Clinical Psychology Training Sites
Interns who are a part of our exclusively affiliated doctoral internship program will rotate through clinical rotations (typically two primary rotations, 12 months each) at the following facilities, which include UT Southwestern clinical facilities, community agencies, regional facilities, specialized agencies, and area schools.
Practicum students will also have opportunity to rotate through the following training sites. Those that are designated with positions for practicum students are marked with an asterisk (*).
Center for Autism Care*
The Center for Autism Care provides outpatient multidisciplinary assessments for children and adolescents suspected of Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as therapy services for families with children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Children’s Medical Center Psychological Services
Children’s Health℠ Children’s Medical Center Dallas is a private pediatric general medical and surgical hospital affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center. The hospital has a 12-bed child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient service, along with a day treatment and outpatient psychiatric program. In addition to the psychiatric service, students also have opportunities to work with a broad range of physically ill and disabled children, their families, and other health service personnel through the psychiatry consultation-liaison service at Children’s Health.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UT Southwestern
Rehabilitation Psychology is a specialty area focusing on the study and application of psychological knowledge and skills on behalf of individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions in order to maximize health and welfare, independence and choice, functional abilities, and social role participation across the lifespan.
The training site emphasizes the biopsychosocial model of assessment, integrating the premorbid functioning with expected and observed impairment, neurological or otherwise, as it relates to current presentation. Assessment and treatment often require adaptation due to sensory and language impairments. Trainees will assess and identify risk factors (e.g., cognitive, emotional, psychiatric, social, substance abuse histories) that are barriers to optimal recovery. They also provide treatment and psychoeducation for patients and family during the inpatient stay, in addition to anticipating their needs for the longer term, coordinating future treatment that may include neurocognitive assessment, individual/family therapy, psychoeducation for the family/caregiver to better understand and care for patients, and groups.
Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics
The Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic is in an outpatient setting housed within the Bright Building at Children’s Health. Clinical opportunities are available in multiple clinics through Children’s Health and UT Southwestern. Students will assist in providing consultative and screening services for children in the Complex Care Clinic at Children’s Health and conducting neuropsychological evaluations and behavioral-based therapy (individual and family) through the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic.
John Peter Smith Hospital*
JPS Health Network’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Service is one of the largest, full-spectrum behavioral health services in the state, with settings that include a large psychiatric emergency center, a 144-bed inpatient adult and adolescent psychiatric service, multiple partial hospital and intensive outpatient programs, six outpatient medication management / psychotherapy clinics, the local jail and prison, and a virtual consultation service for primary care doctors within a nine-county area. Psychology students train in three of four possible rotations (4 months each) over the course of the 12-month psychology training experience. They are matched to rotations on the basis of their interests, career goals, and training, as well as service needs. These four rotations include our inpatient assessment (primarily personality assessment) service, outpatient neuropsychological assessment service, outpatient psychotherapy (group and individual) rotation, and inpatient consultation liaison / health psychology service. Opportunities to observe Mental Illness Court and hospital Ethics Committee meetings and to participate in quality improvement research projects and psychiatry Grand Rounds / case conferences are available.
Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center*
UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated cancer center, serving individuals with cancer and their support network. The Moncrief Cancer Institute is an affiliate of the Simmons Cancer Center. Patients present to these clinics for clinic and infusion appointments. Patients and providers have access to the full spectrum of care within their treatment team, and supportive and clinical services including social work, dietitian services, palliative care, exercise specialists, and more.
The psycho-oncology service provides outpatient psychotherapy services for adult cancer patients and survivors, with a special emphasis in services for young adults. The focus of therapy typically includes coping with a cancer diagnosis, adjusting to survivorship, fear of recurrence, grief and loss, pain management, changes from cancer treatment (e.g., body image, cognitive status), and relationship issues. We also frequently treat previously existing mental health concerns that are re-awakened in the face of cancer, including depression and anxiety. Students will have the opportunity to provide evidence-based care (e.g., CBT, ACT, Supportive) under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. In addition to individual psychotherapy, there are also opportunities to co-lead group therapy sessions. Students will learn about various aspects of psycho-oncology care, including how to collaborate with the oncology treatment team and supportive services to provide comprehensive treatment. Opportunities are also available for participation in ongoing cancer research and provision of (peer) supervision.
Neuropsychology Service
The Neuropsychology Service provides neuropsychological evaluations to adult in- and outpatients with a variety of known or suspected brain disorders. Common referrals include Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, intracranial neoplasms, aneurysm, and traumatic brain injury. Referral sources include psychiatric, neurological, neurosurgery clinics, other departments throughout the Medical Center (e.g., Rehabilitation Medicine, Rheumatology), outside physicians, and attorneys.
The approach to neuropsychological assessment blends qualitative (process) and quantitative strategies, using a variety of standard instruments. Evaluations are tailored to specific populations, referral questions, and individual needs. Students are involved in interviews, assessment, feedback, and report preparation. Opportunities are available for participation in various neurology, neurosurgery, and neuropsychology case conferences, and other training experiences. Trainees also interact with Fellows in the Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical Neuropsychology.
Parkland Consult-Liaison Psychology
The Consult-Liaison (CL) Psychology service provides behavioral healthcare to patients admitted at Parkland Hospital for medical treatment. Patients treated by the CL Psychology team are often experiencing emotional distress in the context of new or worsening medical issues such as amputation, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. CL Psychologists work closely with psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals to coordinate and enhance interdisciplinary care.
CL Psychology is a subspecialty of Clinical Health Psychology, and trainees receive broad training in evidence-based/informed interventions including semi-structured diagnostic interviewing, case conceptualization, brief cognitive screening, case presentation, and brief therapeutic interventions. Trainees learn about the intersection of psychiatric illnesses with other medical issues and develop competency and confidence liaising with other healthcare colleagues.
Parkland Inpatient
The Department of Psychiatry operates a 28-bed acute psychiatric unit in Parkland Hospital, the primary teaching hospital of UT Southwestern Medical School. This is a short-term treatment facility that provides opportunities for treating a wide range of patients with serious mental illness. Training experiences on the psychiatric inpatient unit include developing skills in conceptualizing complex psychiatric presentations and applying psychological interventions within an acute care setting. Trainees also engage in interdisciplinary collaboration, conduct individual and group therapy, assessments, and participate in professional development activities that enhance their role as integral members of the treatment team.
Parkland Emergency Room
The Psychiatry Emergency Room of Parkland Hospital is one of the main sources of healthcare for a very large segment of the population of Dallas County. Its primary function is the care of true emergency psychiatric patients, or acutely distressed patients, individuals with rapidly changing health situations, and trauma victims. Brief intake evaluation, crisis intervention, and appropriate subsequent referral are the primary tasks on this service. All students receive training in the Parkland ER through a shared rotation schedule beginning the third year.
Pate Rehabilitation
Pate Rehabilitation is a comprehensive transdisciplinary inpatient- and outpatient-based post-acute brain injury rehabilitation. Trainees assess neurocognitive abilities among patients with a variety of acquired cognitive deficits, create a multidisciplinary treatment plan to ameliorate impairments, work collaboratively to improve patient functioning, create behavior plans to assist fellow therapists with challenging behaviors (i.e., noncompliance, avoidance, etc), and educate patients and families about neurologic or psychologic issues. It is also a very good opportunity to work with diverse patients and families (SES, ethnicity, culture).
At the conclusion of the internship, the student will have completed a variety of therapeutic activities that will help them build a sense of proficiency, competency, and confidence to work in the brain injury rehabilitation field.
Price Proctor
Opportunities for exposure to a variety of forensic psychological and neuropsychological evaluations are available, but in particular, students participate in evaluations of those with severe mental illness referred for competency and sanity evaluations and of those applying for employment in public safety positions (e.g., police officers, firefighters, detention officers).
SMU Student Health Services
The Student Health Service of Southern Methodist University provides excellent opportunities to deal with a wide range of young adults. Clients come to this setting with problems ranging from relatively minor academic issues to serious personal and interpersonal situations and/or mental illness. Thus, the student trainee placed in this setting has the opportunity to learn to deal not only with the clinical issues of such a population, but also with the environmental support systems offered by the institution.
The University of Texas at Arlington*
The UT Arlington Mental Health Service provides basic psychiatric and psychological services to the campus community (students) in a team approach with other health professionals. Clinical services include intake assessments, treatment planning, and brief to extended psychotherapy. Testing services include adult ADD screening and assessment.
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare*
The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Metrocare (Cohen Clinic) provides high-quality, accessible mental health care to post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members, and their families regardless of discharge status or ability to pay. Clinical training focuses on the assessment and treatment of mental health problems facing the military/veteran population. The placement offers specialized training and supervision with emphasis on evidence-based practice. Interns are exposed to a number of established treatments including trauma-focused protocols such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE). In addition, training is offered by the Cohen Veterans Network in specialized approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Interns have the opportunity to provide individual, couples, family, and group therapy with diverse clients.
Interns participate in weekly individual supervision, clinical staff consultation meetings, and didactic training on topics relevant to working with veterans, service members, and their families.
UT Southwestern Clinical Psychology Psychotherapy Program*
The UT Southwestern Psychotherapy Clinic is an adult outpatient psychiatric clinic administered through the Department of Psychiatry. The Clinic has two primary functions: to provide low-cost outpatient psychotherapy services to patients who meet admission criteria to the clinic, and to enhance the training of both psychology graduate students and psychiatric residents. Students in the third semester of their first year and through the end of their fourth year are assigned a minimum of two patients in outpatient psychotherapy referred through this clinic.
Each academic year a supervisor is assigned to students for their Southwestern Clinic patients. This training clinic provides independent practice-like experiences for the student, as well as the opportunity to follow patients over a longer period of time if appropriate to patient need. Additionally, this setting facilitates the close collaboration between psychology and psychiatry trainees.
Children’s Health – Psychology and Neuropsychology Programs
Children’s Health System of Texas is a private, nonprofit healthcare system and the primary pediatric clinical partner for UT Southwestern. As one of the largest pediatric hospitals nationally, Children’s Health has been serving youth and families in North Texas and surrounding regions and states for over 110 years, offering a full range of services from prenatal diagnosis through young adulthood. Multiple rotations are available in Psychology and Neuropsychology at Children’s, providing students with opportunities to train with psychiatrically and/or medically complex patients across the continuum of care. Each training experience listed serves as a standalone rotation:
- Eating disorders – individual, group, and family therapy for children and adolescents with eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in inpatient and partial hospitalization settings
- Outpatient assessment – psychological testing with diagnostically complex youth with a primary emotional or behavioral concern; common diagnostic presentations include bipolar disorders, psychosis, depression, complex trauma, and autism spectrum disorder
- Pediatric health psychology – assessment, intervention, and consultation for patients with chronic and acute medical diagnoses on inpatient medical floors and in ambulatory clinics; multidisciplinary team care and health-focused services including pain management, coping, adherence, sleep, and presurgical evaluation
- Pediatric neuropsychology – evaluation of pediatric patients with conditions impacting CNS functioning in outpatient neuropsychology clinic; assessment and consultation in medical ambulatory clinics and integrated rehabilitation unit
- Suicide prevention and depression – treatment of depression and suicidality in adolescents in intensive outpatient program (IOP) utilizing a CBT framework with DBT-informed skills; individual, family, group, and multi-family group intervention
Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite is a pediatric medical center specializing in orthopedic and sports medicine-related conditions and adjacent medical needs (e.g., neurology/rehabilitation, rheumatology, developmental behavioral pediatrics), serving patients from birth through approximately age 21. Our team of licensed pediatric psychologists and licensed clinical social workers provides inpatient consultation-liaison services, outpatient pre-surgical assessment and therapy, contribution to interdisciplinary clinic-based teams, and management of the organization’s universal suicide screening and response. The organization’s mission is “Giving children back their childhood,” and all members of the care team collaborate to make this possible for our patients. We approach psychological services from an evidence-informed, cultural humility lens and offer care that is rooted in developmental and cognitive-behavioral frameworks. Our practice is focused on caring for the psychological needs of patients with orthopedic conditions and sports medicine needs, with adjacent medical specialty care. Trainees will be able to apply the skills learned from this experience to other pediatric health populations. Our training goals include: 1) Conducting pre-surgical psychosocial assessments and understanding psychological needs through the surgical course; 2) Navigating inpatient hospital context and delivery of care in that environment; 3) Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams; and 4) Suicide risk assessment and treatment decision-making.