Clinical students in their second through fifth years typically receive training and financial support from assistantships at various university-based and community practicum sites. Each position has a licensed psychologist either on-site or affiliated with the clinical faculty who serves as the supervisor of record.
The following is a description of practicum training opportunities available. Note that some sites have their own competitive application process.
General Sites (child through adults; community and college population)
The AUPSC is the training clinic for master’s and doctoral level graduate students enrolled in the clinical psychology and behavioral analysis programs at Auburn University. The AUPSC serves individuals and families in the East Alabama/West Georgia region, as well as students, staff, and faculty at Auburn University. AUPSC provides a range of psychological services for children, adolescents, adults, families, and the community. Typically, approximately 200 new referrals are seen each year through the AUPSC, and clients come from a range of culturally diverse backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The primary clinical services include evidence-based psychotherapy and assessment for individuals across the lifespan. We strive to offer culturally responsive psychological care. All staff positions will involve a mix of clinical duties (intakes, assessment and therapy clients) as well as administrative tasks associated with running a community mental health center. Staff members will also have opportunities to participate in various specialty clinics [e.g., DBT groups, ASD assessment; PCIT; Center for Autism Research, Treatment, and Training (CARTT); school evaluations and consultation; AU Athletics assessments; HBAC]. There is also an opportunity to co-lead Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) groups for advanced staff clinicians. Supervision will be provided by the Drs. Nadia Bhuiyan and Jordan Burko Macatee along with other members of the clinical faculty.
The Auburn Eating Disorders Clinic, or AEDC, is a training clinic housed within the Auburn University Psychological Services Center that provides high-quality, low-cost, evidence-based assessments and treatment to individuals struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, and/or body image concerns. Co-directors Drs. Tiffany Brown and April Smith provide supervision of students implementing empirically supported treatments for children, adolescents, young adults, and adults in Alabama for a variety of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, purging disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorders.
Students at this site will train in the provision of evidence-based therapies within the OCD and Anxiety Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at Emory Clinic, which treats primarily adults, as well as some adolescents and young adults ages 15-25. We are also a training site for the Emory Psychiatry Residency program and embrace interdisciplinary training. Patients are referred internally from the Emory system (students, staff, faculty) as well as self-referred from the community, resulting in significant diversity in age, sex, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, level of education, and severity of psychiatric symptoms. The primary diagnosis seen in the IOP is obsessive-compulsive disorder, though we frequently see a range of prominent comorbidities including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, mood disorders, trauma and stressor-related disorders, and personality disorders.
Students will train in the provision of evidence-based outpatient therapy within the Anxiety and Trauma Clinic of Atlanta practice, which primarily treats individuals ages 16-80+. Patients are assigned to students by the Practicum Supervisor following self-referral from the community, resulting in significant diversity in age, sex, race, sexual orientation, and severity of psychiatric symptoms. Students provide outpatient services to community members at a discounted rate and via telehealth, allowing individuals with a variety of socioeconomic status, education levels, and locations across GA to access evidence-based care. The primary diagnoses seen at ATCA are obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobias, PTSD, and other trauma and stressor-related disorders. The most common co-morbid concerns seen at ATCA are family concerns, mood disorders, eating disorders, excoriation/trichotillomania, body-focused repetitive behaviors, tic disorder, substance use disorders, and mild to moderate suicide or self-harm risk. Students will be trained in the appropriate management of co-morbid concerns and integration of co-morbid concerns into case conceptualization, treatment planning, and individualized protocol delivery.
Auburn Students
Student Counseling Services (SCS) offers brief individual counseling, group counseling, assessment, consultation for faculty, staff, parents, and students, and educational and outreach programs to the campus community. In addition, biofeedback and stress management services are available via accessing the Zen Den resources at Student Counseling Services. Student Counseling Services is also a part of the University’s Eating Concerns Treatment Team (ECTT). Services are free of charge to the student body of Auburn University. Session limit extensions at this time are rare but can be permitted for certain case-by-case situations (e.g., eating disorder and sexual assault). Client presenting complaints vary widely and include relationship issues, sexual and gender identity, trauma, grief and loss, substance abuse issues, attention problems, eating disorders, and mood disorders, reference to suicide, anger management, psychotic symptoms, psychosomatic concerns, spirituality issues, and clarification of career and life goals. This placement is available for a student who has completed at least one year of clinical experience. Supervision is provided by staff members/licensed psychologists or other full-time supervised clinicians under their supervision.
The Auburn University Psychological Services Center – Harrison School of Pharmacy (AUPSC-HSOP) position is designed to serve the therapeutic needs of Auburn’s pharmacy students at no cost. The most frequent presenting complaints are anxiety and depression related issues. Pharmacy students may be required to attend therapy sessions by the pharmacy school administration if their grades are significantly impacted by personal issues; however, most of the students are self-referred. The clinician will be asked to make at least one psycho-educational presentation concerning coping with stress and anxiety to the student body and faculty of HSOP. In addition, the clinician will be responsible for client scheduling, conducting intakes, and drafting intake and termination reports for all clients. This practicum is designed for students with at least 1 year of clinical practicum. Supervision is provided by a member of the clinical faculty.
This position is a joint venture with the university’s Health Promotion and Wellness Services (HPWS). Referrals are sanctioned students (along with self-referrals) who have experienced negative consequences or other problems related to alcohol and marijuana use as well as misuse of prescription medications. Clinical services are based on a variety of evidence-based programs such as Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS) curriculum, personalized feedback interventions, relapse prevention, and motivational interviewing. There may also be opportunities to work with clients in need of more extensive services provided through the Substance Use Intervention Team (SUIT), and to engage in outreach and program development efforts sponsored by HPSW. Clinical supervision will be provided by Dr. Chris Correia, and additional administrative support and supervision will be provided by Eric Smith, M.A., Director of Health Promotion and Wellness Services.
Children, Adolescents and Families
The Mt. Meigs Facility is a 160-bed residential facility for adjudicated juveniles operated by the Alabama Department of Youth Services. The Accountability Based Sexual Offense Prevention (ABSOP) Program is a state-funded project that provides assessment and treatment services to adolescents with illegal sexual behaviors (AISB). The age range for these incarcerated AISB is typically 12 to 21, with most between the ages of 13 and 18. Group and individual supervision meetings occur on a weekly basis. Assessment and treatment experiences are integrated into this placement. The treatment placement requires the completion of at least one year of clinical experience; the assessment placement requires satisfactory completion of the first year clinical curriculum.
- Assessment: In this placement, students conduct comprehensive evaluations with AISB shortly after they are committed to the facility and prior to their release. While assessment services are provided to other non-AISB youth in the facility, our students typically work with AISB.
- Treatment: In this placement, students provide ongoing individual, group, and family therapy services for AISB. Students will be trained in evidence-based practices including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT). Extensive case management is also required.
Located in Birmingham, Children’s of Alabama is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. Through this external practicum placement, students will have the opportunity to work with the Hope and Cope psychosocial program at the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. As a member of the Hope and Cope interdisciplinary team, students will complete consults and provide brief inpatient therapy as well as outpatient therapy, parent training, and co-leading parent support groups. Common presenting problems of the pediatric patients and their families are depression, anxiety, pain management (e.g., procedural distress), medication non-adherence, school/community reentry, grief, bereavement, and general individual and familial coping/adjustment issues related to illness stressors. Students will also have the chance to attend interdisciplinary (e.g., oncologists, nurse practitioners, child-life specialists, chaplains, psychologists) clinic staffing meetings to learn more about the integration of medical and psychological services. In addition, opportunities in conducting neuropsychological assessments focused on the learning needs of pediatric cancer patients both on and off treatment are available. Students also have opportunities to participate in ongoing research.
Located in Atlanta, CHOA offers a number of practicum opportunities for students interested in pediatric psychology. These include the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Consultation Liaison, the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Cancer Survivorship Clinic, the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, the Complex Headache Clinic, Endocrinology & Diabetes, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, and Center for Pain Relief.
Veterans
CAVHCS provides services to veterans at the Tuskegee and Montgomery campuses. Veterans representing a wide range of US military conflicts, cultural and ethnic backgrounds are seen at these two facilities. Veterans present with a variety of general medical and emotional symptoms and syndromes, including combat and non-combat related PTSD, affective disorders, social and familial relationship problems, substance use disorders, chronic pain, spinal cord injuries, dementia, and with more chronic and severe mental illnesses. Licensed clinical psychologist who are full time staff member at CAVHCS provide supervision. Typically available opportunities include:
- Individual therapeutic services related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder, Substance Abuse, and Anxiety Disorder. There may be some limited opportunities in health promotion activities. This would include health psychology interventions with individual patients, and groups such as Shared Medical Appointments (SMA’s) designed to assist those with chronic issues such as weight management, smoking cessation and diabetes.
- Manualized intervention techniques, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE), with veterans presenting with PTSD diagnoses.
- Groups: PTSD psychoeducation, coping, and sleep management; anger/stress management groups; veterans with suicidal/homicidal ideation; depression recovery; substance abuse.
There are numerous practicum opportunities at the Atlanta VA that include assessment (e.g., neuropsychology) and therapy (e,g., General Mental Health Outpatient Practicum; Mental Health Specialty Services Practicum) for Veterans with a variety of presenting concerns (e.g., substance abuse, trauma). These practicum opportunities are interdisciplinary in nature and focus on providing evidence-based care to Veterans.
Trainees have the opportunity to provide services to veterans at 3 Birmingham locations. Trainees can expect to see veterans representing a wide range of US military conflicts, as well as cultural and ethnic backgrounds. There are potential opportunities to work with the LGBTQ Veteran Care Coordinators and to co-lead the Race-Based Stress and Trauma Group (weekly consultation with a national expert and 1-year commitment required). Licensed clinical psychologists who are full time staff members at BAVHCS provide supervision. Typically available opportunities include:
- Individual therapeutic services related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, Sleep Disorders, and Anxiety Disorder. There may be some limited opportunities in health promotion activities within PCMHI. This would include health psychology interventions with individual patients, including those designed to assist those with chronic issues such as weight management, smoking cessation, tinnitus, and diabetes.
- Manualized intervention techniques, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) with veterans presenting with PTSD diagnoses.
- CBT-Insomnia; Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) for Trauma Nightmares.
- Groups: PTSD Anger Management Group, PTSD STAIR group, CBT-I group, ERRT for Nightmares group.
Adult Inpatients
WCGRH is a state-run psychiatric hospital located in Columbus, GA. The hospital has two divisions: Adult Mental Health (AMH) and Forensic Services (bed capacity of 40 and 116, respectively). Individuals on the AMH units are typically admitted due to dangerousness to self or others, and individuals on the forensic units are typically admitted for evaluation of competency to stand trial and/or criminal responsibility. A wide variety of training opportunities are available to students and include observation and participation in multi-disciplinary treatment teams as well as conducting initial and annual psychological assessments for inpatients. There are opportunities for both individual and group therapy as well as to observe and/or participate in crises management situations. Students may also observe and participate in forensic and violence risk assessments. There are opportunities to observe the expert testimony of forensic psychologists in court. Students would take part in assessing and treating inpatients from admission to discharge. They would be exposed to individuals experiencing active and debilitating symptoms and be able to witness the treatment cycle and work with patients towards recovery and eventual reintegration into the community. This placement tends to emphasize adult assessment opportunities due to hospital demands and stability of the patients, but supervisors are eager to address training needs. All supervision is provided by on-site licensed psychologists.