Doctoral Internship

Internship Admissions, Support and Initial Placement Data

Data Programs Tables Updates: 07/31/2024

Program Disclosures

As articulated in Standard I.B.2, programs may have “admission and employment policies that directly relate to affiliation or purpose” that may be faith-based or secular in nature. However, such policies and practices must be disclosed to the public. Therefore, programs are asked to respond to the following question.

Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values.

• _____ YES
• __X__ NO

If yes, provide website link (or content from brochure) where this specific information is presented.  

Internship Program Admissions

Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:

Penn State CAPS considers applicants from APA or CPA accredited doctoral programs in counseling or clinical psychology. Applicants must have completed all doctoral coursework prior to internship and be in good standing with their department. Applicants must have successfully completed their comprehensive exams by the ranking deadline and be certified as ready for internship by their programs. Please read the policy "Former Clients as Trainees" prior to applying for internship positions.

Several sources are used to assess candidates for internship including: the APPI, letters of recommendation and statement of professional goals. Applicants should demonstrate an interest in counseling center work and be prepared to help clients with a range of clinical issues. The staff at Penn State CAPS honors diversity and aspires to create an affirming space that values and respects individual and cultural differences. We recognize that all people have multiple intersecting identities, and we are committed to helping individuals navigate identity development, address experiences of discrimination or bias, and access support and resources. To carry out this part of our mission, trainees and trainers are expected to demonstrate a genuine desire to examine their own attitudes, assumptions, behaviors and values and learn to work effectively with cultural, individual, and role differences. 

Penn State CAPS typically interviews approximately 36-38 applicants for four positions. All interviews are  done virtually and will be conducted via Zoom for the 2025-2026 internship training year

Prior to beginning employment, applicants must successfully complete a Background Check in accordance with Penn State Policies.

Does the program require that applicants have received minimum number of hours of the following at the time of application?  If yes, indicate how many:

HOUR TYPE	REQUIRED	AMOUNT
Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours	YES	350 Hours
Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours	NO	N/A

Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:

Penn State CAPS requires at least 550 hours of pre-internship practicum experience (including at least a minimum of 350 direct contact intervention hours, the majority of which are individual therapy/counseling contact intervention hours, as well as 200 hours of indirect practicum). Assessment experience is required, but there is not a minimum number of hours expected. Applicants should have prior assessment coursework involving training in administration and interpretation of cognitive/neurodevelopmental tests, as well as prior training/coursework in personality assessment. Experience administering cognitive/neurodevelopmental tests is expected. Experience administering personality tests is preferred, but not required. Prior experience with writing integrated reports is preferred, but not required.

Financial and Other Benefit Support

Data for the upcoming training year (2025-2026).

Annual Stipend and Medical Insurance

ANNUAL STIPEND	AMOUNT
Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-Time Interns	$38,004
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-Time Interns	N/A
Program Provides Access to Medical Insurance	YES

If access to medical insurance is provided:

BENEFIT DETAIL	YES / NO
Trainee contribution to cost required?	YES
Coverage of family member(s) available?	YES
Coverage of legal married partner available?	YES
Coverage of domestic partner available?	NO
Hours of paid personal time off (PTO and/or Vacation)	208 HOURS
Hours of paid sick leave	96 HOURS
In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to intern/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?	YES

Other Benefits:

University holidays (14 days) and retirement benefits included.

*Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in this table.

Initial Post-Internship Positions

Provide an aggregated tally for the preceding 3 cohorts. Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select that setting that represents their primary position.

CATEGORY	2021-2024 TOTAL
Total number of interns in 3 cohorts	12
Total number of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree	0

POSITION	PD	ED
Academic Teaching	PD = 0	EP = 0
Community mental health center	PD = 0	EP = 0
Consortium	PD = 0	EP = 0
University Counseling Center	PD = 7	EP = 3
Hospital/Medical Center	PD = 0	EP = 0
Veterans Affairs Health Care System	PD = 0	EP = 0
Psychiatric Facility	PD = 0	EP = 0
Correctional Facility	PD = 0	EP = 0
Health Maintenance Organization	PD = 0	EP = 0
School District/System	PD = 0	EP = 0
Independent Practice Setting	PD = 0	EP = 0
Other	PD = 0	EP = 0

Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.

To request this information in another format, please contact CAPS at 814-863-0395 or sbs23@psu.edu. 

Trainee Policy Regarding Dual Relationships

Occasionally, students interested in clinical training opportunities at CAPS may have a potential dual relationship with a current member of the CAPS staff. Examples of this may include but not be limited to a family member, a past or present romantic partner, a past or present business associate, or a past or present clinical treatment provider. Since all senior staff are involved in various roles in the training programs, CAPS has established the following policies to prevent dual relationships in its training programs. It is expected that interested applicants will evaluate the potential for a dual relationship in considering a training position at CAPS. Below we have provided guidelines to minimize the likelihood of creating dual relationships.

Policies

PREVENTION OF POTENTIAL DUAL RELATIONSHIPS

1. Since CAPS is a potential training site for graduate students from various mental health training programs at Penn State and other institutions, any potential applicants for CAPS training programs seeking clinical services at CAPS will be made explicitly aware of the impact that a dual relationship would have on future training opportunities at CAPS. Case management services will be offered to help these students connect with alternative treatment in their best interest.
2. For the reasons cited above, CAPS staff clinicians in private practice are strongly discouraged from providing treatment to potential CAPS trainees. The same policy will apply for potential applicants in regard to business, romantic or family relationships with CAPS senior staff members.
3.  As a part of the informed consent for services, all potential clients will be informed that seeking services at CAPS may impact their ability to seek future training opportunities at CAPS for the reasons cited above.

POLICIES REGARDING SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS

1. FORMER CLIENTS 
   a.)  In order the minimize the potential for dual relationships, students who received counseling services at CAPS and who subsequently seek training at CAPS as a clinician are encouraged not to apply for a training position (e.g., Extern or Intern or Postdoctoral position) until a period of 3 years has elapsed since their last clinical contact. This does not include a brief screening appointment that resulted in no further treatment. This parallels ethical guidelines of two years following termination of services prior to any possible romantic relationships. We have chosen three years to take a more conservative approach in the hopes that there would be adequate staff turnover and a reasonable interval between the time someone was a client here and known to clinical staff and administrative staff in that context. b.)  Students who received counseling services at CAPS more than 3 years ago and who are interested in a training opportunity will submit their materials for the desired position and will be reviewed without consideration of prior clinical treatment. If a former client is accepted as a trainee at CAPS, and they choose to make it known that they are a former client, their electronic mental health record will be locked so it cannot be accessed by anyone but the administrators and system administrators of the electronic medical records.  As is consistent with our Confidentiality Policy, clinical staff should only access electronic records when there is a clinical need.
    
2. FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
   Family members of current CAPS staff will not be eligible for training positions at the Center.
    
3. BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS 
   It is expected that applicants currently in a non-university business relationship with a CAPS staff member will not apply for training positions at CAPS or will terminate their business relationship prior to engaging in training at CAPS. 
    
4. ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS 
   Due to inevitable likelihood that current or past romantic relationships can complicate a training situation, current or past romantic partners of current CAPS staff should not apply for training positions at the Center. 

Reviewed by: Shannan Smith-Janik, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Training, Date: 04/19/2024 

Signature: Natalie Hernandez DePalma, Ph.D., Senior Director, Date: 04/19/2024 

Philosophy and Goals

By tradition and emphasis, we are an agency in which excellence in training is held in high regard. We are committed to the promotion of professional excellence and personal maturity in an atmosphere of humanistic concern and respect.

Our doctoral internship program provides intensive supervised experiences in individual and group psychotherapy, intake assessment, urgent evaluation and follow-up, alcohol and other drug counseling, psychological assessment and diagnosis, multicultural counseling, program evaluation, consultation/outreach, supervision, and other activities appropriate to the setting (e.g., collaboration with other disciplines such as psychiatric services). These experiences also facilitate training in the profession-wide competencies as outlined by the Standards of Accreditation in Health Service Psychology through APA, including assessment, communication and interpersonal skills, consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, intervention, professional values and attitudes, , , research, and supervision..

Over the course of the internship year, interns are developing into generalists and become increasingly well versed in the numerous clinical and professional functions carried out within a large university counseling center. When interns successfully complete the internship program at Penn State CAPS, they are ready for entry level practice in Health Service Psychology.

During the training year, we offer four Program-Specific Rotation Focus Areas that provide interns with the opportunity to develop specific skills in a focus area that fits within the scope of our agency. Interns choose from 1 of 4 areas including Advanced Assessment, Consultation/Liaison, Couples Therapy, or Research in an Applied Setting. Additionally, interns can express a desire to gain additional clinical experience/competence working with specific populations and/or presenting concerns and efforts will made to facilitate training in a specific area (e.g., eating disorders, trauma).  Over the summer months, if desired, interns can also gain experience in career counseling.

Essential to our program is the development of professionalism. During the internship year, interns are learning a process of self-evaluation of their work and its effectiveness, through supervision, didactic seminars, case conferences, and collaborative work with other professionals.

Interns actively participate in all relevant agency services, which provide training opportunities not only for carrying out major professional functions but also for close contact with our staff. As staff members, we view interns as valued colleagues-in-training and interns are treated with a high degree of professional as well as personal respect.

Our Training Program

To facilitate training in the multiple functions carried out within a major university counseling center and to facilitate development of the profession-wide competency areas, we offer a relatively structured program with several mandatory components. The mandatory components generally fall within the Primary Emphases. In addition, interns select from one of four Program-Specific Rotation Focus Areas as described below.

Following basic training and exposure in all these areas, interns choose one focus area that lasts two semesters (Fall/Spring or Spring/Summer) from among the following: Advanced Assessment, Consultation/Liaison, Couples Therapy, or Research in an Applied Setting. These rotations do not fall under Program Specific Competencies or Profession Wide Competencies but are rather program specific focus areas that allow an intern to begin to develop knowledge and skills in an area of their choosing. There is also an optional external rotation during the Summer term at Career Services on campus.

As part of our training program, we value a focus on self-examination. Interns receive two hours of weekly individual psychotherapy supervision, two hours of weekly individual group psychotherapy supervision, and one-hour of bi-weekly individual assessment supervision. Additionally, many of our supervision experiences take place in a group format (e.g., crisis intervention seminar/consultation, multicultural seminar/case conference). Interns are invited and are expected to share personal reactions and to engage in a process of self-examination in a group context as well as in individual supervision. This also involves providing interpersonal feedback to one another.

Note: Our internship training program does not provide any form of distance, online, or electronically mediated education. In recent years, we have provided some training and supervision via tele due to concerns regarding COVID-19, as well as a recent shift to a hybrid clinical model with a blend of tele and in-person work.

Training Program Overview

Primary Emphases (Mandatory)

• Clinical/counseling interventions
  • Assessment
  • Group Counseling/Psychotherapy
  • Individual Counseling/Psychotherapy
  • Multicultural Competence (including spirituality)
  • Outreach
  • Program Evaluation/Research
  • Provision of Supervision to Trainees
  • Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment
  • Triage and Referral via Phone Screenings
  • Urgent evaluation, Stabilization, Follow-up, and Mental Health Consultation

Program-Specific Rotation Focus Areas (Interns choose one focus area for the training year)

• Advanced Assessment 
• Consultation/Liaison
• Couples Therapy
• Research in an Applied Setting

Optional External Rotation (Summer Term)

• Career Services Rotation

Supplementary Training Experiences

• Areas of clinical interest (e.g., eating disorders/body image concerns, sexual assault, relationship violence)
• Intern Support Hour
• Optional Administrative Rotation Seminar (Summer Term)
• Professional Development Seminar
• Psychotherapy Seminar
• Staff Meeting
• Staff Professional Development
• System Orientation and Best Practices

The Associate Director, Training, oversees program development and implementation to ensure training in the aforementioned competency areas. Additionally, the Associate Director, Training facilitates the coordination and general supervision of intern activities within the Program Emphases. The Associate Director, Training maintains a close and active working relationship with interns on a regular basis. Within each Program Emphasis, the Coordinator of the corresponding agency function (e.g., Groups, Assessment, Outreach, Consultation/Liaison, etc.) is responsible for general program implementation and for individualized planning of intern activities. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring, supervising, and collaborating with the intern in each of their specific activities (e.g., individual counseling/psychotherapy, group counseling/psychotherapy, urgent evaluation, outreach activities, etc.). The Associate Director, Training, program coordinators, and supervisors meet periodically to discuss intern progress. In addition, CAPS has a Training Committee that meets weekly for an hour to discuss training issues more broadly. The Training Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the Associate Director, Training with respect to the internship program. All staff serving in a supervisory capacity for interns are appropriately trained and licensed. Supervision is provided in-person, with direct observation of clinical work done electronically (i.e., digital recording of counseling/therapy sessions).

Interns are assisted in developing at least a minimal level of proficiency in each competency area, as well as in their focus area. To successfully complete the Doctoral Internship at CAPS, interns must be able to perform relevant skills in each area without supervision by the end of the internship year, so they are ready for entry level practice in Health Service Psychology.

Download our Policies and Procedures Manual for information related to the Internship Program. Information includes, but is not limited to, intern recruitment, orientation, structure of the training program, the evaluation system for interns, grievance policies and procedures, etc.

Primary Emphases

Clinical/Counseling Interventions

Assessment

All interns will participate in 12 hours of Assessment training during the first part of the internship program. Training will consist of both didactic information and opportunities to practice administration and scoring of various instruments. All interns will gain exposure to ADHD assessment measures, as well as other instruments including cognitive, achievement, personality, and self-report measures. During each semester each intern will complete at least one full assessment battery. Interns will receive one hour biweekly of assessment supervision with one of the assessment supervisors. Specifically, the assessment supervisors will work with the interns on the administration, interpretation, report writing, and communication of assessment results to clients and relevant providers. Interns are taught how to formulate and implement treatment recommendations as part of a therapeutic assessment process. Special topics including multicultural and ethical issues are included.

Group Counseling/Psychotherapy

Interns are active participants in our agency's extensive group program. Penn State CAPS has one of the largest group therapy programs in the country. A Fall and Spring semester seminar on group process, co-facilitation, and principles provides training and consultation in effective group facilitation. Each intern will typically co-lead two groups with a senior staff co-leader in both the Fall and Spring semesters. One of the two groups will be an interpersonal process group. Group assignments will be made by the Group Coordinator in consultation with the Associate Director, Training. Interns have an opportunity to rank order their preferences for groups. Co-leadership of groups forms a substantial component of the training experience. Each intern will receive supervision from their senior staff co-leader for each group being conducted. Please see our current group therapy list. Each semester we typically offer 25-30 groups.

Individual Counseling/Psychotherapy

Individual counseling and psychotherapy are considered a core part of intern training. Interns carry a diverse caseload ranging from 8-13 clients per week, for which they receive intensive individual supervision (two hours per week minimum). While most clients will be seen within our time-limited therapy model (6-9 sessions), at least one of these clients can be seen on a longer-term basis where clinical need and financial need warrant such continued services. Supervision may occur with a different supervisor each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer) to provide a variety of therapeutic perspectives. However, at times, interns may continue with the same supervisor. Interns have an opportunity to rank order their preferences for supervisors, and assignments are made by the Associate Director, Training, who takes these preferences into account whenever possible. Throughout the Fall and Spring semesters, all interns participate in a weekly Psychotherapy Seminar that focuses on a range of topics relevant to psychotherapy at our site.

Awareness of Differences/Multicultural Competence

While most of the Internship Program Emphases represent relatively discrete areas of service delivery, the Emphasis in Awareness of Differences (Multicultural Competence) cuts across programmatic boundaries. Sensitivity to human differences is a fundamental tenet of our training program and center initiatives.

Multicultural Seminar/Case Conference: Specific attention is paid to fostering interns’ awareness of individual and cultural differences through ongoing reflection and discussion, experiential exercises, literature/articles, case presentations, consultation and supervision. Interns will explore current theoretical models/frameworks and identity development models (which may include, racial/bicultural, LGBT, White identity, etc.) and process implications for multicultural counseling. Attention will be given to examining self-awareness/understanding, nurturing cultural sensitivity and humility, considering socio-political forces that affect culturally diverse populations, and exploring/identifying appropriate interventions. Interns will have clients from diverse backgrounds on their caseloads each semester. As part of this seminar, they will be required to give a cross-cultural case presentation to the entire staff. In addition, interns are expected to participate in consultation projects or outreach workshops with multicultural groups on campus. Ongoing supervision is provided for all the aforementioned activities.

As part of the Multicultural Seminar, interns will also have the opportunity to develop and/or further an appreciation of differences that exist along spiritual lines. Because clients vary widely on spiritual and religious dimensions, it is important for clinicians to embrace a wide range of spiritual perspectives. Interns will be introduced to the competencies for integrating spirituality into counseling and will do a personal self-exploration. Attention will be given to personal awareness as it relates to clinical work. Additionally, interns will give an informal case presentation to demonstrate their integration of spirituality competencies into the clinical work.

Outreach

During the first month of internship, all interns will participate in two 1.5 to 2-hour consultation and outreach seminars, which offer training on workshop design, and development, and review salient factors in consultation/liaisonships that may be a part of a psychologist’s role in future career options. All interns will give or take part in at least three outreach events per semester during their internship year, as well as additional events over the summer as needed. A third Outreach seminar takes place typically in the second month of internship as a time to check in about the outreach element of internship. Supervision, assistance with workshop design, and debriefing after events will be provided on an as-needed basis by the Assistant Director, Community Education and Outreach or by a senior staff co-presenter. Interns who are interested in presenting more outreach programs than the number required are always welcome to do so.

Program Evaluation/Research

We view the development of program evaluation/research skills as essential to the preparation of professional psychologists. All interns participate in our program evaluation/research seminar meetings. The program evaluation seminar represents an experiential, hands-on group experience that is designed to further interns' applied knowledge of, and experience with, ethical, political, practical and methodological issues that are central to conducting program evaluation in an applied clinical setting. Successful completion of the Program Evaluation/Research component of training involves regular seminar attendance, the development and execution of a project that evaluates a topic relevant to CAPS services, a presentation of the program evaluation to the CAPS staff, and finally the production of a written document (optionally, submitted for empirical review and publication) summarizing the project and results. 

Provision of Supervision to Trainees

Interns will supervise one of the Center's externs during the Spring semester. One and a half hours of group supervision on the process of supervision is provided beginning in late fall and throughout the spring with the center's Externship Coordinator and the Associate  Director, Training. Externs include: Masters interns and doctoral students in Counselor Education at Penn State and Masters interns at additional affiliated programs, as well as advanced doctoral students in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology Programs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University.

Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment

Interns will gain experience in drug and alcohol treatment and will have the opportunity to work with our staff with expertise in substance use concerns. Interns will spend at least one hour per week in the Fall and Spring semesters providing counseling to at least one (possibly two) client(s) voluntarily seeking or mandated to attend treatment for substance use as a primary focus of treatment. Interns may also become involved in developing and facilitating outreach programs for this population.

Triage and Referral via Phone Screenings

Interviewing skills, accurate diagnosis, appropriate referrals for psychodiagnostic testing, and arranging suitable disposition are all considered by our agency to be necessary skills for initial screenings. These skills are developed in Individual Psychotherapy Supervision as well as through training seminars taught during the orientation period. The three client phone screenings that interns complete each week are supervised throughout the year in Individual Psychotherapy Supervision.

Urgent Evaluation, Stabilization, Follow-Up, and Mental Health Consultation 

Interns are an important part of the Urgent Evaluation/Intervention system at CAPS, devoting two hours a week to offering urgent evaluation. Experience in this system also offers opportunities to learn when and how to make referrals for psychiatric hospitalization. Interns attend a weekly Crisis Intervention Seminar led by the Rapid Response Coordinator. The formal seminar spans 13-14 weeks.  Examples of topics examined include crisis theory and specific crisis issues such as suicidality, hospitalization, loss, violence, victimization, drug/alcohol abuse, psychosis, offering mental health consultation, and considering cultural contexts. After the seminar ends, group supervision for the interns is provided for one hour per week for the duration of the training year by Rapid Response Coordinator. Cases are discussed and the group selects relevant topics to explore more deeply. CAPS urgent evaluation system operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. There is not an after-hours on call requirement.  

Program-Specific Rotation Focus Areas

Interns choose one of the four focus areas to engage in during the fall and spring semesters, and possibly into the summer semester. See below for descriptions of the four focus areas.

Advanced Assessment

Interns selecting the Advanced Assessment Focus Area will have an opportunity to spend more time providing assessments under the supervision of one of the assessment supervisors. Interns selecting the Advanced Assessment Focus Area would need to have previous exposure to cognitive, achievement, and personality testing so that they can build on prior experiences in assessment. Interns in the Advanced Assessment Focus can choose to focus on a specific area of assessment, such as providing personality, ADHD evaluations, or experience with more complex differential diagnoses, or pursue more experience with specific assessment measures like objective or projective personality assessment measures.

Consultation/Liaison

Interns who choose to pursue the Consultation/Liaison Focus Area will have the opportunity to develop a consulting relationship with another organization or group on campus. This is a two-hour commitment each week on average. The intern is integrally involved in the development of this concentration, which is tailored to an area of interest in which the intern wants to gain expertise, such as with a specific population of students, or a specific topic. In addition to the minimum three outreach programs expected of all doctoral interns in the Fall semester, interns engaging in the outreach consultation/liaison concentration will complete at least 3 additional outreach programs, totaling at least 5 hours of additional outreach programming during the Fall semester. Interns who choose this focus will participate in weekly supervision with the Assistant Director, Community Education and Outreach, but are also strongly encouraged and supported as professionals in their own right in that domain.

Couples Therapy

Interns who select the Couples Therapy Focus Area will have one to two couples included in their caseloads. Weekly or biweekly individual or group supervision (depending on the number of interns selecting the focus area) for couple's work is provided.  A six-hour didactic seminar at the start of the Fall  semester is provided to all interns.

Research in an Applied Setting

Interns who opt to pursue the Research in an Applied Setting Focus Areas will collaborate with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) to develop a comprehensive research experience. The experience will include regular participation in the CCMH Research Team processes and depending on interests may involve completion of an independent or collaborative research project. Two hours weekly is provided to engage in this focus area.

Optional External Rotation (Summer Semester)

Career Services Rotation

Interns interested in participating have the opportunity to spend approximately 32 total hours at Career Services (CS) on campus (no career counseling is offered at our Center) during the summer months. After an orientation, interns spend four hours per week at CS working under the supervision of a licensed provider, for a period of ~eight weeks. Interns will have an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of resources and technology-assisted career guidance, as well as major career assessment instruments.

Please note that involvement in the Career Services Rotation will necessitate cutting out certain other training involvements in the summer.

Supplementary Training Experiences

Areas of Clinical Interest

Interns who are interested in developing certain areas of clinical interest that fit within the scope of our agency may have the opportunity to do so within the existing structure of the program. These areas include but are not limited to the following:

• Eating Disorders

Interns interested in working with eating disorders can volunteer to have a certain number of their individual counseling hours reserved for work with clients presenting with eating concerns. In addition, an opportunity exists to co-lead an Eating Disorder Recovery Group or Skills Clinic for Eating Disorder Recovery with one of our staff members who specializes in treatment of eating concerns.

• Sexual Assault/Relationship Violence

Interns interested in working with these issues can volunteer to have a certain number of their counseling hours reserved for work with students presenting with sexual assault or relationship violence concerns. An opportunity also exists to co-lead a Women’s Empowerment Group with a CAPS clinician who specializes in working with survivors of sexual assault/relationship violence.

• Working with Athletes

Penn State, University Park campus, is a member of the Big Ten Conference and maintains 31 NCAA Division I teams. Penn State is a consistent contender for conference level and national titles in numerous sports, and many of our student-athletes train and compete for Olympic and professional level contention. As such CAPS partners with Penn State Athletics to provide semesterly baseline mental health preparticipation evaluations for all new-to-campus student-athletes. Interns with an interest in working with student-athletes would have the opportunity to learn and observe the preparticipation evaluation process in the fall and actively participate in the process in the spring and summer semesters. Additionally, Penn State houses a plethora of highly competitive club sport teams. As clubs reach out for team and sport psychology support throughout the year, an intern would be able to join CAPS Clinical Sport Psychology Specialist on outreach initiatives to meet their needs. To learn more about care for student-athletes at CAPS, check-out this section of our website.

• Other Areas of Clinical Interest

Other areas of clinical interest may be developed through consultation with the Associate Director, Training. Individual therapy caseloads, types of groups co-led, and types of outreach programs may possibly be tailored to develop an area of clinical focus.

Intern Support Hour

Interns meet as a group on a weekly basis throughout the year. The purpose of these meetings is to allow interns to share and discuss interests and concerns and to facilitate the development of mutual support.

Professional Development Seminar

The Associate Director, Training meets with the Interns for a Professional Development seminar throughout the year. These meetings provide interns with an opportunity to discuss reactions to the Internship, provide a forum for discussing professional perspectives gained during the internship year, and provide preparation for entry into the employment and post-doc market. Guest speakers share perspectives on academic careers, private practice, and licensure requirements, etc.

Psychotherapy Seminar

This seminar will focus on a range of topics relevant to psychotherapy at CAPS and is led by staff members with various niche topic and expert knowledge areas and credentials. Interns will have an opportunity to examine their own clinical work and gain a greater understanding of both technique and conceptual understanding of various presenting concerns, as well as delve deeper into specific topic areas.

Optional Administrative Rotation Seminar (Summer Semester)

While no training experience is required in the area of administration, this elective training opportunity is available during the summer. Interns have the opportunity to meet with members of the administrative team at CAPS to learn more about specific administrative roles and responsibilities. This elective training totals ~nine 1-hour meetings with members of the CAPS Administrative Team. There is also a one-hour introduction and wrap-up meeting with the Associate Director, Training at the beginning and end of the elective. In addition, exposure to administrative functions is provided to all interns, whether they choose the Optional Administrative Rotation, through attendance at staff meetings during the training year. 

Staff Meetings

Interns attend a weekly All Staff Meeting and are given the opportunity to participate actively in staff discussions. This adds to interns' experience with counseling center administration and policy making. 

Staff Professional Development

In addition to training experiences specifically designed for the internship, interns also participate in Staff Professional Development throughout the academic year. Potential trainings/workshops include, but are not limited to, ethical and legal issues, topics related to individual and cultural diversity, and clinical intervention models and strategies.

System Orientation and Best Practices

Interns are introduced to our internship program through a two-and-a-half week orientation period. The orientation process serves to acquaint interns with the University, the Center, and the Training Program. In addition, it includes a three-hour seminar on Ethical and Legal Issues related to the practice of psychology, a three-and-a-half-hour training on Suicide Assessment, training in Group Psychotherapy, as well as other areas. In addition, there is training in our scheduling program and record keeping system, and other relevant policies and procedures. The orientation period is also utilized for the initial assessment of intern skills to assist in individualization of our training, as well as to facilitate the monitoring of interns’ progress through our program. Interns have an opportunity to meet with potential individual psychotherapy supervisors and group psychotherapy co-leaders and to rank order supervision and group preferences before assignments are made. Finally, the orientation period affords the opportunity for interns to become acquainted with the Center and staff, to become comfortable in new surroundings and to learn about other important offices on campus.

Eligibility

Doctoral students who are in APA or CPA accredited Clinical and Counseling Psychology programs at the time they apply for the internship are eligible to apply. At least 550 hours of pre-internship practicum experience (including at least 350 hours of direct client contact and at least 200 hours of indirect practicum) are required. Assessment experience is required, but there is not a minimum number of hours expected. Applicants should have prior assessment coursework involving training in administration and interpretation of cognitive/neurodevelopmental tests, as well as prior training/coursework in personality assessment. Experience administering cognitive/neurodevelopmental tests is expected. Experience administering personality tests is preferred, but not required. Prior experience with writing integrated reports is preferred, but not required.

All coursework and qualifying exams required for the doctorate should be completed prior to internship. Qualifying exams must be completed prior to rank order submission. Please read the policy regarding Former Clients as Trainees.

The Training Year

August 8, 2025 through August 7, 2026.

Stipends and Benefits

The stipend for the training year currently is $38,004.

Interns are entitled to full university employee benefits, including health insurance and vacation. Interns will need to document completion of at least 2,000 hours as a part of satisfactorily completing the internship program. At least 500 hours must be in direct clinical service.

Penn State is very generous with the amount of holiday (14 days), vacation (2 days for each month worked), personal (2 days), and sick leave provided (1 day for each month worked) to interns during the training year. This totals 10 weeks of time. Because the internship year is a training year, interns are encouraged to take time off when needed, and are informed that holidays, vacation time, personal time, and sick leave do not count toward the total 2000 hours. All hours worked from Mon.-Fri. between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. should be included in the 2000 total hours. Interns are informed that time worked outside of the standard 40-hour work week reading articles/texts relevant to training or client care at CAPS, assessment scoring, note/report writing, conducting outreaches or post-ventions count toward the 2000 total hours. Additionally, any participation in professional development activities count toward the total 2000 hours (e.g., dissertation defense, job interviews, conference attendance). Time is not provided for interns to work on their dissertation.

Over the course of the internship year, interns will be given three professional development days to be used for activities such as their dissertation defense, job interviews and attendance at conferences/trainings. Any desire to use professional development for activities other than those just outlined should be discussed with the Associate Director, Training. Since time to work on dissertation is not provided to interns, interns are free to take vacation time periodically to work on their dissertations. 

Number of Interns

Positions are available for four full-time interns.

Application Procedure

PROGRAM CODE: 154711

For selection of the 2025-2026 internship class, CAPS will use the AAPI Online Application as do all APPIC member internship programs. To find out more about the AAPI online procedure and to access the applicant portal, please go to the APPIC website. 

To be considered for an internship at CAPS, your online application must include the following components:

• Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form.
• A cover letter or letter of interest with the body of the letter up to 500 words that describes your qualifications and professional experience that you believe make you a good match with our site. Please be sure to elaborate your specific goals for the internship.
• Current vita.
• Official transcripts for all graduate work.
• Three letters of recommendation. At least two should be from supervisors familiar with your most recent clinical work. At least one letter of reference must be from someone in your academic program.

Please note: Penn State appointments conform to a variety of requirements, including legal eligibility for employment in the U.S. (sometimes called the I-9 requirement) and a background check that verifies that educational credentials are valid and that candidates have no criminal or other record that would preclude employment in the University’s judgment. Please refer to Policy HR99 (Background Check Process). These are conducted following the APPIC Match, but the outcome of these background checks has the potential to preclude appointment.

Application Deadline

To be considered for internship for the academic year 2025-2026, all application materials must be uploaded to the AAPI Online by November 6, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. We plan to notify applicants whether or not they are receiving an offer for an interview on or before December 9, 2024.  All interviews will be conducted via Zoom will occur during the week of 12/16/2024 and into the first several weeks of January 2025. Interviews will be scheduled using an online scheduling system. Applicants who receive an offer for an interview will be notified of this scheduling system by the Associate Director, Training via email. For additional information, see APPIC Directory Program Information.

APPIC Internship Matching Program

The Center will be participating in the APPIC Internship Matching Program and will abide by APPIC Match Policies established by the Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Please note: This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant prior to Match Day. See the APPIC website to obtain additional information about the APPIC Match. You can also view information on the National Matching Services website. Contact information for Assistance with the APPIC Match and for Assistance with the APPI Online Application Service can be found on the APPIC website.

Penn State Policies

The University is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all persons.  It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas.  Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of individuals, impedes the realization of the University’s educational mission, and will not be tolerated. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to:

• Affirmative Action Office
  The Pennsylvania State University
  328 Boucke Building
  University Park, PA 16802-5901
  Tel. (814) 863-0471
  Email: aao@psu.edu

Campus Security Crime Statistics

The “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and Pennsylvania Act of 1988”, commonly referred to as the “Clery Act”, requires institutions of higher education receiving federal financial aid to report specified crime statistics on college campuses and areas within the same reasonable contiguous geographic area of college campuses, and to provide other safety and crime information to members of the campus community. Additional information about Clery can be found at the University Police and Public Safety website. Crime statistics for Pennsylvania colleges and universities to be made available to applicants upon request. Penn State University complies with the Jeanne Clery Act and publishes crime statistics. Penn State's combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by the University, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You may obtain this information by accessing the Annual Security Report website. You may also contact:

Attn: Compliance Manager
University Police & Public Safety
The Pennsylvania State University
University Support Building I
University Park PA 16802
Email: cleryform@psu.eduEqual Employment Opportunity (EEO) Is The Law

Fall Semester 

Please note that the first two-and-a-half weeks will be devoted to an orientation to the University, the agency, and the program. Sample topics covered during this orientation period include: ethical and legal issues related to the practice of psychology, suicide assessment, including prevention, stabilization, follow-up and hospitalization procedures, as well as group therapy training. What follows is a breakdown of time for the Fall semester following the two-and-a-half-week orientation.

Contracted Total: 40 hours weekly

Note: Some evening time will also be involved for these activities. Interns are expected to do at least three outreaches per semester.  These may fall during the weekday, or on an evening or weekend.

While the internship is designed to be a 40-hour work week in the office, there is the expectation that interns will do some reading on their own time related to the seminars that are offered as part of the training program throughout the internship year and on other preparation for presentations. Interns may also spend time outside the work week completing clinical documentation as needed. It is expected that Interns log these hours in their professional activity hours logs so that these hours count towards their 2,000 hours to complete the internship program.

Spring Semester

Contracted Total: 40 hours weekly

Summer Session 

Interns selecting the optional rotation at Career Services will have a somewhat different summer schedule than those not opting to do this rotation. This rotation involves 4 hours weekly for ~8 weeks, which includes one hour of individual or group supervision, as well as seeing 2-3 career clients.

Contracted Total: 40 hours weekly

Please note that a certain amount of flexibility exists within direct service requirements over the summer months and that the total number of hours may be distributed differently according to an individual intern's training needs. Continuing involvement with an intern's chosen rotation area will alter short-term client hours slightly.

Previous Interns & First Position Following Internship for Preceding 3 Cohorts

2022-2023

2021-2022

2020-2021