Clinical Child Psychology Track

Track Overview

The goal of the Clinical Child Track is to use inclusive, evidence-based teaching and training to prepare interns for careers to promote the mental health and psychological well-being of children, youth, and their families.

While the core components are shared experiences across the internship program, the biggest differences between the two tracks are the nature of the time-limited clinical rotations, the focus of the year-long outpatient services work, and the pairing of supervisors and mentors.

Interns on the Clinical Child Track will engage in nine months of time-limited specialty clinical rotations with one required 3-month rotation in an acute care setting, the Partial Hospitalization Program, and two clinical child rotations of the intern’s choice for 3-months each. Interns will also choose one 3-month rotation from the Pediatric Psychology Track to support breadth of training. Clinical Child Track Interns will participate in year-long experiences in Outpatient Services focused on a wide range of presenting problems under the supervision of two Clinical Child Psychologists. Interns will also spend one day per week for three months with the Neuropsychology Testing Service. This rotation is scheduled during the choice rotations. Didactics will include a full year in the Trauma Treatment Service and Learning Collaborative in addition to cohort wide, didactics attended by all interns, related multidisciplinary seminars, professional development opportunities including supervision training, and protected time for research, program evaluation, and/or advocacy.

Acute Care Experience: The Partial Hospitalization Program

Interns on the Clinical Child Track will participate in one required acute care rotation, the Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). PHP provides an intensive day treatment program for children whose emotional or behavioral problems may require more than outpatient treatment but are not severe enough to warrant inpatient hospitalization. Children generally remain in the program for two to three weeks at which time they return to their home schools (if appropriate) and participate in intensive outpatient treatment. The program is strongly family focused and staffed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of social workers, milieu workers, psychiatrists, and an educator. The unit is based on empirically supported treatment approaches that include behavioral and cognitive-behavioral interventions and treatment principles derived from evidence-based transdiagnostic treatment approaches. During their three-month rotation in the PHP interns will follow several cases in individual and family therapy. They will also lead a children’s therapy group based on the Unified Protocol and attend treatment reviews. They may participate in or observe other activities in the Program including recreational therapy, a parent support group, and/or multi-family groups. Interns on the unit receive weekly supervision from the Director of the Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs as well as support and supervision from the Acute Care Medical Directors. Currently, the PHP is located at the Dayton location and interns will be provided with an additional private office at Dayton during the PHP rotation.

Clinical Child Focused Choice Rotations

• Center for Childhood Resilience: Mashana Smith, PhD
• Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics: Jenny Carlson, PhD
• Inpatient Psychiatry Unit and Emergency Department: Kelly Walker Lowry, PhD
• Little Ones: Miller Shivers, PhD & Amanda Lossia, PhD
• Collaborative and Integrated Primary Care: John Parkhurst, PhD & Eric Peist, PhD

For expanded rotation descriptions, please download the Internship in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology brochure.