Psychology Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data
The VAEKHCS Psychology Internship Program provides structured, competency-based training for doctoral candidates in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. The program follows a scientist-practitioner model, offering hands-on clinical experience, supervision, and professional development while serving veterans and military personnel. Applicants must meet specific academic and practicum requirements, and selected interns receive financial support, benefits, and post-internship career opportunities within various healthcare settings.
Program Tables updated on: 8/22/24
Program Disclosures
Does the program or institution require students, trainees, and/or staff (faculty) to comply with specific policies or practices related to the institution’s affiliation or purpose? Such policies or practices may include, but are not limited to, admissions, hiring, retention policies, and/or requirements for completion that express mission and values?
NO
Internship Program Admissions
Briefly describe in narrative form important information to assist potential applicants in assessing their likely fit with your program. This description must be consistent with the program’s policies on intern selection and practicum and academic preparation requirements:
The VAEKHCS model for psychology training is competency based within a scientist-practitioner framework. Competencies are defined by behavioral markers and are sequential, cumulative, and graded in complexity. The training year is divided into three training periods, and the intern is expected to achieve a higher level of competency with each successive training period. The use of empirically supported treatments is required as a component of their clinical competencies. The internship is sponsored by and viewed as an integral part of the VAEKHCS, whose mission is providing excellence in care to veterans, military retirees and dependents. The overarching goal of the training program is to provide professional growth opportunities for the interns and trainees while enhancing the quality of patient care.
The basic philosophy underlying the internship training program is grounded in the belief that given academic preparation of nearly a decade of undergraduate and graduate work, interns have attained a certain level of intellectual and emotional maturity which prepares them for the final formal educational and experiential step: the internship year. During the internship year, students are provided a supportive, supervised environment in which they continue to develop competencies while assuming growing responsibility for patients in preparation for functioning independently. Staff interactions withinterns encourage movement toward autonomy. Interns are actively involved in selecting supervisors, choosing training assignments, participating in training seminars and workshops, and providing evaluation and input into the internship program.
VAEKHCS Psychology Internship Training Program values diversity in staff, interns, and Veteran consumers. Our program welcomes people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics. We seek to create a training environment welcoming of diverse interns and to provide clinical care respectful of human diversity. The Medical Center strives to create a therapeutic environment for, and ensure ethical treatment of, patients with diverse backgrounds and characteristics. Thus, an important goal of the training program is to increase interns’ knowledge and skills in working with a wide range of clients from different cultural backgrounds.
Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? If Yes, indicate how many:
- Total Direct Contact INTERVENTION Hours: 500 hours
- Total Diret Contact ASSESSMENT Hours: 50 hours
Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:
To be considered for the predoctoral stipend internship program, the applicant must be a full-time student actively involved in pursuing the Ph.D. or Psy.D. degree in Clinical, Counseling, or Combined Psychology from an APA -ACCREDITED PROGRAM. The student must have completed a minimum of 500 practicum hours and be within one year or less of completing all requirements for the Ph.D. or Psy.D. They must have completed all graduate prerequisites for internship candidacy including completion of comprehensive exams by November 15th of the fall in which they are applying for internship.
Applicants must be in good standing with their graduate program and be approved for internship status by the graduate program training director. All applicants must have U.S. citizenship to be considered for an internship with the VA. A male applicant born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the draft by age 26 to be eligible for any US government employment, including selection as a paid VA trainee. Male applicants must sign a pre-appointment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration before they can be processed into a training program. Interns are subject to fingerprinting and background checks. VA conducts drug screening exams on randomly selected personnel as well as new employees. Match result and selection decisions are contingent on passing these screens. VA also requires that interns be vaccinated for covid-19 and have an annual flu shot.
More information about eligibility criteria, including VA’s status as a drug-free workplace, is available at Resources for Health Professions Trainees Coming to VA | Eligibility and Forms - Office of Academic Affiliations
Benefit Support*
*Note. Programs are not required by the Commission on Accreditation to provide all benefits listed in the following tables
Other Benefits
Interns may be granted Authorized Absence (AA) for documented educational purposes including travel to and from the event up to 24 hours for each occurrence. Documented educational purposes include, but are not limited to, professional meetings, lectures, workshops, conferences, and interviewing for post-doctoral/employment positions. Interns may also request AA to engage in educational activities outside of the VA setting in support of their training efforts towards their doctoral degree. For example, interns may request that time be granted to meet with university faculty regarding dissertations. Such meetings could include Dissertation Defenses, planning meetings, data analysis, and other activities related to dissertation progress.
Interns are provided with private office space throughout the year. Additionally, interns are provided, as needed: clerical and technical support, office supplies, calendars, access to duplication services, computers (including software Microsoft Office, Outlook, e-mail accounts), internet access, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences collection from EBSCO, access to audio/video-recording equipment, library services including relevant computer searches, psychological tests and manuals, biofeedback training equipment, parking stickers, and on-station employee gyms.
Initial Post-Internship Positions 2021-2023*
(Provide an Aggregated Tally for the Preceding 3 Cohorts)
*Note: “PD” = Post-doctoral residency position; “EP” = Employed Position. Each individual represented in this table should be counted only one time. For former trainees working in more than one setting, select the setting that represents their primary position.
Total # of interns who were in the 3 cohorts = 18
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree = 1