Psychology Internship Training Tracks & Committee

The Menninger Clinic is a not-for-profit inpatient psychiatric treatment center serving adolescents and adults with a broad range of psychiatric and substance use problems. The Menninger Clinic offers training in specialty inpatient programs and diagnostic services, including:

• Treatment for adults
• Treatment for young adults
• Treatment for children or adolescents

The Menninger Clinic also provides outpatient services as well, although the psychology intern is primarily working on the inpatient units. Treatment follows an integrated, biopsychosocial model in which pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and systems approaches are employed to assist patients in understanding and managing their symptoms. Much attention is given to careful and thorough diagnosis and a compassionate, client-centered approach to patient care.

All clinical work at The Menninger Clinic is with sub-acute patients. The core training experiences at The Menninger Clinic is divided into two tracks. The first track is the Adult Division Track. The intern works with adults eighteen years of age and older. The primary placements on the Adult Division Track are the Adult Unit and the Bridge Residential Program. Lengths of stay can vary between two to four weeks (Adult) and four to six weeks (Bridge).

The second track is the Adolescent & Young Adult Division Track. The intern works with clients between twelve and thirty years of age. The primary units on the Adolescent & Young Adult Track are the Adolescent Treatment Program and the Compass Young Adult Program. Lengths of stay can vary between two to four weeks (ATP) and two to eight weeks (Compass).

In both tracks, the intern integrates diagnostic formulations into treatment planning, helps to co-lead therapy groups, and provides individual evaluation and therapy services within a multidisciplinary treatment team.

Assessment and Consultation

Psychological testing is a valued clinical activity that often contributes to our understanding of patients and is an important aspect of each intern’s training. As mentioned above, the intern is centrally involved in diagnostic formulation, which is informed by testing, team input, previous records, and intensive interviewing. The intern generally has a caseload of two to three assessment cases at a time, and the results are shared with patients, families, and the treatment teams.

The intern conducts comprehensive psychological testing batteries including self-report personality tests (e.g., PAI-A, MACI-II, MMPI-3). Use of performance-based personality tests (e.g., Rorschach, TAT) is encouraged, but not required, and interns have opportunities to learn these tests if interested. Cognitive testing is generally infrequent, but intelligence (WASI-II, WISC-V, WAIS-IV) and achievement tests (WJ-IV-Ach) may be utilized as indicated. Psychological testing at Menninger is generally conducted within a flexible collaborative assessment frame, with patients and examiners working as co-investigators throughout the assessment process. Experience with test administration, interpretation, and integrated report-writing is essential.

Psychotherapy

The intern conducts group and individual therapy for patients on their respective divisions. Patients are generally seen twice per week for individual therapy. Given the varying levels of acuity and diverse clinical presentation of this patient population, no one intervention style or approach to therapy is utilized for all patients. Interns work closely with their supervisors to consider the best therapeutic course of action.

Access to Diverse Populations

Interns in these tracks gain experience with a broad array of complex psychiatric disorders or co-occurring disorders. Common presenting problems include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, eating disorders, ADHD, substance abuse, and emerging or current personality disorders. There are patients on both tracks that identify as LGBTQ+, although this is more prevalent in our Adolescent and Young Adult Track. While many patients come from the United States, The Menninger Clinic receives a fair number of patients who come from other countries.

Scholarly Inquiry

The intern can become involved in ongoing research activities at the hospital if they choose this as a secondary research rotation. Such opportunities include program evaluation for the various treatment programs, assessment of hospital-wide outcomes, and research with suicidal patients.

Supervision

The theoretical orientation is integrative, but broadly and flexibly psychodynamic, with cognitive behavior therapy, family systems and other skills-building and empirically supported treatment approaches represented.

The intern receives one hour of assessment supervision and one hour of individual therapy supervision per week from a current psychology faculty member: Psychology Faculty

Patricia Daza, Ph.D., ABPP is the director of clinical training for The Menninger Clinic

Ben Taub Hospital is a public facility of the Harris Health System with over 400 beds serving the medically indigent population of Harris County. Ben Taub Hospital offers mental health inpatient and outpatient care, including an intensive outpatient program for individuals with personality disorders and complex mood and anxiety disorders. Ben Taub Hospital is a primary teaching facility for Baylor College of Medicine.

The Ben Taub Hospital Mental Health Service is a training site for many health care professions, including clinical psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, occupational therapy and pharmacy, among others. The Ben Taub Hospital General Psychology Track is focused on the provision of outpatient psychological services for patients across the lifespan. Opportunities for additional elective training experiences will be available for the intern throughout the year. 

Psychotherapy

Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic: The intern will provide psychotherapy services one day a week in the Ben Taub Mental Health Services Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. The intern will provide short-term weekly individual psychotherapy to children and adults presenting with a wide variety of concerns including attention issues, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, OCD, grief, perfectionism, and adjustment issues. The intern will gain experience in providing evidence-based treatments, monitoring treatment progress, consultation, and further honing their case conceptualization skills for patients from diverse and underserved communities. Supervision will be provided by a staff psychologist.

Psychological Assessment

Assessment Clinic: The intern will conduct psychological and cognitive assessments one day a week. The intern will conduct assessments for children and adults referred through the Harris Health System. Initially, the intern will observe several assessments and familiarize themselves with assessment measures and common clinical presentations. Ultimately, the intern will independently conduct clinical interviews, utilize evidence-based assessment measures, interpret data, write psychological reports, and provide feedback to families and referring medical providers to clarify the diagnostic picture. Common referral questions include assessment of autism, ADHD, mood disorders, trauma reactions, somatic symptoms, psychosis, and intellectual/academic functioning. Emphasis will be placed on improving intern competence in providing appropriate assessment services and understanding the intricacies of assessment and diagnosis in this population. Supervision will be provided by a staff psychologist. 

Inpatient Hospital Services

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Service: Psychology is part of a multidisciplinary C & L Psychiatry Service providing consultations to patients throughout BTH. The intern will be supervised by Dr. Yasmine Omar, the staff psychologist for the C & L service. The intern will provide bed-side psychotherapy and brief psychological assessments such as suicide, depression, anxiety and cognitive screeners. The intern provides consultation services to inform diagnoses, treatment decisions, and discharge planning as part of a multidisciplinary team by working in direct contact with a team of medical students, medical residents, social workers, spirituality as well as nursing staff. The intern will also have opportunities to provide time-limited psychotherapy to patients with extended medical admissions. 

Inpatient Psychiatry Service: The intern will be supervised by Dr. Phuong Nguyen (Monday & Tuesday) on the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit. The intern will provide brief assessments, as well as time-limited psychotherapy services to patients who have been identified by the treatment team as likely to benefit from short-term supportive-expressive or cognitive-behavioral treatment. The intern also co-leads a daily skills training group for inpatients. The intern is encouraged to be an active participant by interviewing patients and providing feedback to the team regarding observations during intake interviews, interactions with patients on the unit, observations during group or individual therapy, and results of psychological testing. A primary goal for each intern is to learn the team member role and consultation role of a psychologist in a hospital setting. 

Access to Diverse Populations

The intern has the unique opportunity to work in both the outpatient and inpatient hospital settings, with patients who have a variety of psychiatric illnesses that are frequently complicated by major health issues. Psychiatric problems addressed vary greatly in terms of severity and diagnoses; however, Ben Taub often treats some of the most treatment resistant patients in the greater Houston area.

Ben Taub provides excellent representation of the sociocultural diversity that exists within Houston, and patients receiving services often reflect underserved populations. Approximately 75 percent of patients served are racial/ethnic minorities, with approximately 40 percent receiving treatment under indigent or charity care and another 40 percent under Medicaid or Medicare. Spanish is the most spoken foreign language among patients. As Houston has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the United States, Vietnamese is the second most-spoken foreign language among patients. Interpreting services are available in 150 different languages, offering the intern the opportunity to develop skills working with interpreters. 

Scholarly Inquiry

Various faculty members at Baylor College of Medicine are engaged in research and publication. Current research interests of the faculty include issues of diversity/multiculturalism, severe psychopathology in racial and ethnic groups, clinical characteristics for psychiatric patients, and human trafficking. The intern is encouraged to become involved in ongoing research projects at Ben Taub and are also expected to make use of the scientific literature on assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment planning in their clinical activities. 

Supervision and Meetings

Jonathan Blassingame, III, Ph.D. – Dr. Blassingame is the Program Director for the Adult Intensive Outpatient Program.  He provides clinical oversight for the psychology trainees on the outpatient rotation.  He also conducts individual psychotherapy and psychological/cognitive assessments in the outpatient clinic.  He supervises individual therapy cases, group therapy sessions, and outpatient assessment cases for the trainees.  Dr. Blassingame is also Associate Training Director for Ben Taub Hospital/BCM Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship.   

Abby Candelari, Ph.D. – Dr. Candelari is a Staff Psychologist at Ben Taub Hospital in the Obstetrical Care Department and the Maternal Perinatal Addiction Treatment Clinic (MPAT), where she provides evidenced-based psychological interventions for perinatal mental health concerns and substance use disorders within pregnancy.  Dr. Candelari also provides psychological/cognitive assessments in the outpatient clinic and supervision for trainees providing individual psychotherapy on the outpatient rotation.   

Saba Masood, Ph.D. – Dr. Masood is a Staff psychologist at Ben Taub Hospital and oversees the Psychological Assessment Service.  She provides psychological testing and assessment for child, adolescent, and adult patients of the Harris Health System (ages 8 and above).  She supervises the psychology intern and psychology fellows on their outpatient testing rotation.  

Phuong T. Nguyen, Ph.D. - Dr. Nguyen is the Director of Psychology Services at Ben Taub Hospital. He is Training Director for the BCM Psychology Internship Program and the Ben Taub Hospital-BCM Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship. He is also the Program Director for the BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program.  He works primarily in the psychiatric inpatient service, teaching both a team member role and the consultation model to psychology trainees. He provides supervision for the trainees on the inpatient unit and the Anti-Human Trafficking Program.  

Yasmine Omar, Ph.D. – Dr. Omar is a Staff Psychologist for the Ben Taub Hospital Consultation and Liaison Service. She supervises the trainees rotating through the C & L service and oversees their clinical activities, which include consultation, assessment, and brief therapy with medically ill patients.  

Katharine D. Wojcik, Ph.D. – Dr. Wojcik is the Program Director for the Support, Treatment, and Rehabilitation (STAR) Program. She is also Associate Training Director of the BCM Psychology Internship Program. Dr. Wojcik primarily provides individual psychotherapy and psychological/cognitive assessments in the outpatient clinic and psychiatric inpatient service. Dr. Wojcik provides clinical supervision for psychology trainees and didactics for medical students and residents on the inpatient service. Dr. Wojcik also supervises the inpatient fellow on the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit (PIU). 

Monthly Psychology Team Meeting - This time is used as a monthly check-in for psychology team members. Supervisors, postdoctoral fellows, and Interns are encouraged to utilize this supportive space to discuss and address issues that might arise during the training year. Topics of discussion have included patient risk assessment, treatment strategies, licensing process, and administrative issues. 

Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows may also provide additional supervision for interns.

Location: Harris County Sheriff’s Office – Behavioral Health Division

The Law Enforcement community is one in which chronic and acute stressors are prevalent, help-seeking has been stigmatized, access to care has been limited, and the need to adapt to ever-changing demands is high. These factors reverberate among First Responder and their families. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Behavioral Health Division (BHD) is a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals providing consultation, outreach, education, and clinical services to employees of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and their families, with the goal of decreasing stigma, improving coping strategies, providing access to mental health services, and advancing wellness and resiliency. The primary focus of this track is to provide these services for Law Enforcement and First Responders (LE/FR) and their families. In addition, various opportunities exist within the HCSO for Interns to connect and develop relationships with the public through advocacy and outreach. Interns also may assist citizens in reducing crime through proactive crime prevention measures, victimization avoidance, and advocacy. 

Clinical Training

Core clinical training will primarily occur at HCSO’s Behavioral Health Services Center. The Intern will conduct psychological assessments and provide evidenced-based treatment to LE/FR and their families, who present with a wide variety of concerns, including attention issues, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harm, OCD, grief, perfectionism, and adjustment issues. The Intern will gain experience using evidence-based assessment measures, providing evidence-based treatments, monitoring treatment progress, consultation, and honing their case conceptualization skills for clients who present to the Behavioral Health Services Center. 

Community Engagement 

Embedding mental health providers into special communities provides unique opportunities to invest time in outreach, preventive education, and non-clinical (“decentralized”) consultation, often overlooked aspects of comprehensive care. A return on this investment, in addition to providing awareness and resiliency skills that can decrease the need for intervention, is that this direct involvement helps to destigmatize and create a familiarity that makes it more likely for personnel to feel comfortable reaching out for help when intervention is indicated and makes that help more effective. Stated another way, interventions are more accepted and more effective when provided within the framework of understanding and supporting the target population’s occupational, functional, and development needs. 

To this end, during the Internship year, the Intern will have the opportunity to engage in:

Outreach and Prevention

Includes in-person engagement with units/personnel via roll-calls, ride-alongs, and other scheduled and unscheduled events – to destigmatize, demystify, and improve awareness and utilization of mental health resources, as well as:

Classroom Training. The Intern may lecture and assist in the development of Sheriff’s Academy and in-service classes, primarily in the provision of our Family Support Program, but also on other issues of mental health import, e.g., identifying and crisis intervention with consumers experiencing a mental health crisis, de-escalation techniques, stress/anger management, and resiliency skills. 

Wellness Initiatives. The Intern may have the opportunity to contribute to program development, helping to shape the focused outreach, prevention, training, clinical, and consultative efforts serving our Family Support initiative, as well as other formal programmatic initiatives such as Suicide Prevention, Operational Stress Management, and Substance Abuse Prevention.

Community Provider Engagement. The Intern will learn and contribute to BHD staff efforts to engage and involve our community mental health partners in awareness and training initiatives to increase cultural competency for caregivers seeking to serve the LE/FR population. These efforts help to improve the quality of mental health care LE/FR receive from community sources, such as private providers, nonprofit/pro-bono organizations, and other elements of care (e.g., Psychiatry, Residential/Inpatient treatment), which are not available directly through the BHD.

Peer Support Team. A BHD Staff member serves as Mental Health Director for HCSO’s volunteer Peer Support Team. In addition to providing consultation, we provide or coordinate the Team’s quarterly training. The Intern will be exposed to this “provider extender” or “paraprofessional” model, which can be especially powerful in LE/FR communities. 

Acute/Non-Acute Consultation and Operational Support

Consultation is available 24/7 for Peer Support Team Members, Supervisors, Managers, Command Staff, or the Sheriff to assist in crisis and non-crisis incidents, including:

Acute consultations include calls for critical incident support, general employee referral, or employee fitness questions. The Behavioral Health Division does not conduct Fitness-for-Duty Evaluations for employees but provides consultation to supervisors attempting to determine the need for such.

Developmental or Occupation-relevant situations such as training or workplace issues, line-of-duty deaths, employee suicide, and Internal Affairs Division investigations.

Operational activities include All Hazards/Mass Casualty Response, Hostage Negotiations, and Investigation. In addition, the Intern will have the opportunity to support community-focused programs such as: 

Crisis Intervention Response Teams (CIRT) and Clinician & Officer Remote Evaluation (CORE). These “co-responder” (law enforcement and mental health professional) teams respond to the most serious calls involving individuals in a mental or behavioral health crisis.

• Project Guardian. A program in which deputies work with families and caregivers of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to improve their safety during future interactions with Law Enforcement, for example, triggers to avoid, behaviors to expect, and communication tips.
• Holistic Alternative Responder Team (HART). Trained health and social service professionals assist dispatchers in quickly responding appropriately to residents experiencing behavioral health issues or non-emergency medical concerns, reducing unnecessary law enforcement and hospital-based interventions.
• Crime Victims Assistance Unit. This Unit is dedicated to helping victims and/or family members affected by crime or tragic circumstances regain control over their lives. 
• Forensic Evaluations. Opportunities to conduct forensic psychological evaluations, receive training on providing written opinions regarding competency to stand trial and insanity, consulting with attorneys and court officials, and providing testimony in a criminal legal proceeding. 

Research

BHD is committed to understanding and improving LE/FR’s behavioral health and well-being through multi-disciplinary, collaborative team science and stakeholder partnerships. The Intern will have opportunities to contribute to peer-reviewed publications and participate in ongoing research projects with BHD/BCM staff and other partners such as the University of Houston First Responder Program (UH FRP).

Supervision

Thomas McNeese, Ph.D. – Dr. McNeese is the Director of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Behavioral Health Division. He specializes in working with populations exposed to significant job-related stressors and trauma. Outside interests include conducting court-ordered forensic evaluations for various criminal courts. He provides clinical supervision and general oversight of community engagement, consultation activities, and other track experiences.

Jessica Walters, Ph.D. – Dr. Walters is a staff psychologist at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Behavioral Health Division and serves as Clinic Lead for the Behavioral Health Services Center.  She participates in various clinical activities including supervision, individual psychotherapy, assessments, teaching and outreach. In addition to providing clinical supervision, she specializes in working with forensic populations and provides consultation regarding recidivism/risk assessments and community supervision recommendations.   

Location: Jamail Specialty Care Center

The Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track offers training at Baylor Psychiatry Clinic. Baylor Psychiatry Clinic (BPC) offers evaluation and treatment for individuals across the lifespan (18 and up) who experience psychiatric and psychological difficulties. It is also the primary outpatient training setting for Baylor College of Medicine’s Psychiatry Residency Program and Psychology Internship Program. BPC offers outpatient services including medication management and psychotherapy in a multidisciplinary setting staffed by psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Interns in the Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track will primarily be working as individual psychotherapists; however, there are also opportunities to engage in psychological testing as well as group, couples and family therapy. 

Clinical Training

Interns in the Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track are trained in and develop specialized clinical expertise in evidenced-based treatments (EBTs) for adults diagnosed with a range of mood and trauma related disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment and personality disorders. Patients seeking services at BPC are often complex with comorbid disorders and varying levels of clinical severity. Patients who seek services at BPC come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, including race, and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level and sexual orientation. 

Interns in the Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track select at least two evidence-based treatments (EBTs) during the training year to learn or in which to develop additional competence. The track offers training in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Interns have additional opportunities to learn and receive supervision in Trauma Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (TFACT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). The opportunity to observe and co-facilitate group therapy (CBT; CBT-I; DBT) is also offered. Most incoming interns have already developed skills and competence in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in previous practicum placements. However, for incoming interns with other primary orientations, training in CBT is also offered.  

Research

In addition to clinical work, the intern will participate in clinical research activities underway in the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program and Emerge Research Program for Stress, Trauma, Depression and Suicidality. Projects include, but are not limited to, the development and of a brief ketamine adjunctive psychotherapy intervention for patients with treatment resistant depression and a clinical trial funded by the state of Texas testing the efficacy of psychedelic treatment with psilocybin for veterans with treatment resistant PTSD.  

Supervision

Interns in the Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track receive at least two hours of individual supervision per week. The majority of clinical supervision is provided by Dr. Brittany O’Brien and Dr. Katharine Wojcik. Additional supervision is provided by Baylor College of Medicine psychology and faculty experts according to the intern’s interests and personal training goals. 

Caseload and Schedule

Interns in the Mood and Trauma Related Disorders track carry approximately 20 individual therapy cases during the training year. Outside of weekly didactic presentations, interns are responsible for creating and managing their own schedule. 

Location: Jamail Specialty Care Center

The OCD and Related Disorders Program is housed within the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic located at the Jamail Specialty Care Center. This clinic is a unique setting that blends clinical care, education, and research. Broadly, the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic offers comprehensive outpatient assessments and treatment for individuals across the lifespan who experience psychiatric and psychological difficulties. The Baylor Psychiatry Clinic is also a primary outpatient training setting for the Baylor College of Medicine Psychiatry Residency Program and Psychology Internship.

Within the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic, the OCD and Related Disorders Program offers specialized treatment in the form of individual and family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention as well as medication management. Currently, there are multiple federally funded projects in the OCD and Related Disorders Program including projects focused on cognitive-behavioral therapy, genetics, deep brain stimulation, and assessment.

Clinical Training

The intern will complete clinical training as a member of the OCD and Related Disorders Program team. The intern will provide evidenced-based treatment, namely cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure and response prevention, habit reversal training, and CBIT - to individuals that suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder and other obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (e.g., trichotillomania, tic disorders, body dysmorphic disorder). Treatment will also involve treating comorbid disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders. Under the direct supervision of Drs. Eric Storch, Amanda Palo, Caitlin Pinciotti and Andrew Wiese, and in collaboration with other Baylor College of Medicine faculty experts, the intern will develop clinical expertise in the treatment of these disorders. Interns are encouraged to further their professional development by collaborating and consulting with other multidisciplinary team members, providing peer supervision, and learning to navigate the managed care system (e.g., billing and documentation requirements).

The intern will also have opportunities to work closely with child and adult psychiatrists and residents and provide psychological consultations as needed. Referrals may come from the community or from providers from within Baylor College of Medicine. The intern can expect to carry a very diverse patient caseload during the course of the year, with a primary focus on OCD and related conditions. The intern will be expected to continue to gain experience in providing evidence-based treatments, monitoring treatment progress, and further honing their case conceptualization skills for individuals with OCD and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

Research

The intern will also have opportunities to engage in research in areas of adult and child OCD, including contributing to peer-reviewed publications and participating in ongoing research projects. Past interns have had the opportunity to become first author on at least one publication during the internship year.

Supervision

The primary theoretical orientation utilized with patients of the OCD and Related Disorders Clinic is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Interns receive at least two hours of individual supervision per week (therapy and research supervision) by several members of the psychology faculty. 

The following will serve as the track supervisors for the OCD and Related Disorders Track:

• Eric Storch, Ph.D.
• Amanda Palo, Ph.D.
• Caitlin Pinciotti, Ph.D.
• Andrew Wiese, Ph.D.
• Molly Church, Psy.D.
• Jordan Stiede, Ph.D.
• Katie Mangen, Ph.D.
• Matti Cervin, Ph.D.
• Sean Gregory, Ph.D.
• Sam Spencer, Ph.D.
• Allie Townsend, Psy.D.
• Alyssa Hertz, Psy.D.

Location: TIRR Memorial Hermann

TIRR Memorial Hermann is a not-for-profit rehabilitation hospital that serves individuals across the age span who have been affected by neurological illness, trauma, or other debilitating conditions. Services are provided as part of an interdisciplinary team approach with the goal of returning individuals to maximal independence and participation in their communities. TIRR MH offers comprehensive rehabilitation programs and services that address the individual needs of each patient. Core rehabilitation programs include: Stroke, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Specialty Rehabilitation (including neurodegenerative diseases, multiple trauma, amputee, burns, or other debilitating conditions). TIRR Memorial Hermann’s comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, and vocational services are accredited by CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. TIRR Memorial Hermann is also designated as a model system by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research for its traumatic brain injury program.

Interdisciplinary Team and Staff

Psychologists in this setting function as part of an interdisciplinary team, which includes physiatrists, rehabilitation nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language therapists, social workers, case managers, chaplains, vocational counselors, music therapists, recreational therapists, respiratory therapists, and consultative physicians (including psychiatrists). Interns would be housed in the Rehabilitation Psychology/Neuropsychology department. The department is comprised of clinical neuropsychologists, rehabilitation psychologists and clinical psychologists at TIRR MH Hospital, West University outpatient clinic, and at TIRR Memorial Hermann Challenge program. Additionally, there are neuropsychologists and clinical psychologists with primary roles involved research at the TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center. Interns would have the opportunity to interact with and receive supervision and training from many of these staff members.

Core Training Experiences

The core training experiences on this track are divided into four three-month rotations: inpatient Brain Injury and Stroke Program, inpatient Spinal Cord Injury and Specialty Rehabilitation, Outpatient Rehabilitation Psychology/Neuropsychology Clinic, and the TIRR Memorial Hermann Challenge Program (an outpatient post-acute brain injury rehabilitation program focused on community integration). In addition, interns will have the choice of focusing on two 6-month minor rotations.

Inpatient Services

While on the inpatient rotations, interns would be involved in performing medical record review, intake evaluations, neuropsychological evaluations (bedside screenings and more comprehensive evaluations), and evaluations of emotional and behavioral functioning. Interns would be responsible for test administration, interpretation, and integrated report-writing with supervision from staff neuropsychologists. Interns would share results of evaluations with the interdisciplinary team, patient, and family members and will gain significant experience in formulating recommendations to assist the team in working most effectively with the patient. In addition, interns would be involved with providing brief individual psychotherapy to inpatients, focused on specific issues that will enhance the individual’s ability to participate maximally in their rehabilitation program. Given the relatively brief lengths of stay (four - six weeks on average), interventions are necessarily solution-focused. Additionally, interns will gain experience in patient and family education, behavioral assessment and behavior management; and co-treatment with other specialties. Rehabilitation is a collaborative process and experience with other disciplines as part of the interdisciplinary team is an invaluable part of the training experience.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Spinal Cord Injury and Specialty Rehabilitation (TIRR MH): Supervision provided by staff Clinical Psychologists and/or Neuropsychologists. This rotation will expose the intern to rehabilitation of patients who have suffered from spinal cord injuries and various other injuries or conditions requiring medical intervention and rehabilitation. The intern can expect exposure to a wide variety of patient populations during this rotation. Patients on the specialty rehabilitation service are quite varied and include amputations, orthopedic interventions (i.e. hip replacements, spinal surgery, etc.), as well as patients suffering from various neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS), burn injuries, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. The intern will be expected to perform psychological and neuropsychological screenings (as indicated), provide family education and support, as well as provide supportive psychotherapy to aid with adjustment, as well as targeted interventions for various conditions that may impede progress in rehabilitation (e.g., pain, sleep, anxiety, depression).

Inpatient Rehabilitation Brain Injury Specialty (TIRR MH): Supervision provided by staff Neuropsychologists. This rotation will provide the intern with exposure to acute rehabilitation with patients who have suffered from acquired or traumatic brain injuries. The intern will gain experience assessing patients with varying levels of consciousness and functional abilities. The intern will be expected to perform neuropsychological screenings/comprehensive testing and report-writing. Significant skill in performing bedside evaluations, which require adaptations of standardized measures to assess abilities in persons with varying sensory and motor functioning, will be a unique training experience for this rotation. In addition, interns will gain experience in assessment of problem behaviors, will lead development of behavior management plans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team, and will provide patient and family education and supportive counseling.

Outpatient Services

The intern will participate in the provision of outpatient services in the TIRR Memorial Hermann Challenge Program and in the Rehabilitation Psychology/Neuropsychology Outpatient Clinic.

Outpatient Post-Acute Brain Injury Rehabilitation (TIRR MH Challenge Program): The TIRR Memorial Hermann Challenge outpatient rotation is a holistic post-acute brain injury rehabilitation setting which focuses on community reintegration. Clients in this program are focused on returning to independent living, school, or work settings. Interns will gain experience in working with clients with acquired brain injury who are in the post-acute phase of recovery and transitioning back to community life. This milieu-focused treatment program involves multiple group therapies, including cognitive rehabilitation, psychoeducational, and process groups. Interns would be involved in providing group therapies and would also be involved in providing individual interventions, including psychotherapy and cognitive rehabilitation. Additionally, interns would participate in conducting cognitive screening evaluations and comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations as part of the Challenge rotation. Supervision provided by staff Neuropsychologists. This rotation takes place in our off-site outpatient facility about two miles from the Texas Medical Center.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Psychology/Neuropsychology (RP/NP) Clinic: The outpatient RP/NP clinic rotation will focus on comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, psychological evaluations, and psychotherapeutic services using evidence-based treatments. Typical types of referral for psychotherapy include: treatment of insomnia or other sleep disorders, pain management, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and adjustment to disability, although other referrals may be received. Interventions for insomnia and chronic pain are delivered in a manualized treatment program based on evidence-based treatment practices. Referrals to this clinic come from internal sources, such as our staff physiatrists and psychiatrists, as well as from community referrals. Thus, the breadth of issues with which patients present is broad, including brain injury, stroke, amputation, anoxic injury, spinal cord injury, complex orthopedic injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and complex medical conditions. In addition, patients referred may be otherwise healthy adults presenting with a focused condition, such as insomnia.

Minor Rotations

The intern will be expected to complete minor rotations in conjunction with their major rotations. Time spent on a minor rotation will approximate one day per week and each minor rotation would be six months long. The fellow may choose from the minor rotations offered and it is possible to develop customized minor rotations based on supervisor availability:

• Pain Management
• Research
• Focused areas of Neuropsychological Assessment
• Psychotherapy focused on Adjustment to Disability

Access to Diverse Populations

Interns in this track will gain experience working with patients with a broad array of neurological, orthopedic, and medically complex conditions. During each major rotation, the intern would be working with patients ranging in age from adolescence to older adulthood (13-90+). Patients served at TIRR Memorial Hermann have enormous diversity with respect to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. TIRR Memorial Hermann has a strong international program as well, such that interns will frequently be interacting with patients from countries outside of the United States.

Didactics and Supervision

In addition to the core didactic series offered by the overall clinical psychology internship, the intern at TIRR Memorial Hermann will also participate in a didactic series focused on core topics in rehabilitation psychology and neuropsychology, which is also attended by graduate student trainees and postdoctoral fellows at TIRR Memorial Hermann.

Intern will receive at least one hour of individual supervision as a part of their major and minor rotation, for a minimum of two hours of formal supervision per week. However, given the collaborative interdisciplinary setting at TIRR MH, the intern will have frequent opportunities for in vivo supervision on the patient care units.

Scholarly Inquiry

The intern is encouraged to become involved in ongoing research activities at the hospital, including psychological factors and their relationship to outcomes for our brain injury and spinal cord injury populations. In addition, access to the TIRR Memorial Hermann Research Center allows interns to become involved in preparation of manuscripts based on archival data that has been collected as part of several federally-funded studies from NIDILRR.

Primary Supervisors

Clinical Psychologists

Jacob Williams, Ph.D. (administrative)

Rehabilitation Psychologists

Danielle Blinstrubas, Ph.D. ABPP (Inpt SCI-SR)

Clinical Neuropsychologists

Keira Hays, Ph.D.* (Inpt BISP/Neuro)
Andria Norman, Ph.D. (Inpt SCI-SR; Outpt Neuropsychology/Psychotherapy)
Lindsey Harik, Ph.D. (Inpt BISP)
Juliette Galindo, Ph.D. (Inpt BISP/Neuro)
Robert Perna, Ph.D. (Challenge)
Colleen Marino, Ph.D. (Challenge)
Petya Demireva, Ph.D. ABPP (outpt Neuropsychology)

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD provides high-quality, efficient and cost-effective services so that persons with behavioral health needs may live with dignity as fully functioning, participating and contributing members of our community. Each year, the Harris Center serve tens of thousands of Harris County’s most vulnerable populations with more than a million services in every corner of the County. Its strong community partnerships and support allow it to provide care and contribute to making Harris County a resilient community with a strong safety net. As the largest provider of community based behavioral health and IDD services in the State of Texas, The Harris Center does not deny services based on a patient’s inability to pay for any reason, including race, color, sex, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.  

Clinical Training

The Eligibility Center at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD provides assessments, treatment plans and referrals for children and adolescents ages 3-17 that live in Harris County. The Eligibility Center strives to educate youth and families on recognizing and managing behavioral health symptoms and supporting an increased awareness of behavioral health through the coordination of agency and community resources. 

Primary clinical tasks for the intern on the Child and Adolescent Track at the Harris Center include conducting psychosocial diagnostic interviews with children and families and completing behavioral health assessments to determine best course of treatment for the child or adolescent. Additional services provided by the intern may include psychological assessment, individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (e.g.,TF-CBT), skills training, case management, referrals to inpatient and/or outpatient services, family partner support, crisis management and parent and child skills training.

Telehealth Therapy

As part of the TCHATT program within the Texas Children’s Mental Health Care Consortium, the intern on the Child and Adolescent Psychology Track will also provide short-term evidence-based telehealth therapy for children and adolescents with varied psychological problems. Additionally, they will provide consultation with schools and families on supporting children’s emotional well-being.  Finally, opportunities for school-based presentations and engagement will be available.  

Trainings and Presentations

In addition to clinical services, the psychology intern will be able to participate in the development and presentation of Continuing Education events on such topics as “Distress Tolerance”, “CBT for Trauma”, “Effective Strategies for Developing Resilience”, Safety Planning for Children, Adolescents and Adults with Histories of Suicide Attempts and/or Ideation”. 

Supervision

Michelle Byron, Psy.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in a leadership role in the Mental Health Division at the Harris Center. Dr. Byron is the primary supervisor for this track and will meet weekly with the intern. She provides multiple intensive 3-day CBT trainings for all therapists at the Harris Center who provide psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults.  Dr. Byron also provides weekly clinical supervision to clinical staff and provides clinical care to children, adolescents, and adults.  She has expertise in the treatment of clients with a history of suicidality, trauma, and depression. Scott Hickey, Ph.D. will provide additional clinical supervision at the Harris Center. Program faculty from the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine will provide supervision for telehealth therapy patients.