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Psychology Internship Program
VA Long Beach Healthcare System Tibor Rubin Medical Center 5901 East 7th Street (06/116B) Long Beach, CA 90822 (562) 826-5604
https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/ https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/psychology-training/ https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/
APPIC MATCH Numbers:
General Track
112911
Neuropsychology Track
112912
Applications Due: November 1, 2024
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Table of Contents Psychology Internship Program ...................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 TRAINING MODEL AND PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY.............................................................. 4 Program Goals and Objectives.................................................................................................... 5 Commitment to Diversity ........................................................................................................... 5 Program Structure ....................................................................................................................... 6 Accreditation Status .................................................................................................................... 6 APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES................................................................... 6 Application Requirements and Process ...................................................................................... 6 Candidate Interviews .................................................................................................................. 7 Match Process ............................................................................................................................. 8 VA Eligibility Requirements ...................................................................................................... 8 Financial and Other Benefit Support for 2025-2026 Training Year......................................... 10 CLINICAL TRACKS ................................................................................................................... 11 General Track Rotation Schedule: ............................................................................................ 11 Neuropsychology Track Rotation Schedule: ............................................................................ 11 Training Schedule and Rotations .............................................................................................. 11 Workload/Time Allocation ....................................................................................................... 12 Supervision ............................................................................................................................... 12 Assessment................................................................................................................................ 13 Seminars and Other Meetings ................................................................................................... 13 Additional Opportunities: ......................................................................................................... 14 Psychology and Interdisciplinary Meetings.............................................................................. 15 TRAINING EXPERIENCES........................................................................................................ 16 1. Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit ........................................................................................... 16 2. Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC)....................................................................................... 17 3. Couples Therapy ................................................................................................................... 19 4. Geropsychology – Community Living Center (CLC) & Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) ................................................................................................................. 20 5. Geropsychology – Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) ....................................................... 21 6. Medical Psychology/Consultation & Liaison (C&L) ........................................................... 24 7. Mental Health Integration (MHI) in Hematology/Oncology................................................ 25 8. Neuropsychology .................................................................................................................. 26
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9. Outpatient Mental Health – Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) ............. 28 10. Outpatient Mental Health – Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) ................... 29 11. Pathways to Recovery Center (PRC) .................................................................................. 30 12. Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI)........................................................... 30 13. Program for Traumatic Stress (Combat PTSD) .................................................................. 32 14. Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder (SCI/D).................................................................................. 34 15. Suicide Prevention .............................................................................................................. 36 16 . Women’s Mental Health Clinic (WMHC) .......................................................................... 37 REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF INTERNSHIP...................................................... 39 FACILITY AND TRAINING RESOURCES .............................................................................. 41 ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ............................................................. 41 VA Long Beach Psychology – COVID-19 Response .................................................................. 42 PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING STAFF .......................................................................................... 43 DOCTORAL PROGRAMS OF FORMER INTERNS ................................................................ 58 LOCAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 60
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INTRODUCTION
Established in 1947, the Psychology Training Program is a significant component of mental health services and is fully integrated into the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. Since 1980, we have trained 322 doctoral interns, representing over 100 graduate programs from around the country. The internship program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since February 1980. Our psychology training program also includes practicum students from local universities as well as postdoctoral fellows. Most staff psychologists are members of the Mental Health Care Group and our Chief of Mental Health is psychiatrist, Lawrence Albers, M.D. Our Chief Psychologist is Vanessa Hurwitz, Ph.D. Leela Farina, Ph.D. is the Director of Psychology Doctoral Training Programs. Spring Flores Johnson, Ph.D. is the Director of our Psychology Postdoctoral Training Program, first funded in 2008. Christine Kim, Ph.D. and Grace Kim, Ph.D. are the Associate Directors of Psychology Training, coordinating the Neuropsychology training program and the general practicum program respectively. The Directors of Training are advised by the Executive Training Committee. Over half of our training psychologists have been hired in the past 10 years. We also have one psychology technician who manages our psychological testing lab. We provide generalist training in Health Services Psychology within the context of a VA healthcare facility. Like all VA training programs we primarily serve adult Veterans and some active military service members, the majority of whom are male, although an increasing percentage of younger Veterans and active duty service members are women. Because we are also a general medical and surgical facility as well as a broad provider of psychological and psychiatric services, we have many opportunities for a health psychology focus.
TRAINING MODEL AND PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY
Our Psychology Internship Training Program at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System is committed to close supervision and competency-based training in a highly collegial setting. We endorse the scientist-practitioner model of psychology, and the internship training experience is organized accordingly. We are guided by both the original Boulder Model (Raimy,1950) and the update of the scientist-practitioner model as articulated at the 1991 Gainesville conference (Belar & Perry, 1992). Interns are strongly encouraged to complete the defense of their dissertations prior to their internship start date in order to take full advantage of the rich training opportunities available throughout the internship year. Prior to our internship, candidates are expected to have a solid grounding in the science of psychology. We can teach generalist psychology and evidence-based treatments, but we have to assume that our interns come with the underlying scientific rigor that can only be provided by their undergraduate and graduate programs. We tailor our internship program to meet the individual training needs of each intern. Although our psychology staff provides a number of specialized services, we believe that training in health service psychology at the doctoral level
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should be broadly based rather than narrowly focused so interns have one last chance to immerse themselves in new areas of clinical endeavor. Our main training competency areas are research, ethical and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values, attitudes, and behaviors, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, as well as consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills.
Program Goals and Objectives
The overarching aim of our Psychology Internship Training Program is to provide psychology students with strong generalist training in order to function effectively as health service psychologists in a broad range of interprofessional settings. For the neuropsychology track interns, there is an additional aim to provide special emphasis training in neuropsychology that prepares them to meet the requisite competencies to go on to neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowships in a VA or other general healthcare facility. We provide our interns with the experiences necessary to function as ethical, scientifically grounded, psychologically flexible, and solidly trained graduates who are ready to move on to specialized postdoctoral training settings or academic and research positions. One primary objective is to expose our interns to an increasingly complex array of treatment approaches and therapeutic challenges as they progress through the internship year, consistent with our apprenticeship model. Specific goals within that primary objective are spelled out in our intern competencies discussed below in the section titled "Requirements for Completion.” These competencies are ordered into nine domains following the APA Commission on Accreditation standards that will be further discussed in that section.
Commitment to Diversity
The psychology service seeks to champion diversity by reflecting the hospital mission of emphasizing care and respect for the physical, psychological, and spiritual health and wellness of all. We seek to develop an inspiring environment that fosters authenticity, belonging, and creativity. As a federal employer and an equal opportunity training program, our facility and department of Psychology strongly adhere to policies on non-discrimination and accommodations to facilitate success in our training programs. We encourage applications to our internship program from diverse applicants. The VA Long Beach Psychology Department believes that diversity presents in multiple facets. We consider diversity as including various cultures, values, and experiences of trainees and faculty, as well as different theoretical models, research paradigms, and ways of professional practice. Our training program and service regularly work towards creating a culture of humility with respect to diversity knowledge, awareness, and skills. Our psychology training program, staff, and leadership value multicultural competence as a major objective of training. We benefit from the rich diversity of our staff, trainees, Veterans, and our local Long Beach community, and we infuse diversity discussions and training into every aspect of our program, including individual and group supervision, research and trainee projects, didactics, grand rounds, hiring, and seminars. We are committed as a staff to examining ways in which we fail to meet the needs of our diverse patients and trainees, and to
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engaging with our limitations, assumptions, and biases, to make sincere efforts towards growth. We expect that trainees will be committed to increasing their own multicultural competence through a variety of means, including tailoring treatment interventions and assessment approaches through an intersectional lens, genuine self-reflection in supervision and seminars, engaging in local and national VA diversity, equity, and inclusion training opportunities, and consultation with our diverse interprofessional staff. This work has always been critical, though often overlooked; we are committed to not looking away now.
Program Structure
Our internship program offers six full-time funded internship positions for the 2025-2026 class. Five of these positions are in the General Track and one is in the Neuropsychology Track (general internship with a special emphasis in neuropsychology). *For information on the adjustments we have made to training during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the hospital-wide safety protocols in place, please see the addendum on page 44 (at the end of this brochure). We have no way of knowing whether or how the pandemic will impact training during the 2025-2026 training year, but please know we continue to prioritize trainee and Veteran health and safety, and have been flexible in adapting to changes as they are needed while maintaining a high-quality training program that addresses trainee goals and needs. We plan to continue to be flexible as the situation evolves and appreciate the flexibility of our potential applicants, interviewees, and trainees as we navigate this together.
Accreditation Status
The doctoral internship at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. 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 1 st Street, NE, Washington, DC 2002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 e-mail: apaaccred@apa.org Internet: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES
Application Requirements and Process
We rely on the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers ’ (APPIC) portal for all application materials. We currently offer positions in two tracks:
1. General Track
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2. Neuropsychology Track (general internship with special emphasis in neuropsychology)
For General Track internship applicants, we expect at least three years of doctoral level study with 450 hours of practica intervention and 100 hours of assessment experience accrued prior to the application deadline. For Neuropsychology Track internship applicants, we expect at least three years of doctoral level study with 300 hours of practica intervention and 300 hours of assessment experience prior to the application deadline. Please note, our hours requirements have not changed; however, we are well aware of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on training for some students over recent years, and we will consider that impact when reviewing applications.
Along with the usual materials requested by the APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI Online), we request 3 letters of recommendation . In your cover letter, please indicate:
• Which track you are applying to, the General Track or the Neuropsychology Track (general internship with special emphasis in neuropsychology). Applicants can only apply to one track. • How you see our internship furthering your training in psychology • The rotations of most interest to you • How completing an internship with us will fulfill your career development goals and aspirations No additional supplemental materials (e.g., writing sample) are required. Please consider your interest in VA Long Beach carefully; in 2023 we had 132 completed applications for only six internship slots.
Please contact the Director of Training if you have any questions.
Leela Farina, Ph.D. Director of Psychology Doctoral Training Programs VA Long Beach Healthcare System Tibor Rubin Medical Center 5901 East 7th Street (06/116B)
Long Beach, CA 90822 Leela.Farina@va.gov Phone: 562-826-5604
Candidate Interviews
All application materials will be reviewed by the Psychology training program staff. We will send interview invitations via email by December 1 st , 2024. Interview days are Jan 3 rd , 6 th, 8 th , and 10 th , 2025 . Please contact the Director of Training if you have not heard from us by Dec 8 th , 2023.
Interviews will be offered only via virtual format , even for local applicants. Interview day will last from approximately 8am until 1pm. The day will start with a general orientation by the
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Director of Training, followed by two 60-minute individual interviews with staff members (one structured interview with set questions and one unstructured interview). General track internship applicants will interview with two general staff psychologists. Neuropsychology track internship applicants will interview with a neuropsychologist in addition to another general psychology staff member. We will make every effort to match you with two of your top choices for staff interviewers involved in internship training. Following interviews, candidates will hear rotation presentations from staff and have opportunities to ask questions using a virtual breakout session structure. The VA Long Beach doctoral internship program is invested in providing access for all people with disabilities and will provide accommodations if we are notified before the interviews. Reasonable accommodation requests for the interview process are readily entertained and expedited by the training faculty.
Match Process
We adhere strictly to the match policies established by APPIC. As noted in the “ Program Structure ” section below, we have two separate tracks with separate match numbers: General track (APPIC Match Number: 112911) Neuropsychology track (APPIC Match Number: 112912). 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. The only information that we may communicate to applicants prior to the February deadline is whether they are still under consideration for admission.
Additional information regarding the match is available through the APPIC National Matching Program at http://www.natmatch.com/psychint.
VA Eligibility Requirements
Internship funding can be provided only to students who are in good standing at an American Psychological Association (APA)- or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA)-accredited graduate program in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined psychology or at a Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) accredited program in Clinical Science. Students with a doctorate in another area of psychology who meet the APA or CPA criteria for re-specialization training in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology are also eligible. Only 52-week full-time internships are available. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adheres to all Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action policies. As a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Health Professions Trainee (HPT), you will receive a Federal appointment following the selection process, and the following requirements will apply prior to that appointment
U.S. Citizenship. HPTs who receive a direct stipend (pay) must be U.S. citizens.
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U.S. Social Security Number. All VA appointees must have a U.S. social security number (SSN) prior to beginning the pre-employment on-boarding process at the VA.
Selective Service Registration. Male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the Selective Service by age 26 to be eligible for U.S. government employment, including selection as a paid or WOC VA trainee. For additional information about the Selective Service System, and to register or to check your registration status visit https://www.sss.gov/. Anyone who was required to register but did not register before the age of 26 will need to apply for a Status Information Letter (SIL) and request a waiver. Waivers are rare and requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the VA Office of Human Resources Management. This process can take up to six months for a verdict. Fingerprint Screening and Background Investigation. All HPTs will be fingerprinted and undergo screenings and background investigations. Additional details about the required background checks can be found at the following website: http://www.archives.gov/federal- register/codification/executive-order/10450.html. Drug Testing. Per Executive Order 12564, the VA strives to be a Drug-Free Workplace. HPTs are not drug-tested prior to appointment, however, are subject to random drug testing throughout the entire VA appointment period. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgement form stating you are aware of this practice. See item 8 below. Affiliation Agreement. To ensure shared responsibility between an academic program and the VA there must be a current and fully executed Academic Affiliation Agreement on file with the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA). The affiliation agreement delineates the duties of VA and the affiliated institution. Most APA-accredited doctoral programs have an agreement on file. More information about this document can be found at https://www.va.gov/oaa/agreements.asp (see section on psychology internships). TQCVL. To streamline on-boarding of HPTs, VHA Office of Academic Affiliations requires completion of a Trainee Qualifications and Credentials Verification Letter (TQCVL). An Educational Official at the Affiliate must complete and sign this letter. Your VA appointment cannot happen until the TQCVL is submitted and signed by senior leadership from the VA facility. For more information about this document, please visit https://www.va.gov/OAA/TQCVL.asp Health Requirements. Among other things, the TQCVL confirms that you, the trainee, are fit to perform the essential functions (physical and mental) of the training program and immunized following current Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and VHA policy. This protects you, other employees and patients while working in a healthcare facility. Required are annual tuberculosis screening, Hepatitis B vaccine as well as annual influenza vaccine and the COVID- 19 vaccine(s). The flu vaccine is mandatory for all VA trainees and staff, except in the rare case of a documented medical exemption or deeply held religious belief that precludes being vaccinated.
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Primary source verification of all prior education and training is certified via the TQCVL. Training and Program Directors will be contacting the appropriate institutions to ensure you have the appropriate qualifications and credentials as required by the admission criteria of the training program in which you are enrolled. Additional On-boarding Forms. Additional pre-employment forms include the Application for Health Professions Trainees (VA 10-2850D) and the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF 306). These documents and others are available online for review at https://www.va.gov/oaa/app-forms.asp. Falsifying any answer on these required Federal documents will result in the inability to appoint or immediate dismissal from the training program. Proof of Identity per VA. VA on-boarding requires presentation of two source documents (IDs). Documents must be unexpired and names on both documents must match. For more information visit: https://www.oit.va.gov/programs/piv/_media/docs/IDMatrix.pdf
Additional information regarding eligibility requirements for appointment as a VA psychology HPT can be found at the following links:
https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/eligibility.asp https://www.psychologytraining.va.gov/docs/Trainee-Eligibility.pdf
Financial and Other Benefit Support for 2025-2026 Training Year
Annual Stipend/Salary for Full-time Interns Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-time Interns
$39,241
N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?
If access to medical insurance is provided: Trainee contribution to cost required? Coverage of family member(s) available? Coverage of legally married partner available?
Coverage of domestic partner available? Yes Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation) 4 hours per 2-week pay period Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave 4 hours per 2-week pay period
In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?
Yes
Other Benefits (please describe): Authorized Absence (AA) may be requested for off-site educational workshops/seminars, conferences, other approved training activities, graduation, and dissertation defense.
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CLINICAL TRACKS
Interns in the General Track will be assigned four 6-month clinical rotations that span different types of VA Long Beach HCS clinics, with two rotations co-occurring at each time. Rotations will be assigned using the method described below in the "Training Schedule and Rotations" section. The intern in the Neuropsychology Track is required to complete a year-long rotation in neuropsychology in addition to two 6-month general clinical rotations. This combination of rotation experiences as well as the programmatic elements described below provides the intern with generalist psychology training with a specific emphasis in neuropsychology. The internship program at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System is part of the Association for Internship Training in Clinical Neuropsychology (AITCN) and offers training opportunities consistent with the Houston Conference on Speciality Education and Training in Clinical Neuropsychology. For additional details regarding the specific neuropsychology training opportunities available within the neuropsychology rotation , please see the “ Training E xperiences” section listed below. Interns completing the Neuropsychology Track will be well-prepared for competitive postdoctoral fellowships in neuropsychology as well as board-certification in clinical neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
A visual depiction of the training year schedule for both general and neuropsychology track (general internship with special emphasis in neuropsychology) interns is listed below:
General Track Rotation Schedule:
First 6-months (August – February)
Second 6-months (February – August)
Rotation 1 Rotation 2
Rotation 3 Rotation 4
Neuropsychology Track Rotation Schedule:
First 6-months (August – February)
Second 6-months (February – August)
Rotation 1: Neuropsychology
Rotation 3: Neuropsychology
Rotation 2
Rotation 4
Training Schedule and Rotations
Utilizing information gained during Interviews, the Training Program brochure, and any additional questions or information gleaned from Training Program Director and/or Supervisors, interns will rank order their rotation preferences during the summer before the internship year begins. There will be additional opportunities to consult with the Director of Training as needed. Rotation schedules will then be drafted by the Director of Training and confirmed with Training Program Supervisors before being sent out to interns for review. Intern preferences and areas of
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specialization are strongly considered when determining these rotation schedules, but if interns have gaps in their training, it is important to fill those gaps throughout the training year. In order to ensure generalist training for all interns, rotation assignments must span different types of clinical settings. Please note that while the Directors of Training will do their best to accommodate intern preferences, no specific supervisor or rotation is guaranteed.
Workload/Time Allocation
All interns are expected to work 40 hours per week. This includes programmatic experiences and clinical rotation experiences. All interns are required to complete 2,080 hours of training (including any granted annual leave, sick leave, and authorize absence). Please see the COVID- 19 addendum at the end of this brochure for details on how this may have changed during pandemic restrictions. During the first month of the training year, interns are expected to identify their training goals and to work with their rotation supervisors to develop a schedule of activities for the year designed to meet these goals. The conceptualization going into the Individualized Training Plan (ITP) should involve self-assessment together with discussions with the supervisors to facilitate personal and professional growth and development.
A breakdown of the encouraged weekly time distribution across programmatic and clinical rotation experiences is listed below:
Programmatic Experiences: Seminars: 5 hours/week
Clinical Rotation Experiences:
Clinical Work: 18 – 20 hours/week (across both rotations)* Administrative Time: 8 – 10 hours/week (across both rotations)*
Supervision of practicum student/Assessment case: 3 hours/week Misc. Administrative Time: 4 hours/week
TOTAL = 12 hours TOTAL = 28 hours *The time allocation for clinical rotation experiences will differ depending on clinical rotation.
Supervision
Receiving supervision: Interns will schedule a total of four hours of supervision per week (10% of the interns' supervised professional experience time). At least two hours per week will be individual face-to-face supervision: interns are required to schedule at least one hour per week of individual face-to-face supervision with each of their two concurrent rotation supervisors. Additional weekly individual and group supervision is provided by the supervisors of the comprehensive assessment and provision of supervision cases (please see sections on the assessment and provision of supervision requirements below) and may also be provided by delegated supervisors within clinical rotations. Each intern has four primary supervisors throughout the year who are each responsible for the training experiences on their specific rotations. Supervisors assist in selecting patients and making referrals, representing Psychology
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with the intern in team meetings, and scheduling individual face-to-face and perhaps some group supervision sessions.
Providing Supervision: All interns (both general and neuropsychology track) will also have the opportunity to provide supervision to practicum students and receive group supervision of this experience in the Supervision of Supervision Seminar (please see seminar section below). Interns are allotted three hours of protected time per week to provide this supervision experience.
Assessment
Interns are required to complete one comprehensive assessment case with integrated report during the internship year (this can include psychodiagnostic testing, neuropsychological testing, capacity testing, and/or various health psychology evaluations). For those interns on rotations in which testing is part of their clinical rotations, one of these cases will suffice for assessment seminar, and the intern will present on that case. For those interns on rotations in which no comprehensive assessments are conducted within the clinic, a case will be assigned through assessment seminar and supervised by Assessment Seminar facilitator(s). A second case may be assigned for interns who need additional assessment experience in order to meet the minimum levels of achievement required for the assessment competency items.
Seminars and Other Meetings
Intern Seminar (weekly): Presentations for this seminar are coordinated by the Internship Training Director. These presentations are designed to build upon the existing knowledge base of our interns. A combination of topics will be chosen that are relevant to the VA clinical setting, address innovations and trends in psychology, encourage development of intersectional multicultural competence, and foster professional development. Intervention - Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Seminar (weekly): This seminar is coordinated by a staff psychologist and includes many guest presentations by other staff and supervisors. Presentations will cover didactics on a wide range of EBPs offered throughout the VA as well as trainee and staff case presentations demonstrating application of these EBPs on clinical rotations. Interns are expected to consider cultural and diversity factors and how they may impact implementation of specific EBPs. Supervision of Supervision Seminar (weekly): This seminar is coordinated by staff psychologists. In this seminar, interns will be introduced to various theories and models of clinical supervision as they develop their own philosophy and approach to supervision, whether they go on to be a research and/or clinical supervisor. Following the supervision didactic series, this seminar will serve as group supervision for interns who will be providing supervision to advanced practicum students on general individual psychotherapy cases. Diversity Seminar (weekly): This seminar is coordinated by staff psychologists and will include didactic presentations, readings, experiential exercises, and case consultation covering a wide range of diversity issues. Please note that in addition to the diversity seminar, diversity-related topics are emphasized in ALL intern training experiences on a daily basis, including the other
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seminars, clinical rotations, supervision, and in national VA opportunities (e.g., participation on national VA diversity listserv, attendance at free webinars, national conversations on diversity and inclusion and current events, and opportunities to apply to serve in national VA diversity committee roles). Assessment (bimonthly): This seminar is coordinated by staff psychologists and/or neuropsychologists. In this seminar, interns will be introduced to a wide range of psychological assessments including, but not limited to, the assessment of moderate to severe psychopathology, personality issues, cognitive impairment, and health-related assessments. The seminar will focus on assessment didactics, including: basic interpretations of commonly used tests at the VA (e.g., MMPI -3, PAI, MCMI-IV, self-report measures, MoCA) as well as introduction to common assessments at the VA (e.g. organ transplant, bariatric surgery). The seminars will also involve case presentation/consultation for interns who are completing their comprehensive assessment batteries and integrated reports.
Additional Opportunities:
Long-term Psychotherapy Case: Interns are allowed to carry up to one long-term psychotherapy case throughout the training year. Supervision may be provided by either the original supervising psychologist from the first half of the year, or if agreed upon, by the supervisor of the inte rn’s clinical rotations in the second half of the year. Intern Project: Interns have the option to complete a project of their choice during the year-long internship training year. This project may vary depending upon the individual intern's training experiences and career goals and may be conducted independently or in collaboration with other trainees or staff. If interested in completing a research project, interns will need to find a project advisor to develop and conduct their project. The project advisor can be any VA Long Beach staff member. The goal of the optional project is for the intern to study or to develop some component of services that will be of utility to others in the field. This project may have a research focus (e.g., program utilization or effectiveness), an educational objective (e.g., training other staff, patients or their family members; developing a Continuing Education (CE) module), a program development aim (e.g., new peer-led service, or community reintegration program), or clinical service provision goal (e.g., development of new treatment modality, or application of treatment to an under-served population). Other creative ideas are welcome. All projects should be based on scientific literature and have some form of measurable evaluation of their effectiveness and impact. If opting to complete a project, interns will need to complete a written Intern Project Proposal at the beginning of the training year, detailing their plan for developing and implementing the project over the training year. Interns who opt to complete a project will also be required to develop a PowerPoint presentation and present the details and results of their completed Intern Project to the department at the end of the training year. Upon completion of the project, the project advisor will evaluate the internship project using the Intern Project Outcome Evaluation form to determine how well the project met the established minimum levels of achievement.
Chief Intern: Interns will have the opportunity to serve as “Chief Intern , ” selected at the beginning of the training year. This can also be a rotating responsibility of two or three interns
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throughout the year. The Chief Intern provides monthly updates on the intern class to all Psychology staff and trainees via email, and gives a brief report on the intern cohort during Psychology staff meetings. The Chief Intern is also responsible for organzing the interns to meet for a regular intern lunch and other social/connection activities according to the group preferences. Other responsibilities of the Chief Intern include refining our intern interviewing process for each successive set of January interviews and serving as a general liaison between the internship class and the Directors of Training. If desired, there are opportunities to expand the duties of the Chief Intern if it fits into their current rotation schedules.
Psychology and Interdisciplinary Meetings
Staff Meetings: These occur monthly on rotating Wednesdays via Teams, and trainees are invited to attend from 11am – 11:25am.
Psychology Community Meetings: These occur monthly, alternating between the 1 st Thursday every other month at 12:30 – 1:00pm and the 2 nd Tuesday every other month at 1:00-1:30pm, both via Teams. Hear from Mental Health leadership on various topics including administrative issues, workload, system redesign, staff acknowledgements, and program updates. Team Meetings: These occur weekly on various days/times such as within the Combat PTSD or Women’s Mental Health clinics. You may discuss with your supervisors which meeting(s) occur within your clinics. Huddles: These occur daily in the mornings, depending on the team. They are brief, structured meetings that provide relevant updates and issues. You may discuss with your supervisors, and whether it is possible and beneficial for you to attend. The above meetings represent opportunities to interact with the broader psychology staff, as well as interdisciplinary staff from other areas. Please discuss with your supervisors which meetings are possible and beneficial for you to attend; you will plan to attend at least two meeting occurrences during the Fall and two during the Spring. Mentorship: In addition to supervision, interns have the option of receiving professional mentorship from psychology staff. A list of available mentors will be provided at the beginning of the training year. The role of a mentor is non-evaluative and flexible (CA-licensed is not required) and the mentor does not serve as a supervisor to the intern at any point in their training experience. Other Didactics: The internship program also includes educational opportunities such as lectures, locally hosted trainings (e.g., VA Long Beach hosts a yearly Polytrauma conference), as well as training opportunities through neighboring Southern California VAs.
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TRAINING EXPERIENCES
Below is a list of clinical rotations that are available for psychology interns at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System for the 2025-2026 training year. Please note that this list is subject to change due to changes in staffing or the development of new rotations.
1. 2. 3.
Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Blind Rehab Center (BRC)
Couples Therapy
4. Geropsychology – Community Living Center (CLC) & Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) 5. Geropsychology – Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) 6. Medical Psychology/Consultation & Liaison (C&L) 7. Mental Health Integration (MHI) in Hematology/Oncology 8. Neuropsychology 9. Outpatient Mental Health – Behavioral Health Interdiscipinary Program (BHIP) 10. Outpatient Mental Health – Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Laguna Hills, Placentia
11. Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) 12. Program for Traumatic Stress (Combat PTSD) 13. Spinal Cord Injury/Dysfunction (SCI/D) 14. Suicide Prevention 15. Women's Mental Health Clinic (WMHC)
1. Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Supervisor: Heather Mesa, Psy.D. & Heather Nelson, Psy.D.
Program : The inpatient psychologists will offer supervision on the Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. Trainees will work with an interdisciplinary team in providing care to Veterans hospitalized psychiatrically. Trainees will get an opportunity to work with Veterans with severe mental illness (SMI). Diagnoses treated include schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorders, major depressive disorder, PTSD, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. Trainees can elect to work on an acute adult unit, and/or a geriatric unit depending upon need and interest. Veterans on the geriatric unit commonly have diagnoses of dementia, in addition to aforementioned mental health conditions.
Psychology Training Provided: This rotation can be adapted based on the trainee’s interests and experiences, but will generally include the following:
• Trainees will obtain experience co-leading and eventually leading process and psychoeducational inpatient groups (e.g., brief integrative approaches). • Trainees will gain experience with conducting individual therapy with Veterans on the unit (e.g., brief integrative approaches, MI, solution focused, and supportive). • Trainees will obtain experience being a member of an interdisciplinary team. This includes attending rounds with psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, medical students, nursing staff, occupational therapists, social workers, and chaplains. If the team has
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difficulty with a patient’s presenting issues, Psychology may be called upon to help with consultation, behavior management, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. • Trainees will have the opportunity to have collaborative safety planning sessions with patients. A safety plan will be created that patients can use for crisis management and suicide prevention. • Trainees will have program development opportunities, including attending monthly interdisciplinary team meetings and expanding inpatient group programming.
Note: This rotation requires trainees to be on-site and meet with Veterans on the Unit.
2. Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) Supervisor: Ashley A. Vaillancourt, PhD
Program : The Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D., Blind Rehabilitation Center (BRC) is a 24-bed residential, inpatient rehabilitation program. We are 1 of 13 VA Blind Rehab Centers across the United States, making this a unique and specialized training setting. Notably, the skills learned in this rotation are beneficial for trainees interested in working with health/medical/rehabilitation populations. We serve Veterans or active-duty service members who are legally blind or have functional visual impairments. They are referred from across CA and flown in from other states to attend our program. Patients range in age from 20’s to their 100’s but most pat ients are older veterans in their 60s to 90s with legal blindness and others health conditions that may or may not be related to their vision loss (e.g., Diabetes, Hypertension, COPD). A smaller subset of returning Veterans with traumatic brain injuries or other neurological conditions and vision loss participate. The comprehensive rehabilitation training program in comprised of a variety of disciplines including Blind Rehabilitation (i.e., Living Skills, Manual Skills, Orientation & Mobility, Visual Skills, and Accessible Technologies), Medicine (i.e., Nurse Practitioner, Attending Physician), Nursing, Optometry, Psychology, Recreation Therapy, and Social Work. The psychologist and intern work closely with the above interdisciplinary team members to develop individualized rehabilitation treatment plans. Our goal is to assist Veteran’s in maximizing their rehabilitation potential during their stay. Assessments are completed for every admitting Veteran regarding adjustment to vision loss/blindness, cognitive functioning and overall mental and behavioral health. You will learn to administer brief cognitive screens, adapted for vision loss. More importantly, you will learn how to utilize information collected during interviews to create meaningful recommendations for Veteran and staff. Interventions include: disability affirmative psychotherapy, individual and group psychoeducation, stress reduction/relaxation training, behavioral management, and family education. More comprehensive neuropsychology testing opportunities are typically available, depending on trainee interest. As much as possible, I try to tailor the clinical experiences available to fit your needs and training goals.
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While most trainees do not go on to work with the blind, feedback is consistent that the skills learned are generalizable to complex medical populations and benefit those seeking assessment/conceptualization skills within this population. Psychology Training Provided: Interns obtain experience in reviewing medical records and observing and evaluating Veterans participating in the blind rehabilitation training program. As part of the assessment, interns will assess the psychological functioning of each patient as well as their adjustment to vision loss/blindness and coping mechanisms, including social support. In addition, during the initial assessment, interns will conduct cognitive screening exams. Training will include use of modified or alternative assessment tools appropriate to visually impaired and blind persons. Following the initial assessment, interns will be expected to produce a written report that will be shared with interdisciplinary team members working with the Veteran in a timely fashion and written in a manner that is suitable for a rehabilitation setting. Furthermore, interns will have the opportunity to assist Veterans to identify or develop coping strategies and deliver brief, evidence-based interventions focused on promoting rehabilitative gains and self- efficacy. Similarly, interns will have the opportunity to deliver group and family education programming as well as didactics to interdisciplinary team members. Interns also gain considerable experience working with interdisciplinary medical teams utilizing the consultation- liaison framework as well as develop a specialty knowledge base with regard to blindness, rehabilitation psychology, health psychology, and geropsychology. Depending on the interest of intern, there is opportunity to gain experience with neuropsychological testing. The knowledge and skills learned on this rotation are not unique to blind rehabilitation and can be generalized to other medical and rehabilitative populations. As such, this rotation can be particularly valuable in helping increase marketability for individuals hoping to work in a medical or rehabilitation setting.
EBP opportunities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Motivational Interviewing
Assessment opportunities: Neurocognitive screening (MoCA for the Blind, Oral TMT A&B) and more comprehensive neuropsychology evaluations
Cultural Competence Training: Trainees will be provided with the opportunity to learn about disability through a disability affirmative framework and how to adapt evidence-based treatment approaches in the context of this cultural lens. Trainees will become familiar with special considerations in working with Veterans with vision loss/blindness and learn how to advocate from inclusivity and promote disability affirmative competence in VA/medical setting. Majority of our Veterans also present with chronic health conditions, often in the context of aging, that present with unique opportunities to understand the way these factors, in addition to other salient identity variables (race, religion, sexual/gender identity, education, SES, cognitive status) may intersect.
Note: This rotation requires trainees to be on-site and meet with Veterans at bedside. No teleworking/telehealth options available.
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