CPIP PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Clinical Psychology Internship Training Program (CPIP) at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center (DDEAMC) is an intensive training program designed to train pre-doctoral psychology students to be competent clinical psychologists capable of autonomous functioning in a variety of applied Army settings within the military community and to develop professional identity as a psychologist. It is a 12-month, full-time psychology training program designed to produce generalists in the field of clinical psychology. The Internship is based on a "general practitioner" model with primary focus on adult assessment, consultation, and treatment using empirically validated techniques informed by the scientific literature. Training is supplemented by specialty experiences in military psychology, inpatient psychiatry, neuropsychology, and health psychology. In addition to supervised clinical practice, students participate in various other learning endeavors to include didactic instruction from in-house staff members, case conferences, and seminars/workshops from invited guest speakers to include nationally recognized figures in the field of psychology. The Program recognizes that it is essential to begin at each intern's level of professional development and provide opportunities through which existing skills may be refined and new skills developed.

The objective of the program is to foster the development of core skills identified by Army Clinical Psychology programs as being essential to the practice of clinical psychology within an Army setting. These competencies include diagnosis and assessment of mental disorders, psychological treatment/interventions, consultation with other medical personnel and appropriate outside individuals, developing program evaluations skills, personal and professional development (interpersonal and intrapersonal skills), ethical awareness, sensitivity and knowledge of cultural diversity issues, and developing skills in the use of research in professional practice.

This American Psychological Association-accredited psychology training program is housed on the 13th Floor of a military Medical Center in the Central Savannah River Area of East Central Georgia and has been in existence since 1980.