Pre-Doctoral Internship

Thank you for your interest in the psychology internship training program at Creighton University Student Counseling Services. I believe that we have much to offer to support your professional development. I am delighted that you are considering our center for this very important year of training.

I encourage you to explore our website, as well as the website for the NICPP consortium, to learn more about the details of our training program. I would like to highlight some of the things that make us unique, as well as tell you a bit about the atmosphere in our center.

Our site is one of six agencies in the state of Nebraska that collaborates in a consortium model. As such, you will receive both a breadth and depth of training. You will be exposed to the practice of psychology among many populations and many modalities. You will have the chance to learn how psychologists serve clients in other agencies, to be trained in didactic topics that expand beyond a university counseling center, and to network with a broad range of psychology interns and training directors. At the same time, you will be deeply immersed in the workings of a university counseling center, developing the competencies necessary for a psychologist in this setting (e.g., psychotherapy, supervision, outreach, consultation).

We are a small center with a very collaborative and supportive staff. Because we are small, we all work closely together. All of the staff and the trainees feel a strong sense of investment and identity in the center and in the decisions that get made to make it run well. Interns will find that they quickly become a part of this high-functioning team. It is important to us that each person, from the director to the practicum student, bring an attitude of openness to learning. We recognize that becoming a strong clinician is a life-long process. We are seeking candidates who share a similar commitment to self-awareness, transparency, and curiosity about the human condition.

Our staff values training very highly. Even though we are a small staff in a busy center, we have made the commitment to train growing psychologists at all levels (postdoctoral, internship, practicum). We believe that the training relationship is mutually valuable. Trainees learn through our strong supervision, diversity of clinical perspectives, and continuous consultation model, while the staff benefit from the passion, knowledge, and questions that trainees bring to the table. The exchange of wisdom and ideas is a dynamic process that we find invigorating.

Interns will find that they have the opportunity to work with a very diverse client population. Given the nature of the institution, they are often surprised at the diversity of their caseloads with regard to ethnic/racial identity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Interns will also have the chance to work with a few clients over the course of the year in a long-term therapy model. Although most of our work is accomplished in a brief model of treatment delivery, our center does not have session limits, so we can serve students who have the need for more services. This is becoming increasingly unique in the counseling center world.

Finally, it’s important for you to know that we have a lot of fun together. Former interns have been pleasantly surprised by the staff’s ability to find so much joy and humor in our everyday world to balance out the very serious work we do.

We are very excited to be a part of the immense growth that can happen during an intern’s last formal training year, and we are looking for applicants who are seeking that growth in their personal and professional development. I hope that the materials you find here can help you decide if Creighton’s SCS is a good fit for you. If you have any questions about our program, please do not hesitate to contact me (RebeckaTompkins@creighton.edu), and thank you for your interest in our program.

Rebecka Tompkins, Psy.D., Director of Training

Our training philosophy follows the scientist-practitioner model. We are committed to a training philosophy which promotes ethical problem solving; evidence-based assessment and intervention practices; access to supervision that facilitates reflective, scientifically-based practice; access to a diversity of clients; research activities and training; and a plan which provides experiential learning combined with other modes of education. We value a variety of theoretical orientations, and staff members reflect a diverse collection of theoretical backgrounds. Our training program addresses the individual needs of interns within our overall training philosophy. Individual needs can be expected to be different for each intern depending upon their professional preparation, interests, and abilities. Interns will be encouraged to develop goals within a college counseling center setting, specific to their individual learning requirements. These goals will be transferred into specific competencies to be developed during the training experience. Expectations will also be developed for the supervisory experience. These expectations will reflect the optimal supervision experience for interns.

Consistent with the needs and goals of our interns, the training experience may provide opportunities for competency in several key areas:

1. Practical experience in individual psychotherapy with students experiencing a range of developmental issues and mental health problems.
2. Assessment of learning disabilities (reading, writing, mathematics) and prescriptive recommendations for improvement.
3. Assessment of ADHD concentration problems utilizing both subjective and objective measures.
4. Psychological evaluations of personality by clinical interviews, personality measures and projective instruments.
5. Assessment of alcohol and substance abuse with recommendations and/or implementation of appropriate levels of treatment.
6. Psychological writing of reports for learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, personality assessments and alcohol/substance abuse evaluations.
7. Participation in group counseling activities and outreach programs/workshops on topics appropriate for college student development.
8. Serving as an integral component of a university counseling center staff using a team approach to decision-making and to the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
9. Exposure to a diverse group of clients by age, gender, ethnic origin, religion and geographic area.
10. Consulting with an interdisciplinary team (psychiatrist, physicians, nurses, etc.) to coordinate client care.
11. Providing supervision to practicum-level trainees.
12. Working collaboratively with other offices on campus to serve students and to promote the mission of the counseling center within the Division of Student Life and broader campus community.
13. Developing research skills through the completion of the dissertation or through research projects at the center. This research is typically completed during low-volume times.
     

The primary research involvement is the completion of the intern’s dissertation project. Our staff may provide substantive assistance (e.g., conceptualizing research questions, connecting the intern with data collection opportunities on campus), a critique of the research project, and/or a rehearsal of dissertation defense. Our center carries out ongoing research on client satisfaction, presenting concerns of clients, outcomes in counseling, retention of counseling clients, MBTI personality types among dental students, and the effects of learning disability assessment.

The predoctoral intern provides services at Creighton University while meeting once monthly for training at different sites within the Nebraska Consortium, and he or she does not rotate through sites throughout the year. However, the intern may visit two sites aside from his or her primary internship site during his or her tenure with the consortium. The two site visits (4-8 hours each) usually provide interns with an opportunity to become acquainted with policies, procedures and practices at sites different then their own home site. All NICPP interns meet monthly at a specific site for training. In these meetings, the host site provides a training program for one-half day. The second half of the day is devoted to case presentations by the current interns.

Telephone Intakes: Interns will be trained in our telephone triage system. Interns will learn how to quickly assess cases and make an appropriate disposition, as well as discern the need for immediate services.

Individual Counseling: Interns will provide individual psychotherapy for a broad range of concerns, ranging from developmental issues to serious mental health problems. Interns will be trained in both short-term and longer-term therapy models. The average number of sessions for clients at SCS is 5.6; however, Counseling Services does not currently have a session limit.

Group Counseling: Interns are encouraged to either co-lead an existing group or to develop a group based on their interests and students’ needs.

Assessment: Interns will conduct clinical interviews, administer various testing batteries, and write psychological reports. They will coordinate with our Office of Disability Accommodation to assist students with accommodations.

Crisis Intervention: In the spring semester, interns will provide walk-in crisis services for students in immediate need.

Outreach: Interns will have the opportunity to be involved in a variety of outreach programming with the university community. If this is a primary area of interest for interns, they can tailor this experience to fit their goals.

Consultation: Interns will consult regularly with the psychiatrist. They will also have the opportunity to participate in the Eating Disorders Treatment Team if interested. Interns may also participate in university committees and will be involved in regular programming within the Division of Student Life.

Individual Supervision: Interns will receive 2 hours of individual supervision per week. Assignment of supervisors is based on the intern’s preferences and goals, as well as the needs of the center. Supervisory assignments typically change at mid-year in order to increase the intern’s exposure to supervision styles and theoretical orientations. Interns have access to all senior staff and are encouraged to consult with them regularly as additional resources.

Assessment Supervision: Interns will receive training and supervision on assessment of concentration problems and learning disabilities. Supervision is conducted in a developmental model, with interns first observing assessments, then administering them, and eventually conducting the assessment and writing reports. Interns will also have the option to join a personality assessment seminar that meets once a week for 1 hour, focusing primarily on the administration and scoring of the Rorschach.

Supervision of Supervision: Interns may have an opportunity to supervise a practicum student. Supervision of Supervision will be provided in a group setting including both interns and senior staff. Supervision of supervision will be provided for 1 hour a week. Supervision should be recorded and will be reviewed during this time.

Case Conference: All staff (including trainees) meet weekly for 1.5 hours to discuss difficult clinical cases. Each staff member takes turns presenting. The focus of the case conference is on developing a conceptualization and generating possible interventions. It is expected that the presenter bring questions related to the case to guide the discussion. Additionally, presenters should be willing to be transparent about their own reactions and feelings about the case in order to address any potential interpersonal process issues

Didactic Training: All staff meet weekly for an hour to engage in some form of didactic training. Training modalities often include videos, continuing education programs (audio or video), or presentations by staff. Topics vary and can be tailored to the needs of the trainee. Past topics include crisis response, various therapeutic techniques, theoretical approaches, working with diverse populations, and ethics.

Consortium Training: Interns will meet monthly with the other interns in the consortium. Half of the day will consist of a didactic training, while the other half of the day will be intern case presentations and feedback. The intern will be responsible for presenting one case to the consortium.

GO! Programming: Interns will participate in the Division of Student Life’s continuing diversity education program called GO! (Get out of your office; Get out of your comfort zone; Go out to the margins.)

These activities are typical of how our interns spend their time during the academic year. However, these hours may vary depending upon the needs and goals of each intern, as well as the clinical demands and needs of the center.

Direct Service:

• Individual Counseling: 17-20 hours
• Consultation (residence life, faculty, staff, Health Services): 1 hour
• Assessment (learning disabilities, ADHD, personality): 1-3 hours
• Group Counseling: 1.5 hours (when available)

Training & Supervision:

• Individual Supervision: 2 hours
• Assessment Supervision: 1 hour
• Supervision of Practicum student: 1 hour
• Supervision of Supervision: 1 hour
• Case Conference: 1.5 hour
• Didactic Training: 1.0 hours

Administration:

• Staff Meeting: 2 hours
• Case Note Writing: 4 hours
• Client Preparation Time: 2.5 hours

Stipend: The present annual stipend is $28,804. The 12-month contract period is from August 1st to July 31st. Because interns remain students with their home institution, interns are not considered university employees; rather, interns are paid on contract. Interns at Creighton are classified as contract workers. Due to the “contract worker” status, taxes are not deducted from each monthly payment and Interns will be responsible for making any required tax payments incurred during the internship year.  

Vacation: Interns are given a total of 10 days of vacation. Approval of vacation time must be sought from the Training Director.

Sick Leave: Interns are given a total of 10 sick days.

Professional Leave: Professional leave is provided for interns to attend conventions, workshops, job interviews, or other appropriate professional development activities. Time requested must be approved by the Training Director.

Holidays: You will receive the following holidays: Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas holiday break (the University is closed during the period from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day), Good Friday, and Memorial Day.

Insurance: Interns may elect to enroll in the Creighton University Student Health Insurance Plan provided by United Healthcare. Insurance coverage is annual and begins August 1 of each year. Insurance coverage for the intern only is provided by SCS. Interns can elect to add dependents to this plan and are responsible for this expense.