Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare System — Athens
Summary of Training Experience
ABH is an 88-bed psychiatric inpatient facility. There is an approximately even split between acute and long-term patients. The trainee will work with severely mentally ill patients who require inpatient psychiatric care. Typical diagnoses are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and personality disorders (especially borderline and antisocial). ABH utilizes a multidisciplinary treatment team approach, including psychiatry, psychology, social work, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, occupational therapy, activity therapy, music therapy, and art therapy. Experiences offered include group therapy, individual therapy and assessment. Trainees are engaged in a great deal of co-treatment with their supervisor, in addition to designated one-on-one supervision time. Students learn to conduct mental status and diagnostic evaluations, and these evaluations may include psychological testing (e.g. MMPI-2, MCMI-III, Brief NeuroCognitive Exam). Trainees also are involved in forensic evaluations, as possible.
Opportunities to Work with Diverse and Specialized Clientele:Patients are mainly drawn from rural southeastern Ohio. They range widely in age and socioeconomic status.
Options for Placements:6 months
Athens Veteran Affairs Outpatient Clinic
Summary of Training Experience
Trainees will utilize cognitive-behavioral interventions to treat a variety of mental health problems. Trainees will receive training in implementing evidence- based treatments, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Opportunities exist for working with mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and personality disorders. An emphasis on the treatment of PTSD should be expected. Trainees are not required to have previous experience with cognitive-behavioral theoretical orientation or treatment interventions. However, trainees should expect that this rotation will emphasize the development and implementation of CBT conceptualization and delivery. Depending on the trainee's interests, trainees could work with clients suffering from a variety of psychopathology or personality disorder symptoms. Many of these cases are complicated by medical and psychosocial issues. Trainees may also have the opportunity to lead/co-lead group treatments for anger management, chronic mental health issues, PTSD, and relaxation training.
Opportunities will also allow for trainees to complete thorough suicide assessments and create safety plans for veterans who are suicidal but do not require hospitalization.
Opportunities to Work with Diverse and Specialized Clientele:Trainees will work with a military veteran population from ages 23 to 90. Many clients have a variety of medical and psychosocial factors influencing their symptom presentation and treatment. Many clients are survivors of military trauma.
Options for Placements:A 12-month rotation is preferred, but some flexibility may be possible.
Chillicothe Veteran Affairs Medical Center
Summary of Training Experience
Neuropsychology Placement
Trainees will conduct inpatient and outpatient neuropsychological evaluations and can expect to conduct two supervised evaluations a week. They will be responsible for preparing the evaluation report for at least one of the evaluations each week. An effort is made to incorporate didactic learning into the traineeship through discussion of relevant literature and additional presentations. Trainees are also free to participate in educational opportunities throughout the medical center such as Morbidity and Mortality conferences, the Psychiatry/Pharmacy Residents Journal Club, and other grand rounds. Students
Opportunities to Work with Diverse and Specialized Clientele:Trainees will work with patients who suffer from traumatic brain injuries, dementia, neuropsychiatric illnesses, and neurological disorders.
Pain Psychology/Health Psychology
Trainees will participate as integrated members of the multidisciplinary pain management team working together to treat chronic pain conditions from a biopsychosocial perspective. Chronic pain can be an extremely disabling condition, and one for which traditional medical interventions are sorely limited. Cognitive, behavioral, and emotional factors are linked with chronic pain in a self-perpetuating cycle. For that reason, psychology plays a prominent role. Trainees will be involved in assessment of pain conditions as well other more general psychosocial issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, interpersonal stressors, and substance use disorders. Trainees will gain experience in individual and group treatment for chronic pain, with a special emphasis in EBT- based therapies (CBT, and possibly Motivational Interviewing). Common areas of focus include behavioral activation, pacing of activity, healthy lifestyle choices, cognitive restructuring, stress management, and relaxation and mindfulness skills. The Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP) is an interactive outpatient program, during which groups of veterans are taught self-management skills by a nurse, a physical therapy assistant, and a psychologist. Trainees will have the opportunity to participate in CPRP at a number of levels of complexity, based on experience and comfort level. Trainees will also have optional exposure to biofeedback training. Depending on current needs, trainees might have the opportunity to participate in projects such as staff education, designing patient education material, and development and implementation of new programming.
Trainees may have additional health psychology training options to supplement this rotation, by co-leading CBT for Insomnia or Tobacco Cessation groups.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team (PCT)
The PTSD Clinical Team is an outpatient clinic that treats Post Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from military trauma (i.e., military sexual trauma, combat trauma, training accidents) with empirically supported treatments. Veterans receiving treatment include both males and females from all eras of service The PTSD clinic will provide a trainee an opportunity to learn from an interdisciplinary team that includes psychologists, peer support specialists, and a board certified psychiatrist. Trainees would have opportunities to attend staff meetings, perform assessments, and conduct group and individual therapies for the treatment of PTSD. The PTSD clinic offers prolonged exposure therapy (individual) and cognitive processing therapy (both individual and group). In addition, imagery rehearsal therapy for nightmares, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and moving forward: a problem-solving therapy are commonly provided. We also provide education about PTSD (aka "PTSD University") to Veterans and their partners/families. Trainees would have the opportunity to co-lead groups (with Dr. Lemkuil) specifically for female veterans.
Opportunities selected for trainees will be guided by their interests and the clinical care being offered at the time of the rotation. Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: In treating rural Veterans with PTSD, isolation can be one of the most significant obstacles to address in treatment. Trainees will learn how to deal with this unique factor as they work with Veterans with PTSD.
Psychosocial Rehabilitation
The Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) locally named the Veteran?s Transition and Empowerment Center (VTEC), provides a unique opportunity to work with Veterans diagnosed with a Severe Mental Illness (SMI). Criteria for the program include a SMI diagnosis, such as Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and severe PTSD, and a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score under 50. VTEC is a supportive outpatient recovery center that is rooted in the recovery model. There are several groups offered throughout the day, including Illness Management and Recovery and Social Skills Training, an evidence-based treatment for SMI. VTEC emphasizes community integration and assists Veterans with identifying and participating in meaningful roles within the community based on individual preference. Veterans who are enrolled in VTEC learn the fundamental principles of psychiatric rehabilitation with an emphasis on developing and achieving individual recovery goals, improved psychosocial functioning, and greater integration in their communities of choice. The VTEC staff work with Veterans to instill hope and utilize strengths to recover from psychiatric problems. Trainees involved with this rotation will learn the basic principles of psychosocial rehabilitation, and have the opportunity to complete biopsychosocial assessments, facilitate group psychotherapy (as listed above), and individual psychotherapy.
They will also have the opportunity to design their own groups based on Veteran needs and approval from the VTEC team.
Vocational Domiciliary Program
The Vocational Domiciliary Program at the Chillicothe VAMC is a four-to-six-month residential program that offers mental health and vocational rehabilitation services to qualified veterans. The overall goals of the program are to prepare veterans to secure stable, gainful employment and establish independent housing in the community. In support of these goals: a staff of vocational rehabilitation counselors helps veterans prepare for and secure employment; a full-time psychologist provides mental health services; and a full- time social worker provides case management and mental health services.
Relatively common diagnoses for veterans in the program include depressive syndromes, anxiety syndromes, personality disorders, and substance dependence. Most of the veterans in the program participate in ongoing substance abuse treatment. Interns have the opportunity to work with complex symptom presentations including concurrent mood, personality, and substance use disorders. Typical activities for the Vocational Domiciliary Program Intern may include providing individual psychotherapy, crisis intervention, and psychological assessment (especially assessment of personality and emotional functioning) services to veterans in the program. The Intern may also regularly and actively consult with vocational rehabilitation, nursing, and social work staff to facilitate care, especially for veterans with complicated treatment needs. Group programming for the vocational domiciliary is currently under development.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: Students will work with patients experiencing significant difficulty with housing and employment, as well as complex mental health and substance abuse treatment needs. Students will provide services to both males and females from all areas of service.
Options for Placements:six-month rotations.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Summary of Training Experience
Trainees would have an opportunity to learn about and provide services in the following areas: individual psychotherapy; couples' counseling; group therapy; consultation to individuals, families, groups, or organizations; emergency services and consultation; crisis intervention; development, education, and outreach services. Trainees are provided with two hours of weekly individual supervision and a two-hour supervision/seminar that supports their development throughout the year. More emphasis is placed on client development and the provision of therapy in this setting and less emphasis on diagnostic assessment of clients, although trainees will have an opportunity to use clinical assessment tools. Counseling and Psychological Services has a dual mission to provide direct services to the campus community and to provide quality training to our graduate-level trainees and our doctoral interns. We are a multidisciplinary, theoretically integrative center that values diversity in all of its forms. Trainees will average 7-8 individual client contact hours per week and have the opportunity to cover two hours of drop-in where they provide crisis management and triage services. Trainees will see clients with a wide variety of presenting issues, existential and identity crises, developmental and relational issues, suicidality and self-harm issues, sexual assault, and Axis II/characterological issues. By the time trainees leave CPS, we expect they will be able to complete a thorough intake, conduct a risk assessment, make appropriate referrals, identify appropriate short and long term therapeutic goals, and begin to articulate their therapeutic orientations.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele:Counseling and Psychological Services is located on campus and provides a wide range of professional services to full-time enrolled students and the university community. Most clients are adults between the ages of 18 and 35. All individual and group therapy clients are enrolled college students at Ohio University.
Diagnostically, clients are very diverse, presenting with a wide range of concerns. Trainees will have an opportunity to request and pursue specialized experiences (i.e.: eating disorders, special populations, alcohol and substance abuse, multicultural issues).
Options for Placements:six months plus three months of practicum prior to start of traineeship.
Directions for Youth and Families
This is a 9 month placement for 16-20 hours/week in an outpatient clinic serving children to young adults. Responsibilities include therapy and assessment for ADHD, ID, LD, ODD, CD, Bipolar Disorder, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Clients are all Medicaid cases and present with a wide range of diversity; use of translators is common. Children's presentations are often complicated by parental substance use and/or domestic violence or other more significant trauma histories.
Harding Hospital/OSU (Neuropsychology)
This is a full year clinical placement for two full days/week. Experiences include conducting neuropsychological assessments, report writing, provision of clinical feedback, case reviews, didactics. The population served presents with a variety of medical, neuromedical, and neuropsychiatric concerns, and is mostly outpatient although there are opportunities for inpatient experience as well. Clients are diverse in age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Students are expected to have already obtained some neuropsychological or strong assessment experience prior to this placement.
Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service
This is an academic year placement in the counseling center at Ohio State University. Clinical experiences are similar to those at our counseling center, but with a wider diversity of students and clinical presentations.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Child Development Center
Summary of Training Experience
This traineeship places an emphasis on the interdisciplinary and psychological assessment of children with intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Also, there is an emphasis on intervention training using a strict behavioral orientation. Finally, there is opportunity to work with multiple other disciplines in hospital-based clinics including neurology, developmental pediatrics, psychiatry, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. In addition to clinical activities, this traineeship will provide a rich set of weekly didactic experiences including group supervision for assessment and treatment cases, topical seminars, and teaching clinics with all the CDC Psychology faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and pre-doctoral interns.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: Youth come from a wide range of socioeconomic, racial and cultural backgrounds.
Options for Placements: A 12-month rotation is preferred, but some flexibility may be possible.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Psychiatry and Community Behavioral Health Placement
Summary of Training Experience
A 16-20 hour per week practicum placement (two days per week) on an outpatient, multidisciplinary team. Responsibilities include individual and family therapy and psychological testing with children between the ages of 3 to 18. There may be opportunities for participation in evidence based treatment groups (Incredible Years for parents of children with disruptive behaviors and MFPEP for children with mood disorders and their parents). There is also the opportunity to participate on a Vertical Team with postdoctoral fellows and interns from our APA accredited internship program. Practicum students will receive one to two hours of individual supervision weekly plus two hours of group supervision/didactics/case presentation weekly through the Vertical Team. Students can expect, on average, approximately six face-to-face clinical hours per week.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: Youth come from a wide range of socioeconomic, racial and cultural backgrounds.
Options for Placements: Placements begin in late August/early September and run through the school year, ending in May. It is possible to extend the placement into the summer with supervisor approval. Offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Specific work days are flexible based on office availability and academic commitments.
Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatrics
This is a 16 to 20 hours per week practicum placement for nine months in an outpatient, interdisciplinary setting. Responsibilities include outpatient therapy with children presenting with a wide variety of medical and mental health issues (pain, feeding, diabetes, cancer, burns). The work is fast-paced and is best for a more advanced student who has already completed one traineeship placement. The children come from highly diverse backgrounds and translators are often used in the provision of clinical services. Students will work on interdisciplinary teams and have the opportunity to participate in didactics and case reviews. Both individual and group supervision are provided.
Ohio State University, Counseling and Consultation Service
Summary of Training Experience
This traineeship is conducted at the Counseling and Consultation Service at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Trainees would provide counseling to six individual clients weekly, as well as participating in a weekly practicum seminar, weekly individual and group supervision, outreach presentations (one per semester), and weekly triage coverage in the second semester.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: This traineeship is located on the OSU campus and provides a wide range of professional services to full-time enrolled students and the university community.
Options for Placements: Academic year (beginning of fall semester to end of spring semester)
Hopewell Health Centers
Summary of Training Experience
Hopewell Health Centers serve a wide range of clients in Pomeroy, Jackson and Gallipolis, Ohio. Adults, children and families are seen for general community mental health work. Some of these clients are severely mentally disabled. There is also the opportunity to work with the schools. There are opportunities for diagnostic assessments of both adults and children. There is also a small short-term crisis unit which averages about eight clients at a time with an average stay of eight to nine days.
Opportunities to work with diverse and specialized clientele: Clients are mainly drawn from the local Appalachian population.
Options for Placements: six or 12 months