|
Overview of Clinical Training Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) offers two clinical internship training tracks: Child and Adult. Usually, four internship positions are offered each year, typically two in each track. While all interns specialize with either adult or child populations, they rotate through other areas, as they are expected to develop skills in assessment and intervention along the developmental continuum.
The HCMC Psychology Internship Program offers interns the opportunity to tailor their training experience in accordance with their individual goals for professional development. If a desired training experience does not formally exist, arrangements can often be made to develop appropriate and unique experiences for the interns. Past trainees have cited this flexibility as one of the many strengths of the training program.
Core Rotations
The Adult Assessment Clinic was established in 1998 to ensure timely provision of psychological services to requesting physicians and other providers in the Department of Psychiatry and throughout the medical center. The clinic also provides a vehicle for training psychology interns in psychological evaluation and health psychology consultation. Adult Track interns are assigned to the Adult Assessment Clinic during the entire training year. Child Track interns complete a three-month rotation. Two main enterprises are organized through this clinic. Staff psychiatrists from the inpatient service frequently request psychological evaluations to aid in diagnostic formulation and treatment planning. Also organized through the Adult Assessment Clinic are requests for psychological consultation from physicians elsewhere in the medical center. Psychology interns routinely have opportunities to provide consultative services to patients on the Burn, Orthopedic, Surgery, and Neurosurgery units. (More detailed information is provided in the Health Psychology Section.) Adult Therapy Clinic
All interns experience a year-long placement in the Adult Therapy Clinic. Adult Track interns typically schedule 12-15 patients per week. Child Track interns usually schedule three or four patients per week. Interns are expected to carry their adult therapy cases during their other rotations. A variety of psychotherapy orientations are taught, including psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies. Both long-term and short-term approaches are used, as well. Interns are taught to implement specific interventions using a variety of treatment modalities. The current patient population includes many individuals with severe psychopathology, and the challenge to develop effective strategies for change is ever present. Several opportunities for group therapy experience are available. Interns are required to co-lead a group during their Partial Hospital Program (PHP) rotation. Interns also can co-lead outpatient groups in the Adult Therapy Clinic depending on the interest and availability of staff and patients. A group consultation seminar is held once a week for an hour, and all interns and fellows are expected to attend. Adult Track interns complete a part-time rotation on the Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Service (this is an elective rotation for Child Track interns). They function as members of an interdisciplinary team that is led by the staff psychiatrist, but also includes nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, medical students, and resident physicians. Interns participate in team rounds, where they provide updates and recommendations for patients with severe mental illness (and often co-occurring addictions). Interns also provide interventions to the patients during this rotation and receive additional training in empirically supported treatments (motivational interviewing, illness management and recovery).
Child Track interns are assigned to the CAPS for the full year and conduct intake and diagnostic interviews with children and families; administer, score, and interpret the appropriate intellectual, educational, and personality tests; write reports; give feedback; maintain chart records; and engage in various case management duties. They work with schools, community agencies, and the courts as necessary. In addition, interns provide consultation to pediatric inpatients on the Pediatric and on other medical units. Typical requests range from behavior management issues on the units, to assessment of suicide risk, depression, or psychosis. Psychologists are often asked to facilitate communication between a patient and family members when a significant injury or death has occurred. Adult Track interns may choose to complete a part-time rotation on the CAPS unit. They conduct and write up diagnostic intake interviews. In addition, they participate in consultation to pediatric inpatients on medical services. In addition to the activities described above, Child Track interns conduct individual and family therapy, generally carrying about eight child therapy cases per week. They are expected to see their therapy patients during their off-unit rotations. Presenting therapy concerns include behavioral problems and parenting concerns, as well as a full range of serious psychiatric disorders. Various therapy orientations are taught including psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, family systems, and parenting skills training. Trainees are taught to tailor their interventions to the specific needs of the child in the context of his or her particular life situation. Adult Track interns are not expected to take child therapy cases. Acute Psychiatric Services (APS) All interns complete a rotation on the APS. Nationally recognized, the APS was the first hospital-based center to be certified by the American Association of Suicidology. Interns usually work 10-12 eight-hour shifts in this 24-hour, multidisciplinary center, providing crisis evaluation services to walk-in patients as well as to patients brought in by family, police, or ambulance. Interns work alongside their APS supervisor until they are ready to function more independently. Partial Hospital Program (PHP) The Partial Hospital Program (PHP) provides short-term (usually three weeks) of structured daily programming for patients who are experiencing acute symptoms of mental illness but don't require psychiatric hospitalization. Most of the treatment occurs in group format, including psychotherapy as well as psychoeducational, occupational therapy, and recreational therapy groups. This is a required rotation for Adult Track interns but an elective experience for Child Track interns. While not a required part of the training, many interns have chosen to gain experience with neuropsychological testing. The Psychiatry Department has five neuropsychologists who provide assessment of adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients from all hospital departments to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning. Patients with head injury, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, substance abuse, epilepsy, learning disorders, mental retardation, multiple sclerosis, HIV infection, carbon monoxide poisoning, developmental disorders, cortical and subcortical dementias, and psychiatric disorders are regularly assessed. Interns conduct testing and have the opportunity to write reports under the supervision of one of the neuropsychologists.
Health Psychology and Specialty Training
Health Psychology consultation has become a major focus of our training program in recent years. Physicians, nurses, and other health care providers have become increasingly aware of the role psychological factors play in the acute care and long-term management of many medical disorders. At HCMC, psychologists are important consultants and members of multidisciplinary teams serving the complex treatment needs of patients receiving services through a number of specialty clinics and programs. Interns are encouraged to round out the training year by selecting from the many specialty training experiences available at HCMC. If a particular training experience does not formally exist, arrangements can often be made to develop appropriate and unique experiences for the intern. HCMC is a Level I Trauma Center that provides comprehensive services to accident victims with multiple injuries. Psychological consultation and intervention are built into the critical pathway for patients admitted with new spinal cord injuries and are commonly sought for multiple trauma and burn patients. Psychologists are involved in assessing emotional status and providing counseling and family support. Presenting problems include acute stress disorders, adjustment disorders, depression, delirium, and personality disorders. Consultation to nursing staff regarding behavior management issues is requested on occasion as well. The HCMC Burn Center is a 17-bed intensive care unit that provides comprehensive care to adults and children with thermal injuries (burns, frostbites, and hypothermia) as well as patients requiring specialized wound care. The Burn Center is part of the HCMC Trauma Services, but is also independently certified by the American Burn Association (ABA). As part of the team approach to patient care, a staff psychologist attends weekly rounds and offer consultation to other team members. Psychological services are made available to patients (and families) to help them cope with the often traumatic circumstances of the injury, the immediate and long-term psychosocial aspects of the physical trauma, and the post-discharge adjustment to everyday life. The Child Adolescent Psychiatry Service (CAPS) is in close physical proximity to the large inpatient and outpatient pediatric service. Pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners from the Growth and Nutrition Clinic, Asthma Clinic, other specialty clinics, and general Pediatrics make referrals for assessments, therapeutic interventions, and consultation. Staff and students regularly receive referrals from the Adolescent Clinics, which serve adolescents as well as adolescent parents and their young children. In addition, during their CAPS rotations, Adult and Child Track interns provide consultation regarding children hospitalized on the general or intensive care pediatric units. Referral issues often include assessment of suicide risk, behavior management issues on the unit, difficulties with medical compliance, general adjustment concerns, and provision of education and support to children and families following traumatic accidents. Working with this team offers a rich opportunity for interns wishing to obtain training and experience in the assessment and treatment of children with acquired brain injuries. This multidisciplinary team manages the acute, rehabilitative, and follow-up care of children and adolescents who have sustained brain injuries. Psychologists and neuropsychologists on the team perform assessment of the patient, participate in family and school conferences, and provide counseling as needed to assist the patient and family in coping with problems arising from the brain injury.
The TBI Clinic and Knapp Rehabilitation Center consist of a multidisciplinary team of professionals (clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers, recreational therapists, and physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians). The clinic provides comprehensive outpatient care to patients of all ages with mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries, stroke, burns, and/or orthopedic injuries. The role of clinical psychology involves providing diagnostic assessment, education, and therapy to patients and families with adjustment to these health problems and/or treatment of comorbid psychiatric disorders. This population also has a high population of patients with substance abuse issues. Interns are welcome to complete an elective rotation in this outpatient clinic. HCMC's Regional Huntington's Disease Clinic offers patients and their families comprehensive neurological, psychological, genetic counseling, neuropsychological, and social services. Psychologists participate in the early diagnostic and patient/family educational interventions, as well as provide ongoing individual, marital, and family psychotherapy. All Huntington's patients are evaluated on an annual or biannual basis with a specially tailored battery of neuropsychological tests. Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center The Neurology Department at HCMC includes the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. This four-bed inpatient unit conducts polysomnographic sleep studies on patients suffering from various sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, REM behavior disorder, sleep apnea, night terrors, sleep walking, dissociative disorders, and sleep cycle disturbances. Clinical and research opportunities exist for interns interested in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. The Obesity and Eating Disorders Program is an interdisciplinary team that includes professionals from the departments of Internal Medicine, Surgery, Nutrition, and Psychiatry. Psychologists perform psychological evaluations of potential bariatric surgery patients, provide evaluation services for medical and psychological interventions, and provide or coordinate further psychological care. Hennepin Women's Mental Health Program (HWMHP) The HWMHP is part of the outpatient Adult Psychiatry Clinic. The program's goal is to provide comprehensive mental health services to women during the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum periods. This is a multidisciplinary program including psychiatrists and psychologists as well as trainees from both professions, all with a special interest in women's physical and mental health. The group works closely with the HCMC Obstetrics and Gynecology Department including the Midwife Service. In addition to clinical care, some group members are involved in research and training activities.
|
- Services A-Z |
- Clinics |
- Specialty Centers |
- Providers |
- Contact Us |
- Search |
- Home