(Note: facility name will change to Jesse Brown VA Medical Center effective 5-25-04)
The VA Chicago Health Care System is two miles west of
the Loop, Chicago's central downtown district. It is part of Chicago's large
West Side medical center area, which also includes Cook County Hospital, Rush-Presbyterian-St.
Luke's Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center.
VA Chicago serves the almost one million veterans who reside in the catchment
area. Many veterans are eligible for VA health care because they are disabled
or economically disadvantaged.
VA Chicago is affiliated with the University
of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and Northwestern University Medical
School. About 250 residents and 300 medical students rotate through the medical
center each year, receiving training in medicine, surgery, psychiatry, neurology,
dentistry, radiology, orthopedics, and more. Additionally, students from nearby
academic institutions receive training at the medical center in disciplines
such as psychology, nursing, pharmacy, social work and audiology.
Our interns may use our VA's Medical Library.
Also, the University of Illinois Library of the Health Sciences, is just two
blocks away. Our Medical Library supports our efforts in patient care, patient
education, teaching and research. Many online resources are available through
internet access in each office.
Each psychology intern has a separate office,
telephone, and personal computer. All intern offices have access to the VA server
which contains computerized patient charts. All mental health notes are entered
in the computer charting system.
Chicago is the third largest metropolitan area in the
United States. The VA Chicago is convenient to expressways and public
transportation. Chicago is a hub of arts in the Midwest, the home of world famous
architecture, and dozens of annual festivals. Further information about Chicago
is available at www.ci.chi.il.us.
There are 16 doctoral-level clinical psychologists at
the VA Chicago, as well as two administrative support personnel. Most of the
psychology supervisors have faculty appointments in the Department of Psychiatry
at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago or Northwestern
Medical School. More information about the psychology supervisors is available
on the Staff page
of this web site.
Veterans are defined as
anyone who has served in the Armed Forces, whether wartime or peacetime. Veterans
commonly eligible for VA services include:
· Older veterans
· Combat veterans
· Any veteran who became disabled in the service
· Any female or male veteran with military sexual trauma
· Younger indigent veterans with an honorable, general or medical discharge
· Younger disabled veterans
The veterans at the Chicago VA are predominately African-American and male.
Many are aging; however younger male and female veterans also use medical services
here. Many have multiple medical problems. Some of our veterans have college
or graduate degrees, but the majority have a high school degree or less education.
There are more female veterans here than at most VAs. Many of our female veterans
are single parents.
Common psychological problems include combat trauma, sexual trauma, depression,
personality disorders, and psychosis. Many veterans have addictions and may
be dually diagnosed. Our veterans often display remarkable resilience and resourcefulness
under very difficult circumstances. They are generally open about their problems
and honest with themselves about their need for help.
More information about our patient population is available in our diversity
statement.
The VA Chicago Health Care System Psychology Internship
Program is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association and adheres
to the guidelines of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship
Centers. Accreditation documentation may be viewed upon request. The internship
has existed at the VA Chicago since the early 1950's and American Psychological
Association full accreditation has been maintained continuously since our first
accreditation in 1979. More information on accreditation is available from the
Committee on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The address
is: Committee on Accreditation, Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation,
American Psychological Association, 750 First St NE, Washington, D.C., 20002-4242;
the web site is www.apa.org, and the phone
number is 202-336-5965.
The Department of Veterans Affairs trains more psychology
interns than any other American institution. We are proud to be part of the
training mission of the VA. The training philosophy of the Chicago VA psychology
internship program is as follows.
· Scientist-practitioner model: We adhere to a
scientist-practitioner model of clinical training. In supervision, interns share
their decision-making process, formulate a course of action using their scientific
knowledge of psychology, follow through with decisions, and critique the results
of interventions. Staff refer interns to appropriate professional research and
writings, so that interns become aware of the empirical validation for treatments
provided.
· Cultural and systems competence: Interns assess the patient's social system,
which includes the patient, the family, ethnic and cultural issues, and the
community; also interns negotiate the patient's treatment system, including
the treatment team and other programs of medical center. Interns are trained
to meet the special needs of mental health service delivery to urban, ethnic
minority populations.
· Developing and respecting intern autonomy: Interns enter our training program
with diverse backgrounds--clinical, academic and personal. We respect and encourage
varied interests and psychotherapeutic orientations. Interns' responsibilities
and autonomy grow as the training year progresses. By the end of the internship,
our interns operate with a high degree of professional autonomy; our interns
are respected professionals in the medical center. Interns continue to gain
expertise in their personal interest areas and also broaden their training.
Interns choose their own training experiences with guidance from mentors as
needed. Upon graduation, our interns have achieved the level of competence needed
to practice autonomously in some areas of psychology. Also, they are ready for
entry-level work in any setting that provides comprehensive psychological services
to adults, including medical centers, community agencies, and outpatient clinics,
whether in the public or private sector.
· Mentoring the whole intern: During the internship, interns face two other
important tasks: finishing the dissertation and finding employment or a postdoctoral
fellowship. Our staff encourages and monitors the interns' progress in these
areas, providing guidance as needed. We limit the internship hours to 40-45
per weeks so interns have time to spend with their families, partners and friends,
as well as time to pursue personal interests. We help interns learn the professional
coping skills needed to pursue the full-time clinical work of the internship
year.
The VA Chicago internship recognizes the benefit of personal psychotherapy for
all mental health professionals including psychology trainees. We support the
decision to seek therapy as a personal one and the program rarely requires the
disclosure of personal information. Still, some interns do find it helpful to
volunteer personal information in supervision when discussing countertransference
issues. Disclosure of personal information is only required when it is needed
to evaluate or obtain assistance for a student whose personal problems are preventing
the student from performing professional activities competently, or whose problems
are posing a threat to the student or others.
The VA Chicago Health Care System trains 4 interns per
year:
Neuropsychology
Intern--one position, see Neuropsychology section
below for more information
Health
Psychology Intern--one position, see Health Psychology section below for more
information
The two specialty track interns have a fixed major rotation for the year. The
training philosophy of our psychology internship strongly supports breadth of
training for all interns. This makes our internship ideal for the specialty
track student who wishes to continue to improve psychotherapy skills and develop
skills in additional interest areas.
General
Adult Intern--two positions. The two general track
interns chose three major rotations of four months each. See
immediately below for specific training experiences.
Due to the large number of rotations available and the
relatively small number of interns, interns' interests are always accommodated
in their choice of rotations. The supervisor is the psychology staff member
who is based in the specific program area of the rotation. Below, the training
structure is outlined, with more detailed descriptions to follow:
· Major Rotations
· Minor Rotations
· Seminar Series
· Individual Psychotherapy
· Assessment Training
· Year-long Group Therapy
· Dissertation and/or Research
· Group Supervision
· Diversity Journal Club
· Supervision Journal Club
· Other Professional Development Activities
Major
Rotations
Each major rotation is 20 hours per week. General
track interns select three major rotations based on their training interests,
and in consultation with the director of training. For specialty track interns,
their area of specialization is their major rotation throughout the year. An
average of 2 hours of weekly supervision is provided per major rotation. The
major rotations that can be chosen by general track interns are:
· Day Hospital program
· Outpatient Mental Health
· Neuropsychology
· Outpatient Health psychology
· Consult-Liaison Service
Minor
Rotations
The minor rotations are 4-6 hours per week and last four months. This provides
an opportunity for the interns to acquire greater breadth in their training.
Off-station assignments may be arranged for minor rotations. One hour of weekly
supervision is provided per minor rotation. The minor rotation options are:
· Addictions
· Biofeedback
· Geropsychology
· Inpatient psychiatry
· Internship Administration
· Mental health leadership and administration
· Neuropsychology
· Neuropsychology research (at UIC Department of Psychiatry)
· Outpatient mental health (continuation of selected activities from the same
major rotation in the previous period)
· Psychiatric Admitting Clinic (intakes, crisis assessment and initiating psychiatric
hospitalizations)
· Psychological assessment
· Research
· Schizophrenia treatment
· Sexual Dysfunction Clinic
· Women's mental health
· Off-station rotations
The
Seminar Series
Interns generally attend two seminars per week, each lasting 1.5 hours. Topics
are chosen for their clinical relevance, for example, psychotherapy of trauma
survivors, hypnosis, military culture, professional issues, and psychopharmacology.
Empirically-validated treatments, such as family therapy for schizophrenia and
dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder, are referenced
in appropriate seminars. A sample seminar list is presented below:
· Risk Management and Documentation issues
· "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam"-a documentary video
about Vietnam Combat Veterans followed by facilitated discussion
· Clinical Management of Suicidality and
Homicidality: John Mundt, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
· Military Culture
· Diagnostic Interviewing of Addicted Patients: Mark Zerwic, Ph.D.
· Ethical Issues and Professional Conduct: Robert Craig, Ph.D.
· Chicago Neighborhood Tour--Where Our Veteran Patients Live: John Mundt,
Ph.D.
· Treatment of PTSD due to Sexual Trauma: Janet Willer, Ph.D., Staff
Psychologist
· Sexual Dysfunction Treatment: Barbara Willard, R.N.
· Professional Boundary Issues: John Mundt, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
· Clinical Use of the MCMI: Robert Craig, Ph.D.
· Cultural Considerations in Psychological Test Interpretation: Linda
Wetzel, Ph.D.,
· Group Treatment of Substance Abuse: Mark Zerwic, Ph.D.
· Diagnosis and Treatment of PTSD from Combat Trauma: Joseph Yount, Ph.D.
· Becoming a Supervisor: John Mundt, Ph.D.
· Career Development and Job Finding Strategies: recently graduated interns
· Geropsychology
· Use of Hypnosis in Health Psychology: Mike Flynn, Ph.D.
· Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior Workshop: Joseph Yount,
Ph.D.
· Life After Internship Workshop: sponsored by the Association of APA
Accredited Chicago-Area Psychology Internship Programs
· Addressing Countertherapeutic Behaviors, Patient Requests and Related
Boundary Issues
· Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: Janet Kamer, Ph.D.
· Death and Dying: Michael Flynn, Ph.D.
· Clinical Update on Persian Gulf Syndrome: Janet Kamer, Ph.D.
· Forensic Psychology: John Mundt, Ph.D.
· Meditation, Mindfulness and Psychological Science: Jan Willer, Ph.D.
· Advanced Issues in Countertransference: Daniel Rataj, M.A.
· Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Psychotherapy
· Observation of ECT: Jed Haake, M.D.
· Our Homeless Veterans: Clinical Issues and Treatment Needs: Janet Kamer,
Ph.D. & Tab Martin, R.N.
· Utilizing Spiritual Issues in Therapy, with emphasis on African-American
Christian Practices
· Advanced Topics and Diversity Considerations in MCMI Interpretation:
Robert Craig, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
· Gulf War Illnesses: Current Knowledge: Janet Kamer, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist
· Pharmacological Treatment of PTSD: Joan Anzia, M.D.
· Antipsychotics: Steve Noronha, M.D.
· Antidepressants: Donna Givone, Pharm.D.
Individual
Psychotherapy
Interns carry a caseload of three to four outpatients in individual therapy.
One hour of weekly supervision is provided for this training experience. Patients
are seen in the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. The clinic has about 1500 patients
enrolled at any one time. Common patient diagnoses include psychosis, PTSD,
affective disorders, anxiety reactions, character disorders, and concurrent
substance abuse.
Assessment
Training
Interns complete a minimum of 5 psychological test batteries. For general track
interns, an individualized plan to complete these assessments is made for each
intern at the beginning of the training year. This requirement can be filled
through neuropsychological assessments, psycho-diagnostic assessments, or assessments
tailored to a particular specialty area, e.g. health psychology or addictions
or a minor rotation in psychological assessment may be chosen. Specialty track
interns fulfill this requirement through their major rotation activites.
Year-long
Group Therapy
Groups available include dual diagnosis, advanced alcohol treatment, high functioning
schizophrenics, women's psychosis group, post-traumatic stress disorder group
for Vietnam combat veterans, geropsychology, high functioning chronic affective
disorders support group, and women's coping skills group (modeled on Linehan's
group treatment for borderline personality disorder). Supervision is provided
for 30 minutes per week.
Dissertation
and/or Research
Although the focus of the internship is the development of the clinical skills
of the intern, all interns who have not completed their dissertations are encouraged
to schedule 4 hours per week for that purpose. If the dissertation is completed,
these hours can be devoted to other clinical or research interests. There may
be opportunities for research involvement and/or coauthorship of papers or posters.
Recent presentations and publications of Chicago VA psychologists are listed
on the Staff page of this web site. Some presentations and publications that
interns have done during their internships are available here.
Group
Supervision
Ten times per year, interns and the supervisor take turns presenting case material
from on-going individual therapy cases for peer review.
Diversity
Journal Club
Interns and interested psychology staff members meet monthly
to read selected articles on various diversity topics. A sample list of articles
is available here.
Other
Professional Development Activities
Each intern makes 2 formal presentations during the training year. One presentation
is 90 minutes, including discussion, to the internship class about a psychological
research or treatment issue of interest. Another presentation is 45 minutes,
about a diversity issue of the intern's choice, to about 12 psychology externs.
In addition to the official internship requirements, interns may seek other
professional and training experiences available at the VA and at the University
of Illinois. At the VA, these include an excellent series of psychiatry CME
lectures as well as ongoing consultation seminars on individual psychotherapy,
geriatrics, and group therapy. At the University of Illinois at Chicago interns
may attend Grand Rounds and other seminars.
Addictions--
minor rotation
This rotation provides an opportunity for a Psychology Intern to gain a broad
spectrum of skills working with dually diagnosed patients. Three groups are
key elements of the rotation:
· Dual Diagnosis Engagement Group is for patients new to treatment or those
returning after an absence. Based on the Stages of Change model, the group educates
patients about dual diagnosis and treatment options, as well as applies concepts
of Motivation Enhancement to increase the likelihood of remaining in treatment.
The nature of dual diagnosis, depression, PTSD, and the differences between
addiction and mental health treatment are common themes.
· Advanced Group is a weekly group for patients with six months to one year
of sobriety and a demonstrated ability to benefit from a process-oriented group.
Group leaders serve in a consultant role. Common topics include family of origin,
abuse, childhood depression, relationships, and employment.
· Emotions Management Group meets in the evening and assists patients with the
emotions that most commonly lead to relapse. Managing anger, coping with grief
and loss, and managing guilt and shame are the most common themes. There is
time for open interaction and processing, and to introduce cognitive-behavioral
techniques that assist patients with managing emotions
Interns also screen patients in Addictions Central Intake using a computerized
structured interview that covers addiction symptoms, psychiatric history, screening
instruments for the two most common dual diagnoses at VA Chicago (Depression
and PTSD), a suicide risk assessment, a violence risk assessment, and a mental
status examination. The evaluation is finalized by providing treatment recommendations.
Interns schedule two evaluations per week during the rotation.
Day
Hospital Program--major rotation for general track interns
The Day Hospital Program (DHP) is an intensive psychiatric rehabilitation program.
Up to 22 patients attend four to six hours a day, five days a week. Activities
include group and individual therapy, music therapy, anger management training,
relaxation training, occupational therapy, recreational activities, and some
structured learning experiences. The emphasis is on acute (usually two to six
weeks) management of crises or transitions, with considerable psychoeducation
regarding more chronic conditions. Patients' diagnoses include severe personality
disorders, dual diagnoses, schizophrenia and other psychoses, and post-traumatic
stress disorder. All share an acute need for therapy that requires more powerful
interventions than once a week outpatient treatment, but not necessarily hospitalization.
Staff of the Day Hospital includes a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker,
and clinical nurse specialist. Psychiatry residents, nursing students, as well
as psychology interns, round out the team and play an active role in the therapeutic
milieu and staff meetings. A bimonthly clinical case conference with an outside
psychiatric consultant provides intensive analysis of the structure and dynamics
of individual personalities and offers an excellent opportunity for team interaction
in depth about individuals. Bimonthly conferences with the PTSD team address
the specific needs of the Vietnam veteran subpopulation. Daily staff conferences
allow for program planning and patient and group process review.
The intern coleads one of the three intensive groups meeting for an hour, two
times per week, and participates in the whole community activities: large group
therapy, community business meetings, and community social times. The intern
is the primary case manager for one or two patients and does intensive time-limited
psychotherapy with them.
Geropsychology--minor
rotation, group therapy
The geropsychology rotation introduces the intern to the psychological and developmental
aspects of the aging process. Interns can provide individual psychotherapy and
colead psychotherapy groups. The geropsychiatry team runs both long-term insight-oriented
groups and supportive care groups whose members are functioning at a less organized
level. Interns also perform thorough intake evaluations involving a developmental
perspective across the lifespan.
Inpatient
Psychiatry--minor rotation
The Inpatient Psychiatry Service consists of three units; interns work on Ward
8 North, a 21-bed unit primarily for short term psychiatric care. Inpatients
are generally experiencing acute psychotic exacerbations, acute exacerbations
of PTSD, suicidal/depressive crises or homicidal crises. The treatment philosophy
is milieu-oriented, with a multi-disciplinary treatment team approach. The teams
include psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, nursing and
rehabilitation personnel and associated trainees. Daily staff conferences are
held to review treatment plans and progress on their implementation. Psychology
interns primarily work as cotherapists in group therapy, lead some community
meetings and perform diagnostic assessments. Interns may have the opportunity
to conduct individual psychotherapy.
Outpatient
Mental Health--major rotation for general track interns
Training experiences in this rotation are personalized to the interests of the
intern. Experiences are selected from the following minor rotation experiences:
· Biofeedback
· Geropsychology
· Psychological assessment
· Psychiatric assessment clinic
· Schizophrenia treatment
· Sexual dysfunction
· Women's mental health
It is recommended that the intern take on no more than 3 of the above activities
during the rotation. Finally, the intern on this
rotation can choose to add more groups or more individual therapy patients.
Additionally, the intern can choose to provide psychotherapy supervision to
an extern. Supervision on supervision will be provided by Dr. Eric Van Denburg.
A low risk case will be chosen for this supervision and for the most part, the
supervision of cases is on an hour to hour basis, giving the intern an excellent
opportunity for close supervision of a single case. Issues related to development
of supervisory identity, parallel process, and mentoring issues are discussed.
Psychiatric
Admitting Clinic--minor rotation
Interns choosing the Psychiatric Admitting Clinic (PAC) rotation hone their
interviewing and diagnostic skills. PAC is the primary entry point for referrals
to all psychiatric services, both inpatient and outpatient. Interns develop
their psychological interviewing skills, and learn to make differential diagnoses.
A key skill to be acquired is the ability to make rapid assessments and dispositions.
The training experiences include:
· evaluation of patients in acute states of psychosis, depression, mania and
intoxication
· working closely with psychiatrists, psychiatric residents, medical students
and social workers
· contributing to decision-making about psychiatric admission
· learning assessment and decision-making regarding suicidal and homicidal patients
· crisis intervention
· working in the emergency room
Psychological
Assessment--minor rotation
This rotation is for interns wishing to further refine their skills in psychological
assessment. The rotation is personalized to the intern's training needs. The
MMPI-2, and the WAIS-III are emphasized. Settings for testing include the outpatient
clinic and compensation/pension evaluations. Interns are expected to complete
at least 5 written reports during this rotation.
Schizophrenia
treatment--minor rotation
The intern learns about various treatment modalities for schizophrenia. The
intern works with the clinic that treats schizophrenic patients who have medication
resistant schizophrenia. As desired, the intern participates in treatment team
meetings (comprised of a psychiatrist, a Pharm.D., psychiatry residents, and
pharmacy doctoral students) as the patients are evaluated. Use of atypical antipsychotics
is emphasized, including management of patients on clozaril. The intern can
learn to assess for tardive dyskinesia. The intern also provides short-term
supportive psychotherapy with team patients, supervised by a psychologist. Additional
training opportunities for this rotation may also include participating in Tardive
Dyskinesia Clinic, High Functioning Schizophrenics Group, Dual Diagnosis Group,
or Women's Psychotic Disorders Group.
Women's
Mental Health--minor rotation
An intern choosing this rotation participates in the following groups:
· Women's Coping Skills Group: This group, using the Dialectical Behavior
Therapy model, teaches veterans useful coping skills such as relaxation, assertiveness,
and mindfulness. Additional skills from other models such as cognitive therapy
and anger management are also taught. Women in this group have borderline personality
disorder, PTSD and/or chronic depression.
· Women's Psychotic Disorders Group: This group provides support and
psychoeducation for women with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.
The intern also chooses additional training opportunities such as participation
in treatment team meetings, women's alcohol recovery group, women's dual diagnosis
group and/or a small project.
Off-station
Assignments--minor rotations
The availability of specific off-station rotations depends on many factors not
controlled by us and therefore cannot be guaranteed in advance. In the recent
past, interns have studied at the University of Illinois Counseling Center,
Cook County Hospital, Rush Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center and the University
of Illinois Medical Center, all within easy walking distance. The off-station
rotations must be taken in an approved training environment under the direct
supervision of a qualified licensed psychologist. These rotations are designed
and arranged by the intern with consultation and approval by the Director of
Training.
Neuropsychology
Specialty Track
The VA Chicago full year neuropsychology internship conforms to the guidelines
recommended by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology and APA Division
40. The neuropsychology supervisor, Linda Wetzel, Ph.D., is board-certified
in neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. The VA
Chicago Health Care System is one of only four programs in the Chicago area
which offers a full year internship in neuropsychological assessment. Neuropsychology
specialty track interns have been trained at the Chicago VA continuously since
1980. To apply, relevant coursework and practica are required.
The full year neuropsychology rotation provides
direct, hands-on experience in the assessment of brain-behavior relationships.
Patients have neurological, general medical, psychiatric and substance abuse
disorders, and are inpatients and outpatients. Extensive experience is gained
in the administration and interpretation of well-established neuropsychological
batteries, as well as many more recently developed tests. Direct administration
of tests allows close observation of disorders such as cerebrovascular disease,
head trauma, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and systemic
illness. A flexible approach to testing is employed, adding tests to a core
battery. Extensive practice is gained in writing clear, well-organized neuropsychological
reports. The intern uses results of neuropsychological testing to assist the
medical team in formulating a diagnosis and treatment plan. Neuropsychology
interns have the opportunity to attend neuropsychiatry case conferences, neurology
lectures at the medical school, and brain cuttings.
Our neuropsychology specialty track prepares the intern to pursue advanced training
in neuropsychology. Our recent graduates have obtained competitive post-doctoral
fellowships. Our 2003 and 2001 graduates secured post-docs at the University
of Illinois Department of Psychiatry. Our 2002 graduate secured a post-doctoral
fellowship at the University of Virginia Department of Psychiatric Medicine
and Neurosurgery.
Neuropsychological
Assessment--major rotation for general track interns
The Neuropsychology major rotation is supervised
by Linda Wetzel, Ph.D., ABPP. Interns interested in working with an elderly
population or substance dependent populations have found neuropsychological
assessment to be a valuable addition to their overall clinical training. Please
see the description above for information on patients seen and training approach.
Prior neuropsychological testing experience is not required, although to be
eligible for the rotation, the intern should have administered at least 10 batteries,
including the WAIS-III and written at least 5 integrated reports.
Neuropsychology--minor
rotation
In this rotation, Dr Wetzel will work with the intern to set individualized
training goals based on experience level. No prior neuropsychological testing
experience is required, although to be eligible for the rotation, the intern
should have administered at least 10 batteries, including the WAIS-III and written
at least 6integrated reports. Interns with less testing experience will be introduced
to screening batteries and report writing.
Neuropsychology
at UIC--minor rotation for neuropsychology interns
This six hour per week minor rotation is based at the University of Illinois
and is supervised by Dr. Neil Pliskin, Ph.D., ABPP/CN. Interns with sufficient
dissertation progress can choose to devote 8 or 10 hours per week to this rotation.
The goal is to expand the knowledge base of the intern and increase professional
interaction with other neuropsychologists and trainees. Each trainee makes an
individualized educational, clinical and/or research plan with Dr. Pliskin.
The intern is also involved in the following educational experiences at University
of Illinois at Chicago, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Neuropsychology Division:
· Behavioral Neurosciences Seminar: national experts in neuropsychology,
neuropsychiatry and brain imaging present case conferences, research and colloquia.
· Applied Neuropsychology Seminar: Dr Pliskin, UIC post-doctoral fellows,
and other neuropsychologists present topics of interest to UIC neuropsychology
faculty and trainees.
· Neuroanatomy Review Series: Dr Pliskin, UIC post-doctoral fellows,
and other neuropsychologists present a detailed review of neuroanatomy topics
(cerebral cortex, cranial nerves, limbic system and so on) to neuropsychology
trainees.
Health
Psychology Specialty Track
The Health Psychology intern works with the primary care clinics providing interdisciplinary
health care. The intern works with both outpatients and inpatients, primarily
emphasizing outpatient care. Health psychology activities include:
· Biofeedback: see details under Biofeedback Clinic heading below; 7
to 8 cases are typically carried at all times throughout the training year.
· Psychoeducational groups including: Weight management groups, Relaxation
skills group, Stress and cardiac health, Group health education for substance
abuse patients, Insomnia treatment group, Hepatitis C support group and Stress
management for Vietnam combat veterans.
· Geropsychology concentration, which includes co-leading three outpatient
psychotherapy groups for older adults throughout the year with the staff geropsychologist.
The intern learns about adult developmental stages, with an emphasis on the
strengths of older adults and positive adaptation to aging, and uses psychological
techniques to assist with the multiple medical problems and psychological difficulties
that they may face.
· Consultation-Liaison team (see below for description) for 20 hours
per week for two months.
· Comprehensive pain assessments, evaluating patients with chronic pain
to determine the likelihood of compliance with treatment, the likelihood of
improvement with medical treatment only, and the role of behavioral factors
in the maintenance of pain. The intern integrates results from various commonly
used psychometric tests, such as the Multidimensional Pain Inventory and the
Millon Behavioral Health Inventory, in this assessment.
· Low vision assessments, the intern performs a comprehensive interview
and a brief psychological assessment with patients, who are visually impaired,
to assess emotional adaptation to visual loss, to assess cognitive functioning
and the ability of the patient to benefit from the training provided in the
Low Vision Program for coping with loss of vision.
· Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation assessments, including brief cognitive
screening and assessing the patient's emotional adaptation and coping with cerebral
vascular accident or traumatic brain injuries. The intern will then attend the
weekly PM&R interdisciplinary staffings and present the findings to staff
from varied disciplines.
The health psychology intern may choose the Sexual Dysfunction Clinic as a minor
rotation, if desired.
Biofeedback--minor
rotation for neuropsychology or general track interns
Involvement in this clinic is part of the year-long training for the health
psychology specialty track. Both inpatients and outpatients are referred to
the Biofeedback Clinic by mental health and medical staff. Biofeedback patients
exhibit a broad range of self-regulatory and self-management problems, such
as headaches, anxiety disorders, chronic pain, anger control problems and hypertension.
Interns learn to give a thorough psychophysiological assessment, design a treatment
plan, and use relevant biofeedback and relaxation techniques to implement that
plan. Biofeedback monitoring includes EMG, galvanic skin response, heart rate
and peripheral skin temperature. Biofeedback training decreases cardiovascular
reactivity in patients who have medical conditions worsened by stress.
Outpatient
Health Psychology--major rotation for general track interns
The intern would participate in a selection of health psychology training activities,
including:
· the biofeedback clinic,
· psychoeducational groups, and
· outpatient health psychology assessments
See above section on Health Psychology Specialty Track for details on these
training activities.
Consultation
Liaison--major rotation for general track interns
The Consultation Liaison (C-L) team is composed of a psychiatrist, a psychologist,
a nurse practitioner, a psychiatry or neurology resident, and the psychology
intern. The intern responds to consults from medical, neurological or surgery
services, attends daily rounds with the C-L team, and attends--and may present
at--two case conferences per month, located at the University of Illinois Medical
Center and VA Chicago. On alternate weeks to the case conferences, the intern
will attend, and may present at, journal club at VA Chicago.
Sexual
Dysfunction Clinic--minor rotation available to
all interns
Patients in this clinic are referred primarily from Outpatient Psychiatry, Medical
and Surgical Ambulatory Care Clinics. The intern learns to conduct assessments
including a review of the problem, detailed history of onset, assessment of
current and recent capacity of sexual dysfunction and a review of factors potentially
contributing to the dysfunction. Results of the assessment and concurrent medical
evaluations are integrated in developing a treatment plan. Interns learn to
provide education regarding sexual issues. Common treatments are Viagra and
referral for a vacuum pump device. Patients may also be evaluated for new medications
or medication changes.
Internship
Administration--minor rotation
An intern who elects this training experience works on the following training
projects either conjointly or with guidance from the director of training:
· Deciding on and implementing improvements to the internship website, including
the time to devote to self-study of web design programs,
· Coordination of all aspects of the selection of next year's internship class,
· Selection of articles for the diversity journal club,
· Submission of a training-related proposal for presentation at a professional
meeting,
· A literature review of a training area of interest and preparation of a presentation
to the psychology staff and interns on the subject,
· Assisting with documentation about accreditation and funding, and
· Other projects as initiated by the intern or director of training.
This hands-on experience in administration is appropriate for interns who have
career goals in psychology training.
Mental
Health Leadership & Administration-- minor rotation
This rotation provides three learning experiences as a preparation for the opportunities
and challenges in mental health leadership and administration. First, the intern
meets with the Lead Psychologist on a weekly basis to discuss administrative
issues. There are assigned readings that complement the weekly meetings. Second,
the intern attends management meetings to see how plans to enhance patient care
are generated, implemented and evaluated. Third, the intern works on a project
related to leadership issues. Examples of leadership projects done in the past
include staff and patient satisfaction surveys, developing a computerized addictions
assessment initial interview, and a project to assist employees in coping with
job stress.
Research--minor rotation
Robert Craig, Ph.D. is the Director of the Drug Treatment Center at VA Chicago
and is widely published in the areas of personality assessment, including assessment
of substance abusers. Dr Craig would supervise an intern interested in studying
program enhancement, treatment response or other treatment issues relevant to
the VA substance abuse treatment population. Dr Van Denburg is also available
to provide research supervision. He has published about personality disorders,
the MCMI and other subjects.
Supervision and Evaluation
Each intern is assigned supervisors for each current
training experience: the major rotation, the minor rotation, outpatient therapy
and group therapy. Hours of formal one-to-one supervision range from 4 to 6
hours per week. The supervisors are the psychologists who work in those program
areas. The interns evaluate their supervisors and present these evaluations
in written form. Also, the supervisors provide interns an assessment of their
current state of professional development in a written evaluation. Scheduled
evaluations occur at the end of each rotation or at the end of each 6 month
period for year-long training experiences. The interns' academic directors of
training are provided with written progress summaries at 6 months and at the
completion of the internship. Interns attend selected Training Committee meetings
and provide input into training decisions. Additionally, the Director of Training
and interns have a monthly meeting so the interns may critique the training
program as they are experiencing it. Usually, the best suggestions for improving
our internship come from the interns themselves.
Stipend
As of 2004, the one-year full-time pre-doctoral internship provides a $18,750
stipend paid in 26 biweekly payments.
Leave
Interns are allocated 13 sick leave and 13 annual leave (vacation) days for
the training year. Additionally, all federal employees, enjoy ten paid federal
holidays annually. Interns are also granted professional leave (paid, off-station
time) to attend major professional conferences.
Start
Date
The internship starts in late June.
Health
Insurance
Veterans Affairs offers optional health insurance for psychology interns.
Life
Insurance
Veterans Affairs offers optional life insurance for psychology interns.
Public
transportation vouchers
For employees who take public transportation to work every day, the federal
government will provide transit vouchers that can be used on public transportation
throughout the Chicago area. Interns can sign up for this benefit (up to $100
per month) on their first day at work. They will receive the first vouchers
in two to three months.
Other
benefits
All employees have free use of exercise equipment
during employee hours in the gym. Interns may use the Medical Library and VA
internet resources for research, including computer database searches and interlibrary
loans. Interns receive a free physical exam upon being hired for federal service,
along with a TB test. All employees are eligible for the services of the Employee
Health Office, which includes free vaccinations for Hepatitis B and free flu
shots.
Malpractice
Insurance
Malpractice liability coverage is provided for interns through the protection
of the Federal Tort Claims Act. A 1999 VA directive has established malpractice
coverage under federal regulations for off-site rotations.
Administrative
Policies
More information regarding administrative policies for interns including specific
information about leave policies, grievance policies and other information is
available upon request. The following further information
is available upon written request to the internship:
· Further information on intern performance evaluation,
· Procedures for intern feedback, advisement, retention and termination,
· Due process and grievance procedures for interns and training staff,
· Requirements for completion of the internship, and
· Any other administrative policies and procedures.