School psychs applying for APPIC

[aagman01]

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Hey everyone,

Just curious what others know of the school-focused APA endorsed internship sites. Are there a good ranges of learning experiences (i.e. therapy in additon to the regular assessment and consultation we so often get in our practicums)? Here are the sites I was able to identify through APPIC site. Any suggestions on which to further pursue?

School Psychology - Houston, TX
School Psychology - Cypress-Fairbanks, TX
School Psychology - Fort Worth, TX
School Psychology - New Orleans, Louisiana
School Psychology - Lewisville, TX
School Psychology - Virginia Beach, VA
School Psychology - Illinois Internship Consortium
School Psychology - Tennessee School Psych Consortium
School Psychology - Dallas Public Schools
Milton Hershey School - Hershey, PA Columbia University

Also, does anyone know anyone who went through the APPIC (non-APA) "The School" at Columbia University?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've heard excellent things about the Cypress-Fairbanks placement. I met the current DCT last year through a faculty member at my university (a former DCT there), and the site has some awesome assessment opportunities. From what I remember, they offered training at different levels within the school system, as well as opportunities outside of direct school placements. They also have a great Rorschach/projectives supervisor. They place both clinical and school interns at the site, though I think it is much more geared towards school psychology. They also do a pre-internship retreat with a ropes course and team building activities. 😀

 

[psychmama]

I know it's not on your list, but I've heard Kennedy Kreiger Institute in MD is excellent. I know someone in school psych who did an internship there.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I know it's not on your list, but I've heard Kennedy Kreiger Institute in MD is excellent. I know someone in school psych who did an internship there.

Great site.

A friend a few years ahead of me did his internship there, and a cohort-mate is about to start there....great site.

Yes, t4c knows a lot people. 😀

 

[aagman01]

What other APA/APPIC sites can people speak positively or negatively about?

Great site.

A friend a few years ahead of me did his internship there, and a cohort-mate is about to start there....great site.

Yes, t4c knows a lot people. 😀

 

[aagman01]

T4C,

Just curious, is Scott (extensive crisis intervention work) the DCT of your program, by any chance ? As I recall from meeting him, he was quite proud of starting the first school-based APA endorsed intership at cypress (great person if it is him, btw...).

I've heard excellent things about the Cypress-Fairbanks placement. I met the current DCT last year through a faculty member at my university (a former DCT there), and the site has some awesome assessment opportunities. From what I remember, they offered training at different levels within the school system, as well as opportunities outside of direct school placements. They also have a great Rorschach/projectives supervisor. They place both clinical and school interns at the site, though I think it is much more geared towards school psychology. They also do a pre-internship retreat with a ropes course and team building activities. 😀

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

T4C,

Just curious, is Scott (extensive crisis intervention work) the DCT of your program, by any chance ? As I recall from meeting him, he was quite proud of starting the first school-based APA endorsed intership at cypress (great person if it is him, btw...).

He is a professor at my university (and former DCT of Cypress). I've been lucky enough to work and train with him. He's probably my favorite professor in the program.

 

[dekared82]

I've heard excellent things about the Cypress-Fairbanks placement. I met the current DCT last year through a faculty member at my university (a former DCT there), and the site has some awesome assessment opportunities. From what I remember, they offered training at different levels within the school system, as well as opportunities outside of direct school placements. They also have a great Rorschach/projectives supervisor. They place both clinical and school interns at the site, though I think it is much more geared towards school psychology. They also do a pre-internship retreat with a ropes course and team building activities. 😀

I also heard great things about CyFair...but the interns rarely do any type of cognitive assessment from what I have been told. They mostly do autism, behavioral issues, and counseling/therapy. I also heard of the ropes course too.

However, someone told me that since Scott left...the program now is not as great as it was when he was there.

 

[dekared82]

Hey everyone,

Just curious what others know of the school-focused APA endorsed internship sites. Are there a good ranges of learning experiences (i.e. therapy in additon to the regular assessment and consultation we so often get in our practicums)? Here are the sites I was able to identify through APPIC site. Any suggestions on which to further pursue?

School Psychology - Houston, TX
School Psychology - Cypress-Fairbanks, TX
School Psychology - Fort Worth, TX
School Psychology - New Orleans, Louisiana
School Psychology - Lewisville, TX
School Psychology - Virginia Beach, VA
School Psychology - Illinois Internship Consortium
School Psychology - Tennessee School Psych Consortium
School Psychology - Dallas Public Schools
Milton Hershey School - Hershey, PA Columbia University

Also, does anyone know anyone who went through the APPIC (non-APA) "The School" at Columbia University?

Sarah Reed Children's Center is another site...they prefer school psych students.

The Nebraska Internship Consortium also excepts predominantly school psych students (e.g., Munroe Meyer Institute, Omaha Public Schools, Boystown in particular)

I also read that Denton ISD, Texas (near Fort Worth/Dallas) was just accredited.

 

[sicologia]

Since doctoral-level school psychologists also need good training in their fields, I think that this thread is really wonderful and important. However, school psychologists now and in the past have not been limited to internships with a school psychology focus. Two years ago, I read that school psychology pre-doctoral interns accounted for less than 20% of the APPIC/APA internships available. I, for one, feel that it is of great importance to be a good clinician in order to be a viable school psychologist and learning from a clinical psychology APPIC pre-doctoral internship can prove invaluable to future endeavors in the field.

 

[aagman01]

I agree. In fact, my future plans likely do NOT include working in schools. It seems much easier to find out information about hospital/community sites than it is about school sites.

My plan is to apply to both school and clinical/community sites, with the hopes of getting into a site at a community mental health center or hospital and with the school sites as backup sites. We have to be honest, though --- we in school psych are often not as competitive for many non-school sites as counseling and clinical applicants. This is for a variety of reasons, which I think especially include (a) a bias against us from the other 2 professional fields of psychology (b) lack of assessment/intervention hours to be competitive for many sites. Clinical and counseling programs are often 6-7 years in duration, and students there will commonly accrue over 1000 assessment/intervention hours. This is often very challenging to do in school psych programs where students are often encouraged to be in and out in 4-5 years .

Since doctoral-level school psychologists also need good training in their fields, I think that this thread is really wonderful and important. However, school psychologists now and in the past have not been limited to internships with a school psychology focus. Two years ago, I read that school psychology pre-doctoral interns accounted for less than 20% of the APPIC/APA internships available. I, for one, feel that it is of great importance to be a good clinician in order to be a viable school psychologist and learning from a clinical psychology APPIC pre-doctoral internship can prove invaluable to future endeavors in the field.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

There are definitely some obstacles for school psych applicants, though if a person carefully screens their sites, they can find the ones that may be a better fit for them. I interviewed with a school psych person at a competitive hospital, and while they did very well in the peds group interview, they definitely had issues with the neuro and adult interviews because they lacked the hours/experience compared to the rest of us (all clinical students). Alternatively, I interviewed at a competitive hospital with a specific peds track that was a great fit for a school psych person, and much less for someone like me who has limited testing experience with kids (which is why I was only interview for the Adult track).

 

[sicologia]

Yes, I agree that the process is becoming more and more competitive by nature. I also agree that many internship programs do carry a bit of a biases for clinical psychology students over counseling and school psychology students. However, as T4C explained, some sites (e.g. Pediatric tracks within Hospital and Community Health Centers) appear to have given some school psychologists a fair shake since their training may align with what the training directors are looking for in an applicant.

As a doctoral level school psychologist, I also plan on working outside of the schools (e.g. hospitals, children and adolescent health centers, advocacy work, academia) and have found that it has become more and more difficult for school psychologists to land clinical psychology predoctoral internships. Of course, the shortage of APPIC/APA internship sites does not help for folks in this arena. However, as I went through the process last year, I saw that it does occur that some folks got matched, possibly because they had gone above and beyond their training programs (e.g. teaching opportunities, extra publications in specific areas of interests, extra coursework in clinical/neuro/pediatric psychology) and simply matched to a clinical site better than other applicants. My advice is to continue to work hard and make yourself competitive at all costs. Try not to buy into the implied biases that a lot of folks continue to churn and even firmly believe. Only you can present yourself and your credentials to the internship sites as best you can. Perhaps, the sites you are looking at may just be looking for someone with exactly your credentials and experience. Best of luck!

 

[JP West]

Aagman01,

I know a school psyc student who did an internship with "The School" at Columbia University. She seemed to like it a lot but didn't talk about any interesting programs or opportunities available at that site. I think she had a good balance of clinical work, assessment, and consultation in the context of a pretty "mellow" school environment.

I'm starting to work on my APPIC application but I'm only applying to non-school sites since I am doing a traditional school psychology internship this year. Almost no students in my program have gone through this process and I'm wondering if anyone has advice for school psycs going after hospital sites. While I do have solid intervention and assessment hours (for a school psyc., my hours are not as robust as many clinical candidates, I'm sure) I need all the help I can get with strategizing to get a position. Any words of wisdom? Should I emphasize my school psyc training in assessment? Help!

Thanks 😀

 

[Salsybabe]

I'm a school psych person applying to hospital settings and a few schools through APPIC. I'm interested in pediatric neuropsych. I'm getting that experience now in a hospital setting and will continue to do it for this upcoming school year. I will probably emphasize my assessment skills for my sites because of the experience I have, although I do have counseling experience, too. From what my school told me (and we will be having more APPIC meetings this fall) is that people in my program apply to APPIC when they want non-school sites. They don't recommend applying to APPIC if you just want to do a school setting. The DOT said that we compete with clinical child students in applying to non-school settings. I do plan to apply to a good number of sites because of how competitive it is. But I would feel that way even if I was a clinical psych student.

 

[aagman01]

Thanks for the responses!

I should have about 800 face to face hours in total - about 300 of those in school, 400 in two different mental health centers (providing parent/family and child/adolescent therapy) and 100 hours providing assessment in a hospital setting. I will have around 1500 hours total. I probably have between 20 and 30 comprehensive reports written up. How does this compare with school psych people applying through APPIC? I look at the numbers and I feel I will be competitive for the type of sites I am most interested in (i.e. children's hospital or community mental health centers). Am I on target? Will I be competitive with the counseling/clinical people?

Thanks!

I'm a school psych person applying to hospital settings and a few schools through APPIC. I'm interested in pediatric neuropsych. I'm getting that experience now in a hospital setting and will continue to do it for this upcoming school year. I will probably emphasize my assessment skills for my sites because of the experience I have, although I do have counseling experience, too. From what my school told me (and we will be having more APPIC meetings this fall) is that people in my program apply to APPIC when they want non-school sites. They don't recommend applying to APPIC if you just want to do a school setting. The DOT said that we compete with clinical child students in applying to non-school settings. I do plan to apply to a good number of sites because of how competitive it is. But I would feel that way even if I was a clinical psych student.

 

[JP West]

In terms of face-to-face hours, I have the following...

275 - hospital affiliated outpatient clinics (clinical and assessment hours)
125 - preschool/elementary/middle schools (clinical/assessment)
175 - hospital based neuropsych testing

A total of about 575 hours....

I will likely have two sets of applications, one set for peds neuropsych placements and a second (safer) set for general behavioral health settings with rotations for various kinds of assessment.

My letters of rec will be very strong and one will be from a ped neuropsychologist, but I have no significant publications or presentations. I am however able to provide services in Spanish...

Can anyone speak to my chances for APA approved internships in Neuropsychology or otherwise?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

There are quite a few more factors that go into an applicant's ability to secure an internship spot: Essays, "fit" in training, the reputation of your training program, course work, etc.

The students who look for neuro placements tend to be very competitive, so your lack of publications and presentations may be a red flag....at least for academically affiliated placements. I didn't consider myself a strong neuro candidate, so I stuck to placements that would meet the Houston Guidelines, but weren't generally the Top Tier in placements. You should still try for a few reach programs, but be sure to give yourself a good range of placements. Your mentor/mentors may be able to give you more accurate estimates, as they would be more familiar with your program and where prior students have been placed.

 

[JP West]

Thanks, T4C

I will certainly not limit myself only to neuro placements.

What is the best way to assess the competitiveness of the neuro programs? Which are the "top tier" and which are less competitive? I've seen the Div 40 lists and other similar lists, but I'm not sure how to determine which ones are higher reaches....

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Thanks, T4C

I will certainly not limit myself only to neuro placements.

What is the best way to assess the competitiveness of the neuro programs? Which are the "top tier" and which are less competitive? I've seen the Div 40 lists and other similar lists, but I'm not sure how to determine which ones are higher reaches....

I think a lot of it is word of mouth. I'd look to people in the field, where they trained, and where they get their post-docs and/or employees. The Div 40 list is definitely a great place to start.

 

[aagman01]

The Virginia Public Schools has an APPIC/APA endorsed internship. They have a neuropsych track. Since its a school-related site, the hours tend to be less competitive (I believe) than in hospital settings. Good luck! 🙂

In terms of face-to-face hours, I have the following...

275 - hospital affiliated outpatient clinics (clinical and assessment hours)
125 - preschool/elementary/middle schools (clinical/assessment)
175 - hospital based neuropsych testing

A total of about 575 hours....

I will likely have two sets of applications, one set for peds neuropsych placements and a second (safer) set for general behavioral health settings with rotations for various kinds of assessment.

My letters of rec will be very strong and one will be from a ped neuropsychologist, but I have no significant publications or presentations. I am however able to provide services in Spanish...

Can anyone speak to my chances for APA approved internships in Neuropsychology or otherwise?

 

[aagman01]

Also, is your current school internship under a licensed psychologist? If so, the hours should count towards your APA internship. So I would think you have many more hours than you listed.

Aagman01,

I know a school psyc student who did an internship with "The School" at Columbia University. She seemed to like it a lot but didn't talk about any interesting programs or opportunities available at that site. I think she had a good balance of clinical work, assessment, and consultation in the context of a pretty "mellow" school environment.

I'm starting to work on my APPIC application but I'm only applying to non-school sites since I am doing a traditional school psychology internship this year. Almost no students in my program have gone through this process and I'm wondering if anyone has advice for school psycs going after hospital sites. While I do have solid intervention and assessment hours (for a school psyc., my hours are not as robust as many clinical candidates, I'm sure) I need all the help I can get with strategizing to get a position. Any words of wisdom? Should I emphasize my school psyc training in assessment? Help!

Thanks 😀

 

[JP West]

Thanks for that tip about Virginia Beach...

In terms of hours, I was projecting the school hours into the future, in other words, the hours I'll get between September and Nov. 1st when I start my school internship. With the exception of one semester at a head start, I've never worked in a school setting! I've worked at two outpatient mental health clinics that are operated by medical centers and located in a school building. They are independent of the school but there was a lot of opportunity for teacher consultation and classroom observation.

 

[PhDshallsee]

Actually (and thankfully), there are a lot of options for school psychs these days.

Some include--

duPont Children's Hospital (Wilmington, DE)
Kennedy Kreiger Institute (Baltimore, MD)
University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics (Minneapolis, MN)
Marcus Institute/Children's Health Care of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Cincinnati Children's Hospital (Cincinnati, OH)
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Philly, PA)
Children's Hospital of Michigan (Detroit, MI)
Children's Primary (Salt Lake City, UT)
Munroe-Meyer Insitute (Omaha, Nebraska)
Children's Mercy (Kansas, City)
May Institute (Boston, MA)
Children's Memorial (Chicago, IL)


ALL of those programs are APA accredited. ALL have accepted school psych students before (and there are a lot more I didn't list).

While there are some who won't look at School Psychs, clearly a lot of Children's Hospitals do. In fact, I know a few of the places listed above who have accepted COUNSELING psych students.

The key is in training. Almost all of these places require a good number of hours in a pediatric setting. Traditionally, this is not where school psychologists train, which is why they traditionally do not get these internships. This however, is changing.

It used to be clinical psych students doing child clinical things in medical and clinic settings. Those settings still exist--places like Sarah Reed, the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, and Boys and Girls town come to mind. It's more emotional disorders, conduct disorders, etc. However, hospitals are now looking for people with pediatric focus--how do we manage medical adherence issues? Neuropsych testing before and after chemo? Behavior disorders (out the ying yang! )....and I guess school psych seemed the perfect specialty to tackle these issues--a licensed psychologist at the PhD level is a licensed psychologist--the exam is not different for each speciality. You'd be stunned how many children's hospitals have a pediatric psychologist who is a school psychologist! The Kennedy Kreiger is FULL of them! 🙂

I am blessed to be at a large university with a nationally ranked children's hospital where a large chunk of the staff psychologists are school psychologists (former graduates, actually), and we have ample practicum opportunities over there for all 5 years we're in the program. It is the reason I chose the program.

Definitely check out pediatric practa in your area. A good chunk of hours in a pediatric setting will even the playing field with a lot of those sites above.

I am only beginning my second year, but I will hopefully remain competitive to get one of these positions years from now and report back!

 

[aagman01]

Thanks for the discussion on Kreiger Institute.

There are 221 sites in total that say they will accept school psychs. Of those, only about 20 are school-based. That means there are 200 non-school focused sites that accept school psych doctoral interns (a few of which were listed by PhDshallsee that I am replying to).

Do people have other nice, anecdotal information on sites that are primarily non-school in setting, which accept school psych doc students?

Actually (and thankfully), there are a lot of options for school psychs these days.

Some include--

duPont Children's Hospital (Wilmington, DE)
Kennedy Kreiger Institute (Baltimore, MD)
University of Minnesota Hospitals and Clinics (Minneapolis, MN)
Marcus Institute/Children's Health Care of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA)
Cincinnati Children's Hospital (Cincinnati, OH)
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Philly, PA)
Children's Hospital of Michigan (Detroit, MI)
Children's Primary (Salt Lake City, UT)
Munroe-Meyer Insitute (Omaha, Nebraska)
Children's Mercy (Kansas, City)
May Institute (Boston, MA)
Children's Memorial (Chicago, IL)


ALL of those programs are APA accredited. ALL have accepted school psych students before (and there are a lot more I didn't list).

While there are some who won't look at School Psychs, clearly a lot of Children's Hospitals do. In fact, I know a few of the places listed above who have accepted COUNSELING psych students.

The key is in training. Almost all of these places require a good number of hours in a pediatric setting. Traditionally, this is not where school psychologists train, which is why they traditionally do not get these internships. This however, is changing.

It used to be clinical psych students doing child clinical things in medical and clinic settings. Those settings still exist--places like Sarah Reed, the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, and Boys and Girls town come to mind. It's more emotional disorders, conduct disorders, etc. However, hospitals are now looking for people with pediatric focus--how do we manage medical adherence issues? Neuropsych testing before and after chemo? Behavior disorders (out the ying yang! )....and I guess school psych seemed the perfect specialty to tackle these issues--a licensed psychologist at the PhD level is a licensed psychologist--the exam is not different for each speciality. You'd be stunned how many children's hospitals have a pediatric psychologist who is a school psychologist! The Kennedy Kreiger is FULL of them! 🙂

I am blessed to be at a large university with a nationally ranked children's hospital where a large chunk of the staff psychologists are school psychologists (former graduates, actually), and we have ample practicum opportunities over there for all 5 years we're in the program. It is the reason I chose the program.

Definitely check out pediatric practa in your area. A good chunk of hours in a pediatric setting will even the playing field with a lot of those sites above.

I am only beginning my second year, but I will hopefully remain competitive to get one of these positions years from now and report back!

 

[JP West]

For all of you school psycs applying to non-school district settings like hospitals, how are you addressing your school psyc background in your application essays ?

I've gotten very different opinions from people I have turned to for advice. Some said to brush over it and emphasize my experiences and why they qualify me for a hospital based internship. Others have suggested emphasizing the unique skills I have from school psyc training.

Thoughts?

 

[aagman01]

Hey,

I would focus on strengths that your personal experiences in school psych bring. You likely have a much stronger emphasis on assessment that counseling folks have, and you likely have more experience with problem solving/assessment for behavioral problems and the like with youth than the clinical folks. So talk up your strenghts. Many hospitals seem to hire doctoral-level school psychs (and your obviously applying to only hospitals that specifically stated they accept school psychs), so do not approach your application as if you are a second rate choice for a hospital setting. Good luck!

For all of you school psycs applying to non-school district settings like hospitals, how are you addressing your school psyc background in your application essays ?

I've gotten very different opinions from people I have turned to for advice. Some said to brush over it and emphasize my experiences and why they qualify me for a hospital based internship. Others have suggested emphasizing the unique skills I have from school psyc training.

Thoughts?

 

[JP West]

Just curious how everyone is doing... I've gotten 5 applications in so far and will do another handful this weekend. Such a grueling process in so many ways 😱

Question for anyone who has done this already, how long are the treatment summaries that are sent in for supplemental materials? I am not accustomed to writing these as I've mostly been doing hospital work where everything is computerized and goes into automated text boxes. I imagine they could range from 2 to 5 pages? I guess I'm not sure how much detail is necessary, particularly in recapping what I actually DID over 25 weeks as a therapist on a long term case.

Thanks, and hope you are all hanging in there!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Just curious how everyone is doing... I've gotten 5 applications in so far and will do another handful this weekend. Such a grueling process in so many ways 😱

Question for anyone who has done this already, how long are the treatment summaries that are sent in for supplemental materials? I am not accustomed to writing these as I've mostly been doing hospital work where everything is computerized and goes into automated text boxes. I imagine they could range from 2 to 5 pages? I guess I'm not sure how much detail is necessary, particularly in recapping what I actually DID over 25 weeks as a therapist on a long term case.

Thanks, and hope you are all hanging in there!

IIRC, my treatment summary sample was maybe ~3/4pg, single spaced. Since it is a summary, I'd think you'd want something rather concise.

 

[JP West]

I thought I would revive this thread since there seems to be a lot more posters now on the main internship thread. How are the school psyc. applicants doing in terms of interviews? So far I have interviews at:

Children's Hospital LA
UNM Health Sciences Center
Nebraska Consortium - Munroe Meyer
Applewood

Still waiting for 4 more sites to notify me...

 

[sininen]

I'm a school psych applicant. I did not try to apply to many non-school settings, as, even though they say we are "acceptable" the often do not actually take us. So, I focused on schools. Here is how my application has gone so far:

Interviews:
Cypress fairbanks ISD
Dallas ISD
Ft. Worth ISD
Illinois Consortium
Lewisville ISD
Louisana Consortium
Nebraska Consortium (JP West, I am also interviewing at Monroe Meyer)
Sarah A. Reed
Virginia Beach

Rejections:
Devereux
Marcus Autism Center
Tennessee Consortium
University of Minnesota

Still waiting to hear from:
Houston

 

[childpsych11]

I'm a school psych applicant. I did not try to apply to many non-school settings, as, even though they say we are "acceptable" the often do not actually take us. So, I focused on schools. Here is how my application has gone so far:

Interviews:
Cypress fairbanks ISD
Dallas ISD
Ft. Worth ISD
Illinois Consortium
Lewisville ISD
Louisana Consortium
Nebraska Consortium (JP West, I am also interviewing at Monroe Meyer)
Sarah A. Reed
Virginia Beach

Rejections:
Devereux
Marcus Autism Center
Tennessee Consortium
University of Minnesota

Still waiting to hear from:
Houston

When did you hear from Marcus Autism Center? I'm still waiting.

 

[sininen]

I got a letter from Marcus on Saturday.

 

[childpsych11]

A snail mail letter? *Going to check mailbox again. Good luck. Boy this just stinks.

 

[sininen]

Yep - good old fashioned paper. Perhaps they e-mail for acceptances, so I wouldn't disregard your e-mail either, though I'm sure you aren't.

I just got an interview at Houston! That completes my list! YAY! Now, on to the next anxiety riddled part - interviews!

 

[childpsych11]

Congrats! February 22nd cannot come soon enough!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Wondering how this all went post-match.

 

[JP West]

Matched at my first choice, after interviewing at 6 different sites. I applied to 17 sites.

I think my success was in part due to having applied without any geographical restrictions. Also, I have a decent command of Spanish and tons of experience with Hispanic populations.

If you have any more questions, please p.m. and I'll give you more details.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Matched at my first choice, after interviewing at 6 different sites. I applied to 17 sites.

I think my success was in part due to having applied without any geographical restrictions. Also, I have a decent command of Spanish and tons of experience with Hispanic populations.

If you have any more questions, please p.m. and I'll give you more details.

Consider some excellent school psych sites are in Texas, this is a very valuable skill to have.

 

[4Ever]

This fall, I applied to school psychology programs, so I am many years away from the match. However, I had a question about counting hours for APPIC.

If someone attends a specialist program in school psychology before beginning a PhD program, can the practicum hours and internship hours acquired during the specialist degree be counted?

 

[aagman01]

THere is space to share/capture those hours/experiences. However, I do NOT believe those hours counted towards total hours---verify that with someone else, though, to be sure 🙂.

This fall, I applied to school psychology programs, so I am many years away from the match. However, I had a question about counting hours for APPIC.

If someone attends a specialist program in school psychology before beginning a PhD program, can the practicum hours and internship hours acquired during the specialist degree be counted?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

THere is space to share/capture those hours/experiences. However, I do NOT believe those hours counted towards total hours---verify that with someone else, though, to be sure 🙂.

I believe aagman is correct--the hours would not count toward your doctoral hour totals on the APPIC application, but could be captured elsewhere (e.g., there are separate master's-level hours portions)

 

[Eternalstudent2]

Does anyone have any knowledge of research friendly sites that take available school psych applicants? A search on APPIC for sites with a major research rotation pulls up 16 (mostly very competitive) sites that are about what I'd expect- Kennedy K., CHOP, Nebraska Consortium, Marcus Autism Center, etc. A search for those offering any research rotation pulls up over 100, but I know that what that means can vary widely from site to site. I still have a few years until I'm applying, but it would still be nice to hear people's thoughts and experiences.

 

[aagman01]

I interviewed at one such internship site last month. The University of Texas Health Science Center (in San Antonio). You are in two rotations, for a half year each. One of the rotations can be a research rotation if you wish. For example, one intern there right now did half her year at a adolescent prison and half her year on a PTSD research tract (an adult tract, in affiliation with the VA research center in San Antonio). The only requirements at the site, according to the TD, is that one selects to do one rotation with adults and one with children/adolescents.

Does anyone have any knowledge of research friendly sites that take available school psych applicants? A search on APPIC for sites with a major research rotation pulls up 16 (mostly very competitive) sites that are about what I'd expect- Kennedy K., CHOP, Nebraska Consortium, Marcus Autism Center, etc. A search for those offering ant research rotation pulls up over 100,but I knowthat what that means can vary widely from site to site. I still have a few years until I'm applying, but it would still be nice to hear people's thoughts and experiences.

 

[schoolpsych87]

I am a first year school psych student in a PHD program and planning on applying to APPIC sites. I a bit concerned with how many sites only want clinical/counseling students over school psych. I would like to work in a school district only if it is more clinical based and less assessment focused- diagnoses in the schools, teacher consultation, school based mental health, behavior issues are all areas of interest. For those who are applying to internship now, what is your advice on how to properly prepare in your graduate school experience as a school psych student (practicum experiences, coursework, research etc.) to be a good candidate for APPIC, APA approved clinical sites? Many school psych programs require that the first two years be in a school setting so that only allows the last two years for experience in a clinical setting. Is that enough?

 

[jnine]

what are your career goals?

I am a first year school psych student in a PHD program and planning on applying to APPIC sites. I a bit concerned with how many sites only want clinical/counseling students over school psych. I would like to work in a school district only if it is more clinical based and less assessment focused- diagnoses in the schools, teacher consultation, school based mental health, behavior issues are all areas of interest. For those who are applying to internship now, what is your advice on how to properly prepare in your graduate school experience as a school psych student (practicum experiences, coursework, research etc.) to be a good candidate for APPIC, APA approved clinical sites? Many school psych programs require that the first two years be in a school setting so that only allows the last two years for experience in a clinical setting. Is that enough?

 

[aagman01]

I am a school psych person at a clinical internship right now (based out of a medical school). Some recommendations that quickly come to my mind, based on my experiences:

---Take as many practicum outside of schools as you can. I actually did a school and non-school practicum at the same time, completing 3 external practicum.
---Try to pick out an area you want to specialize in (autism/developmental disablities is a good fit for school psych training and frequently school psychs are accepted at or above others at many sites). You can pick others as well, obviously.
---Try to complete at least some practicum training with challenging populations (e.g. medical inpatient, CMHC)
---Take some assessment and treatment/intervention classes in clinical psych if you can course wise.
---Get involved with research, and try to get at least 1-2 pubs and 2-3 presentations

Good luck 🙂

I am a first year school psych student in a PHD program and planning on applying to APPIC sites. I a bit concerned with how many sites only want clinical/counseling students over school psych. I would like to work in a school district only if it is more clinical based and less assessment focused- diagnoses in the schools, teacher consultation, school based mental health, behavior issues are all areas of interest. For those who are applying to internship now, what is your advice on how to properly prepare in your graduate school experience as a school psych student (practicum experiences, coursework, research etc.) to be a good candidate for APPIC, APA approved clinical sites? Many school psych programs require that the first two years be in a school setting so that only allows the last two years for experience in a clinical setting. Is that enough?