PRINT VERSION

PRE-DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

2007-2008
Accredited by the American Psychological Association
APPIC member

APA APPIC
750 First Street, NE 10 G Street NE, Suite 440
Washington, DC 20002-4242 Washington, DC 20002
(202) 336-5979 (202) 589-0600
www.apa.org • www.appic.org

LISD's Psychological Services was named:
"Outstanding Delivery of School
Psychological Services for 2007"

Psychological Services not only supports innovative programs such as a family counseling center, Safe and Civil Schools, the Safe and Drug Free Schools, and Communities Taskforce. It also contributes to the training of future psychologists through the APA-accredited Pre-Doctoral internship program and through collaboration with area universities as a practicum site.

General Information
The Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) sponsors an APA-accredited pre-doctoral psychology internship program. The internship program is a member of APPIC and is listed in the APPIC Directory. The internship provides a planned, programmed sequence of training experiences with the primary focus being on assuring breadth and quality of training.  The program consists of 2000 hours of training and experience with at least 25% in direct client contact (minimum 500 hours).  While the program exists within a public school district, the training provided is general, and students from doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology are urged to apply.  The internship program has been in existence since 1994 and has grown steadily since that time.  Currently, there are six fully funded internship positions available.

Under supervision of licensed psychologists, interns provide psychoeducational and psychological evaluation, consultation, training, counseling, behavior management, and crisis intervention services on school campuses.  Additional training assignments are made to assure that each intern has the opportunity to serve various age, cultural, SES, and minority groups, as well as to provide assessment and intervention to students with various needs and diagnoses.  Special effort is made to provide experience with low incidence disorders.  Interns are exposed to both Special Education and Regular Education programs.

Philosophy and Goals

The LISD Pre-Doctoral Psychology Training Program is designed to prepare interns to excel in the provision of psychological services.  Building on the professional skills and competencies acquired during graduate school training, interns gain practical experience and increasing independence in a variety of assessment approaches and therapeutic techniques with various populations.  Training includes a focus on increasing intern awareness, sensitivity, and knowledge about issues impacting racial, ethnic, and economic minorities.  In addition, interns may pursue individual interests and research throughout the training year.

The LISD Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program utilizes the practitioner-scholar model of training.  Rather than the production of original research, this model of training emphasizes the development of professional competencies that are based on current research, scholarship, and practice.  “Scholar” is defined as a practitioner who is always reading, learning, and developing in order to maintain and/or increase his or her competence in whatever professional roles he or she undertakes.  Thus, psychology interns are urged to critically evaluate current theory, research, and practice when approaching their clinical tasks.

The staff and interns within the LISD Psychological Services department utilize research-based methods of assessment and intervention in their delivery of psychological services in the schools.  To assist with this activity, interns have access to a small library of books and journals, which have been donated for their use.  In addition, Psychological Services purchases books on a yearly basis, many of which act as a research-based guide to the practice of psychology.  Utilization of the Internet as a source of scholarly research is also emphasized as being a source of information to integrate into daily practice.  Interns are encouraged to read current psychology journals to increase their knowledge and to share the information with other staff members so that the professional growth process is mutual.  The libraries of 12 universities, many of which have graduate level training programs in psychology, are available within a 30-mile radius.  Further, a sourcebook of reading material has been prepared and made available for interns that pertain to the provision of psychological services in the school setting.
  
Because LISD maintains the philosophy that the welfare of the student is strongly related to his or her interactions with others, LISD Psychological Services provides an emphasis on working with the family and school “systems.”  In keeping with this philosophy, specific training opportunities are available in parent education and behavior management consultation with teachers.  Maintaining communication with the family is considered crucial to the assessment process and to designing interventions which will be accepted and applied.  Interns are trained to actively obtain thorough developmental and family histories, extensive information from family members, and to provide to the family individualized information regarding assessment outcomes.

Intern Selection

The interview process consists of a one-hour formal interview.  An informal open forum and site visits are available throughout the day of the interview.  The candidates are rated on a 1 to 5 scale during the formal interviewing process.  A total rating score is calculated.

After all prospective interns have been interviewed, the Doctoral Training Committee meets and ranks the candidates according to their interview responses and applications.  The numerical ratings from the interview are weighted with the committee’s impression of the candidate to form the rank order that is submitted to the APPIC match system.

Sequence of Training Program

The intern training sequence can be characterized as occurring in four phases.  The first phase, the didactic phase, involves a two-week long, detailed series of presentations concerning the policies and procedures of LISD, the Special Education Department, Psychological Services, and the Internship Program.  Discussion of special education law, ethics, and standards of professional practice are included as part of this training.  Interns receive didactic instruction in the administration of frequently used assessment techniques, methods of report writing, and communicating test results and recommendations to school staff and parents.  Special topics relevant to the practice of psychology in the school setting are also presented during this time. 

Interns are assigned to both a primary and secondary supervisor during this initial two weeks of training.  The assignment of supervisors is based on consideration of the needs and professional interests of each intern as well as the unique supervision style and experiential and training background of the various supervising psychologists.  Interns have the option of a more school-based experience, in which they are assigned to an individual school, or a more case-based experience in which they are assigned cases at various schools.  This flexibility allows interns an opportunity to structure their own internship experience to a degree in order to meet their unique interests while still fulfilling the basic requirements of their doctoral program.

The second phase of training, orientation, allows interns to become familiar with their work setting and school district staff from other disciplines.  During this phase, interns will have the opportunity to observe supervisors as they function in different work roles.  Interns may observe their supervisor administering a test battery, attend an ARD/IEP meeting, participate in a staffing, and observe various types of classrooms.  This phase of training may last for one or two weeks, depending on the past training and experience of the intern.

During the third, or collaborative, phase of training, interns receive their own cases and collaboratively work with their supervisors regarding the disposition of the case.  Supervisors may observe interns as they provide direct services to students, consult with teachers and administrative staff, or participate in staffings or ARD/IEP meetings.  The length of this phase is dependent upon the progress of the intern.

The fourth phase involves increased independent work on the part of the intern with regular supervision. Initial cases generally focus on basic assessment of emotional and behavior functioning.  As the intern becomes proficient in utilizing these basic skills and competencies, other types of cases are assigned depending on the unique interest and needs of the individual intern. Depending on intern interest, interns may be assigned neuropsychological assessment, autism assessment, individual or group counseling cases.  During this phase, interns also have the opportunity to develop and implement a project of their own design, such as social skills training or teacher stress management programs.

Supervision
The Internship Director is a licensed psychologist and is present in the district on a full-time basis.  For the 2007-2008 school year, the program has twelve full-time licensed doctoral level psychologists on staff. Each intern is supervised by a licensed psychologist who carries clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised.  Primary internship supervisors in LISD supervise no more than two interns at any given time while an intern’s secondary supervisor may supervise a maximum of three interns per semester. The internship includes a minimum of two hours per week of regularly scheduled formal face-to-face individual supervision.  During a portion of the year, interns also participate in one hour of family therapy supervision each week and one hour of group supervision related to assessment cases.  A calendar of weekly group supervision meetings, clinical seminars, and workshops is developed each year.  A minimum of two hours per week in didactic training is provided as well.  Supervisors are readily available for consultation and to provide supervision in crisis situations.  A secondary supervising psychologist will provide supervisory services if the primary supervisor is not immediately available.

Evaluation and feedback are an integral aspect of the LISD training program.  Interns will be formally evaluated four times during the training year.  Interns will also participate in formal and informal evaluation of both the training program and their supervisory experience.  Evaluations of each intern’s progress will be completed by the primary supervisor in collaboration with the intern and other professionals who have worked closely with the supervisee. 

Training Areas
Interns are involved in a wide range of clinical training activities including assessment, counseling, parent and teacher consultation, inservice training, workshops, professional conventions, and research.  The school district serves children from varying ethnic and minority backgrounds as well as students with varying disabilities and needs; therefore, diverse training opportunities are available.  Interns work cooperatively with supervising psychologists to develop an individualized training plan for the year.  Training areas include:

Assessment:  Children referred for individualized assessments present with a variety of needs and disabilities. Intern training includes completing psychological evaluations of children with emotional and behavioral problems, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, or other difficulties. Opportunities are available for participation in assessment of children with hearing impairments, vision impairments, mental retardation, suspected neuropsychological issues, and traumatic brain injury. 

Report Writing: Interns are required to develop and refine report writing skills.  Interns are trained to provide concise and accurate test results as well as to develop empirically based recommendations that can be realistically implemented.

Family Counseling: Training in various theories and techniques of family therapy is available through the Family Center.  Interns gain experience in therapeutic interventions and in taking a systemic view of students’ difficulties.

Individual Counseling/Group Counseling: Interns may conduct individual or group counseling with students who have various difficulties and diagnoses.  Interns may also consolidate their efforts and lead or co-lead group counseling or training sessions.

Consultation: Interns consult with teachers, parents, administrators, outside community professionals, and other individuals.  Consultation may involve developing behavior management plans, implementing behavioral interventions in the classroom, facilitating program design, or developing educational modifications.  LISD contracts with consulting psychiatrists with whom the intern may also consult.

Crisis Intervention: The intern is involved in crisis intervention in response to situations such as threats of suicide, deaths of students or faculty, or severe behavioral disturbances.

Multicultural/Minority Issues: Interns gain experience in using varied approaches appropriate for working with minority students.  Sensitivity to and respect for diversity is emphasized in the training program.

Diagnostic and Intervention Skills: Use of the DSM-IV is emphasized in the diagnostic process.  Following the assessment and diagnostic process, interns participate in designing and implementing empirically based interventions to meet the student’s specific needs.  Specific disorders often encountered in the school setting include:

 

• Anxiety Disorders
• Communication Disorders
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Conduct Disorders
• Learning Disorders
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Mental Retardation
• Mood Disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• ADHD

Educational Presentations: Interns work with other personnel in preparing presentations for professional training.  Routine opportunities for case presentations will be required.

Community Referral and Liaison Services: Interns gain experience in working with professionals from state, county, and local agencies.  Through these activities, interns increase their knowledge of community resources.  Ethical and legal considerations involved in interacting with outside agencies are emphasized.

Policies and Ethics: Interns are trained in the federal, state, and local policies for provision of psychological services in the schools.  They are encouraged to utilize the ethical standards and guidelines provided by the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists in daily practice.

Research: The training program includes opportunities for ongoing research activities.  Interns have the opportunity to conduct individual research projects including dissertations.

Neuropsychology: Interns who have received training in the area of neuropsychology (i.e., physiology that includes basic neuroanatomy and brain-behavior relationships as well as neuropsychological assessment and interventions) may seek additional experience in school neuropsychology during their internship year.  Interns who desire such experience are paired with a primary or secondary supervisor who has specialized training in the area of neuropsychology within the school setting. Intern training opportunities may include consultation and assessment of children with low incidence disorders such as Spina Bifida, Turner Syndrome, neurofibromatosis, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and hydrocephaly, and children with seizure disorders, ADHD, etc.  These experiences are designed to complement the basic areas of intern training and are not intended to serve as a comprehensive or specialized neuropsychology/school neuropsychology internship.  Additionally, throughout the year, presentations, observations, and collaboration on neuropsychological cases and topics are available to all interns.

 

School District Programs
Each intern has the opportunity for experience providing psychological services in the following school district programs:

Public Preschool for Children with Disabilities (PPCD): PPCD classes serve identified children, ages 3-5 years, with varying types of disabilities. Preschoolers are provided instruction to encourage the development of cognition, emotion, communication, motor skills, self-help skills, social skills, and creative expression.

Transition Classrooms: The transition classroom provides a therapeutic classroom environment with a focus on structure and behavior management.  This self-contained instructional arrangement is designed for children who have severe emotional and/or behavioral problems. The classrooms have a behavioral level system with contingencies, a structured daily schedule, and social skills training. The goal is to teach social skills and provide individualized instruction in order to facilitate the transition of students as they return to the regular classroom.

Lewisville Learning Center: The LLC consists of four programs: The Social Adjustment Class (SAC), the Alternative Education Program (AEP), the Accelerated Program, and the Students as Parents Program (SAP).  SAC is a Special Education program designed for the most severely emotionally disturbed students who have not been successful on their home campuses.  A very small teacher-student ratio is offered, as well as highly consistent structure and individualized behavior management.  The AEP is a regular education disciplinary program that serves students who have engaged in misconduct.  It educates these students for a specified period of time, and then they return to their home campus.  The Accelerated Program is a regular education program designed to educate students who are at risk for dropping out of school.  Instruction is individualized and self-paced.  The curriculum often contains a vocational component. The SAP program is designed to provide a specialized learning environment for students who are expectant parents.

Dale Jackson Career Center/Vocational Adjustment Classes: The DJCC provides vocational instruction in fields such as cosmetology and auto-technology.  Further, with campus-based vocational programs, students may receive specific job training and off-campus job placement from the Vocational Adjustment Coordinator (VAC). The school staff conducts vocational assessments and develops an individual transition plan which is designed to help each student successfully work and live in the community after graduation.

Communication Classes: Communication classes focus on the development of communication skills.  Students who need significant emphasis on learning a method of communication, such as those diagnosed with autism, may be served in these classes.
                       
Functional Life Skills:  Functional Life Skills classes are designed to provide instruction for students whose educational needs cannot be met in other settings. Students have severe to profound delays in the area of cognition and are generally non-ambulatory and/or medically fragile. Educational programs emphasize basic life skills with the integration of functional prerequisite academics. An integrated IEP may be developed to ensure coordination of services. The focus of instruction in Functional Life Skills classes is the establishment of skills in tolerating environments, choice making, visual and/or auditory stimulation, and the use of appropriate forms of communication. Focus is also on building of independence in daily living skills, social interactions, emotional development and recreation/leisure activities. The building of tolerance in fine and gross motor development and environmental awareness is another focus. The provision of assistive technology as necessary related service/accommodation for students in order to meet individual educational goals is a focal point. Another focus is on the provision of positive behavioral supports and interventions when needed. Finally, training in vocational/prevocational skill areas when determined by the ARD committee to be appropriate for secondary students is a focal point. Students will participate in the general education classroom or in general education activities to the maximum extent possible to meet their academic, social/emotional and vocational needs. IEP goals and objectives will be developed in order for students to access grade level TEKS.

Academic Life Skills: The Academic Life Skills class is designed to provide a structured instructional program for students whose academic needs cannot be met in other settings. Academic Life Skills instruction focuses on assisting each student in experiencing success in academic and/or elective subjects at his/her ability level. Students in Academic Life Skills classes exhibit significant academic needs which are pervasive in all areas. These needs cannot be met through Resource instruction. ALS also focuses on assisting each student in securing functional/self-help, vocational and job-related skills as appropriate. Further, assisting each student in obtaining socialization skills to be used in daily and community living is a focus of ALS. Finally, increasing skills that lead to independence within the community is a focus of ALS. Students will participate in the general education classroom or in general education activities to the maximum extent possible to meet their academic, social/emotional and vocational needs. IEP goals and objectives will be developed in order for students to access grade level TEKS.

Resource: Elementary and secondary campuses provide resource instruction which primarily focus on providing special education services for students with disabilities. Resource services are intensive, accelerated instruction aligned with the student’s enrolled grade-level TEKS.

Inclusion: With site-based management, Special Education service delivery may vary in appearance from campus to campus.  Campuses may be chosen to provide instructional or related services within the context of the general education setting.

Support Opportunities for Students: The goal of the Support Opportunities for Students (SOS) program is to educate students with disabilities in the general education classroom with their peers. The student has the opportunity to receive assistance with the completion of assignments and/or tests from special education teachers while in the general education setting.   

Homebound Program: Homebound instruction is provided through Special Education and is based on medical need.  Students who are unable to attend classes on campus are instructed at home or in a hospital setting.

Itinerant Teacher Program: Students with special needs are served by teachers certified in the areas of visual impairment, hearing impairment, orientation and mobility, and adapted physical education.  The district also has vocational/transitional specialists.  LISD provides a classroom for infants who are visually impaired and parent training in positioning, feeding, motor development, and other areas. Some students are transported to Denton to participate in the Day School Program for the Deaf. The intern has the opportunity to participate in assessment and intervention of LISD students enrolled in this program.  Students with autism may be provided in-home or parent training in accordance with their IEP requirements.

Regular Education Counseling: Regular education counselors provide support and guidance to all students on each LISD campus.  During the course of internship training, interns will consult with regular education counselors.  These counselors often participate along with district psychologists and psychological interns as members of the ARD/IEP committee.

Special Education Counseling: The Special Education Counseling Program is designed to augment the counseling services provided to students who are eligible for special education.  Special education counselors are specifically trained to address the concerns of children with special needs.  Members of the Psychological Services Department routinely participate in staffings and consultation with special education counselors.

Family Counseling Program: Special Education offers an evening Family Counseling Program. The program is based on the premise that working cooperatively with parents of children with emotional/behavior problems brings about greater success than working with the child in isolation. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in parent consultation sessions, family counseling, and group counseling with parents and/or siblings. Seminars, or educational presentations to parents on a variety of subjects such as parenting skills, are also offered and the intern will have the opportunity to participate in the development and presentations of such seminars.

Autism Team: Children who are referred for assessment due to a possible Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Autistic Disorder, are assessed by an Autism Team.  Members of the team include a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a diagnostician, and a psychologist/LSSP.  Team members also provide consultation and training to school staff and families.
                       
Circle of Friends: Circle of Friends is a peer support group for special needs students.  Many campuses have a Circle of Friends coordinator who directs the organization.  Circle of Friends provides a social network that is specifically selected based on interests and skills.  These friends provide support and serve to facilitate special needs students’ interactions in the school community.  Psychologists play key roles in identifying students who will benefit from Circle of Friends and in consulting with Circle of Friends coordinators.

Bilingual/ESL Services: LISD provides varied services for children for whom English is not the primary language.  Psychological interns have the opportunity to observe or participate in bilingual assessment, instruction, and interventions.

Parent Support Groups/Parent Education: LISD seeks to encourage the development of knowledge and skills within the family through sponsoring parent support groups and through providing parent education.  Specific groups include: a support group for parents of children with ADHD; a support group for parents of children diagnosed with mental retardation; and support groups for parents of students with Autism/Asperger’s Disorder.  Areas of parent education include: drug and alcohol issues, parenting skills, medication issues, and crisis intervention.

 

Workshops and Conferences
Formal training workshop and conference opportunities provided during a recent internship period addressed the following topics:

Interns generally attend the Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Association of School Psychologists (DFWRASP) conferences or the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP) convention.  Interns attend inservices within the school district and at area Regional Education Service Centers. Time is provided for interns to participate in local statewide workshops and conferences.  Training funds are available for in-state activities through the district.

The Lewisville Community
Situated between Grapevine Lake and Lewisville Lake, the city of Lewisville is about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas.  The Lewisville area offers many small-town advantages, in addition to the advantages gained from being a part of a large metropolitan area.  Lewisville is home to many fine local restaurants and arts-and-crafts shops, as well as one of the largest shopping malls in North Texas.  The easily accessible cities of Dallas and Fort Worth provide entertainment that includes a variety of ethnic and specialty restaurants, an abundance of night-life activities, theater and dance groups, and a world-class symphony. Lewisville itself offers several fine arts venues including Community Theater, dance, and a municipal symphony.  The Lewisville area, replete with heavily wooded hills and trails, provides opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, camping, biking, and picnicking.  An abundance of lakes and shorelines welcome water-skiing, boating, and swimming.

The Lewisville ISD is surrounded by more than 10 major institutions of higher education including the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, Southern Methodist University, and Texas Christian University.  Numerous community colleges are also within commuting distance.

Lewisville Independent School District
The Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) encompasses 127 square miles in the southeastern portion of Denton County and serves the cities and communities of Lewisville, Flower Mound, The Colony, Highland Village, Double Oak, Copper Canyon, Hebron, the northern portion of Carrollton and the western portion of Plano, as well as portions of Frisco, Coppell, Grapevine and Argyle.

Most of Lewisville ISD’s school campuses were constructed during the last ten years with 52 schools built between 1980 and 2007.

The Lewisville ISD is fully accredited at all grade levels (K-12) by the Texas Education Agency.  All high schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

MISSION STATEMENTS
Psychological Services
The Psychological Services Department seeks to utilize to the fullest extent, theories, research, and specific strategies gleaned from the fields of psychology and education to improve social, emotional, and instructional environments in order to maximize the learning of each individual student.

Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program
In an effort to improve the quality of education in the Lewisville ISD, the Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program at LISD is committed to meeting the needs of the individual student. The program seeks to accomplish this goal by guiding interns toward the use of research-based methods of assessment, consultation, and intervention in order to expand the professional skills and competencies of the intern while maximizing the learning and emotional well-being of the individual student.

The LISD Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program meets the following criteria, as delineated by the American Psychological Association (APA):

1) An organized training program which is designed to provide the intern with a planned, programmed sequence of training activities in contrast to supervised experience or on-the-job training.  The primary focus is on assuring breadth and quality of training.

2) The internship has a clearly designated staff psychologist who is responsible for the integrity and quality of the training program and who is actively licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP).

3) The internship program has at least two licensed psychologists on the staff who will act as supervisors.

4)  The internship program will meet the standards of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

5) The internship program will meet the standards of the American Psychological Association.

6)  The internship program will meet the standards of the National Association of School Psychologists.

7) Internship supervision is provided by a staff member of the internship agency who carries clinical responsibility for the cases being supervised.

8) The internship provides training in a range of assessment and intervention activities conducted directly with clients.

9)  At least 25% of the trainee’s time is in direct client contact (minimum of 500 hours).

10) The internship includes a minimum of two hours/week of regularly scheduled formal, face-to-face individual supervision.  There are at least two additional hours/week in learning activities such as case conferences involving a case in which the intern is actively involved, seminars dealing with psychology related issues, co-therapy with a staff person, including discussion and group supervision, and additional individual supervision.

11) Training is post-practicum level.

12) The internship has a minimum of two full-time interns at the internship level of training during the training period.

13) Trainees have the title “Psychology Intern.”

14) The internship has a brochure, which describes the goals and content of the internship and clearly stated expectations for quality and quantity of trainee’s work, and is made available to prospective interns.

15) A year of full-time, supervised experience in the internship is defined as a 45-50 hours per week experience/employment over a 12-month period, providing an internship of approximately 2000 hours.

16) This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. All APPIC policies and guidelines with regard to conduct and the application for internship are adhered to.

 

BENEFITS
The Lewisville Independent School District will provide the Psychology Intern with the following:

I. A salary of $28,489/year (206 day internship), and a travel allowance of 48.5 cents per mile.

II. Employee benefits consistent with those of other staff psychologists including:

A. 5 state personal days, 3 local personal days, and 20 hardship days. * (If all days are utilized, the 2000 hour requirement may not be met.)

B. 22 school holidays (23 days if “bad weather” day not needed)

C. Sick leave bank

D. Optional group hospitalization and surgical benefits plan, and optional disability income

E. Optional medical, dental, and vision insurance

F. District life insurance benefits

G. Workman’s compensation

H. Deductions for teacher retirement

I. Other benefits such as pre-tax withdrawal of health insurance premiums, annuities, cafeteria plan, etc.

J. Provision for participating in a wide range of professional development activities

K. An appropriate work environment including adequate equipment, materials, secretarial support services, and office facilities (desk, bookshelf, phone, computer, software, pager)

INTERVIEW PROCESS

1) All application materials MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 15. Applicants with incomplete files may not be considered for an interview.

2) Applicants chosen for an interview will be notified by email in order to schedule an interview.

3) The Department will conduct interviews in January. The interview typically consists of a one-hour formal interview and an informal “come and go” open forum with internship supervisors and current interns. Site visits to campuses are also available during this time.

INTERNSHIP SELECTION CRITERIA

The criteria employed in selecting interns are as follows:

I. Application requirements on file by November 15 including:

A. Completed APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI), Part 1. These materials can be obtained from the APPIC website: www.appic.org

B. Completed Program’s Verification of Internship Eligibility and Readiness (AAPI, Part 2) from Director of Training indicating:

1. Current status as doctoral student in a psychology program

2. Comprehensive exams completed successfully

3. Completion of all didactic and supervised practicum training in the academic setting by the start of the internship

4. Internship required by program

5. Completion of all formal coursework

C. Current, comprehensive vita

D. Three favorable letters of recommendation addressing:

1. Prior training, interests and goals appropriate to the internship program

2. Ability to apply assessment/diagnosis and intervention/treatment knowledge in Psychology under supervision

3. Ethical conduct

4. Interpersonal skills appropriate to the professional practice of Psychology

E. Official transcripts of all graduate work indicating courses or course content in the following:

1. Core curriculum including biological bases of behavior, cognitive/emotional bases of behavior, social bases of behavior, individual bases of behavior, child and adolescent development (normal and abnormal), human learning, human exceptionalities, statistics and research design, and history and systems

2. Intellectual, personality, and other assessment courses

3. Counseling (individual, crisis, group, or family), consultation and behavior management

4. Advanced research and program evaluation courses

5. Language and computer courses

6. Practicum experience

7. Professional issues and standards, roles and functions of school psychologists; legal, cultural, and ethical issues; history and foundation of school psychology; education of exceptional learners; multicultural education; organization, administration, and financing of public schools; curriculum, and instructional/remedial techniques.

II. At least 900 practicum hours desired:

A. Four hundred fifty hours (450) in direct psychology services to diverse student populations which address a range of presenting problems using a variety of assessment/diagnostic approaches and methods of intervention and treatment

B. Three hundred hours (300) of formal supervision (both individual and group)

C. One hundred and fifty (150) additional hours

D. Practicum hours are distributed over at least one year of graduate study

III. Acceptable personal and/or telephone interview; however, preference is given to on-site personal interviews. The candidates are rated on a 1 to 5 scale during the interviewing process. After all prospective interns have been interviewed, the Doctoral Training Committee meets and ranks the candidates according to their interview responses and applications. The numerical ratings from the interview are weighted with the committee’s impression of the candidate to form the rank order that is submitted to the APPIC match system.

IV. Rank order lists must be submitted according to APPIC guidelines. Our match number is: 158511-General Psychology Internship.

For more information, contact:
LISD
Psychological Services
701 S. Charles
Lewisville, TX 75057
469-713-5199 phone
972-219-0218 fax
salimv@lisd.net