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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, Deputy
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
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 currently employs 10 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.
The training
Program
The Division of
Behavioral Health Services offers a one-year,
full-time, pre-doctoral internship in professional
psychology at the Arkansas State Hospital. the
program is a member of the
Association of Psychology
Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC)
and has been fully re-accredited until 2014 by the
American Psychological
Association's Commission on Accreditation
(CoA). The CoA can be contacted at:
Office of Program Consultation
and Accreditation
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20001-4242
(202) 336-5979 (phone)
(202) 336-6123 (TDD/TTY)
(202) 336-5978 (fax)
apaaccred@apa.org
(email)
The overarching goal of the program
is to train a generalist within the context of the
scientist-practitioner model. Graduates of our
internship program will be adept at integrating
science with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of
professional clinical practice. At the completion of
the training year, our interns are expected to have
developed proficiencies in diagnosis, assessment
(including forensic evaluation), professional
documentation (including report-writing and
charting), individual and group therapy, and
consultation with peers and related professionals.
Our graduates should be competent to effectively
work with a variety of patients. in different
treatment contexts, interns are also expected to
learn function effectively as a member of
multidisciplinary teams. The program's generalist
approach capitalizes on the variety of training
opportunities within the program and prepares
graduates to serve as clinicians or researchers in
various professional settings.
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, developmental
disabilities, and various
adjustment reactions.
Primary training takes place at the Arkansas State
Hospital, the Counseling Clinic (Benton, AR), and the GAIN (Greater Assistance for those
In Need) Program. Interns also have the opportunity
to train up to 16 hours per week in other
community placements during the outpatient rotation. In the past, these
placements 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
based in cognitive-behavior theory 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 Counseling Clinic, Inc. (CCI), in
Benton, AR and the GAIN program. The
Counseling Clinic is a private, non-profit community
mental health center serving children, adolescents,
and adults. The organization provides a wide range
of services including individual group, and family
therapy, substance abuse treatment, supportive
employment, medication management, etc.
Interns work with clients from the initial intake
assessment through a specified number of therapy
sessions. They complete master treatment plans,
participate in weekly staffing, and have the
opportunity to co-facilitate groups or develop and facilitate new
groups. Interns spend at least 16 hours per week at CCI, but may choose to spend more hours there per
week based on their training needs and preferences.
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 typically spend 8 hours
per week on this clinical assignment.
During the outpatient rotation, interns may also
spend up to 16 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.
The training director, 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. 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 Forensic Case
Law seminars held on the Forensic
Services Unit at the State Hospital on Fridays
mornings.
SUPERVISION
Interns have two supervisors per rotation, depending
on the rotation. Interns also will have a primary
supervisor (usually the training director)
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 supervision
per week, two of which are spent in scheduled individual
supervision.
The intern spends additional time shadowing and
consulting with their supervisors. With their offices
located next door to or in the same vicinity as
their supervisors, interns have the opportunity for continuous
communication with their supervisors. 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
supervisors complete a rating form of the
intern’s clinical and professional functioning. The
intern also rates the quantity and quality of the
experience on each rotation, including
the supervision received during the rotation. 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 but
extends 30 days past the last day of the internship
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 November 20
and only completed applications will be considered
on the APPIC Match list deadline.
If an applicant is unable to complete their
application by November 20 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 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 Human Services
(DHS)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 DHS 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 DHS 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 DHS 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:
Hillary
Hunt, Ph.D.
Internship Training
Director
Arkansas Division of
Behavioral Health Services
Psychology Internship
Program
305 S. Palm St.
Little Rock, AR
72205
(501) 686-9602
hillary.hunt@arkansas.gov
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