Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
Doctoral Internship Program Brochure 2016 - 2017
(photo of 2015 – 2016 master’s and doctoral trainees with Training Director Dr. Jay Manalo)
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in Western Carolina University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Doctoral
Psychology Internship Program. Our 2000-hour internship program includes opportunities for individual and group
counseling, walk-in / triage consults, crisis intervention, initial assessment services, specialized assessments and services,
outreach services, consultation, and specialized rotations in psychological assessments and supervision and training of
masters-level trainees. Our internship meets the requirements set forth in the North Carolina Psychology Practice Act
towards licensure as a Health Services Provider Psychologist.
Accreditation Status
Our doctoral internship program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers
(APPIC) but is not currently accredited by the American Psychological Association. We cannot at this time provide a
definitive timeframe regarding accreditation status for future internship classes.
While we are not currently accredited by APA, we are pleased to announce that as of February 2016 we have submitted
our self-study for initial accreditation to APA.
Preceding the submission of our self-study, in December 2014 we were selected along with 35 other programs in
December 2014 to be part of the Accreditation Assistance Project that is funded by APPIC and administered by the
Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE). This accreditation assistance project is helping programs
such as ours move on a path towards accreditation. More about this project appears in APA's January 2015 edition of
the Monitor (http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/01/internships.aspx).
Additionally, in the fall of 2015 our internship program was awarded grant funding from the APA Grants for Internship
Programs initiative through the American Psychological Association Board of Educational Affairs. These grants were
designed to provide seed money to programs like ours to help increase the number of APA-accredited internships. You
can read more about the grant on APA’s website:
http://www.apa.org/about/awards/internship-program-grants.aspx?tab=4
However, please be advised that despite these recent exciting developments, we cannot provide any assurance at this
time that we will be able to successfully achieve accreditation. We encourage applicants to become familiar with the
pros and cons of considering a non-accredited internship program; you can read more about this discussion on APPIC's
website: http://www.appic.org/Match/FAQs/Applicants/Eligibility-and-Participation#q4
Questions related to the program's accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979
Email: apaaccred@apa.org
All other questions about the CAPS internship program may be directed to:
Michael Jay Manalo, Ph.D., HSP-P, NCC
Psychologist/Training Director
Phone: 828-227-7469
Email: jay.manalo@wcu.edu
Distinguishing Features of the CAPS Internship Program
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Training in the provision of clinical supervision
Training in biofeedback
The opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of mental health professionals (including psychologists,
counselors, and social workers)
Experience counseling students of diverse identities in a rural mental health setting
A team-oriented, collaborative approach including integrated care coordination with WCU’s Health Services and
Campus Recreation & Wellness
Outreach partnerships with other WCU units such as Intercultural Affairs
Expanding and continuing to develop a working relationship with WCU Athletics; we hope to provide more
opportunities for interns to provide athletics related outreach and consultation to student athletes
Development of a recovery community on campus (Catamounts for Recovery) for students in recovery from
drugs and alcohol and their allies: http://www.wcu.edu/experience/health-and-wellness/counselingpsychological-services-cps/cps-groups-outreach/catamounts-for-recovery/ or
http://catamountsforrecovery.wcu.edu
Development of intentional consultation with the Cherokee Center, a WCU department that serves tribal
(Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) and non-tribal residents of Cherokee, NC (Qualla Boundary) and the
surrounding communities
Development of a suicide awareness and prevention program on campus, CATS Care:
http://www.wcu.edu/experience/health-and-wellness/counseling-psychological-services-cps/cps-groupsoutreach/cats-care.asp
The opportunity to live and work in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina!
CAPS Mission
The mission of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is to empower students to engage in and be successful in a
full range of academic, social, and cultural opportunities through fostering psychological wellness. This aim is achieved
through promotion, facilitation, recommendation and provision of mental health services for the University community.
CAPS Values
At CAPS, we value:
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Intentional responsiveness within ourselves and with others created by collaboration, communicated and
conducted authentically
Relationships that are rooted in trust and nurtured by open communication
Knowledge obtained through lifelong learning and shared through mentoring
Wellness modeled on an individual and organizational level fostered by respect and intentionality
CAPS Training Program Mission
The training program at CAPS promotes the development of clinical skills and professional identity for the next
generation of mental health professionals. This mission is accomplished through the provision of didactic training,
clinical supervision, and direct practice experiences within an interdisciplinary, supportive, and collaborative team
environment.
CAPS Training Model
CAPS utilizes a Practitioner-Scientist model within a developmental framework, emphasizing the goal that interns will
become highly competent practitioners through a developmental process.
Training Values & Desired Qualities of Interns
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) upholds the following training values and desired qualities of interns:
1. We value interns who have a genuine interest in counseling center work and to working with an emerging adult
population.
2. We train individuals to be well-rounded generalists, including but not limited to the performance of individual
counseling, group counseling, crisis intervention, assessment and diagnosis, specialized center services,
supervision, outreach, and consultation.
3. We take an approach of meeting already well-developed individuals where they are and helping them to
develop or further refine their skills.
4. Our training is individualized. We do not prescribe all of what trainees need to be or do, but we help them to
advance in what they want and need.
5. We value a strong commitment to the field of psychology, including such areas as psychotherapy, testing and
assessment, and research informing practice.
6. We value trainees having a working knowledge of their own values, being self-aware, and invested in further
growth in personal and professional awareness.
7. We train in the practice of brief therapeutic interventions.
8. We value work with diverse populations.
9. We value planful and intentional treatment. That is, we are thoughtful and directed in our approach to
treatment and we encourage thinking through options and alternatives in therapy approaches.
10. We value interns having a sound theoretical and empirical knowledge base.
11. The value an environment that is respectful, supportive, collaborative, and has a sense of humor.
12. We strive for a balance between structured training and more flexible, individualized training.
13. We value interns both taking responsibility for as well as asking for guidance with their own learning, selfmotivation, self-direction, independent thinking and judgment in professional roles.
14. We value knowledge of and engagement in ethical and legal behavior.
15. We value interns being confident in their skills while clearly recognizing their limits and practicing within their
competence.
16. We value professional development through supervision.
17. We value interns being invested not just in their own professional development, but being invested in that of
their colleagues and sharing their knowledge in a way that would enable them to contribute to colleagues'
professional development.
18. We value interns’ engagement in their own self-care.
19. We value attention to practice within the larger systems in which we exist including the Division of Student
Affairs, Western Carolina University, and the off-campus community as a whole.
General Information about CAPS & WCU
Counseling and Psychological Services operates within the division of Student Affairs and reports directly to the Assistant
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Counseling and Psychological Services is accredited by the International Association
of Counseling Services (IACS) and is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers
(APPIC,) the Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies (ACCTA,) and the Center for Collegiate Mental Health
(CCMH).
WCU is a member institution of the University of North Carolina school system. It has a total student body population of
over 10,000 students (as of fall 2014) enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university
was originally founded in 1889 as a teacher education program for students in the mountains of western North Carolina
but has since grown to provide educational opportunities in over 120 programs. WCU maintains educational
accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It is located in
the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, approximately 50 miles southwest of Asheville, 160 miles west of
Charlotte, and 150 mi northeast of Atlanta, GA. The area offers an abundance of outdoor recreational activities
including hiking, climbing, paddlesports, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, and fishing. The area also is home to various
diverse groups and cultures including local artisans, musicians, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, individuals of
Scots Irish and Southern Appalachian heritage, and other traditions.
WCU fall 2014 student body profile statistics (as provided by WCU's Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness
Fact Book and Student Body Profile):
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Total # of students: 10382
o 8787 undergrad
o 1595 graduate
Gender:
o 56.3 % female
o 43.7 % male
Race/Ethnicity:
o 4.8 % Hispanic of any race
o 0.8 % American Indian/Alaskan Native
o 1.3 % Asian
o 6.4 % Black
o 0.1 % Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander
o 79.8 % White
o 3.1 % Multiracial
o 3.6 % Unknown
Geographic origins:
o 89.6 % in-state US citizen
o 6.9 % out of state US citizen
o 0.8 % non-US citizen residents and permanent residents
o 2.7 % international students
CAPS & Diversity
CAPS values the cultural identities and diversity of our interns. WCU’s Council on Diversity & Inclusion defines diversity
as including all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one
individual or group different from another. It is all-inclusive and recognizes everyone and every group as part of the
diversity that should be valued. It includes race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, geography,
religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language and linguistic
differences, and physical appearance. It also involves different ideas, perspectives, and values.
A specific goal area of intern evaluation is self-awareness, knowledge, and skills as a culturally competent practitioner in
a rural mental health setting. As such, interns have the opportunity to receive both didactic training as well as
experiential clinical work with a diverse clientele. The intern seminar series includes a Diversity Series in multicultural
competency topics. All CAPS staff demonstrate sensitivity to diversity from the point of the intake by asking clients to
share aspects of cultural identity that are important to them. Interns also have the opportunity to serve sexual and
gender minority clients through an LGBT support group. Staff engage in ongoing professional development twice a
month which includes topics in diversity. Interns and all CAPS staff also collaborate with campus partners including
Intercultural Affairs in providing outreach programs on gender issues and other aspects of diversity.
CAPS has recently engaged in two specific projects to engage with our diverse students on campus and that provide
opportunities for interns to solidify diversity skills. We are currently conducting a needs assessment to ascertain barriers
to accessing services for targeted populations of veterans, non-traditional students, males, and students from the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Interns will be an essential part of addressing the findings of the needs
assessment. Additionally, CAPS intentionally engaged with WCU’s Cherokee Center to provide further outreach to EBCI
students. The current interns have created a consultation partnership with the Center. The expectation is that that
collaboration will continue for the foreseeable future.
CAPS Internship Goals & Objectives
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GOAL 1: Development of generalist skills in the clinical practice of psychology
o Objective A: Triage Consultation
o Objective B: Initial Assessments/Intakes
o Objective C: Individual Counseling & Case Conceptualization
o Objective D: Group Counseling
o Objective E: Emergency Intervention
o Objective F: Psychological Testing
o Objective G: Provision of Supervision
GOAL 2: Development as a culturally competent practitioner who embraces aspects of diversity in a rural mental
health setting
o Objective A: Self-Awareness of Diversity Issues
o Objective B: Knowledge of Diversity Issues
o Objective C: Skills Related to Diversity Issues
GOAL 3: Development as a professional who provides outreach, care coordination, and collaboration within an
integrated and interdisciplinary community
o Objective A: Outreach
o Objective B: Consultation & Care Coordination
o Objective C: Collaboration with Campus & Community Partners
GOAL 4: Development of the intern’s overall professional identity as a psychologist
o Objective A: Ethics
o Objective B: Professional Activities & Values
o Objective C: Professional Attitudes
o Objective D: Use of Supervision
Details of CAPS Internship
The internship is 2,000 hours completed over 12 months from August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017. The stipend for the year
is $25,000, which is competitive with other internship sites in the region and also represents an increase in the stipend
amount from prior years. In addition to the stipend, the position also includes health insurance and other benefits
provided to NC state employees. Interns also have full access to WCU’s library and statistics software. WCU employees
also have the option of purchasing additional benefits for spouses; there are also some domestic partnership benefits
that are available (http://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/HRPolDomesticPartnerBenefitsPolicy.pdf). More information
about benefits is available at http://hr.wcu.edu.
Sample Weekly Intern Schedule
The internship program at CAPS is designed to be a full-time, 2000 hour experience that takes place over 12 months.
Interns are expected to work approximately 40 hours per week. At least 20 hours a week (consisting of triage, on-call,
group counseling, personal counseling, initial assessments, therapeutic consultations, and 3rd party consultations) are
spent in face-to-face psychological services to clients. At least 2 hours a week are spent in didactic activities (including
seminars, professional development/in-services, and case conferences). Below is a typical weekly intern schedule.
Please note that this is a sample and that the actual number of hours spent in each activity may vary from week to week.
FACE TO FACE DIRECT CLIENT CONTACT (hrs/wk)
Triage
3.0
Daytime Emergency/On-Call
1.0
Group Therapy
1.0
Personal Counseling
Initial Assessments (intakes)
11.0
2.0
Therapeutic Consultations
0 - 0.5
3rd Party Consultations
0 - 0.5
Psych Services Clinic Testing
Administration Rotation
Fall Semester: 2.0
Spring Semester: 0.0
Athletics/Intercultural Affairs Outreach
Rotation
Other outreach
TOTAL CLIENT CONTACT
1.5
0 – 1.5
21.5 – 24.0
SUPERVISION PROVIDED (hrs/wk)
Provision of Supervision to Master’s
Trainee
Fall Semester: 0.0
Spring Semester: 1.0
Summer Semester: 0.0
TOTAL SUPERVISION PROVIDED
Spring Semester (only): 1.0
TRAINING (hrs/wk)
Primary Individual Supervision
Fall Semester: 2.0
Spring Semester: 2.0
Summer Semester: 2.0
Secondary Individual Supervision
Fall Semester: 1.0
Spring Semester: 0.0
Summer Semester: 0.0
Supervision of Supervision
Fall Semester: 0.0
Spring Semester: 1.0
Summer Semester: 0.0
Outreach Supervision
Fall Semester: 0.5
Spring Semester: 0.5
Summer Semester: 0.0
Doctoral Cohort (Group) Supervision
Fall Semester: 1.0
Spring Semester: 1.0
Summer Semester: 2.0
Seminar
2.0
Supervision of Group Work
0.5
Supervision of Testing Administration
Fall Semester: 0.5
Spring Semester: 0.0
Summer Semester: 0.0
TOTAL TRAINING
Fall Semester: 7.5
Spring Semester: 7.0
Summer Semester: 6.0
ADMINISTRATION (hrs/wk)
Paperwork
5.25
Staff Meeting
0.5
Professional Development
0.5
Case Conferences
1.5
Disposition Staffing
1.0
Special Project
Summer Only: 2.0
TOTAL ADMINISTRATION
Fall & Spring Semesters: 8.75
Summer Semester: 10.75
TOTAL HOURS (hrs/wk)
40.0
Evaluation
Interns are expected to meet the goals of the internship and their progress toward these goals is continually evaluated
by the Training Director, individual supervisors, and senior staff. Intern performance is continually evaluated through
individual supervision, case consultations, instructional seminars, meetings, and other activities.
Formal evaluation takes place at mid-semesters, end-of-semesters, and at end-of-internship through completion of
relevant sections of the evaluation forms by individual supervisors, group co-therapists, and any other clinical staff
member working with an intern in an activity. Satisfactory performance on evaluation forms is generally defined as a
minimum rating of 3 (defined as “Approaching Intermediate Skill Level”) on a scale of 1 to 7 by the end of the first
semester and a 4 (defined as “Intermediate Skill Level”) on a scale of 1 to 7 by the end of the internship experience,
although the evaluation period for certain Objectives may vary in duration and timing.
Application Process & Requirements
The application deadline has been extended to November 18, 2015 (was previously November 8, 2015). To apply,
please complete the AAPI online application, which may be accessed through www.appic.org. We do not require any
additional supplemental materials other than what is part of the standard AAPI. Please send an electronic copy of all
materials via the APPIC website. CAPS agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will
solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.
We require applicants to have the following:
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300 hours (minimum) AAPI intervention hours
20 hours (minimum) AAPI assessment hours
3 years (minimum) of graduate level coursework completed
Interns who match to our site must have successfully completed all required coursework (specified by their academic
program) prior to the start of internship.
After applicants successfully match to our site, they must also complete a standard human resources job application as
part of being a WCU staff member which includes a background check, etc. This is a standard procedure for all WCU
employees as doctoral interns are classified as WCU staff. Further information is available at http://hr.wcu.edu.
We also require all of our clinical staff (including doctoral interns) to live within an approximately 30 minute radius of
the university as part of the after-hours on call rotation service.
The training program at CAPS is committed to providing access for all people with disabilities and will provide
accommodations for the interview process and the internship experience if notified in advance. Additionally,
prospective interns who have any questions regarding their circumstances, life situation, prior experience, or other
concerns as it pertains to their candidacy for internship are encouraged to contact CAPS’ Training Director, the Training
Director of their Academic Program, or APPIC’s Problem Consultation service (http://www.appic.org/ProblemConsultation) regarding any questions.
For More Information
I hope that you will give strong consideration to submitting your application to our internship program! I wish you all
the best in your match process. For more specifics about the content of the internship program, you may request an
electronic copy of our training manual by emailing me. Feel free to also email me any questions you may have about the
internship program.
Sincerely,
Michael Jay Manalo, Ph.D., HSP-P, NCC
Licensed Psychologist/Training Director
North Carolina Licensed Psychologist & Health Services Provider Psychologist # 4473
National Register Health Service Psychologist # 53912
National Certified Counselor # 225624
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Western Carolina University
225 Bird Building
Cullowhee, NC 28723
Office: 828-227-7469
Fax: 828-227-7004
Email: jay.manalo@wcu.edu
Website: http://www.wcu.edu/experience/health-and-wellness/counseling-psychological-services-cps/ or
http://caps.wcu.edu