Skip to Content

TVAMC Psychology Internship Program

The psychology internship training program at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is an APA-accredited program that offers pre-doctoral internship training to U.S. citizens who are pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-, CPA-, or PCSAS-accredited institution.

**We will not be recruiting interns for the 2024-2025 training year**

Psychologists are highly active at the Tuscaloosa VAMC, serving in clinics addressing general mental health, substance use disorders, homelessness, PTSD, psychological assessment, neuropsychology, integrated health/primary care, geriatrics, and research. Psychology faculty take seriously their obligation to contribute to the development of well-rounded, competent clinical psychologists prepared for the independent practice of psychology. The internship training staff is supportive, highly available for consultation, and sincerely interested in interns' professional development.

For additional information, contact:

Martin Morthland, Ph.D.
Psychology Internship Training Director
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center
Psychology Service, 116-B
3701 Loop Road E.
Tuscaloosa, AL 35404
Telephone: (205) 554-2000 x2789
Email: Martin.Morthland@va.gov

 

Eligibility & Application Procedures

Candidates for the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC) Psychology Internship Program must be U.S. citizens enrolled and in good standing at a clinical or counseling psychology graduate program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Applicants must be certified by their Director of Clinical Training as being ready for internship and preferably will have only minor, if any, dissertation requirements remaining. We prefer that applicants have a minimum of 1000 total hours of practicum experience (e.g., intervention, assessment, supervision, support); however, the quality of previous training exepriences is valued more highly than the quantity. Preference is typically given to candidates from university-based programs who have had supervised assessment and therapy experience with a broad range of psychopathology across varied adult populations and settings; supervised training in objective psychological or neuropsychological test administration, interpretation, and report writing; and demonstrated interest and experience in research. As an equal opportunity training program, the TVAMC internship considers applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds. We welcome and strongly encourage applications from candidates reflecting diversity in racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, gender, disability or other identity status.

Application Procedures

Our internship is an APPIC member program. To submit an application, please visit the APPIC website (www.appic.org) for instructions on how to complete the online APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI). Interested individuals who meet eligibility criteria should submit the following application materials:

  • A cover letter indicating interests, including preferred rotations
  • APPIC Application for Psychology Internships (AAPI Online)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Official graduate transcript(s)
  • Standardized Reference Forms from three references

Instructions for the Applicant Agreement form required for the Match from the National Matching Services program can be downloaded at https://natmatch.com/psychint/.  Applicants who cannot access the web site should contact National Matching Services (NMS) directly to request instructions and registration forms.

 The deadline for submission of application materials is Friday, November 25, 2022.

Training Model and Program Philosophy

Our program is committed to honoring the profound role of science in guiding clinical practice. We appreciate and promote the role of clinical science in providing the foundation for designing, implementing, and evaluating assessments and interventions. While we place a strong emphasis on understanding the science base of psychology, our program most closely reflects a practitioner-scholar training model.

We formally integrate science and practice in a number of ways, including didactic seminars, case presentations of clinical care issues that are based on current empirical literature, participation in research activities during the internship year, and the use of empirically validated and supported assessment and clinical interventions. We provide interns with a variety of experiences that prepare them for postdoctoral training settings or entry level practice in clinical, research, or academic settings. Our training goals are consistent with the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center’s mission to provide quality care to veterans while advancing state of the art services through research and education.  

Psychology staff assume the responsibility to prepare interns for the clinical and ethical demands of a challenging career in psychology. A developmental model guides our training program as interns begin the program with close supervision, mentorship, and didactic instruction. As skills develop and mastery increases, interns gain increasing autonomy in their clinical work. Competencies in professional practice are developed through clinical practice, individual and group supervision, and didactic training.

The TVAMC recognizes the importance of cultural and individual differences in the training of psychologists. Thus, our policies, didactic training, supervision, and clinical work all strive to foster an understanding of the importance that diversity issues play in our work.

 

Rotation Opportunities
  • Geropsychology (GEC)
  • Health Behavior & Functional Restoration Pain Program
  • Mental Health Outpatient Clinic (with LGBTQ+ Option)
  • OEF/OIF/OND Transition Center
  • Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)
  • Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP)
  • Administrative Leadership
  • Mental Health Outpatient Clinic Intake
  • Psychological Assessment
  • Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)
  • Research

Internship Training Faculty

Audrey Austin

Audrey Austin Ph.D.

Psychology Chief

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Tony H. Cross PhD.

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Michelle Hilgeman

Michelle M. Hilgeman PhD.

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Vincent Intoccia

Vincent A. Intoccia Psy.D

VA Tuscaloosa health care

David Macvicar

David W MacVicar PhD

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Martin Morthland

Martin Morthland PhD

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Staff Profile

Andrew Oakland PhD

RRTP Program Manager

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Caitlin Retterer

Caitlin C. Retterer Psy.D

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Julie Woosley

Julie A. Woosley PhD

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Adriana Yon PhD, ABPP-CN

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Michelle Michaels

Michelle Michaels PsyD

VA Tuscaloosa health care

Phone: 205-554-3486

Email: michelle.michaels@va.gov

Gabriele Mamone, Jason Koch, and Ashley Pate

2023-2024 Interns

Gabriele Mamone, Jason Koch, and Ashley Pate

For further information about our program, contact Dr. Martin Morthland, Director of Internship Training at Martin.Morthland@va.gov or ext. 2789.

Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-336-5979/E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org