Child and Adolescent Psychology Doctoral Internship

The internship program is structured to be a full-time, 12-month experiential training experience. Each internship year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 the following year. Interns work five days per week between the hours of 8am and 5pm, including the possibility of one late evening per week. Hours worked per week generally range from 40-45. There is no "on-call" coverage. The internship program has an emphasis on clinical child and pediatric psychology and focuses on evidence-based assessment and intervention services. Doctoral interns work with a range of clinical presentations, as well as largely underserved patients and families. Clinical services and training activities are conducted in-person, following safety guidelines, and via virtual/telehealth platforms.

Both brief and longer-term outpatient and day treatment interventions, in group and individual formats, are available. Measurement-based care is emphasized, and interns will gain skills in assessment in several settings. Interns work collaboratively with a team of providers (e.g., medical residents/fellows, nurses, pediatricians, social workers, licensed professional counselors, psychiatrists, etc.), and are actively involved in clinical teaching and supervision. Upon successful completion of the internship program, trainees are expected to have met all doctoral internship requirements (1,750 hours) needed for licensure (as outlined in Texas statutes).

• Interns dedicate time to direct service activities related to assessment, intervention, consultation, and inter-professional collaborations. About 80% of time is spent in clinical service-related activities.
• Interns may gain experience and expertise with a range of clinical child presenting problems, including disruptive behaviors, anxiety, depression, trauma, and suicide and self-harm.
• Interns may gain experience and expertise with a range of pediatric psychology presenting problems, including pain, adolescent medicine, eating disorders, hematology/oncology, and inpatient consultation/liaison.
• The amount of time that is devoted to direct service delivery varies, but ranges from 12-16 hours of face-to-face services per week.
• Time for preparation, documentation, phone calls, care coordination, etc. will be built into weekly schedules.

• Interns can spend 10% of their time (4 hours per week) in research activities. Interns can work on their dissertation during this time, and they are also expected to complete a scholarly activity during their internship year (e.g., poster or manuscript submission, conference talk, quality improvement project, program development proposal, etc.).
• Interns participate in a monthly seminar to support them in meeting their scholarly requirements and receive mentoring from faculty who are engaged in similar scholarly activities.
• TTUHSC Lubbock is a part of two state-wide research networks that may be of interest to interns:
  • Texas Childhood Trauma Research Network
  • Texas Youth Depression & Suicide Research Network

Didactics focused on evidence-based assessment and intervention:

• Case Conference: discussion of cases, biopsychosocial case formulations, assessments, differential diagnoses, interventions, and video review of sessions
• Disease Specific Topics: a 4-part series focused on one mental health disorder. The first week of the month focuses on diagnosis. The second week provides a brief overview of assessments/interventions. On the third week of the month, psychology and psychiatry divide to take a closer look at evidenced based assessments/interventions within their respective disciplines. On the fourth week, learners engage in a Problem-Based Learning assignment, where they work in interdisciplinary groups to solve an open-ended vignette.
• Special Topics: discussion related to various mental health disorders, healthcare systems, and supportive interventions.
• Morbidity and Mortality Conference: a critical examination of system processes related to assessment, treatment, and overall care to plan for or avoid trouble-spots in the future
• Invited Speaker/Grand Rounds: in depth discussion regarding a special topic of expertise and clinical cases

Didactics focused on scholarly inquiry:

• Journal Club: critical examination of research articles, conclusions, and clinical implications
• Research Seminar: accountability and support for completion of scholarly requirements
• Scholars Symposium: learner presentations of scholarly activity

Didactics focused on general competencies related to health service psychology:

• Professional Development Seminar: discussion of professional development topics relevant for advanced learners and early-career psychologists
• Healthcare Competences/Ethics Seminar: discussion of various topics necessary to work successfully within the healthcare field as well as the study and application of ethical principles and decision-making
• Supervision Seminar: development of skills related to consultation, supervision, and teaching
• Training Director Meeting/Program Evaluation Retreat: reflection on program strengths and growth areas and time for shared governance
• Team Building/Volunteering: opportunity for internship and engagement with the local community
• Connections Curriculum: discussion of individual and cultural factors in thoughtful ways to increase connections with others
• Wellbeing Activity: activity to enhance individual and group wellness and wellbeing
• State of the Department: learn about departmental growth, vision, and finances

Additional Unstructured Didactic Opportunities:

• Additional scheduled orientations to clinics, policies, curriculum, and basic therapeutic skills are scheduled in July during onboarding.
• American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/education-career#cetrain
• FIU Center for Children and Families: https://effectivechildtherapy.fiu.edu/
• TTUHSC Events
• Learners are encouraged to participate in workshops and conferences.

Interns receive at least four hours of supervision per week (10% of time) from licensed psychologists (in the state of Texas) who carry professional practice responsibility for the cases being supervised. At least two of those hours are regularly scheduled individual supervision. The other two hours of supervision are obtained in a variety of formats, including additional individual supervision, group supervision, and tiered supervision (e.g., with postdoctoral fellow and licensed psychologist). Supervisors will review documents, review video/audio taped sessions, and engage in live observation. Further, interns have access to consultation and supervision during times they are providing clinical services. 

Supervisors are responsible for reviewing with the interns the relevant scientific and empirical bases for the professional services delivered by the interns. Supervisors participate actively in the program's planning, implementation, and evaluation and serve as professional role models to the interns consistent with the program's training aims and expected competencies.

Core Supervisors:

• James E. Barnett, Ph.D
• Gabriela Lelakowska, Ph.D.
• Emily Pali, Ph.D.
• Natalie Scanlon, Ph.D.
• Rebecca Sherrier, Psy.D.
• Laurel Wolfe, Psy.D.

Informal evaluations are conducted throughout the year. Formal evaluations are conducted at 6 and 12 months of the internship. Evaluations are based on core competencies and serve to identify strengths and growth areas. Supervisors rate the intern’s knowledge base and professional practice on structured rating forms. Evaluations are shared with the interns by the Training Director so that goals can be defined and refinements can occur; remediation steps and corrective actions are outlined when needed. Both parties sign the evaluation following review. Additionally, there will be regular opportunities for interns to evaluate supervisors.

Interns will receive and review a document outlining the rights and responsibilities of the program and the interns related to due process and grievance procedures.
Due Process Procedure
Grievance Procedure

Training Settings

The internship program is housed within the Department of Psychiatry, which is a part of the TTUHSC School of Medicine. All child and adolescent clinical services (and intern offices) are housed within the Relational Health Center, which is a new unit in partnership with Covenant Children’s Hospital and Texas Tech Physicians. View this video to learn more about the vision of this new unit: Pediatric Mental Health Care in Lubbock. Child and adolescent training programs are interconnected so that trainees across disciplines learn and practice together. The Department of Psychiatry partners with several other community organizations, including University Medical Center, Texas Tech University, local independent school districts, the juvenile justice center, and the local mental health authority (StarCare Specialty Health System), and rotations may be available in partnership with these organizations. Interns are also involved in the Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) Program. This program provides free mental and behavioral health services to PreK-12th grade students through telemedicine within their schools. Additional information about our TCHATT services can be found here.

Interns are supplied all necessary materials, resources, and technology to complete their job, including testing kits, treatment manuals, office supplies, workspace, computer/laptops, camera/microphone, online connection platforms (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet), etc.

Rotations

Doctoral intern schedules are individualized based on the intern’s training needs and goals. Rotations last at least 6 months and can continue for 1 year. Below is a list of possible rotations. Please note that rotation availability may vary each year.

• Adolescent Medicine Clinic
• Assessment Clinic
• Behavior Management Clinic
• Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) Clinic
• Day Treatment Clinic
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Clinic
• Hematology/Oncology Clinic
• Internalizing Disorders Clinic
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic
• Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Clinic
• Pediatric Psychology Clinic
• Trauma Clinic

Salary and Benefits:

• The salary for a full-time doctoral intern for the 2027-2028 academic year will be $43,016.05. The interns are employees of the Health Science Center and receive benefits in line with employee status.

Additional Benefits: 

• Free health insurance following 60 days of employment (options to add family at low cost)
• Optional insurance (associated costs; dental, vision, life, disability, etc.)
• Optional Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Free liability insurance
• Retirement plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional/educational leave
• Professional/Educational funds
• Sick leave: 8 hours per month accrued (starting on first day of employment)
• Holiday leave: 2 hours per month accrued (starting on first day of employment)
• Holidays: Paid approved holidays
• Vacation leave: 8 hours per month accrued

Review the outcome data here.