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Psychology Internship Program
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This web site is intended for psychology interns who are considering VA for internships. Veterans can find VA health care information at the VISN 2 website. |
The Psychology Internship Program at Syracuse VA prepares interns for professional practice in a medical center or health services setting that serves primarily adults. There is a General Track and a specialty Rehabilitation Psychology Track. Many alumni secure employment or post-doctoral fellowships in medical centers, the VA or military; others have gone into academic positions or independent practice. VA training staff are guided by the words of Abraham Lincoln who charged the nation "to care for him who shall have borne the battle," a mission and value that interns increasingly grow to appreciate throughout their internship training.
Philosophy of Training
The Syracuse VA Psychology Internship follows a practitioner-scholar model of training. We view psychological practice and scholarly inquiry as mutually informing. Interns are encouraged to develop their reflective skills and to generate and test hypotheses in their clinical work. Our practice is informed by the scientific literature and there is opportunity to receive training in evidenced-based treatments which are increasingly influential throughout Veterans Affairs. As practitioner-scholars, interns deliver three formal presentations to staff and colleagues throughout the year.
We emphasize a firm foundation in generalist skills, reflected in two "core rotations" that continue throughout the year. All interns participate in the Outpatient Mental Health clinic, gaining experience in both short-term and longer-term psychotherapy as well as comprehensive intake assessment with a diverse patient population. Interns also participate in Assessment throughout the year, supervised in the use of integrated test batteries and more specialized assessments (e.g., pre-surgical evaluations).
General Track interns gain experience in a number of specialty clinics (e.g., PTSD, Health Psychology, Substance Use, Inpatient Psychology). This complements our generalist training and prepares interns for entry-level positions in these areas.
Our approach to training values mentorship and intensive supervision. We provide many opportunities for formal supervision and encourage ad-hoc meetings or "curb-side consultations," as supervisors are on-site and widely available. We follow a developmental model of transferring knowledge and skills; interns often begin a rotation observing supervisors' clinical work, receive in-vivo-supervision and feedback, followed by increasingly independent practice. Interns will find training sequential in this way and characterized by increasing complexity, based on developing knowledge and skills.
Finally, we value a diversity of life experiences in our staff, clients, and interns. We’ve established a Multicultural and Diversity Committee to improve training in this area and to enhance the competence and attention to diversity issues with staff and trainees.
Goals and Objectives
Our over-arching goal is to prepare students to function as competent entry-level psychologists, particularly as clinicians serving adult clients. Training objectives include development of knowledge and skills in the following areas: Foundational Personal and Professional Skills, Ethics, Diversity, Scholarly Inquiry, Consultation, Assessment, Intervention, Supervision and Teaching. Specific competencies within each objective may be found in the Intern Handbook. Policies and procedures of the Internship are also described in the Handbook.
Please see the webpage, titled "Program" for a full description of training activities.
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