Child Externships

Sonya Dinizulu, Ph.D.
2-4 positions

Overview: Under the supervision of Dr. Sonya Mathies Dinizulu, externs will receive training in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents exposed to traumatic experiences.  Externs will be trained to use evidence-based protocols (e.g., Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and promote positive youth development, provide crisis intervention, consultation, and/or case management services. Trauma-informed services and training will include implementing socially just mental health practices- e.g., examining structural oppression affecting clinical presentations; developing structurally competent skills Externs will have opportunities to participate in local and/or national trauma coalitions/networks to: (1) receive advanced training in trauma assessment and treatment for youth, (2) access additional resources to support trauma-informed care, (3) participate on committees that influence policy, or (4) network and establish professional relationships.

The U*STAR Clinic offers a mixed outpatient load: Trauma and Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy, which includes up to a case load of 8-10 outpatients: 4-5 patients presenting with trauma and 4-5 patients presenting with mood and anxiety disorders, externalizing behavior problems, or adjustment disorders (see Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy). 

In addition to U*STAR, externs will participate in a weekly (1/2 day) trauma assessment clinic called Recovery & Empowerment After Community Trauma (REACT) Clinic: Drs. Sonya Mathies Dinizulu and Seeba Anam co-direct a weekly trauma-informed interdisciplinary assessment clinic for youth and families affected by community violence. Youth are identified by clinicians and staff within UCM Comer Children’s Hospital, and are referred to the REACT clinic to receive trauma-informed psychiatric and psychological assessments, which are used to inform treatment recommendations.  Youth and families served in this clinic must have at least a history of community violence.  Trainees will: (1) administer brief trauma-informed assessments to assess the impact of community violence on youth and families, (2) collaborate with psychiatry and social work to provide trauma-informed case conceptualization and treatment recommendations, (3) provide feedback to youth and their family, (4) assist with developing best practices for REACT screening and assessment. Externs will also be required to participate in on-going research projects. 

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week (Tuesdays are required).
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework preferred.
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of intervention services to children and adolescents.

Applications for the USTAR Externship Program should be directed to:

Sonya Mathies Dinizulu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Dinizulu may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at sdinizulu@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Tina Drossos, Ph.D.
4-5 positions

This externship provides opportunities for several different rotations.  It is not expected that any one extern will participate in all of the rotations.  Rather, applicants should consider which rotations fit each individual’s needs and interests. It is expected that externs participate in anywhere from 1 to 3 rotations. The only required Rotation is Outpatient Psychotherapy. 

Possible rotations include:

Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy (Rotation required for all externs): Externs will receive training in conducting intake/diagnostic interviews, and formulating a developmentally appropriate case conceptualization including diagnoses and recommendations for treatment. Externs will also be expected to provide ongoing outpatient psychotherapy services to children and adolescents, and their parents. Externs will carry a caseload of 3-7 patients (This will depend on each extern’s needs). Presenting problems typically include mood and anxiety disorders, externalizing behavior problems, and adjustment disorders. Given our affiliation with the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, externs will also have the opportunity to see patients with somatoform disorders and patients who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to a chronic illness. Treatment will predominantly be provided utilizing a cognitive-behavioral orientation; however, externs will also gain experience using alternate theoretical perspectives (i.e., family systems, interpersonal). If an extern chooses this rotation, they are expected to see patients for the entire academic year.

Child and Adolescent Consultation-Liaison: Externs also have the opportunity to participate and observe a licensed clinical psychologist or a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist on the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation/Liaison Service. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Consultation/Liaison Service exists to provide timely, expert biopsychosocial assessments and treatment recommendations to Comer Children’s Hospital physicians and children/adolescent patients under their care. Presenting problems may include adjustment reactions to a newly diagnosed medical illness, assessing depression or anxiety, conversion disorders, pain disorders, trauma reactions, disposition planning for patients following a suicide attempt. There is also an opportunity to participate in follow up, bed-side care/treatment with patients who have extended inpatient stays. Comer Children’s Hospital is a stand-alone 161 bed facility within the University of Chicago Medical Center that provides comprehensive inpatient pediatric services. The extern will spend approximately ½ - 1 full day on the consult service.

Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluations: Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) is a condition that is thought to arise from an increased proximity of the diaphragmatic crura to the celiac vessels. Individuals with MALS often demonstrate post-prandial abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. These symptoms can become chronic and may lead to significant weight loss. Treatment of

MALS involves the surgical release of the median arcuate ligament. To our knowledge, our medical  center is the only hospital in the country that employs a multidisciplinary approach for this population that includes pre and post-surgical psychological evaluations. The extern working with the MALS team will be responsible for weekly assessments of adolescent and adult candidates for Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome surgery (assessment length: 90 minutes). This assessment will consist of a psychosocial interview, including questions related to quality of life and coping strategies as well as an assessment of DSM-IV diagnoses (e.g., depression, anxiety, eating disorders), and questionnaires. Externs will also complete weekly follow-up assessments (Assessment length: 30 minutes). This assessment is also part of an IRB approved protocol and thus, there are research opportunities available to interested externs. Externs will be required to write up reports summarizing these assessments and present cases at bi-weekly multi-disciplinary rounds with the surgical team (surgeons, nurse practitioners, pain service, and psychology). In order to be eligible to participate in this rotation, externs must be available on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Health and Wellness Screening in the Kovler Diabetes Center: Externs in this rotation will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary (endocrinologists, diabetes educators, residents, medical students, nurses) clinic setting. Externs in this rotation are embedded within the endocrinology clinic. They will work collaboratively with endocrinologists and receive referrals to see patients (children through adults with Type I and Type II diabetes) during their endocrinology clinic visit. Externs then conduct a brief psychological screening for the purpose of identification of any mental health problems that may need further psychological assessment, and helping patients identify potential problems and assisting them with appropriate referrals and recommendations. Externs are expected to provide the endocrinologists with verbal feedback after screening a patient as well as complete a brief written report. There is also an opportunity to provide very brief psychological treatment for patients. This treatment is limited to 3-4 sessions in clinic and for very specific problems (i.e., behavior activation for depression, relaxation or exposure for anxiety, psychoeducation, etc.). Patients may still need to be referred after these brief sessions. Externs in this rotation will also be required to attend and present at 2-3 multidisciplinary case presentations throughout the year. Externs can choose to participate in this rotation anywhere from 1-2 full days.

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic Rotation: Externs will have the opportunity to work within a multi-disciplinary hematology-oncology clinic along with oncologists, advance practice nurses, social workers, residents, child life specialists and medical students. Externs in this rotation are embedded within the hematology-oncology clinic. This clinic will expose externs to a breadth of hematologic (i.e. aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease etc.) and oncologic (i.e. leukemia, neuroblastoma, solid organ tumors etc.) conditions. The role of the extern will be to provide psychosocial assessments for the purpose of identifying any psychosocial needs as patients are undergoing treatment. Patients are seen frequently in this clinic and thus, there will be opportunities for externs to follow and provide brief treatment with patients as they undergo treatment. Specific training opportunities include: provide verbal and written feedback to the members of the treatment team regarding the presence of such issues and recommendations for treatment; provide families with psychoeducation regarding diagnosis and

48 treatment options; administer instruments including behavior rating scales in the context of clinical interviews to gain information and diagnostic clarity; facilitate the provision of treatment services to families; integrate information from previous assessments or treatments within the Department of Psychiatry (i.e., inpatient treatment, prior neuropsychological evaluation, etc.) into the current case conceptualization. There may also be opportunities for these patients become a part of the extern’s outpatient caseload. To participate in this rotation, externs need to be available Monday, Wednesday, or Friday AM.

Didactics:  Externs can attend a variety of didactics offered through the Department.  Externs are not expected to attend all didactics but will be required to attend specific didactics offered on days when they are on campus, also dependent on their chosen rotations. 

• Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy Rotation
• Interdisciplinary case conference: Externs are expected to present cases 1-2 times per year (1 hour weekly from September to June)
• Advanced Child and Adolescent Cognitive-Behavior Therapy course: This course is designed to teach advanced cognitive-behavioral principles to be utilized with children and adolescents (1 hour/week for 12 weeks)
• Journal club (1 hour monthly from September to June)
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Colloquium Series: Monthly presentations focusing on current research and clinical practice topics relevant to child clinicians and trainees. 
• Child/Adolescent C/L Service Rotation (externs will not be expected to attend all of these didactics even if they are rotating with the C/L service):
• Two weekly multidisciplinary rounds (Tuesdays and Fridays)
• Weekly multidisciplinary case conference with the adult C/L service.  Externs are expected to present at this conference once during the year and arrangements can be made early on in the training year to accommodate students’ schedules. 
• Additional (optional) didactics:
  • Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience Grand Rounds
  • Family Therapy Seminar
  • Theories of Development
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Psychological Practice in a Medical Setting

*This is not an exhaustive list of potential didactics and if externs are interested in other classes/seminars offered in the Department, they are welcome to attend. 

Supervision:  Externs will be supervised by a licensed clinical psychologist (Dr. Tina Drossos) on all rotations.  The only exception is on the Child/Adolescent Consult/Liaison Service, where depending on the day of the week when externs rotate on this service, they may be supervised by Dr. Khalid Afzal (Director of the Child/Adolescent C/L Service; Board Certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist.

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework in Advanced Psychopathology, Diagnostic Interviewing, Psychological Assessment, Child/Adolescent Psychopathology, and Ethics. Coursework in Health Psychology is also recommended if offered by the graduate program.
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, preferably in Intervention and Assessment.  Students with one year of Intervention practicum may be considered depending on past clinical/work/volunteer experiences.  It is acceptable to be currently completing your second year practicum during the application period.

Applications for the Pediatric Psychology/Advanced Psychotherapy Externship Program should be directed to:

Tina Drossos, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Drossos may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at tdrossos@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Israel Gross, Ph.D. & Yangfeifei Gao, Ph.D.
5 positions

Goals of the Externship:

The Advanced Externship in Pediatric Neuropsychology has been designed to offer an appropriate balance between general training in relevant aspects of pediatric psychology, including the understanding of medical illnesses and developmental disorders, and their impact on psychosocial functioning; and specialized training in the identification and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders and their assessment within pediatric neuropsychology.

To this end, the Pediatric Neuropsychology Service at the University of Chicago offers comprehensive training in how to conduct brief and comprehensive evaluations of children and adolescents with suspected or known neurocognitive dysfunction. In order to meet training goals, advanced externs become increasingly proficient in independent test administration, scoring, and interpretation, and the sharing of results and recommendations to referral sources and families. All externs are trained and certified as Neuropsychology Technicians for the Service, responsible for carrying out a number of important aspects of the evaluation process.

All clinical work conducted within the Service is directly supervised by Yangfeifei Gao, Ph.D., Israel Gross, Ph.D. and/or Mary Lee, Psy.D., Pediatric Neuropsychologists and Assistant Professors of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience in the University of Chicago’s Pritzker Medical School.

The Service maintains full-time Neuropsychology Technicians across the Adult and Pediatric programs, who assist in the management of the Service, support the training of test administration and scoring, and ensure that all data and documentation collected within the Service are correct and appropriately complete. They also provide direct support for all of the research studies being conducted by the Service.

Description of Training Provided:

An extern who is accepted to pursue training with the University of Chicago’s Pediatric Neuropsychology Service can anticipate a very challenging and supportive experience in the further development of their assessment and diagnostic skills. Each extern commits to spending two full days each week on site with the Service, including one full clinic day where patients are evaluated and one day primarily devoted to didactic seminars and supervision. The extern will build forward their developing knowledgeable about developmental neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, and will become increasingly proficient in diagnostic interviewing; the administration, scoring, and interpretation of cognitive, neuropsychological, and behavioral measures; the selection of appropriate measures for diagnosing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders; the ability to convey in both written and verbal formats information relevant to the evaluation and its results; and will learn to develop and then present appropriate, empirically supported recommendations for intervention and learning.

Before ever seeing a patient in their role as a testing technician, the extern must first complete a rigorous two-week long training in which they learn (and update their knowledge of) standardized neuropsychological and objective test administration, observe each of the key tests being administered, and then demonstrate proficiency and reliability in test administration before being approved for each test they are likely to use during the externship. This training process is overseen and implemented by Drs. Gross and Gao, with support from fellows and technicians. The training process is the same that any neuropsychology technician would go through to serve as a technician at the University of Chicago. As a result, upon successful completion of training, the extern will receive a written certificate indicating that they have completed required training as a Neuropsychology Technician at the University of Chicago, and will then be able to work individually, under the supervision of Drs. Gross and Gao, with patients referred to the program.

Referrals to the program are received from inpatient and outpatient services in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pediatric Rheumatology, Pediatric Infectious Disease, and General Pediatrics. They are also made by clinicians and educators across the Greater Chicagoland Community, including Northwest Indiana and Southwest Michigan. Patients seen by the program range in age from infants and toddlers to young adults. The referral network for the Service provides a rich opportunity for developing and extending trainees’ testing and diagnostic skills pertinent to working in a hospital based Pediatric Neuropsychology Service.

Training Didactics and Supervision: Participation in all externship-specific training experiences is required. These didactics include:

• Attendance at the mandatory two-week training in Neuropsychological Assessment that will certify the extern as a Neuropsychology Technician. It is conducted at the beginning of the externship (July), and provides training in the administration and scoring of the measures utilized by the Service, paperwork required for tracking patient assessments and care, and the day-to-day practices of the Service.
• Weekly individual supervision with Drs. Gross and/or Gao
• Additional weekly individual supervision with a fellow or a doctoral psychology intern may also be offered
• Attendance at the Friday Neuropsychology Training Series:
  • Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience Seminar
  • Group Supervision
• Externs can also attend a variety of didactic programs, beyond just the ones offered within the Neuropsychology Service. These include:
  • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience Grand Rounds:
  • Offers presentations on a wide variety of topics in mental health by renowned speakers from around the country. The seminar includes Clinical Grand Rounds and research presentations by faculty from within the department and the medical center, as well as researchers from outside the Chicago area.
  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Colloquium Series: Monthly presentations concerning current research and clinical practice topics relevant to child clinicians and trainees.

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week. Fridays are required for didactics.
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework in Advanced Psychopathology, Diagnostic Interviewing, Psychological and Neuropsychological Assessment, Statistical Analysis, and Child/Adolescent Psychopathology. Additionally, it is strongly advised that coursework in Advanced Developmental Psychology has been taken, if available.
• Have solid experience in the administration and scoring of both intellectual and academic achievement measures, such as the Wechsler Scales (WISC-V, WPPSI-IV, WAIS-IV), Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery, Fourth Edition (WJ-IV), and/or the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III). Further familiarity with neuropsychological assessment more broadly is required.
• Have completed a minimum of one year of clinical practicum in Assessment. It is acceptable to be currently pursuing that practicum during the application period.

Additional Guidelines and Expectations for Externs in Pediatric Neuropsychology

By agreeing to participate in this program as an extern, you will be expected to meet the goals outlined above, as well as individualized ones developed in tandem with the Director, and to follow the following rules and expectations:

• You will commit to attending all required training programs and to being present, on time, for your clinical day each week. The training year runs from July 1st of the present year and runs to June 30th of the following year.
• You obtain required certification as a Neuropsychology Technician through the completion of the Neuropsychological Assessment Seminar offered during the first two weeks of the externship.
• On acceptance of the externship offer, you will be provided with and complete the Externship Contract, which will be signed by you and your Director of Clinical Training. If your program has its own contract, it should be provided to our faculty prior to the start of the externship year, for expeditious completion and return to you.
• Our program prefers to use our own trainee evaluation form which is tailored to our training program and consistent with the Standards of Accreditation and the Profession-Wide Competencies required by the American Psychological Association. However, if your program requires a quarterly or half-yearly review of your progress, please ensure that the appropriate forms are provided to our faculty in a timely manner. Forms received less than two weeks before they are due will typically not be completed in time.
• You are required to inform our faculty of any needed time off during the year of training, in a very timely manner; this means typically requesting time off at least one month in advance of your absence. Emergencies are typically understood, however, and just need to be communicated expeditiously.
• If you will be applying for internship during the training year, this must be discussed with the Director at the beginning of the externship. You will be expected to make suitable arrangements during the interview months (December and January), to ensure that your clinical and training duties are appropriately covered. It is not unusual that an extern will need to make scheduling changes; please discuss these with faculty as soon as possible.
• Vacation time is scheduled around the clinic’s needs, not your academic schedule. This generally means that you might have a holiday from school at a time when the clinic is still open and seeing patients. The following is a good rule of thumb for your vacation and holiday planning: the Pediatric Neuropsychology Service is “closed to patients” on Independence Day; Labor Day;; the weeks of Thanksgiving, and the last two weeks of December through New Year’s day. Additional times that patients will not be seen may coincide with the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN), International Neuropsychological Society (INS), American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) meetings, or other related professional meetings (e.g., American Psychological Association or Association of Psychological Science); this will occur, however, only if all faculty decide to attend these meetings, and you will be informed of that situation fairly early on in the year.
• Parental leave is accommodated as may be required; however, it is important to recognize that you may need to make up some training time at the end of the externship, if your leave proves lengthy for any reason. Our faculty will be flexible with you and your graduate program, to ensure that your training goals are fully met and completed in a timely manner. The Service and the Department adhere to federal Family Medical Leave requirements.
• Communication is the key for ensuring a good training experience, so please don’t hesitate to come and talk with Drs. Gross or Gao about any difficulty, concern, or change that may need to be considered necessary during the year.
• Have fun! This is meant to be both a challenge for you, in terms of stretching your skills and furthering your training, and to broaden your range of experiences.

Applications for the Pediatric Neuropsychology Externship Program should be directed to:

Israel Gross, Ph.D. & Yangfeifei Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Drs. Gross and Gao may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at igross@bsd.uchicago.edu and ygao6@bsd.uchicago.edu. 

 

Ilayna Mehrtens, Ph.D.
1-2 positions

The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Hematology-Oncology & Advanced Psychotherapy Externship provides training in assessment, consultation, and evidence-based treatment for AYA patients their families who are coping with hematological or oncological conditions. This externship is an extension of the Pediatric Hem-Onc Clinic rotation and is designed to provide externs with training in the provision of psychological services to meet the unique psychosocial needs of the AYA population. Externs in this rotation are embedded in the AYA program that is housed within the pediatric hematology-oncology clinic in Comer Children’s Hospital. The AYA program is co-located with the pediatric program; thus, externs will also have opportunities to provide services to pediatric patients. Externs will work as part of an interdisciplinary team alongside oncologists and hematologists, advanced practice nurses, social workers, residents/fellows, child life specialists, and medical students.

This externship will expose externs to a variety of hematologic (e.g., sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia, etc.) and oncologic (e.g., leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, etc.) conditions and treatments. The role of the extern will include providing brief, targeted psychosocial assessment and intervention services for patients as they undergo treatment or present to clinic for long-term survivorship care. Specific training opportunities include: provide verbal and written feedback to the treatment team regarding psychosocial concerns and recommendations for treatment; provide patients and families with psychoeducation regarding diagnosis and treatment options; administer instruments including brief screening tools and behavioral rating scales to gain information and diagnostic clarity; integrate information from previous assessments or treatments within the Department of Psychiatry (i.e. inpatient treatment, prior neuropsychological evaluations etc.) into the current case conceptualization; provide treatment services to patients and families; and co-facilitate support groups.

Rotations-of-Focus

This externship provides opportunities for several different rotations-of-focus. The Outpatient Psychotherapy rotation is required for all externs.

Psychosocial Oncology Clinic. The primary focus of this rotation is providing assessment, consultation, and evidence-based treatment for AYA patients who are in active oncology treatment. Patients are primarily seen during their clinic visits, though opportunities for inpatient consultation and liaison will also be available. While AYA patients undergoing active treatment will be the primary focus of this rotation, externs will also see some pediatric patients or patients presenting to the Survivorship or Sickle Cell clinics. In-person clinic on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Survivorship Clinic. The primary focus of this rotation is providing assessment, consultation, and evidence-based treatment for AYA patients who have completed treatment and are presenting to the clinic for annual long-term survivorship care. While survivorship care will be the primary focus of this rotation, externs may also see some pediatric patients or patients who are currently undergoing treatment for oncological or hematological conditions. In-person clinic on Tuesdays.

Sickle Cell Clinic. The primary focus of this rotation is providing assessment, consultation, and evidence-based treatments for AYA patients with sickle cell disease. Patients are primarily seen during their clinic visits, though opportunities for inpatient consultation and liaison will also be available. While AYA patients with sickle cell disease will be the primary focus of this rotation, externs will also see some pediatric patients or patients presenting for cancer treatment or survivorship care. In-person clinic on Mondays.

Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy (Rotation required for all externs): Externs will receive training in conducting intake/diagnostic interviews and formulating a developmentally appropriate case conceptualization including diagnoses and recommendations for treatment. Externs will also be expected to maintain a caseload of 2-4 child/adolescent outpatients. Presenting problems typically include mood and anxiety disorders, externalizing behavior problems, and adjustment disorders. Opportunities to see patients presenting to pediatric endocrinology for gender affirming health care are also available under Dr. Mehrtens’s supervision.

Didactics: Didactic training includes assigned readings and discussion of relevant pediatric and health psychology materials. Externs can also attend a variety of didactics offered through the Department. Offerings include (but are not limited to) Advanced Child CBT Seminar, Grand Rounds, Child Colloquium, Health Psychology Seminar, Professional Issues Seminar, and Consultation-Liaison Case Conference.

Supervision: Externs will receive at least 1 hour of individual supervision provided by Dr. Ilayna Mehrtens. In addition, externs may also co-facilitate assessment and intervention services alongside Dr. Mehrtens and receive regular live supervision during the training year. Additional individual or group supervision may be provided by other staff or advanced trainees.

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week (2 full days on site).
• At least one day must include Mondays (Sickle Cell clinic), Tuesdays (AYA & Survivorship Clinics), or Fridays (AYA Clinic).
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework in Advanced Psychopathology, Diagnostic Interviewing, Psychological Assessment, Child/Adolescent Psychopathology, and Ethics. Coursework in Health Psychology is also recommended if offered by the graduate program.
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, preferably in Intervention and Assessment with child and adolescent populations. Students with one year of Intervention practicum may be considered depending on past clinical/work/volunteer experiences. It is acceptable to be currently completing your second year practicum during the application period.
   

Applications for the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA)/Advanced Psychotherapy Externship Program should be directed to:

Ilayna Mehrtens, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Mehrtens may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at imehrtens@bsd.uchicago.edu. 

 

Claudio Rivera, Ph.D.
1 position

Overview: The purpose of this advanced psychotherapy externship is to provide training in the field of adolescent and young adult (ages 12-25) substance use. Externs will work within an interdisciplinary clinic (e.g., psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, medical students, clinical psychology interns) to develop skills for providing evaluations of, and delivering interventions to young people with history of substance use and mental health concerns. Externs spend their time (100%) working with patients with substance use history and co-occurring disorders, such as mental health disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, trauma). Patients Externs conduct semi-structured diagnostic evaluations for patients referred to the clinic (e.g. CRAFFT, BSTAD) and will provide empirically supported psychotherapeutic interventions including motivational enhancement therapy/motivational interviewing (MET/MI), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and contingency management (CM). Additionally, training on harm reduction strategies for young people will be provided and promoted (i.e., fentanyl test strips, naloxone kits). Externs will also be trained on incorporating theoretical frameworks for understanding and identifying paths towards addressing structural factors contributing and maintaining health inequities among the patients’ communities. This includes conceptualizing cases within tenets of critical race theory (e.g. intersectionality, racial capitalism, racecrafting and construction) and institutional racism, among others that recognize how indicators of oppression function to maintain and exacerbate material inequities. Trainees will work with the supervisor collaboratively to integrate such frameworks into treatment, and utilize such frameworks as tools to shift gaze towards systems of power and indicators of oppression.

Externs will carry a caseload of approximately 6-10 individual therapy patients per week and will receive at least one hour of individual supervision with Dr. Rivera, with the possibility of additional supervision in individual or group formats by another faculty member or advanced psychology trainee. Spanish language supervision with Dr. Rivera can be provided for cases that may benefit from it. Possibilities to collaborate with Dr. Rivera and other faculty on ongoing research projects may be available as well.

Didactics: Externs will be REQUIRED to be on site on Wednesdays and Thursdays to participate in didactics. Didactic experiences include Health Psychology Seminar, supervision, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, CBT, and interdisciplinary Case Conferences. 

Requirements:  Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• 16-20 hours per week (2 full days on site)
• Attendance on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week (some virtual work is possible)
• Current enrollment in an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application
• Completion of graduate coursework is preferred
• At least 2 previous practicum experiences, with one of them involving provision of cognitive behavioral therapy

Applications for the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Substance Use Externship Program should be directed to:

Claudio Rivera, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Rivera may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at claudiorivera@bsd.uchicago.edu. 

 

Matthew Young, Ph.D.
3 positions

The Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Program offers an externship under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Young.  The focus of this rotation is assessment and treatment of behavioral problems in young children.  Externs will receive intensive training and supervision in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, with the goal of fulfilling all requirements for therapist certification through PCIT International by the conclusion of the training year. In addition to PCIT, externs can gain exposure to other evidence-based treatment models for disruptive behavior problems in children and adolescents.  These include parent management training (PMT) approaches and individual cognitive-behavioral therapy focused on anger, emotion regulation, and aggression.  Observation plays an important role in this rotation including observation and co-therapy in the PCIT Clinic; live/video supervision of sessions; and implementing behavioral observation/tracking systems during sessions.

Externs in the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Program see approximately 8 outpatients weekly.  Approximately half of these cases will be participating in PCIT.  Based on the extern’s interests, the remainder of the cases can be focused on disruptive behavior problems or general Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychotherapy clinic patients. 

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 16-20 hours per week. Externs will be required to attend a group supervision/didactic meeting on Mondays at noon throughout the entire year. 
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework in Advanced Psychopathology, Diagnostic Interviewing, Psychological Assessment, Ethics, and Child/Adolescent Psychopathology. Coursework in Child/Adolescent Psychotherapy is also preferred if offered by the program.
• Two years of practicum training preferably with children, adolescents, and/or families.

Applications for the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Externship Program should be directed to:

Matthew Young, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Dr. Young may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at myoung8@bsd.uchicago.edu.

 

Yangfeifei Gao, Ph.D. & Matthew Young, Ph.D.
3 positions

Standalone evaluations for children ages 3-6: The trainee will gain experience in assessment of preschool age children with developmental delays, cognitive concerns, behavioral problems, and/or suspected autism spectrum disorder. These half-day evaluations include cognitive (e.g., WPPSI-IV or DAS-II) and pre-academic testing (e.g., Bracken), a clinical diagnostic assessment, and often diagnostic evaluation with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule – Second Edition (ADOS-2). The performance-based assessment is approximately 2 hours long. Supervision would be provided during live observation and during weekly group supervision with Dr. Young, Dr. Gao, and practicum students within the clinic. There are no didactic requirements as a part of this rotation. Externs in the Early Childhood Assessment Clinic see approximately 3 outpatient assessment cases per months. This rotation provides an exposure to this population (per the taxonomy for education and training guidelines).

Trainee’s responsibilities:

• Complete parent interview (e.g., diagnostic interviewing for ASD)
• Administer/score assessment measures including parent/teacher report questionnaires
• Gain collateral information from teachers and/or providers
• Communicate results to families via parent conference (i.e., usually 1-2 weeks following the evaluation)
• Generate integrative report based on background interview, questionnaires, and test data

Time commitment breakdown:

• Up to 5 hours of face-to-face patient hours per case (3 cases per months)
  • Intake interview- 1 hour
  • Feedback session- 1 hour
  • Testing and scoring- 2-3 hours
• Up to 5 hours of non-client-facing time
  • Report writing- 2-4 hours
  • Group supervision- 1 hour

Requirements: Please read the following list carefully to determine whether you are eligible to apply for this externship.

• Able to devote 10 hours per week.
• Completion of master’s degree, ideally at the time of application.
• Completion of graduate coursework in Advanced Psychopathology, Diagnostic Interviewing, Psychological Assessment, Ethics, and Child/Adolescent Psychopathology. Coursework in Child/Adolescent Psychotherapy is also preferred if offered by the program.
• One year of practicum training preferably with children, adolescents, and/or families.

Applications for the Early Childhood Assessment Clinic should be directed to Dr. Yangfeifei Gao and Dr. Matthew Young:

Yangfeifei Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 3077
Chicago, IL 60637

Matthew Young, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience
5841 S. Maryland Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637

Drs. Gao and Young may also be contacted via email for questions or concerns at ygao6@bsd.uchicago.edu and myoung8@bsd.uchicago.edu.