
Doctoral Internship in Professional Psychology
Description of the Internship Program
Approach to Training
Supervision
Qualifications
Benefits
Pre-Employment Security Measures
Application Materials
Applications Should Be Sent To
Applicant Interviews
SMPIC Activity Grid
Educational Model
Goals
Objectives
Component and Sequencing of Training
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services Description
Adult Psychology Rotation (Pine Grove)
Addictions Rotation (Pine Grove)
Pine Belt Mental HealthCare Resources Description
Child and Adolescent Rotation (Pine Belt)
The primary goal of the Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium (SMPIC) 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 available in diverse settings. Interns are offered both breadth and depth in their training. The two participating agencies are Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services (Pine Grove) and Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources (Pine Belt). There are three rotations: Adult Psychology Rotation (Pine Grove), Addictions Rotation (Pine Grove) and Child and Adolescent Rotation (Pine Belt). Each intern will complete all three rotations. The purpose of the consortium arrangement is to provide diverse training experiences and to pool financial, supervisory and administrative resources. The program was established in 1995 and currently funds three internship positions. Two positions are funded by Pine Grove and one is funded by Pine Belt. The internship gained APPIC membership in September, 1997. Therefore, 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 Uniform Notification Day.
The Consortium received notice of its APA approval in July of 1999. APA granted approval for five years. In the year 2004, the Consortium was granted approval for an additional seven years, to 2011. Every effort will be made to keep this approval as long as the Consortium is in existence.
The SMPIC 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 consortium 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 behavioral healthcare, addictive treatment, and community mental health 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 team. The training staff focuses on theoretical and didactic learning being thoroughly integrated with practical experience. We work to enhance the interns’ professional skills and also to train interns who strive to grow continually.
Training occurs through the performance of diverse staff functions while the intern is doing four-month 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 each site through seminars, case conferences, and workshops. Weekly Intern Seminars are held on a variety of topics and many professionals from the community present on their specialties. Additionally, both Pine Grove and Pine Belt sponsor workshops and staff development programs that also meet intern training needs.
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 licensed psychologists. Other staff members at the various rotation sites contribute supplementary supervision and consultations. Interns also attend staffings 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.
We will accept applications for candidates who are from APA-approved or CPA-approved training programs. We do not accept applications from candidates from non-accredited programs. 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, have taken appropriate graduate courses from an APA-accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology (i.e. ethics, counseling theory, cross cultural counseling, etc.), have passed their comprehensive exams, and to have provided 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 have completed their dissertation proposal by the beginning of the internship year.
The current stipend is $22,360 each for all three funded positions. Comprehensive benefits include health insurance, vacation, professional- and sick-leave time, and a limited travel allowance for professional development. For your health insurance benefit, part of the cost of insurance may be deducted from your check. Other benefits, such as dental and life insurance, may be chosen as part of your benefits package but may include extra deductions from your pay check.
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.
To apply to the internship, we request that you send the following materials all in one envelope:
National Matching Services, Inc.
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4S 3B1
Telephone: 416 997-3431
Fax: 416 977-5020
Michele F. Larrow, Ph.D., Training Director
Forrest General Psychology Services
1 Lincoln Parkway, Suite 201
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
Phone: 601-288-4918 Fax: 601-288-4904
Email: mlarrow@forrestgeneral.com
Interviews are conducted on-site and by telephone in January for those applicants whom we feel will fit best with our program. We typically invite about 50 percent of the applicants to interview. We notify applicants by December 15th if they will be offered interviews. 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 site interviews and applicants who interview by phone will be given the same opportunities to speak with staff 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 insure fairness.
Adult Psychology Rotation (Pine Grove)
Addictions Rotation (Pine Grove)
Child and Adolescent Rotation (Pine Belt)
Professional Skill |
Adult Psychology |
Addictions |
Child and Adolescent |
I. Assessment Skills |
|||
Adult |
|||
Projective Testing |
|||
Objective Testing |
X |
XX |
|
Intelligence Testing |
X |
X |
|
Achievement Testing |
|||
Interest Testing |
|||
Child |
|||
Projective Testing |
XX |
||
Objective Testing |
X |
||
Intelligence Testing |
XX |
||
Achievement Testing |
XX |
||
II. Populations Served |
|||
Child (3-12) |
XX |
||
Adolescent (13-18) |
XX |
||
Young Adult |
X |
X |
X |
Middle Aged (30-59) |
XX |
XX |
X |
Senior Citizen (60+) |
X |
X |
|
Seriously Mentally Ill |
XX |
X |
|
Minority |
XX |
X |
XX |
Socioeconomically Deprived |
X |
XX |
|
Handicapped |
X |
X |
X |
Mentally Retarded |
X |
||
Learning Disabled |
XX |
||
III. Therapeutic Models |
|||
Behavioral |
X |
X |
X |
Client-Centered |
X |
||
Cognitive |
XX |
XX |
XX |
Eclectic |
XX |
XX |
XX |
Psychodynamic |
|||
Rational-Emotive |
X |
X |
X |
Reality |
X |
X |
X |
Interpersonal |
XX |
XX |
X |
Family Systems |
X |
XX |
|
Brief Solution-Oriented |
X |
X |
XX |
Hypnosis |
X |
||
EMDR |
X |
||
IV. Therapeutic Foci |
|||
Individual |
XX |
X |
XX |
Group |
XX |
XX |
XX |
Family |
X |
XX |
|
Child (under18) |
XX |
||
School-Based Treatment |
X |
||
Couples |
X |
X |
|
Play Therapy |
XX |
||
Crisis Intervention |
XX |
||
Inpatient Treatment |
XX |
||
Partial Hospital Treatment |
XX |
X |
|
Eating Disorders |
X |
||
Trauma Recovery |
X |
X |
XX |
Chemical Dependency |
X |
XX |
XX |
V. Consultation |
|||
Agency |
X |
XX |
|
Professional Training |
X |
X |
X |
Organizational |
X |
||
VI. Miscellaneous |
|||
Research |
X |
X |
|
Designing Workshops |
X |
X |
X |
Career Counseling |
Blank = Minimal or no availability
X = Available
XX = Significant
The Southern Mississippi Psychology Internship Consortium 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 both inpatient and outpatient opportunities and a community mental health agency. Interns are expected to fulfill multiple roles, including direct clinical services (individual, group, and marital therapy), assessment and diagnosis, consultation, outreach workshops, supervision of practicum students, and participation in professional development seminars and workshops. Training focuses on adult, adolescent, and child populations. Interns are provided with support and opportunities to present at regional and national conferences, to complete work on their dissertation research, and to get involved in research at the consortium sites to further their professional development as psychologists.
The goals of the internship are as follows:
Intern training in the applied areas is provided through three rotations, two at Pine Grove and one at Pine Belt. On each rotation the difficulty and complexity of responsibilities gradually increase 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 an Adult Psychology inpatient and outpatient setting and an Addictions setting in a psychiatric hospital; and a Child and Adolescent setting at a comprehensive mental health clinic. 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, weekly formal special topics seminars, weekly assessment seminars, weekly professional issues seminars with the Training Director, and informal consultations with the Training Director, the Chief Psychologist, and other faculty. Interns work closely with faculty through doing comprehensive assessment and treatment planning together, conducting consultation projects together, co-therapy arrangements (couples, group), and co-presentation of workshops.
Training in the consortium 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 on rotation at the Pine Grove sites 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 the supervisor present.
While on the Child and Adolescent Rotation at Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources, interns initially work closely with a core faculty member in developing a consultation project and then are gradually given more independence and responsibility for the project. While providing therapy they are initially expected to do co-therapy with a core faculty member.
We support interns who are still working on their dissertations in several ways. Interns are allowed to block off at least two hours a week for dissertation writing or other related activities. Past interns have also chosen to present monthly progress reports on their dissertation writing at the group supervision meetings with the training director in order to keep themselves on track for writing their dissertations. Also, interns are able to time taken to go back to their graduate program to defend or meet with their committee. These hours are considered professional time and part of the internship hours.
For those interns who have completed their dissertations, there are opportunities to get involved with research. Pine Grove has a large archival dataset from people in some of the specialty programs that includes the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and other psychological measures. Interns can also be involved with active data collection at other Pine Grove rotations. Pine Belt has research projects related to their evidence-based practice task group. Other opportunities for research and grant activities may be developed based on intern interests.
Former Interns (Past Five Years) |
Graduating University |
| Leslie Rogers | University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) |
| Shannon Sticken | Arizona School of Professional Psychology-Argosy |
| Carrie Swift | Minnesota School of Professional Psychology-Argosy |
| Rachel Butler | Florida Institute of Technology |
| Shanavia Dansby | Illinois School of Professional Psychology-Argosy |
| Jennifer Fennell | Georgia School of Professional Psychology-Argosy |
| Leah Claire Bennett | University of Southern Mississippi |
| Jason Hankee | University of Indianapolis |
| Denise Lawrence | Pepperdine University |
| Jaymie Luckow | Argosy University, Atlanta |
| Brent Tucker | Indiana State University |
| Laura Hoffmann | Brigham Young University |
| Kimberlee Barnes | Argosy University, Atlanta |
| Jean Boudreaux | Jackson State University |
| Gyda Eyjolfsdottir | University of Texas at Austin |
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services 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. Located on the outskirts of Hattiesburg on a 22 acre grove of pine trees, Pine Grove is an 88-bed center with a 40-bed adult psychiatric unit, a 24-bed chemical dependency unit, and a 32-bed adolescent and children's pavilion. 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.
Pine Grove also has several residential outpatient and intensive outpatient treatment programs that are located around Hattiesburg. These are: Next Step (men’s residential chemical dependency treatment), the Women’s Center (women’s residential chemical dependency and eating disorders treatment), Gentle Path (residential sexual addictions treatment), the Professional Enhancement Program (treatment of impaired professionals, including disruptive behaviors and addictions), Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program, Child and Adolescent Day Treatment Program, Forrest General Psychology Services (outpatient psychological services), Employee Assistance Program, and South Mississippi Psychiatric Group.
Interns on the Adult Psychology Rotation will have the opportunity to gain experience with both group psychotherapy and individual psychotherapy with adult psychiatric patients.
The group therapy opportunities are in two settings: an outpatient psychology clinic (Forrest General Psychology Services) and an inpatient psychiatric hospital (Pine Grove Adult Psychiatric Unit). The intern will do co-therapy for a range of outpatient psychotherapy groups that are run in the outpatient clinic. One group is for individuals recently discharged from inpatient treatment or those with needs for group work. This group focuses on self-responsibility with an emphasis on awareness, acceptance, and choices. Another current group is for an outpatient detoxification program and focuses on maintaining sobriety, identifying triggers to use, and developing coping skills. Other groups may develop over time. Also, interns participate on the Adult Inpatient Unit at Pine Grove. The interns lead a group that focuses on accepting thoughts, managing emotions, and developing “survival skills” for when they leave the hospital. This group was developed collaboratively by the three interns from 2007-2008, Leslie Rogers, Shannon Sticken, and Carrie Swift with assistance from Michele Larrow, the Director of Training. Interns also attend staffing on the unit and co-lead another group with masters-level clinicians. Additionally, interns may do a group on the inpatient detoxification unit to help patients develop strategies to maintain sobriety. The intern will also do individual psychotherapy and intake assessments with adults through the Psychology Clinic. Finally, interns will have the opportunity to supervise graduate student externs. Through supervising the externs, the interns will be able to develop their own model of supervision and receive feedback from a supervisor through supervision of supervision.
Interns on the Addictions Rotation will have the opportunity to gain experience with patients presenting with a variety of addictive disorders. The interns will work predominantly in Gentle Path, with sexual addictions patients, and the Professional Enhancement Program, working with impaired professionals with disruptive behavior, personality issues, and/or addictive behavior. Depending on interest of interns, opportunities may also be available to work with eating disorders and a standard 12-step model of treating chemical dependency. The intern will be involved in many different group therapies while doing this rotation 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. The intern will have the opportunity to work with other professionals including psychiatrists, addictionologists, addiction counselors, and social workers. There will be opportunities for psychological testing, especially examining how personality factors affect addictions.
Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources is a comprehensive Mental Health Center that provides psychological services to a variety of populations in a nine-county catchments area with a population of approximately 280,000 people. Programs for children include crisis intervention, preschool day treatment, school-based day-treatment and counseling services, outpatient services, and case management. Additional programs for adolescents include an adolescent offenders program and a transitional outreach program. Services for adults include programs for chemical dependency, which includes outpatient, residential, and aftercare services, programs for the seriously mentally ill, programs for persons with developmental disabilities, and community counseling programs. More information about Pine Belt may be found at www.pbmhr.com.
Interns on rotation at Pine Belt will work primarily with children, adolescents, and their families. Pine Belt's Child and Adolescent Services offers comprehensive treatment to children of all ages. The intern would be involved in psychological testing, outpatient therapy, work with Head Start programs, consult with school and work with families. Each intern will also have the opportunity to perform at least two comprehensive assessments with children and adolescents that include the use of objective and projective personality measures as well as intellectual and/or achievement measures. The Child and Adolescent Services staff at Pine Belt includes a psychiatrist, a physician, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a psychologist, social workers, family therapists, adolescent therapists, day treatment specialists, and case managers. In 1996, services for over 2,300 children were provided. In 2006, this figure was 3,809.
Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services
2255 Broadway Drive
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
(601) 288-4800
www.pinegrovetreatment.com
and
Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources
103 S. 19th Ave.
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
(601) 544-4641
www.pbmhr.com
Contact Us Today.

