Get Involved

Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology

USU CAPS Doctoral Internship started in 1996 and is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). Information on accreditation is available at the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20002-4242, by phone at (202) 336-5979, by email: apaacred@apa.org, or Web: https://accreditation.apa.org/. The internship provides quality training focused on eight basic areas of psychological practice important in a university counseling center or similar setting:

Graduate Assistantship for Psychology Doctoral Students

CAPS sponsors half-time (20 hours per week), 9-month assistantships. Graduate Assistants (GA) are recruited from the Combined Clinical/Counseling/School Psychology Ph.D. program at USU. The purpose is to give students, especially those with professional interest in counseling center positions, an opportunity to work with college students.

GA therapists provide intakes, individual therapy, outreach, and, if available, group therapy and/or supervision of a REACH Peer. GAs may also choose to provide psychological testing if they are interested. GAs receive weekly supervision, participate in weekly case staffing, staff meetings, training opportunities, and are able to attend additional educational opportunities with interns and professional staff.

More on the GA

REACH Peer Program

The REACH Peer Program is an undergraduate volunteer program designed for students pursuing careers in mental health related fields who would like to obtain experience working in a counseling center conducting both peer-to-peer mental health skills training and outreach. Up to 10 volunteers are selected each spring for the coming academic year for this valuable learning experience. The program requires a commitment of approximately six to eight hours per week during fall and spring semesters including attendance at a weekly 2-hour training class. Students are often eligible for credit through their department.

Reach Program Details

Psychology Practicum

CAPS serves as an Advanced Doctoral Practicum site for the USU Psychology Department and accepts three to six practicum students per academic year. CAPS practica are offered to third-year or beyond students in the combined psychology doctoral program and the school psychology doctoral program. The Practicum aims to::

• Provide supervised experience in psychotherapy, outreach, and prevention with a college student population.
• Promote purposeful therapeutic practice by expanding students’ knowledge and understanding of mainstream principles of therapeutic change and fostering effective application of those principles.
• Provide role models in professional life worthy of student emulation.
• Promote self-evaluation of personal beliefs and behaviors to enhance quality of therapy.

The practicum experience involves seeing clients for individual counseling, engaging in center outreach activities, receiving weekly individual and group supervision, and actively participating in the weekly classroom experience. Practicum students may also request opportunities to participate in co-leading group therapy if there is availability, and to provide psychoeducational assessment. The practicum is a two semester, 10–15 hour per week commitment.

If interested in applying for the CAPS Psychology Practicum, please submit the following materials to Dr. Charley Bentley by Friday of the third week of February at 5:00 p.m.:

1. Letter explaining your interest in this particular practicum;
2. A curriculum vita;
3. Once these materials are received a brief interview will be scheduled.

Contact

Dr. Charley Bentley, Practicum Coordinator
(435)-797-1012
charles.bentley@usu.edu

Upstander and Prevention Internship

This internship is a 5-hour-per-week commitment during both the fall and spring semesters and provides hands-on experience in outreach, facilitating training, and prevention strategies. Interns will play a key role in delivering USU’s Upstander trainings, which are based on bystander intervention—an evidence-informed approach to preventing a wide range of harmful situations. The purpose of Upstander training is to equip members of the USU campus community with the skills and knowledge needed to safely and effectively intervene when they recognize a potential threat or harm to others. These situations may include sexual misconduct, drug and alcohol misuse, hazing, depression or suicidal thoughts, and interpersonal violence, allowing interns to contribute meaningfully to a safer and more supportive campus environment.

Apply Here