Any remote components on internship?

[2slt77]

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Hi, I am a PsyD student and likely doing a non-appic internship (PLEASE NO HATE. I already know that’s not something that will be approved here). Firstly, if anyone here has found their own internship I would be grateful to be able to ask you a few questions.
My main question- as seeking a self-led placement- is whether any components of remote work are still included in any internships? I can’t find any guidelines from APA or anywhere else about it.
If you’ve been on internship recently, did you see any clients remotely and still count that as direct hours?
If so was there a specific threshold to keep below?
I know it’s accepted in plenty of private practice settings overall, but want to be aware of any particular requirements in the context of internship training.
Thank you very much!

 

[WisNeuro]

I would strongly urge you to contact the state boards where you plan to be licensed to see what they do and no not accept. That's going to be the potential pain point you'll have to navigate. Definitely going to be an uphill battle in some places.

 

[NHPsy97]

I know someone who stayed with their private practice externship site for a non-APPIC/APA internship, sees all their clients remotely, and is paid based on their number of direct contact hours per week. A word of caution: this individual also told me they receive practically no formal training. Every trainee's situation is different. Can I ask why you have decided on this path?

 

[Sanman]

Remote work may not be included in many internships now as the supervision requirements are onerous for telehealth and will vary by state. Some VA sites may have exemptions as a federal worksite, but I am guessing you are not there.

As an aside, no point in "hating" on you for a decision that has already been made. It will simply make your life harder as you will need to prove equivalency to any licensing board when you go to get licensed. I assume this site is also not apa approved. What happens when you go to get licensed in a new state 10 years out and that practice owner is out of contact or dead and cannot sign your paperwork? No proof of internship. These suggestions are there for a reason.

 

[2slt77]

Thank you very much for your considerate and informative responses.
I am gathering that while it can make things more difficult for future licensure, an internship at a private site where a portion of client hours and didactics take place remotely will still allow me to graduate. Is this right?
This is as long as my program doesn’t have any rules about this (waiting to hear back from them, but it’s not in their non-appic internship contract).
An ignorant question, but as far as supervision, how does it work to be seeing clients that may not be in the same state I or the supervisor are in? No potential issues there as long as supervisor holds license in that state?
Sanman you mentioned supervision requirements for telehealth- would you mind elaborating more or is this something straightforward I can just google?
NHPsy97- This student’s program knew about and approved this setup? Is it a quality reputable program?

​

 

[Sanman]

Thank you very much for your considerate and informative responses.
I am gathering that while it can make things more difficult for future licensure, an internship at a private site where a portion of client hours and didactics take place remotely will still allow me to graduate. Is this right?
This is as long as my program doesn’t have any rules about this (waiting to hear back from them, but it’s not in their non-appic internship contract).
An ignorant question, but as far as supervision, how does it work to be seeing clients that may not be in the same state I or the supervisor are in? No potential issues there as long as supervisor holds license in that state?
Sanman you mentioned supervision requirements for telehealth- would you mind elaborating more or is this something straightforward I can just google?
NHPsy97- This student’s program knew about and approved this setup? Is it a quality reputable program?

​

Whether you can graduate with this internship is solely at the discretion of your program. My program would not have allowed it.

Whether the hours will count or you have to redo them will be solely be at the discretion of whatever state licensing board you apply to at that time. State A may accept it and State B may say it does not count.

Legalities of interns seeing patients across state lines will be dictated by the laws of both of those states. You would need to clarify both legality and whether the hours were counted. There was a time during the pandemic where supervisors were required to be present in the telehealth session in order for interns to see patients via telehealth because we were not physically co-located in the same space. Like I said, it is complicated. I would direct these questions to your supervisor and check with both state boards.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Thank you very much for your considerate and informative responses.
I am gathering that while it can make things more difficult for future licensure, an internship at a private site where a portion of client hours and didactics take place remotely will still allow me to graduate. Is this right?
This is as long as my program doesn’t have any rules about this (waiting to hear back from them, but it’s not in their non-appic internship contract).
An ignorant question, but as far as supervision, how does it work to be seeing clients that may not be in the same state I or the supervisor are in? No potential issues there as long as supervisor holds license in that state?
Sanman you mentioned supervision requirements for telehealth- would you mind elaborating more or is this something straightforward I can just google?
NHPsy97- This student’s program knew about and approved this setup? Is it a quality reputable program?

​

Word of advice: What licensing boards will accept is more important than what your program will accept at this point. An internship that won’t allow you to get licensed isn’t worth the time or money, imo.

 

[PsyDr]

Thank you very much for your considerate and informative responses.
I am gathering that while it can make things more difficult for future licensure, an internship at a private site where a portion of client hours and didactics take place remotely will still allow me to graduate. Is this right?
This is as long as my program doesn’t have any rules about this (waiting to hear back from them, but it’s not in their non-appic internship contract).
An ignorant question, but as far as supervision, how does it work to be seeing clients that may not be in the same state I or the supervisor are in? No potential issues there as long as supervisor holds license in that state?
Sanman you mentioned supervision requirements for telehealth- would you mind elaborating more or is this something straightforward I can just google?
NHPsy97- This student’s program knew about and approved this setup? Is it a quality reputable program?

​

1) Will a non-APPIC site allow you to graduate- Set up a formal appointment with your DOC and/or dean, and ASK. None of us know what your program allows. Even if the manual says nothing about whatever you're calling this, your program can say "this doesn't count" after you complete this. Even if there is nothing that says "no", you're at the mercy of people who get to decide.

2) Will a non-APPIC, non-APA site make it more difficult to get licensure? - We don't know. Look up your state's laws. Then look up whatever PsyPACT/CPQ/ABPP require. (Hint: Psypact says this is a HUGE NO NO). Then try to predict where you will want to live for the next 40 years of your life. Then take a wild guess as to whether the laws will become more stringent with requirements, or less, over the next 40 years.

3) How does supervision work when you/supervisor/or the patient are in different states? You can't do this. Take 30 seconds to look that up, under psypact supervision. Even if this isn't a psypact thing Federal law defines supervision as being physically on site. IDK if that means that you'd be committing insurance fraud or not, given it's crossing state lines. Also some states require you to be physically present for some activities (e.g., giving testing feedback, hospitalizing someone, etc).

https://psypact.gov/page/PSYPACTandSupervision