Santa Clara University

Pre-Doctoral Internship Training Program

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) internship program is for doctoral level students seeking supervised experience and training primarily in short term individual psychotherapy with a young adult university population. There are also limited opportunities for longer term work to enhance training and professional growth opportunities. Other supervised experiences include: conducting intake assessments, crisis management, group therapy, outreach, and consultation.

The primary goals of CAPS internship program are to broaden and deepen interns' clinical competencies and knowledge base, with acquisition of specialized skills and understanding in working with a diverse university population. Among these specialized skills are crisis intervention, consultation, psycho-educational workshops, and outreach presentations. Over the course of the training year, interns consolidate their professional identity through specific skill development, self-understanding, and ongoing experiences in their roles and responsibilities as both team members and mental health providers.

Our program subscribes to an apprentice-mentor-developmental model of training. Interns learn by doing, by reflecting on their work in supervisory consultation with staff, by observing the professional activities and practices of the staff, and by scholarly inquiry.

The internship experience is 12 months in length, beginning in mid-August of the training year. The CAPS internship program requires a 40 hour work week commitment. CAPS is open 8:30-5:00 Monday - Friday and interns will be expected to be on-site during these times.

The number of hours required to complete the internship is 1,840 hours.

Our training site is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), Site #2133. For the 2012-2013 training year, we have two full-time, paid internship positions available, each with a stipend of $18,000.

	Hours/Week
Direct Services: Intake assessments, individual counseling, crisis intervention, group co-facilitation and/or campus outreach activities	23
Formal Training: Supervision (individual and group), staff case consultation, training seminars, staff meetings	7
Administrative: Assessment reports, progress notes, case-management activities	10

Application Instructions

CAPS only accepts applications that are submitted electronically via the APPIC"AAPI Online" service (see www.appic.org).

Application deadline: November 16, 2012.  Site number: 2133.   

Application must be completed and electronically submitted to CAPS by the deadline. A complete application for our internship program includes the following materials (please note that all materials should automatically be included with the application submitted via the AAPI Online service):

• A cover letter
• A complete, up-to-date curriculum vita
• Copies of all graduate school transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from supervisors who are familiar with your psychotherapy skills

 Eligibility

Applicants for our predoctoral internship must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be enrolled in a doctoral program in Clinical or Counseling Psychology that requires internship training
• Pass their comprehensive examinations no later than the ranking deadline for the APPIC Match
• Have completed all doctoral coursework no later than the beginning of the internship
• Be certified as ready for internship by their doctoral programs

Selection

In addition to the requirements outlined above, preference will be given to applicants who:

• Are from APA accredited doctoral programs
• Demonstrate interest and experience in university counseling center work through practicum, employment, volunteer work, or other related activities
• Demonstrate a strong and genuine commitment to the study and application of multicultural counseling principles as evidenced by a variety of activities such as coursework, practicum, community or professional services, research, presentations, publications, or other life experiences
• Demonstrate qualities of empathy, maturity, self awareness and self-motivation as well as interest in being an active contributor to the CAPS team and larger university community
• Are interested in training in a counseling center that primarily utilizes a time-limited model of individual psychotherapy (although limited opportunities are available to conduct longer-term therapy)
• Will have their dissertations completed prior to the start of the internship year

Summary of our selection process:

• Applications must be received by November 16, 2012. All application materials must be submitted electronically via the APPIC AAPI Online service.
• The Selection Committee then reviews your materials and you will be sent an e-mail that indicates whether or not you will be offered an interview.
• CAPS will contact selected applicants to schedule an on-site interview for early January. Interviews last about 2 ½ hours and include a semi-structured interview and role play. During the scheduled visit, applicants will tour the center and university.Applicants may also be able to meet with current interns based on interns' availability.

Throughout this process, you are welcome to contact the Training Director if you have any questions.

Dr. Rosemary Ellmer
Counseling and Psychological Services
Cowell Center
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-1055

Phone: (408) 554-4172
Email: rellmer@scu.edu 
FAX:  (408) 554-5454