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DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
DBHS is a state government agency charged with
providing mental health and substance abuse services
for the citizens of Arkansas. The Arkansas State
Hospital and Central Administrative offices are
located on the Division’s Little Rock campus.
DBHS administration includes the Director, Assistant
Directors, Medical Director, and various program and
support staff. Administrative staff members are
responsible for the overall direction, coordination,
and administrative oversight of state-operated
programs. Central Administration also develops and
maintains management information systems; initiates
and coordinates all state-wide mental health and
substance abuse planning and development of
services; serves as a liaison with all other
Department of Health and Human Services divisions
and other state agencies; provides technical
assistance and support; and oversees federal grants
and state funds channeled through the Division of
Behavioral Health Services to many private,
non-profit community mental health centers
throughout the state.
The
Arkansas State Hospital provides several types of
services for youth and adults. The hospital houses
an adolescent inpatient treatment program for youth
ages 13-18, a residential adolescent sex offender
treatment program, and an inpatient treatment
program for youth dually diagnosed with a
psychiatric disorder and a developmental disability.
The hospital also has several units for adults who
need either short-term stabilization or long-term
treatment. Finally, the hospital conducts forensic
evaluations on both an inpatient and outpatient
basis and provides treatment for individuals who are
involved with the legal system.
The
Division of Behavioral Health Services/Arkansas
State Hospital employs 13 doctoral-level
psychologists and 3 pre-doctoral psychology interns.
Other professional staff with the Division of
Behavioral Health Services includes numerous
psychiatrists, social workers, and nursing staff. In
addition to psychology internship training, the
Division participates in the UAMS Psychiatry
Residency Program and provides fellowships in
child/adolescent and forensic psychiatry and offers
social work field placements for graduate level
social work students.
Training Setting
The
Psychology Department of the Arkansas State Hospital
offers a one-year, full-time, pre-doctoral
internship in professional psychology. The program
is fully accredited by the American Psychological
Association and is a member of the Association of
Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers. The
program aims to provide training in treatment,
assessment, consultation, and professional skills
needed to function as an effective professional
psychologist.
The overarching goal of the training program is to
train a generalist who has competencies to work
effectively with a variety of patients seen in
different treatment contexts. Interns are also
expected to learn to function effectively as a
member of multidisciplinary teams, working with many
different types of mental health professionals. The
program’s generalist approach capitalizes on the
variety of training opportunities available within
the program.
These opportunities include working with adults and
adolescents who present with a range of mental
health issues at all levels of severity. Types of
problems seen in the inpatient and outpatient
populations include acute and chronic psychotic
disorders, behavioral disorders, and various
adjustment reactions.
Primary training takes place at the Arkansas State
Hospital, the Little Rock Community Mental Health
Center, and the GAIN (Greater Assistance for those
In Need) program. Interns also have the opportunity
to train approximately 8-12 hours per week in other
community placements. In the past, these have
included such organizations as the Little Rock VA
Hospital, Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Arkansas
Children’s Hospital, Professional Counseling
Associates, and the University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences.
The training program consists of a planned sequence
of supervised clinical rotations, attendance at a
variety of didactic seminars, and other optional
training opportunities.
Clinical Rotations
The training year is divided into three, four-month
long rotations. During each rotation, the intern has
two clinical assignments. Rotation assignments are
arranged so that interns can continue following some
treatment cases from one rotation to the next, thus
providing the opportunity for experience with
longer-term treatment.
Inpatient Rotation: Training takes
place on the adult inpatient unit and on the
forensic services unit. On the adult inpatient unit,
the focus is on treatment of more serious
psychopathological conditions. An emphasis is placed
on psychological assessment and specialized
inpatient group therapy techniques. Interns will
participate in treatment planning meetings, co-lead
group therapy with their supervisor, conduct
comprehensive psychological evaluations, and may be
called upon to develop individualized behavior
modification plans. Interns spend approximately 20
hours per week on this clinical assignment.
On the forensic services unit, the focus is on
assessment and treatment planning for individuals
that have been court ordered for evaluation.
Psychological evaluations are utilized in the
assessment of individuals who have been court
referred for evaluation. Interns complete forensic
assessments in conjunction with their supervisor and
participate in milieu programming for patients
retained for court ordered treatment. An opportunity
to observe expert witness testimony is usually
offered. Interns spend approximately 20 hours per
week on this clinical assignment.
Adolescent Rotation: Training takes place on
the Adolescent Sexual Offenders unit and the
Adolescent Inpatient Treatment unit. The Adolescent
Sexual Offender program is a residential treatment
program that emphasizes long-term treatment of
adolescent male sexual offenders. Group therapy is
the primary treatment modality; additional rotation
experiences can include family therapy, individual
therapy, and psychological testing/consultation.
Interns will also learn about case management,
developmental issues, and a multidisciplinary team
approach to treatment. Interns spend approximately
20 hours per week on this clinical assignment.
On the adolescent inpatient unit, interns conduct
group therapy and comprehensive psychological
assessments. There may also be opportunity for
completing evaluations of adolescents ordered by
Juvenile Court, which are typically conducted on an
outpatient basis. Interns participate in
multidisciplinary treatment team meetings and spend
approximately 20 hours per week on this clinical
assignment.
Outpatient Rotation: Primary training takes
place at the Little Rock Community Mental Health
Center (LRCMHC) and the GAIN program. The LRCMHC
provides many types of services to individuals in
the community including case management, crisis
intervention and stabilization, day treatment,
substance abuse treatment, and residential support.
At the LRCMHC, interns perform initial intake
assessments and conduct individual therapy and may
be called upon to perform psychological assessments.
Interns spend approximately 12 hours per week on
this clinical assignment.
An Assertive Community Treatment Program, GAIN
offers a team treatment approach designed to provide
comprehensive, community-based psychiatric
treatment, community rehabilitation, substance abuse
treatment, and support to persons with serious and
persistent mental illness. Interns participate in
weekly team meetings, conduct individual and group
therapy and shadow case managers in order to gain a
better understanding of community-based
interventions. Interns spend approximately 12 hours
per week on this clinical assignment.
During the outpatient rotation, interns may also
spend approximately 8-12 hours per week pursuing an
elective assignment. Interns may choose to go back
to a previous clinical assignment and pursue more
training in that particular clinical area or may
choose to do clinical work in the community. Over
the years, interns who have had clinical interests
in areas not offered by the internship training
program have appreciated the opportunity to train in
these community settings. Interns may also wish to
receive training on other units of the hospital not
included in the main training program.
These units include the Adolescent Dual Diagnosis
unit and the Forensic Psychosocial Rehabilitation
program. The training directors, supervisors, and
clinical director work with interns and other
agencies to facilitate these opportunities, if
desired.
DIDACTIC
SEMINARS
Interns attend a 90-minute didactic seminar three
times per month, specifically for interns.
Supervisors and other psychology department staff
members present to the interns on a wide variety of
clinical issues. Interns also attend weekly journal
club meetings. These meetings last for one hour and
provide more in-depth information on important
clinical issues such as Ethics, Diversity, and
Supervision.
Four times per year, interns from the Arkansas State
Hospital, the Little Rock Veteran’s Administration
Hospital, and the University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences come together for joint intern seminars.
Topics typically include Life after Internship,
Ethics, Diversity, and Corporate Compliance/HIPAA.
Additionally, the DBHS/ASH psychology department
provides in-service trainings for staff and interns
on a monthly basis during departmental meetings.
To supplement these mandatory didactic seminars,
interns are also required to attend an additional 15
seminars during the course of the training year.
They may choose from Psychiatry Grand Rounds, held
every Thursday from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College
of Public Health, weekly Psychopharmacology
presentations held at the state hospital on Tuesdays
from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, and weekly Landmark Case
Conferences (Forensics), held in the Forensic
Services Unit at the state hospital on Fridays from
11:00 am to 12:00 pm.
SUPERVISION
At any one time each intern has two supervisors, one
for each clinical assignment during a rotation.
Interns also will have a primary supervisor
throughout the duration of the internship year; this
will usually be the program training director or
assistant training director. The intern may expect
to receive a minimum of four hours of direct
individual supervision per week.
The intern spends additional time in observation and
consulting with their supervisors and their offices
are located next door to or in the same vicinity as
their supervisors, allowing for continuous
communication. Supervision takes various forms
including co-therapy and co-assessment with
supervisors, review of test data and written
reports, feedback based on observation, and modeling
by the supervisor.
Feedback on performance is a continuous part of the
supervision process. At the end of each rotation
each supervisor completes a rating form of the
intern’s clinical and professional functioning. The
intern also rates the quantity and quality of the
training program on each rotation, including
supervision. These ratings are reviewed by the
Director of Training and the Chief of Psychology.
Most supervisors are eclectic in orientation. The
following link is a list of current psychology
supervisors with their areas of special interests
and competencies.
For a list of Psychology Supervisors click ==>Psychology
Supervisors
STIPENDS AND BENEFITS
The stipend for the 12-month appointment from
2010-2011 is $26,531. Fringe benefits include twelve
holidays, twelve vacation days, up to twelve sick
leave days as needed, and optional comprehensive
medical and hospitalization plans (PLEASE NOTE:
Insurance coverage does not become effective until
30 days after beginning the training program). A
limited number of educational leave days can also be
negotiated with the Training Director for
dissertation leave time, comprehensive exams, and
graduation.
ELIGIBILITY AND
APPLICATION
Applicants are doctoral degree candidates from
APA-accredited programs in clinical or counseling
psychology who have completed clinical practical and
all course work by the beginning of the internship
year. Applications must be complete by December 1
and only completed applications will be considered
on the APPIC Match list deadline.
If an applicant is unable to complete their
application by December 1st due to
extenuating circumstances, they are invited to call
and talk with the training director. Applicants will
be notified of their status regarding an interview
on or before December 15. On-site visits are not
required, but highly encouraged; however, telephone
interviews may be arranged as an alternative to
personal visits. Interviews are scheduled on Fridays
and are scheduled on a first response basis.
The DBHS Psychology Internship Training Program is a
member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral
and Internship Centers. Applications to the program
are made using the uniform APPIC application form
available on the APPIC website.
Internship applicants should also submit transcripts
of all graduate school work, three letters of
reference, a curriculum vita, and a redacted
psychological evaluation work sample. All of these
materials can be uploaded to the APPIC on-line
system.
The APPIC match number for the DBHS/ASH Internship
Program is 1104.
The DBHS internship program makes offers of
internship following the computerized match
procedures and time table set by APPIC. The
internship program follows the Department of Health
and Human Services policy in offering fair and equal
opportunity in acceptance of interns. Applicants are
accepted regardless of race, color, religion, sex,
age, national origin, handicap, veteran status,
sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
All persons selected for new employment or a change
in employment within DHHS must submit to a drug test
as a pre-condition of employment. All hiring
decisions are contingent on the applicant
successfully passing the drug test.
Additionally, as part of the DHHS hiring and
employment process, all applicants selected for job
offers in designated positions and all incumbent
employees in such positions are required to
successfully complete the formal process for
employee criminal and maltreatment history checks as
established in DHHS policy. Applicants for
psychology internship positions must complete this
formal process of criminal and maltreatment history
checks.
The training program begins in late July/early
August of every year and ends the following year in
late July/early August, according to pay period
schedules.
Further information may be obtained by contacting:
Mellany Flynn, Psy.D.
Internship Training
Director
Arkansas Division of
Behavioral Health Services
Psychology Internship
Program
305 S. Palm St.
Little Rock, AR
72205
(501) 686-9821
mellany.k.flynn@arkansas.gov
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