with our developmental model, interns are encouraged to take increasing leadership responsibilities in the spring semester with the optimal goal of taking on the role of triage leader with senior staff providing supervision.
Intern Meeting
Interns typically meet weekly in the fall semester and every other week in the spring semester with the Director of Training to discuss issues of relevance to the interns as they proceed through the internship experience. Interns are encouraged to discuss individual and/or intern group concerns within a developmental framework. Various seminars are held in the spring semester focused on professional development including licensing, job search, interviewing, and private practice.
Supervision of Supervision
This seminar meets weekly throughout the academic year and trains interns in the practice of individual psychotherapy supervision. Training includes didactic teaching as well as supervision of the interns' actual clinical practice of supervising a practicum student. As the practicum students' primary supervisors, interns are responsible for all clinical and professional activity by the practicum student as well as providing oral and written evaluations.
The didactic component of the seminar includes readings and discussions of various supervision models, supervision research, and professional ethics and boundaries. The seminar assists interns in formulating their own theoretically integrated model of supervision and understanding their supervisee's developmental level as a therapist and identity as a psychologist. Further emphasis is placed on incorporating models of multicultural and cross-cultural supervision into the interns' conceptualizing and practice of providing clinical supervision.
The clinical practice of providing supervision is the arena in which interns explore their own style of supervision, apply the learning from the seminar, and refine their skills in this area. For the first month of the internship, prior to their supervisees arriving at the center, the seminar places greater emphasis on reading scientific and theoretical articles and reviewing an integrated model of supervision. Upon the arrival of the practicum students, the seminar places a greater emphasis on discussion of how supervisory constructs are applied and integrated into the actual supervision provided by the interns. Interns meet weekly with their supervisee and listen to the audiotapes of their supervisee's therapy sessions throughout the academic year. The seminar leader uses audiotapes of supervision sessions in the seminar to facilitate discussion and to provide feedback and suggestions for further work by the interns.
Rotation Activities
Interns have the option of participating in a brief rotation at a local agency/hospital to gain additional assessment/clinical skills or a university department to gain additional teaching experience. Rotations typically occur during the Summer semester and are for 2 – 3 days per week. Additional weekly on-site supervision and training is provided. Interns consult with the Director of Training to examine interests and options available early in the internship. The rotation is optional, and is dependent on availability, access and sites’ willingness to accept the intern and provide licensed supervision.
Recent Off-Site Rotations:
Belmont Psychiatric Hospital
Friends Hospital Eating Disorders Unit
Tatem Brown Family Practice Center of West Jersey Hospital
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
2004-2005 Off-Site Rotation:
ADHD Treatment and Research Program
Belmont Hospital (Clinical)
Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (Clinical)
Veteran's Administration Medical Center (Clinical)
2003-2004 Off-Site Rotation:
East Coast Restaurant and Saloon Management (Consultation)
Client’s perceptions of the Therapeutic Experience and Response to Treatment (Research)
2002-2003 Off-Site Rotation:
Drexel University Athletic Department
2000-2001 Off-Site Rotations:
Center for Comprehensive Therapy
Safeguards Gay Men Community Health Project
1999-2000 Off-Site Rotations:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) Department of Neuropsychology
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology
Lehigh University (research rotation)
1998-99 Off-Site Rotations:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) Dept. of Neuropsychology
Pennsylvania Hospital Psychiatric In-Patient Unit
Contact Us
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
133 South 36th Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Hours: 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday
Emergencies: 215-349-5490 (ask for CAPS Clinician On Call)
Tel: 215-898-7021
Fax: 215-573-8966
Email: caps@pobox.upenn.edu
