Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services
Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology
Formerly the Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium (SMPIC)
~ Applications are due Monday November 1, 2011 ~
Description of the Internship Program
Educational Model
Approach to Training
Supervision
Commitment to Diversity
Benefits
Pre-Employment Security Measures
Component and Sequencing of Training
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services Description
Adult Psychology and Evaluation Center Rotation
Professional Enhancement Program Rotation
Gentle Path Rotation
Child and Adolescent Rotation
APPIC Activity Grid
Applications Should Be Sent To
Accreditation
We were recently APA-accredited for seven years until 2018 as a single entity pre-doctoral internship program under the name of Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology (PG-DIPP). We were previously a member of a consortium and APA-accredited as the Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium (SMPIC). Until the name change filters through the system, we are currently listed in APPIC and APA as Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium (APPIC #1402).
The SMPIC internship program was established in 1995. The two companies that were consortium partners with Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services (Pine Grove or PG for short) elected to withdraw from the internship consortium agreement, one in 2006 and the other in 2010. Pine Grove took over the internship as a single entity as of August 16, 2010. PG-DIPP maintained similar training opportunities and a similar structure as the SMPIC organization. PG-DIPP kept APA informed of the consortium changes noted above and the fact that we began functioning as a single entity in 2010, without the participation of our previous consortium partners.
SMPIC gained APPIC membership in September 1997 and PG-DIPP continues active membership. The original SMPIC received notice of its APA approval in July 1999. APA granted approval for five years. In 2004, the original SMPIC was granted APA approval for an additional seven years, to 2011. In 2010, PG-DIPP began the process of applying for reaccreditation as a single entity internship and in October 2011 APA granted approval of our accreditation for 7 years until 2018.
Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
Description of the Internship Program
The primary goal of the PG-DIPP is to provide high quality training in the practice of professional psychology. The strength of the internship program is derived from the variety of training and supervision available in diverse settings. Interns are offered both breadth and depth in their training. There is 1 week of orientation and three 17-week training trimesters for four training rotations: Adult Psychology and Evaluation Center Rotation (full-time), Professional Enhancement Program Rotation (full-time), Gentle Path (Sexual Addictions) Rotation (half-time), and Child and Adolescent Rotation (half-time). The two half-time rotations run concurrently during one of the training trimesters. Each intern will complete all four rotations.
Educational Model
The PG-DIPP is committed to providing a practitioner-scholar model of training for doctoral interns in the practice of professional psychology. Interns will work in a behavioral health and addiction services facility with residential and outpatient opportunities. Interns are expected to fulfill multiple roles, including direct clinical services (individual, group, and marital/family therapy), assessment and diagnosis, completion of a special project (consultation, program evaluation, or outreach), and participation in professional development seminars and workshops. Training focuses on the adult population but includes one half-time rotation with the child and adolescent population. Interns are encouraged to complete work on their dissertation research and to get involved in research at the rotation sites to further their professional development as psychologists if that is an area of special interest. The integration of the research literature with clinical work occurs through training seminars and supervision. We incorporate the empirical literature into many of our training opportunities, such as empirically-based interventions, making modifications for cultural and individual diversity, and developing the special project (consultation, program evaluation, or outreach). Please look under the heading “Internship Competencies” at the top of the webpage for a complete list of the goals, objectives, and competencies expected of interns.
Approach to Training
The staff of the PG-DIPP is committed to the further development and expansion of the intern's competence in the practice of psychology. Training occurs in a facilitative and supportive manner that allows the intern to become part of the professional staff of each rotation site. The internship staff offers a training model that allows professional learning to occur at an optimal pace for the development of the interns. We view our task as expanding the interns' existing competencies while at the same time providing new experiences and training. The internship is structured to offer balanced clinical experiences within outpatient and residential mental health and addiction settings. These balanced clinical experiences also provide an opportunity for the interns to work with other professionals, such as psychiatrists, addictionologists, and social workers, as part of a treatment team. The training staff works to ensure that theoretical and didactic learning are thoroughly integrated with practical experience. We work to enhance the interns’ professional skills and also to train interns who strive to grow continually. The primary and adjunct supervisors work closely with interns and seek to mentor the interns toward greater autonomy in the profession.
Training occurs through the performance of diverse staff functions while the intern is doing each of the rotations. There is a “Transition Week” at the end of each rotation that is used to transition to the next rotation and facilitate a smooth, comfortable changeover for the intern. So the intern who is finishing one rotation will help the next intern integrate into that treatment community. Some specialization can be arranged as appropriate to the training needs and interest of the intern (see Activity Grid on the following pages). Continuing education opportunities are available at Pine Grove through seminars, case conferences, and workshops. Weekly intern training seminars are held on a variety of topics and many professionals from the community present on their specialties. Additionally, Pine Grove sponsors workshops and staff development programs that also meet intern-training needs.Supervision
Intern supervision is a priority of the program and is geared to the intern's level of professional development. Each intern receives a minimum of 4 hours of supervision weekly, of which at least two are individual supervision hours. All primary supervisors are Mississippi-licensed psychologists who are also available outside of regular supervision times. Other staff members at the various rotation sites contribute supplementary supervision and consultations. Interns also attend staffing meetings weekly on each rotation, which is another opportunity for informal supervision. The Director of Training and Chief Psychologist are also available for consultation and discussion as needed. Part of the model of supervision we employ, especially when working with individual clients, entails the interns openness to discussing their reactions to clients and how these can inform therapy (please see the webpage on Competencies, accessed at the top of the webpage, and see Objective 2.4 for further detail).
Commitment to Diversity
Our internship is committed to and values diversity. The primary and adjunct supervisors are from a variety of cultural backgrounds. There is also a variety of theoretical approaches and training opportunities with the different supervisors. The clients that interns work with on the three rotations represent a broad spectrum of cultural and individual diversity (including age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, and social economic status). Our interns have also been culturally diverse and we have welcomed interns from a wide variety of schools, training experiences, and stages of life.
Benefits
Interns are employees of Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services, which is part of the Forrest General Hospital system. The current stipend is $22,360 each for all three funded positions and interns are paid every two weeks. Comprehensive benefits include health insurance, paid-time-off (PTO), and professional- and sick-leave time. With your health insurance benefit, you may insure other family members who are spouses or dependents. The cost of the employee’s portion of the health insurance depends on the level of coverage that you choose and how many people are being insured. Other company benefits, such as dental and life insurance, may be chosen as part of your benefits package but usually include extra deductions from your pay check. As employees of Forrest General Hospital, interns are also allowed to use the Employee Health Service for a low cost (currently $12) and may purchase prescriptions at the employee pharmacy for the lowest prescription cost.
Pre-employment Security Measures
Please be aware that all interns will have to pass a police background check based on fingerprinting prior to employment. This is a Mississippi state law. Interns also will be required to pass a urine drug screen prior to the first day of work and supply evidence of appropriate vaccinations (also state law). Once hired, interns will have to have a blood test for tuberculosis (paid for by Forrest General Hospital).
Component and Sequencing of Training
Intern training in the applied areas is provided through four rotations. On each rotation, the difficulty and complexity of responsibilities gradually increases and is sequenced in an apprenticeship type model. Each rotation provides training in a comprehensive and developmental manner for specific applied skills. The training is comprehensive in that it includes most of the functions of a psychologist in outpatient and residential treatment settings. Training is developmental in that tasks are sequenced with regard to level of difficulty and degree of independence.
The components of training include individual and group supervision, a weekly Intern Seminar, a bi-weekly Empirically-Based/Supported Treatments Seminar, a bi-weekly Assessment Seminar, a weekly professional issues/group supervision seminar with the DT, and informal consultations with the DT, Chief Psychologist, and other faculty. Additionally, several more training seminars take place throughout the year. Interns work closely with faculty through doing comprehensive assessment and treatment planning together, conducting a special project (consultation, program evaluation, or outreach), co-therapy arrangements, and co-presentation of workshops.
Training takes into account the developmental stages of professional identity development and varying confidence levels. At each of the rotation sites, interns generally begin their experience in service delivery through providing direct services with a faculty member or other staff. For example, interns initially begin their training in group therapy by observing the supervising psychologist or other staff in the group. Then, the interns will take a greater role in conducting the group, and then will be able to conduct group on their own with or without the supervisor or other staff present.
If not done before the internship year begins, completion of dissertation research is strongly encouraged by the end of the internship year. Supervisors and other staff members are typically available and willing to mentor interns on their dissertation projects. When time is available during the workweek, interns can work on their dissertation. If interns have completed their dissertation and research is an area of interest, they are encouraged to get involved in research projects at one of the Pine Grove sites. Interns are also given help for job search and other professional development activities.
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services Description
Pine Grove is a psychiatric and addictive disorders treatment facility. Pine Grove is an extension of Forrest General Hospital, a county, not-for-profit hospital in Hattiesburg. Pine Grove provides a continuum of care for its patients. The inpatient facility, established in 1984, is South Mississippi's largest inpatient treatment facility for psychiatric and addictive diseases. The main campus is located on the outskirts of Hattiesburg on a 22 acre grove of pine trees and includes a ropes course, a meditation garden, and paths for walking. Pine Grove’s main campus houses the 32-bed adult psychiatric unit, the 24-bed adolescent and children's psychiatric unit, and the Next Step Men’s Program, a 12 ½ week intensive residential chemical dependency treatment program.
Pine Grove also has several outpatient treatment programs (including residential and intensive outpatient treatment) that are located around Hattiesburg, within a few miles of the main campus. These include: South Mississippi Psychiatric Group (SMPG, providing psychiatric services for adults, children, and adolescents), Pine Grove Outpatient Services (PGOS, providing outpatient psychological services for adults, children and adolescents including an Adolescent Chemical Dependency Outpatient Program, Choices, and Applied Behavior Analysis interventions for children), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), the Professional Enhancement Program (PEP, intensive outpatient treatment of impaired professionals, including disruptive behaviors and addictions), the Evaluation Center (EC, conducting comprehensive and specialized outpatient evaluations for addiction, vocational, and behavioral issues), Gentle Path (GP, residential sexual addictions treatment), Next Step (men’s residential chemical dependency treatment), and the Women’s Center (women’s residential chemical dependency and eating disorders treatment). Over the past decade, Pine Grove has treated more than 10,000 patients from all of Mississippi's 82 counties, 47 states, and several foreign countries. In addition, more than 20,000 family members have received assistance.
Non-residential outpatient programs take place at Lincoln Center, a professional building several minutes from the Pine Grove main campus. With the exception of the Gentle Path Rotation, the internship work takes place at Lincoln Center.
Internship Opportunities:
Adult Psychology and Evaluation Center Rotation (full-time, 1 trimester)
Interns on the Adult/Eval Rotation will provide services for adult clients at Pine Grove Outpatient Services (PGOS, (http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/outpatient.html) and in the Evaluation Center (EC, (http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/evaluation-program.html).
At PGOS the intern will participate in leading and co-leading psychotherapy groups and provide individual psychotherapy. There are two psychotherapy groups that meet twice a week, one for depression and the other for opioid addiction with patients who are also being treated with Suboxon. Interns will see 2-3 adults for individual psychotherapy. These clients are typically long-term therapy clients with chronic and severe mental illness.
In EC the intern will assist with conducting outpatient and comprehensive residential evaluations of healthcare professionals. The intern’s responsibilities include administering, scoring, and interpreting psychological tests, as well as assisting in the completion of integrated, forensic-level evaluation reports.
The PGOS staff includes licensed psychologists, clinical social workers, and a marriage and family therapist. The Evaluation Center staff is comprised of licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, addictionologists, and a nurse. The intern is considered to be an integral member of the staff and participates in the weekly staffing meetings (held separately) to discuss cases and other treatment and service issues.
Professional Enhancement Program Rotation (full-time, 1 trimester)
Interns on the PEP Rotation (http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/pep.html) will have the opportunity to gain experience working with impaired professionals with disruptive behavior, personality issues, addictive and compulsive behaviors, trauma, and mood disorders. The intern will be involved in many different group therapies while doing this rotation from a variety of theoretical orientations, including personality theory, cognitive-behavioral interventions, insight-oriented, and interpersonal process therapy. Group therapies will also include traditional 12 step recovery models. There will be opportunities for psychological testing, especially examining how personality factors affect addictions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. The PEP treatment team includes a psychiatrist, licensed psychologists, and other mental health professionals. The intern is also an integral member of this treatment team and participates in the weekly staffing meetings to discuss cases and other treatment issues.
Gentle Path Rotation (half-time concurrent with C&A, 1 trimester)
Interns on the GP Rotation (http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/gentle-path.html) will have the opportunity to gain experience working with patients with compulsive (“sexual addictions”) and avoidant (“sexual anorexia”) sexual behaviors. While doing this rotation, the intern will be involved as a co-therapist with group therapies that draw from a variety of theoretical orientations, including Patrick Carnes’ 30 task model of sexual addiction treatment, personality theory, as well as traditional 12 step recovery models. There will be opportunities for psychological testing, especially examining how personality factors affect addictions, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. The GP treatment team includes a psychiatrist, nurse, licensed psychologists, clinicians trained or in the process of being trained as Certified Sexual Addiction Therapists (CSAT), a CSAT supervisor (CSAT-S), licensed professional counselors, and other mental health professionals. The intern is also an integral member of this treatment team and participates in the weekly staffing meeting to discuss cases and other treatment issues.
Child and Adolescent Rotation (half-time concurrent with GP, 1 trimester)
Interns on the C&A Rotation will work with children, adolescents, and their families at PGOS. The intern will be involved in psychological testing, outpatient individual and group therapy, and work with families. Interns will work independently with some individual and family therapy clients. They will also be involved in co-therapy for Autism-spectrum disorders with a licensed social worker who is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Interns will co-lead the adolescent chemical dependency outpatient groups with a licensed social worker. Each intern will also have the opportunity to perform at least two comprehensive assessments with children and adolescents that include the use of objective personality measures (if age-appropriate) as well as intellectual, achievement, and behavioral measures. The C&A treatment team includes a psychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a licensed psychologist, a post-doctoral psychologist, licensed social workers, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). The intern is also an integral member of this treatment team and participates in the weekly staffing meeting to discuss cases and other treatment issues.
APPIC ACTIVITY GRID
We are using the APPIC categories of training opportunities and specifying on which rotation you will have those experiences.
Training Opportunities |
Adult Psy/Eval Rotation |
PEP Rotation |
Gentle Path Rotation |
Child & Adolescent Rotation |
I. Populations |
||||
Children |
XX |
|||
Adolescents |
XX |
|||
Adults |
XX |
XX |
XX | |
Older Adults |
XX |
X |
X | |
Inpatients |
||||
Residential |
XX | |||
Outpatients |
XX |
XX |
XX |
|
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/ Transgendered |
X | X |
X | |
Ethnic Minorities |
X |
X |
X | XX |
Rural |
XX |
XX |
||
Low Income |
XX |
XX |
||
II. Treatment Modalities |
||||
Individual therapy |
X | X |
||
Couples therapy |
X |
X | X |
|
Family therapy |
X |
X | X |
|
Group therapy |
XX |
XX |
XX | XX |
Community Intervention |
X |
|||
Consultation/Liaison |
X |
X |
X | X |
Crisis Intervention |
X |
X |
X | X |
Brief Psychotherapy |
X |
X |
||
IIII. Experience: |
||||
Health Psychology |
X |
|||
Eating Disorders |
X | X | ||
Sexual Disorders |
X |
XX | ||
Addictions |
XX | XX | XX | |
Physical Disabilities |
X |
|||
Learning Disabilities |
X |
X | X |
|
Developmental Disabilities |
XX |
|||
Assessment: |
XX |
XX |
XX |
|
Objective Personality Testing |
XX |
XX |
XX | X |
Intelligence Testing |
X |
X | XX |
|
Achievement Testing |
X |
|||
Serious Mental Illness |
XX | X |
X | X |
Anxiety Disorders |
XX |
X |
X | X |
Trauma/PTSD |
XX |
X |
XX | X |
Sexual Abuse |
X |
X |
XX | X |
Substance use disorders |
XX |
XX |
X | XX |
Sexual Offenders |
X |
X | ||
School |
X |
|||
Empirically-Supported Treatments |
XX |
XX |
XX | XX |
Providing Supervision |
||||
Research |
X |
X |
X | X |
- Blank = Minimal or no availability
- X = Available (corresponds to I=informal, minor, external rotation on APPIC website)
- XX = Significant (corresponds to M=major rotation on APPIC website)
Application Process
Qualifications
Interns must be from an APA-approved doctoral program in counseling or clinical psychology. By November 1 of the year they are applying, interns are expected to have had a minimum of three years of graduate training, acquired 500 hours of direct client-contact practicum experience (including assessment and therapy), have taken appropriate graduate courses from an APA-accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology (i.e. ethics, counseling theory, cross cultural counseling, etc.), and have passed their comprehensive exams. Intern applicants are asked to provide three letters of recommendation attesting to the quality of their clinical skills and judgment, research, and their ability to work well as part of a team. We have some flexibility in these basic requirements if an applicant has substantially met the requirements and we feel that, based on the rest of the application materials, he or she has the potential to be a good fit for our program. We also expect that the interns will complete their dissertation proposal by the beginning of the internship year.
Applicant Interviews
Interviews will be conducted on-site and by telephone in January for those applicants whom we feel fit best with our program. We typically invite about 40-50 percent of the applicants to interview. We notify applicants by December 15th if they will be offered interviews. Applicants who are not interviewed will be sent an email by 12/15/11. While we encourage on-site interviews, we understand that it is not always possible to come in person. The phone interview follows the same format as the on-site interviews and applicants who interview by phone will be given the same opportunities to speak with staff members and interns. Applicants have been chosen in the past from both phone interviews and on-site interviews. We use a structured format in our interview to ensure fairness.
Application Materials
Our internship participates in the online application process through APPIC. The online application is available through http://www.appic.org/.
We will accept the standard online application and request three (3) letters of recommendation, two of which should be from clinical supervisors. Your cover letter should include a statement of training and professional goals. There are several areas of training in our internship and if you have experience in any of these areas, please highlight that in your letter. The areas of training to highlight include: experience doing testing or therapy with adults and children (including children with autism-spectrum disorders), group therapy experience, behavioral medicine and/or pain management experience, experience working with personality disorders and or addictions (including compulsive sexual behaviors). We do not expect applicants to have experience in each of these areas, but it is helpful to us if you discuss the areas that you do have training in. If you do not have experience in any of those areas, please indicate if you have an interest in learning more. The rest of the online application will include your curriculum vitae (including description of practica and related experiences), your graduate transcript(s), and the completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI) form.
Our internship will be participating in the APPIC Internship Matching Program as Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium (see note about accreditation above). Our Program Code Number for the APPIC Internship Matching Program is 140211. All applicants must obtain an Applicant Agreement Package from National Matching Services (NMS) and register for the Matching Program in order to be eligible for our internship program. You may obtain an Applicant Agreement Package form at http://www.natmatch.com/psychint/ Or, you may write to:
National Matching Services, Inc.
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4S 3B1
Telephone: 416 997-3431
Fax: 416 977-5020
Applications should be sent to
Applications should be sent to Dr. Ratti using the standard instructions available through APPIC for submitting applications online. The deadline for receiving the applications is Monday November 1, 2011.
This internship site agrees to abide by all APPIC policies, including that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant prior to Uniform Notification Day.
Applications from minority and disabled candidates are strongly encouraged.
Requests for further information should be directed to:
Theresa Ratti, Ph.D., CSAT
Director of Training
Pine Grove Outpatient Services
1 Lincoln Parkway, Suite 201
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
Phone: 601-288-4934
Fax: 601-288-4902
Email: tratti@forrestgeneral.com
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services
2255 Broadway Drive
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
(601) 288-4800
www.pinegrovetreatment.com
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