Pre-doctoral Internship Program
Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Wayne G. Siegel, Ph.D., ABPP
Director of Training/Psychology Supervisor
Thad Strom, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Training
What to Expect Today?
Information
Overload!
 Actually, a good understanding
of our Internship and our
dedication to excellent clinical
training
Schedule
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8:15 - 9:45 Description of the Training Program
9:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:50 Interview 1
11:00 - 11:50 Interview 2
12:00 - 1:00 Break/Lunch in the cafeteria
1:00 - 1:50 Interview 3
1:50 - 2:00 Break
2:00 - 2:40 Meet with current interns
2:40 - 3:15 Tour and wrap up with TD
Minneapolis VAMC
 Approximately 400,000 veterans residing in our
primary service area,
 Tertiary referral center for the upper VA
Midwest Healthcare Network
 Last fiscal year:
 More than 430,000 outpatient visits
 8,200 inpatient stays
 1,000 extended care stays at this facility
Demographics
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Predominately Caucasian, male population
Ethnic minorities - 7% of those treated
65+ is the largest single clientele category
Women Veterans Comprehensive Health Center
 1 of 8 VAs
 Over 2,500 women are seen in this medical center
annually
 VA lead polytrauma center
Competitively Funded Research Programs
 Psychologists - more than $11,000,000 in merit-
reviewed, multi-year research grants
 One of the largest education and training programs in
the VA system
 Affiliations with 50 colleges, universities, and
technical schools in allied health professions
The Presence of Psychology
 58 doctoral psychologists many of which hold clinical
faculty positions at the University of MN
 Psychologist are assigned to one or more of the
specialized treatment units an have a strong presence
in almost every area of the medical center
 Many psychologists are in key leadership roles in the
medical center and nationally.
 Staff hold a diversity of interests, expertise, theories,
and techniques
Training Model & Philosophy
 Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the
APA
 Member of APPIC and abides by its guidelines
 Scientist Practitioner Model
 Scientific data and scholarly work are incorporated
into all training experiences
 Significant opportunity to be involved in research
through the internship year
Training is Developmental
 Close supervision, mentorship, and intensive
instruction to relatively autonomous functioning over
the course of the year
 Interns take an active role in developing their training
plan
 Graduating interns develop the competencies and a
sense of professional identity needed for entry-level
positions or post docs
Goal 1: Psychological Evaluation and
Assessment
 Diagnostic interviewing
 Administration and scoring of psychometrically-
validated instruments assessing personality (e.g.,
MMPI-2) and cognitive functioning (e.g., WAIS-III)
Goal 2: Psychological Interventions
 Exposed to a range of therapeutic orientations,
techniques, and approaches including empirically
supported interventions
Goal 3: Providing Consultation &
Supervision
 Provide colleagues and trainees with feedback and
guidance
 Translate psychological principles and findings to
professionals from different disciplines
Goal 4: Professional Ethics
 Interns will have a mature understanding of
professional ethics as well as issues of ethnic, cultural,
gender, and sexual diversity
Goal 5: Maturing professional identities
 Have a sense of themselves as “Psychologists ”
 Awareness of their continuing developmental
professional goals and areas needing further
development
Goal 6: Interface Between Science and
Practice
 Being educated consumers of empirical research
 Competence in one or more empirically-supported
methods
 Critical thinking
 Evaluate the findings of research
 Opportunities to be involved in research
Mental Health Services in the VAMC
Training Tracks
 2 tracks with 2 separate Match numbers
 Think of them as separate internships
 6 General Clinical/Counseling positions
 2 Neuropsychology positions
 Emphasis on neuropsych training meeting APA Division 40
and Houston Guidelines (at least 50%)
 Training is still broad and general in clinical psychology
The Neuropsychology Track
 Neuropsychology and neuropsychological assessment
 Meets the Houston Conference and APA Division 40
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specialty training guidelines
Approximately 50% of his or her time to
neuropsychology
2 rotations 17 week-long rotation in neuropsychology
and rehabilitation psychology as well as providing
assessment and intervention services in our GRECC.
3rd rotation areas outside of neuropsychology, usually
dealing with severe mental illness
Weekly neuropsychology case conference, neurology
rounds, and PM&R team rounds
Supervisors: Drs. Nelson, Clason, Lundgren, Cohen,
Sim, and Bares.
Add/Delete Tracks
 You can still change the tracks you are applying to
 Just notify the Training Directors before you leave
today
Rotations
 Assigned by interest and training needs
 Orientation week
 Learn about different rotations
 Work with TD to choose and sequence rotations so
that intern training goals and program competency
standards are met
 Track activities are guaranteed, rotations are not
 Schedules can be adjusted as needed later in the year
Addictive Disorders
 Supervisors: Drs. Silversmith, Siegel, and Deloyski
 Flexible and individual treatment by matching patient
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needs with interventions
Assessment and intervention services to patients with
primary SUDs and those dually diagnosed
Individual and group therapies (process-oriented and
structured skill-building), behavior and case
management, and patient education
Diagnostic interviewing, objective and projective
testing, and neuropsychological screening
Provide consultation in the context of a multidisciplinary team
Admissions/Crisis/Consultation Team
(ACC)
Supervisor: Drs. Arbisi and Kodl
 Main intake and evaluation center
 Work closely with the Medical Center ER
 Diagnostic interviewing, psychological and
neuropsychological screenings and assessments, brief
therapy, crisis management
The Mood Disorders and General
Psychiatry Team
 Supervisors: Drs. Perry, Walden and Koets
 Specializes in mood disorders and general psych
patients
 Diverse theoretical perspectives
 Emphasizes diagnostic interviewing, psychological
assessment, and psychological intervention
 Intake evaluations, outpatient personality
assessment, and neuropsychological screening
evaluations, individual and group psychotherapy
Neuropsychology (rotation)
 Supervisor: Drs. Nelson, Clason, Lundgren, Cohen,
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Sim, and Bares.
Ok for specialization as well as those wanting just
experience
Eclectic test battery
Competence in consultation skills - TBI Team,
Neuropsychology Case Conferences, and MS Team
Variety of patients – dementia, strokes, TBI, tumors,
seizures, and MS, etc.
Psychiatric Partial Hospitalization (PPH)
 Supervisor: Dr. Barrs, Peterson, Isenhart,
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Schumacher, and Broden
Not a tx team - cost-effective and clinically viable
alternative to full hospitalization
Intensive treatment while avoiding some of the
malignant regressive temptations often associated
with inpatient care
Organized within a therapeutic community or milieu
setting, the broad range of treatments include:
Case management, educational therapy, group
therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy,
and medication management
Competence in diagnostic testing, including the
MMPI-2, Rorschach and other projective techniques,
process-oriented group therapy and consultation
Post-Traumatic Stress
Recovery (PTSR) Program
 Supervisors: Drs. Erbes, Polusny, Kattar, Strom, Kodl,
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Bemis, and Wagner-Mickle
Training in the assessment and treatment of patients
with acute and chronic trauma-related disorders
Assessment – diagnostic interviewing, objective,
projective, and neuropsychological instruments
Individual, family, and group psychotherapy
EST – CPT, PE, MI and Seeking Safety
Consultation to the multidisciplinary team
Psychoeducational activities
Ongoing research
Female veterans, OIF/OEF service members
Variety of traumas.
Geropsychology
 Supervisors: Drs. Bares and Rodman
 Settings: the Extended Care Center (a transitional nursing
home care unit), the Geropsychiatry Outpatient Clinic, and the
GRECC Memory Loss Clinic.
 Skills emphasized on this rotation are:
 a) developing an understanding of normal functioning in
aging, age-related changes in cognitive and physical
functioning and common developmental issues/tasks
associated with aging;
 Personality, intellectual, neuropsychological, and
behavioral assessment techniques with older adults
 Interventions with adults: (e.g., time-limited dynamic and
cognitive-behavioral therapy) as well as approaches tailored
more specifically to the needs of older adults (e.g., life
review, reminiscence therapy, chronic pain management,
treatment of sleep disorders); d) time-limited,
psychoeducationally-oriented group therapy (e.g., CBT for
affective disorders, grief, caregiving);
 Functioning as members of inter-disciplinary teams and
consultants to a variety of services within the hospital.
Women’s Clinic
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Supervisor: Dr. Van Egeren - cognitive-behavioral
Multidisciplinary team approach - primary care
Knowledge/ sensitivity to gender-specific issues
Male or female intern
Health Psychology Focus (Health Psych Rotation)
 Assessment and intervention skills relevant to
health issues (e.g., chronic pain, sleep disorders,
premenstrual dysphoria, weight loss, infertility).
Mental Health Focus
 Psychological evaluation and psychotherapy for
common psychiatric disorders, such as major
depression, and for psychological issues that occur
more frequently in women than men, such as
sexual trauma and domestic violence
Primary Care Psychology/ Health Psychology
 Supervisors: Drs. Billig, Meyers, Olson, and Skroch
 Integration of mental health with primary care
 Co-located working collaboratively with PC staff
 Rapid access and tx for acute psychiatric disorders
 Innovative models of co-managing care for patients with
chronic medical and mental health conditions.
 Interns will have the opportunity to learn innovative
models and skills for managing mental health conditions
within an integrated primary care clinic setting.
 Training in the assessment, treatment and consultation of
medical patients.
 Orientation - Integrative, emphasizing contemporary
behavioral approaches.
Rehabilitation Psychology
 Supervisors: Drs. Engdahl, Clason, Helbock,
Lundgren, Grace, Bares
 Training in rehabilitation assessment
and interventions to help patients reach their
maximum potential
 Depending on training goals,
 Conduct psychological, neuropsychological, chronic
pain, and/or vocational assessments
 Provide adjustment counseling, family counseling,
and behavioral interventions in a rehabilitation
setting
 Serve as member of multidisciplinary teams
 Inpatient - interventions tend to be brief
Rehab Psych – TBI Program
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Training in rehabilitation and Neuropsychology
Recognized as a center of excellence
1 of 4 such programs in the country
Provides a full range of intensive inpatient treatment
to brain injured veterans and active duty patients,
many in their late teens and early 20's
Psychotherapeutic and behavioral interventions
Neuropsychological evaluations
Bed rounds
Neurological and psychiatric examinations
SPMI (Serious and Persistent Mental
Illness) Team
 Supervisors: Dr. Hegeman, Hoffman-Konn, Barrs, and
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Nienow
Assessment and treatment of patients with psychotic
disorders including bipolar disorders
Patients vary in their level of functioning and
persistence of psychopathology
Competence in the conceptualization and assessment
of psychosis and other psychiatric symptoms as well
as in the assessment of cognitive and social
functioning in outpatients and inpatients
Individual therapy, group therapy, and couples or
family interventions
New Programs – CBSST, Family Program, recovery
Oriented
Adjunctive Training Experiences
 Interns select 3-4 Adjunctive Training Experiences:
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Family Therapy Training Clinic (FTTC)
Dialect Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Anxiety Intervention Clinic (AIC)
Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy (TLDP)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
CBSST
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Contemporary Behavior Therapy
Assessment Clinic
Administration
Research
Family Therapy Training Clinic
 Supervisor: Drs. Leskela and Erbes
 Training in the assessment and treatment of couples
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and family-related concerns
Staff, postdoctoral fellows, and interns participate
Didactic presentations
Clinical experience using structural, strategic,
solution-focused, and narrative techniques
Group supervision
Anxiety Intervention Clinic
 Supervisor: Dr. Olson
 Utilizes empirically-supported approaches to treat
Anxiety disorders
 Critical thinking and professional development are
emphasized
 Interdisciplinary training setting
 Peer consultation/supervision model
Cognitive Processing Therapy Clinic
 Supervisor: Drs. Kattar and Bemis
 Utilizes empirically-supported time-limited approach
to treat trauma-related disorders such as PTSD
 Readings and discussions of didactic material, review
of video and audio tapes of interactions with patients,
and role-playing
 Interdisciplinary training setting
 Peer consultation/supervision model
 Opportunity to serve as individual therapist and coleader for group
 Ongoing clinical outcome assessment
Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy
(TLDP)
 Supervisor: Dr. Wagner-Mickle
 Empirically-based treatment model:
 Strupp and Binder (Psychotherapy in a New Key: A
Guide to Time Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy
 Training in a group/peer supervision/consultation
format
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
 Supervision: Dr. Isenhart
 Empirically supported directive, client-centered
therapeutic style for eliciting behavioral change
 Help clients explore and resolve ambivalence about
making changes
 Applicable to SUDs and other psychological disorders
 Will learn basic MI goals and principles
 Readings and discussions of didactic material, review
of video and audio tapes of interactions with patients,
and role-playing
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy: ACT
 A functional contextual therapy that views psychological
problems dominantly as problems of psychological
inflexibility.
 Uses acceptance and mindfulness processes, and
commitment and behavior change processes, to produce
greater psychological flexibility.
 Six months for the later part of the year
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
 Supervisors: Dr. Meyers, and Deadra Dahl, CNS
 Empirically-supported, manualized treatment
approach developed by Linehan, 1993)
 Used to treat male and female patients who share key
features with those diagnosed with Borderline
Personality Disorder, particularly emotion
dysregulation
 Didactic, group supervision, consultation group
 Individual and/or group interventions
Psychoanalytic Therapy
 Supervisors: Dr. Peterson
 Built on the contributions of Sigmund Freud and will
focus on the technique of psychoanalytic
psychotherapy
 Opportunity to observe a course of psychoanalytic
psychotherapy conducted by Dr. Peterson
Assessment Training Clinic
 Supervisors: Drs. Arbisi and Peterson
 Ensures that all interns get good training in
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psychodiagnosis
 Diagnostic interviewing
 Intellectual assessment
 Objective instruments
 Projective instruments
Meets weekly for entire year
Cases are assigned on a rotating basis
Interns provide consultation and peer supervision
Interns can expect to become familiar with the
relevant assessment related literature
Research/Scholarly Experiences
 Research: Consistent with our Scientist Practitioner
Model, interns may participate in a research or other
scholarly project for six or 12 months of the training
year
 Averaging four hours of release time per week.
 Working on one’s dissertation, working on
papers in progress for publication, or
collaborating with staff who have ongoing
research.
Administrative Experiences
 Interns may elect to obtain administrative experience with
psychologists who are actively involved in clinical
administration.
 This experience will involve some didactic, readings,
shadowing staff and completion of a project or two.
Seminars
 Seminars: weekly Psychology Training Seminar
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 Didactic focus (interns help choose)
Assessment and therapy case presentations
 Include an integration of relevant literature
Adjunctive experiences often have didactic
components
We are trying to foster development of competency,
critical thinking abilities, knowledge, and professional
identity
One of the presentations occurs in Mental Health
Grand Rounds (formal and multidisciplinary in
nature)
Optional Didactics
 Neuropsychology Case Conference
 Year-long conference involves didactics and case
presentations
 Opportunity to improve their competence in
interpretation of neuropsychological tests,
consultation and peer supervision
 Other educational seminars and case conferences
throughout the hospital and community
Main
Rotations
22.5 hours per week
Standard
interns
Rotation 1
Neuropsych
Rotation 1
Rotation 2
Rotation 3
Neuropsych
Rehab or PolyT
GRECC Memory Clinic/ Caregivers Group
Rehab or PolyT
Neuropsych
Neuropsych
Rotation 3
GRECC Memory Clinic/ Caregivers Group
Adjunctive
Experiences
DBT, Family Therapy, TLDP, MI, CPT, Admin., ACT, Extended Psychodynamic
Therapy Clinic, Research, AIC (17.5 hrs per week)
Adjunctive
Exp.
-------------------------------4 hours per week ---------------------
Adjunctive
Exp.
-------------------------------4 hours per week ---------------------
Adjunctive
Exp.
-------------------------------4 hours per week ---------------------
Assmt. Clinic
------------------------------1.5 Hrs. per week----------------------
Reading/misc
.
--------------------------------2 Hrs per week----------------------
Seminars
--------------------------------2 Hrs per week----------------------
This chart is intended to serve as a planning guide and should not be rigidly interpreted. Time estimates
are based on a 40 hour work week. Interns should expect to work 40 to 50 hours per week in order to
complete training activities. Some weeks may exce
Rotations
Adjunctive experiences
Assessment Clinic
Seminars/Didactics
Readings
Time Commitment
 A one-year, full-time training commitment - averaging
45 to 50 hours a week on site
 Expected that some work will occur off site as well
 Balance of work and learning
Supervision
 2 to 4 hours of individual supervision per week
 2 to 4 hours of group supervision per week
 Style and modes of supervision vary
 Videotapes, audiotapes, observation, role-plays,
process notes, and co-therapy are among the tools
used to aid in supervision
 Expect to be assigned readings and literature searches
as part of supervision
 Typically very consultative in nature
Mentors
 Each intern will choose a mentor
 A non-evaluative but not absolutely confidential
relationship
Role:
 Help the intern negotiate the internship program
 Integrate feedback from various supervisors
 Plan for post-internship goals
The Application Process
We seek applicants who have:
1. A sound clinical and scientific knowledge base
2. Strong basic skills in standard assessment,
intervention, and research techniques
3. Personal characteristics necessary to function
well in our internship setting
 Open to supervision, thirst for learning, strong
initiative
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Selection criteria are based on a "goodness–of–fit"
with our scientist-practitioner model
Training Term
 Full-time for one year beginning on about the 3rd week
of August
 One year at full-time equals 2080 hours
Leave:
 10 federal holidays
 Sick leave and annual leave (4 hours of each per
two-week pay period (a total of 13 days of each)
 5 days of authorized leave for conferences, or to
complete activities required by your university
Stipend and Benefits
 $23.873 per year
 Interns are not covered by Civil Service retirement
 The United States Government covers interns for
malpractice under the Federal Tort Claims Act
Match Policies
 We participate in the APPIC Matching Program
 2 match numbers
 General Clinical and Counseling: 3832
 Neuropsychology: 3835
Our Strength is Our Weakness
 Opportunity and Choice!
 Many training options
 Can be overwhelming!
 Cannot pick them all
 Need to try and prioritize
 Many ways to get training goals met
 Several rotations/options can meet goals
Other Strengths
 Highly skilled supervisory staff dedicated to training
 No pressure to produce billable hours
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Focus in on TRAINING
Want about 15 clinical contact hours per week by mid year
Balance learning with productivity
Goal: prepare you for postdoc or job
 Assessment and testing is the clinician’s decision
 Very few sites that don’t limit testing especially personality
assessment
 Affiliated Medical Center – academically productive
 Access to female patients
Other Strengths - continued
 Highly desirable metropolitan area
 Affordable, educated, culture
 Experience with a computerized record system
What most people think of MN!
St. Paul Skyline
Lake Harriet Winter
Minn. Creek Winter
Cross Country Skiing
Lake Harriet Band Shell
Lake Harriet
Lake Calhoun
Lake Harriet
Lake Harriet
Ducks at sunset
Elf Tree
East Harriet Park
Mall of America
Mall of America
Lake Milacs
Twin Cities Marathon
Milk Carton Race
Art Fair
State Fair
Renaissance Festival
The Weisman Museum
Orchestra Hall
Science
Museum
Walker Sculpture Garden
Schedule
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8:15 - 9:45 Description of the Training Program
9:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:50 Interview 1
11:00 - 11:50 Interview 2
12:00 - 1:00 Break/Lunch in the cafeteria
1:00 - 1:50 Interview 3
1:50 - 2:00 Break
2:00 - 2:40 Meet with current interns
2:40 - 3:15 Tour and wrap up with TD
 Interviewers will meet you in this room
 2nd interview will include a clinical vignette
 Please take valuables with you