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**PREDOCTORAL INTERNSHIPS**

**IN PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY**

**TOGUS VA MEDICAL CENTER**

**Augusta, Maine**

*PROGRAM GUIDE 2008-2009*

*PROSPECTUS 2009-2010*

Accredited by the American Psychological Association

Revised July, 2008

Periodic updates are available at:

[www.togus.va.gov/psychtrain/](http://www.togus.va.gov/psychtrain/)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

**THE SETTING** 4

Togus VA Medical Center 4

Mental Health Services 4

Psychology Section 5

Demographic Features 5

**THE TRAINING PROGRAM** 5

Accreditation 5

Program Philosophy and Model of Training 6

Competencies and Objectives 6

The Internship Year 10

Supervision, Evaluation, and Completion 11

Stipends and Benefits 14

**TRAINING ROTATIONS** 15

Acute Psychiatry 15

Outpatient Mental Health 16

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 17

PTSD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) 17

PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) 18

Neuropsychology 19

General Neuropsychology 19

Clinical Neuropsychology 19

Clinical Geropsychology 21

Primary Care Psychology 22

Health Psychology 23

Research 24

External Training Rotations 25

Kennebec Behavioral Health 26

MaineGeneral Medical Center, Behavioral Health Service 27

MaineGeneral Medical Center, Pediatric Center 28

State Forensic Service 29

**SEMINARS** 30

Clinical Psychology Seminar 30

Professional Psychology Seminar 32

Neuropsychology Seminar 33

Other Seminars 33

### FACULTY 34

Training Supervisors 34

Psychology Consultants and Other Contributors 36

Psychology Training Committee 40

**APPLICATION PROCEDURES** 41

Qualifications 41

Selection Process 41

Instructions 43

**TOGUS VA MEDICAL CENTER**

**1 VA CENTER**

**AUGUSTA, MAINE 04330**

This program brochure describes the predoctoral Professional Psychology
internship positions available at our VA Medical Center. The Psychology
Section staff and associated faculty will be happy to discuss our
interests in various training areas with you, and will assist you in
integrating your interests with our training program.

# THE SETTING

##### Togus VA Medical Center

The VA Medical Center at Togus was established in 1866 as the first
veterans\' facility (\"Soldiers\' Home\") in the country. The Medical
Center is located on approximately 500 acres of spacious wooded grounds
with streams and ponds, five miles east of Augusta, the state capital.
Nestled in the heart of Maine, a paradise for those who love the
outdoors, we are within easy driving distance of the mountains, lakes,
rivers, and seacoast. In addition to a Division of Veterans Benefits
which administers those veterans benefits not directly related to health
care, the VA Medical Center provides a broad range of health care
services to veterans. The Medical Center provides complete facilities
for medical, surgical, psychiatric, and nursing home care, including 116
beds assigned to mental health and nursing home care. Ambulatory care
clinics for medical, surgical, and psychiatric outpatient care
supplement the inpatient programs. The Medical Center is part of the VA
New England Healthcare System.

Most of our Medical Center\'s physicians are board-certified in one or
more specialty areas, and all of our psychologists and physicians
maintain current licensure in at least one state. In addition to
predoctoral and postdoctoral training of psychologists, the Medical
Center staff has also trained medical students, urology and
ophthalmology residents, dental externs, physician assistant students,
pharmacy students, nursing students, dietetics students, social work
trainees, occupational therapy students, and physical therapy students.
As a result, active in-service training and continuing education
programs are available in all departments of the Medical Center.

**Mental Health Services**

Mental Health Services is a multidisciplinary entity which currently
consists of approximately 80 staff members, including psychiatrists,
psychologists, social workers, physician assistants, nurse
practitioners, nurses, psychology interns and residents, rehabilitation
technicians, secretaries and clerks. The Director of Mental Health
Services is a psychiatrist. Three counseling psychologists and one
vocational counselor are assigned to the Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Division.

**Psychology Section**

The Medical Center\'s Psychology Section currently consists of twelve
doctoral-level psychologists and two secretaries. The psychology
training class consists of two postdoctoral residents and two
predoctoral interns each year. The training program also involves
numerous associated professional faculty from other facilities in the
community. Psychologists practice in all areas of the Medical Center,
providing psychological services to eligible veterans and collateral
members of their households. Psychologists provide direct care to
veterans, and they provide consultation to other clinical staff and to
management. The teaching faculty for the internship program consists of
the Psychology Section professional staff and the associated faculty.

**Demographic Features**

As the only VA Medical Center for the state of Maine, VA Togus offers
several demographic features that enhance training. Among these are
opportunities to professionally evaluate and treat:

> • A predominantly rural population from small towns, farming
> communities, and fishing villages.
>
> • A large French-speaking ethnic population, some of whom, though
> native born, speak French as their first language.
>
> • People who are earning, or who have earned their living working in
> the mills, woods, fields, and waters of Maine.
>
> • Alternative lifestyle veterans who have come to Maine to be
> craftsmen and/or return to the land.
>
> • A Native American population, some of whom live on reservations.

VA Togus internship offers you the opportunity to work with some of
these unique populations so that your diverse training interests may be
satisfied.

**THE TRAINING PROGRAM**

**Accreditation**

The predoctoral internship training program at the Togus Veterans
Affairs Medical Center is accredited by the American Psychological
Association (APA Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, 750
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242; (202) 336-5979, (202)
336-6123 TDD). The program has held APA accreditation since 1981 and has
recently been awarded accreditation to 2012. The program is designed to
permit flexibility in meeting your training needs while ensuring your
development as a skilled and well-rounded professional psychologist.
Interns who complete this program will receive a Certificate of
Internship in Professional Psychology. Satisfactory completion of the
predoctoral training program meets predoctoral supervised practice
requirements for licensure in the state of Maine. Please note that it is
up to you to ensure that your training meets requirements for any other
state in which you plan to seek licensure.

**Program Philosophy and Model of Training**

Within the Togus Psychology Predoctoral Internship Program, we offer and
implement professional psychology training with a rural psychology
emphasis that requires strong generalist training, in accord with a
scholar-practitioner model, and consistent with the APA *Guidelines and
Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology*. In
the process of rebuilding a formal research program, we identify with
and conceptualize from a scientist-practitioner model. We recognize that
psychology as a profession demonstrates strengths in the areas of
theory, research, assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, and ethics.
We aspire to help future psychologists bring these strengths to bear in
the provision of psychological services in a changing health care
environment. We aim to train ethically grounded, culturally aware
generalists who can thoughtfully apply evidence-based psychological
assessment, treatment, and consultation skills for the benefit of
persons and organizations, particularly within a rural environment.

The Psychology Training Program views the internship year as a bridge
between graduate psychology education and entry-level psychological
practice or further post-doctoral training in a specific applied area.
The general goals of our internship program are to integrate the
theoretical, research, and applied aspects of your graduate education
and training with professional practice, to provide professional
socialization and the development of professional identity, and to
prepare you to function autonomously and responsibly as a practicing
psychologist. Preparation for the national licensing examination in
psychology is a specific part of this training.

The Psychology Training Program seeks to develop professional
psychologists with a general proficiency in the skills required to
evaluate, treat, and consult with a broad range of potential clients.
These professional skills are basic for the general clinical
psychologist, and they serve as a foundation for any additional
specialization. Building upon this generalist foundation, the Togus
program offers an emphasis on the practice of rural psychology, with
specific training in the areas of adult and geriatric psychology,
neuropsychological assessment, psychological trauma treatment, primary
care and health psychology.

**Competencies and Objectives**

In order to achieve the program goals stated above, the Togus Psychology
Training Program requires that by the completion of internship all
interns demonstrate an intermediate to advanced level of professional
psychological skills, abilities, proficiencies, competencies, and
knowledge in the following four *competency domains*: Assessment,
Psychotherapy, Consultation, and Professionalism.

Competency-based program requirements within each domain include the
following specific, sequential, and measurable education and training
objectives. Certain core requirements regarding minimum numbers and
types of assessment, intervention, and consultation training experiences
are recognized as a foundation that is necessary but not sufficient to
ensure true qualitative competency in the professional practice of
psychology. The Psychology Training Program intends to remain current
with the literature and practice of competency-based psychology training
for purposes of continuous quality improvement. Interns will participate
in implementing and fine-tuning these competency-based program
standards.

**Assessment.** The psychological assessment domain considers theories
and methods of assessment and diagnosis. Interns are expected to develop
competence in the psychological assessment process, from receiving the
referral question and selecting appropriate assessment procedures,
through interviewing and observation, to integration of data and
accurate diagnosis, and effective communication of results and
recommendations through written and oral reports.

Interns are required to demonstrate proficiency in certain core
psychological assessment instruments (intake assessments consisting of a
psychosocial history and mental status exam, WAIS-III, MMPI-2, and
MCMI-III) and in certain instruments specific to their various rotations
(described later in this brochure). Such competency includes knowledge
of the theory and literature behind the instrument, understanding of
psychometric issues for the instrument, administration of the instrument
according to standardized procedures, accurate scoring or summarizing of
the instrument, and properly interpreting/integrating data from the
instrument.

Each intern is required to conduct a minimum of 20 complete
psychological assessments. Some of these are brief screening evaluations
and others are more comprehensive assessments. These assessments include
the entire process of administration, scoring, interpretation,
integration, and report writing.

**Psychotherapy.** The psychotherapy domain considers theories and
methods of effective psychotherapy and intervention (including
evidence-based practice). Interns are expected to develop competence in
the entire psychotherapy process: case conceptualization and
evidence-based treatment planning, establishment of the therapeutic
relationship and therapeutic conditions, provision of appropriate
interpretations and use of therapeutic techniques, management of
therapeutic boundaries and dynamics of the therapeutic relationship,
psychotherapy termination, and proper documentation and demonstration of
therapy effectiveness.

With regard to therapeutic modalities, interns are expected to gain
experience with a minimum of at least ten brief and/or long-term
psychotherapy cases (individual, marital/conjoint, or family). They are
similarly expected to gain experience with a minimum of at least three
psychotherapy groups during the internship year. They are required to
gain therapy experience in working with at least two different age
groups (child, adolescent, adult, elder adult) and at least three
different diagnostic groups (in accord with DSM-IV classification
categories).

Consistent with the contemporary need for effective and efficient
treatment approaches, interns are required to gain proficiency in at
least three evidence-based psychological treatments. Competency in this
area is understood to include knowledge of any applicable manualized
evidence-based treatment approach, with adaptation of the treatment
approach as needed to meet the needs of the current treatment
population. The internship attempts to provide opportunities for
training in evidence-based treatments such as the following: cognitive
behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder (Zinbarg et al.,
1993), cognitive behavior therapy for panic disorder (Barlow & Craske,
1994), prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD (Foa & Rothbaum, 1998),
Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD (Monson et al., 2006), Seeking
Safety cognitive behavior therapy for PTSD and addictions (Cook et al,
2006), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes et al., 2006),
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (Baer, 2003), stress inoculation
training for coping with stressors (Saunders et al., 1996), cognitive
therapy for depression (Beck et al., 1979), cognitive/reminiscence
therapy for geriatric patients (Scogin & McElreath, 1994), Motivational
Interviewing (Burke et al., 2002), cognitive behavior therapy for pain
(Keefe et al., 1997), cognitive behavior therapy for smoking cessation
(Cinciripini et al, 1994), dialectical behavior therapy for personality
disorder (Linehan et al., 1991), and cognitive behavior therapy for
anxious children (Kendall et al., 1997).

**Consultation.** The consultation domain is a broad category that
considers the various roles of the professional psychologist other than
assessment and psychotherapy, including theories and/or methods of
consultation, program development/evaluation, and scholarly
activity/research utilization.

*Consultation*: Interns are required to demonstrate effective clinical
consultation to the multi-disciplinary treatment team. This may take
place within the treatment team meeting or individually with relevant
providers. To develop facility in teaching within a medical center
context, interns are required to present at least one case conference
and at least one evidence-based intern seminar presentation. They are
also expected to facilitate at least two journal club discussions.

*Program Development/Evaluation*: In order to gain experience in the
organizational and administrative aspects of the profession, interns are
expected to complete at least one informal program evaluation/quality
improvement study related to an assessment or treatment program. The
goal is to cultivate a scientist-practitioner climate and attitude
whereby an intern learns to review the literature for appropriate
measures, identify appropriate norms, and apply such measures as a
clinical scientist. This could involve pre-post evaluation of a group
therapy program, pre-post evaluation of a cohort of individual
psychotherapy patients participating in the same treatment, or a
well-designed "*n* of 1" study involving multiple measures at pre-,
mid-, and post-intervention. As opportunities permit, interns may also
gain experience in program development, mental health administration,
and/or grant writing.

*Scholarly Activity/Research Utilization*: Our medical center is
currently in the process of rebuilding its research infrastructure, and
thus our ability to offer formal research training is in the process of
development. We seek to facilitate the integration of science and
practice across the curriculum, reflected in our assessment and
psychotherapy training, as well as in the consultation and program
development/program evaluation requirements and opportunities noted
above. In order to develop the habit of application of the empirical
research literature and critical thinking to professional practice,
interns are required to conduct at least three literature reviews during
the course of the training year. Results of program evaluation and
literature review requirements are to be communicated by way of a
scholarly written product and/or presentation to be disseminated within
the medical center. This might include a formal write-up of results, a
detailed "*n* of 1" progress note, a data summary, an annotated
bibliography, or some other clinically relevant product (e.g., treatment
protocol, behavior log) that could be presented within a seminar, case
conference, or clinical team meeting. A formal research rotation is also
available.

**Professionalism.** The professionalism domain considers professional
and ethical behavior, including issues of cultural and individual
diversity. This involves participation in supervision, interprofessional
behavior, ethical behavior, work habits, and professional development.

Interns are expected to seek supervision, to be prepared for supervision
sessions, and to use supervisory suggestions in their clinical work.
They should be able to relate professionally with patients and
multidisciplinary team members.

Interns are expected to behave according to the current APA *Ethical
Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct*, the ASPPB *Code of
Conduct*, and state and federal law. They should develop sensitivity to
ethnic, cultural, gender, and disability issues. They should understand
their own professional limitations and not practice beyond their
abilities.

Interns are expected to develop good work habits, including keeping
appointments, effectively managing time, and completing work on time.
Interns should take responsibility for professional development,
including establishing and monitoring training goals, obtaining
supplementary educational experiences, and engaging in appropriate
career planning and job search activities.

**The Internship Year**

Internships begin on July 1 and end on June 30. To develop competency as
a professional psychologist, you will be required to satisfactorily
complete 2,080 hours of training in three four-month full-time training
rotations and a concurrent yearlong part-time rotation. The yearlong
part-time rotation is typically completed on a one day per week or two
half days per week schedule.

You will select your first rotation during a one week orientation
period. During your orientation, you will have the opportunity to
consider your own training needs and goals. Each training supervisor
will introduce you to the nature of his or her clinical area and the
potential training experiences. A variety of other orientation
activities will quickly familiarize you with the Psychology Section and
the many functions of the Medical Center.

Your complete training program, i.e., your remaining two four-month
rotations and yearlong part-time rotation, will be developed during the
first six weeks of your internship. The Psychology Training Committee
will assist you in planning your program and individual training goals.

**[Schedule Options]{.underline}**

**Four Month Yearlong**

***[ROTATIONS]{.underline}* [Full-Time]{.underline}
[Part-Time]{.underline}**

Acute Psychiatry X

Outpatient Mental Health X or X

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD Day Treatment X

PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) X

Neuropsychology

General Neuropsychology X

####  Clinical Neuropsychology\* X and X

Clinical Geropsychology X

Primary Care Psychology X

Health Psychology X

Research X

External Training Rotations:\*\*

Kennebec Behavioral Health X

MaineGeneral Medical Center

Behavioral Health Service X

Pediatric Center X

State Forensic Service X

Others, by arrangement X

\*Requires an additional 450 hours per year. \*\*Up to 346 hours.

**Supervision, Evaluation, and Completion**

**Supervision.** Our program incorporates a competency-based and
developmental approach to clinical supervision. Interns work with their
supervisors on a daily basis. They receive a minimum of at least two
hours of individual supervision and four hours of total supervision each
week. Some additional supervision may be provided by a postdoctoral
resident under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Training
methods include didactic instruction, role-modeling and observational
learning, experiential practice, supervisory or consultative guidance,
mentoring, and professional socialization.

Interns are encouraged to establish supplementary training relationships
with internship program faculty who are not assigned as their principal
supervisors. The focus of these relationships may be broader and less
formal than that of the supervisor/intern relationship and may encompass
career direction, professional development, and mutual professional
interests.

Interns participate in a collegial fashion with the professional staff
in Psychology Section activities. Interns serve as full voting members
of the Psychology Training Committee, with the exception of
intern/resident selection and evaluation roles.

**Evaluation.** Interns maintain a *Psychological Competencies Log*,
which summarizes the specific training requirements described above and
provides a mechanism for documenting their completion. Copies are
provided to the supervisor and Training Director at the completion of
each rotation.

The supervisor and the intern meet for an informal mid-rotation
evaluation session. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure
communication about strengths and weaknesses, potential problem areas,
and level of satisfaction with the overall direction of the rotation.

At the completion of each rotation, your supervisor will thoroughly
evaluate your attainment of competency-based program requirements in the
domains of Assessment, Psychotherapy, Consultation, and Professionalism,
using our *Psychological Competencies Evaluation*. On this form,
competencies are operationalized as primarily behavioral statements of
observable and measurable tasks and abilities that are to be expected of
successful entry-level psychologists. Competencies are graded according
to the decreasing level of supervision required and increasing
independent practice demonstrated, using the *Competency Scale* (see
following page). Supervisors will use this scale to rate your level of
competency on specific tasks, on each domain, and for the rotation as a
whole. Supervisors use this competency-based evaluation approach to
determine whether a rotation is passed or failed.

###### COMPETENCY SCALE

[FOR ASSESSMENT, PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND CONSULTATION DOMAINS]{.underline}

**NOT APPLICABLE (N/A)**

This task is not applicable or there has been no opportunity to observe
or evaluate this task.

**UNSATISFACTORY (U)**

The trainee is performing a task unsatisfactorily and remedial action
must be taken.

**LEVEL 1: CLOSE/DIRECTIVE SUPERVISION**

The trainee requires direct observation or supervision during the
application of the task or needs basic instruction before applying this
task to patients.

Initially assumed of all practicum students and predoctoral interns.

Cannot supervise other trainees.

**LEVEL 2: CONSIDERABLE/INTERACTIVE SUPERVISION**

The trainee does not require direct observation or supervision as above,
but requires some continued instruction and monitoring of the competency
with which the task is performed and documented.

Expected of incoming predoctoral interns on all core tasks.

Goal of practicum students on all tasks.

Cannot supervise other trainees.

**LEVEL 3: INTERMEDIATE/COLLABORATIVE SUPERVISION**

The trainee requires moderate supervision, with less need for
instruction and monitoring.

Expected of mid-year predoctoral interns on all core tasks.

May supervise trainees with lower competency levels on certain tasks.

**LEVEL 4: MINIMAL/CONSULTATIVE SUPERVISION**

The trainee needs little supervision, and the supervisor can rely
primarily on summary reports by the trainee.

Expected of incoming postdoctoral residents.

Goal of predoctoral interns on core tasks.

May supervise trainees with lower competency levels.

**LEVEL 5: INDEPENDENT/MONITORING SUPERVISION**

The trainee has the ability to perform this task independently (although
supervision is provided as is required for all trainees).

Expected of staff psychologists.

Goal of postdoctoral residents.

[FOR PROFESSIONALISM DOMAIN (and EBTs)]{.underline}

**UNSATISFACTORY (U)**

The trainee is performing a task unsatisfactorily and remedial action
must be taken.

**NEEDS IMPROVEMENT (NI)**

The trainee needs some improvement in this task.

**SATISFACTORY (S)**

The trainee is performing a task satisfactorily.

**Completion.** Satisfactory final evaluations from all four rotation
supervisors, successful completion of all minimum competency
requirements, and completion of at least 1,792 actual internship hours
(2,080 hours less maximum allowable leave) are necessary for
satisfactory completion of internship. The Psychology Training Committee
certifies satisfactory completion of internship, after review of the
recommendations of the Psychology Training Director.

Our competency-based training process is sequential from one rotation to
the next and cumulative across rotations. The *Psychological
Competencies Summary* records a cumulative summary of intern progress
throughout the year across all four rotations in the four competency
domains of Assessment, Psychotherapy, Consultation, and Professionalism.
It summarizes an overall competency rating and pass/fail status for each
rotation. This form is administered and kept by the Training Director in
the individual intern\'s personnel file. It is reviewed by the Training
Committee to arrive at final competency ratings in each domain and an
overall competency rating. These ratings are used to determine whether
or not an intern has successfully completed internship, i.e., whether or
not he or she demonstrates the core competencies expected of an
entry-level psychologist.

Disagreements regarding rotation evaluations or internship completion
are governed by a conflict resolution procedure that may involve
internal appeal to the Psychology Training Committee. If necessary, a
reciprocal agreement allows for an external appeal to the psychology
training program of another Medical Center within the VA New England
Healthcare System.

The Togus Psychology Training Program is committed to continuous quality
improvement. At the end of each rotation, interns are asked to complete
a *Rotation/Supervisor Evaluation* that looks at the degree to which
rotation training objectives were met within the various competency
domains. It also requests feedback regarding the supervision
relationship, the supervisor's training style, and facilitation of
professional development. We are also interested in the professional
development of interns who complete our program. Utilizing our *Intern
Alumni Survey*, we will follow your career and accomplishments for six
years after internship completion. This survey includes questions
regarding your post-internship employment setting and activities, degree
completion, licensure, professional achievements, and your feedback
regarding how well the Togus psychology internship has prepared you for
professional practice.

### Stipends and Benefits

For 2008-2009, interns will receive a per annum training stipend of
\$22,898. The training year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. All
full-time VA psychology internships are designated as 2,080 hour
internships, including 10 excused federal holidays, 13 days of accrued
annual vacation leave, and up to 13 days of earned sick leave.

Your internship appointment provides optional medical and life insurance
benefits for which you would pay a share of the premium. Malpractice
liability coverage is provided at no cost to you. An Employee Assistance
Program provides no cost assessment visits.

Each intern receives use of well-appointed, individual office space with
a personal computer linked to the local area network. Athletic
facilities are available on site. The Medical Center has an excellent,
fully staffed medical library. This exceptional resource can be used to
access literature searches, journal articles, and books at no cost to
you. Through the library\'s intranet web pages, residents will have
personal desktop access to PsycInfo, PsycArticles, Proquest Psychology
Journals, PubMed, Academic Search Premiere, MD Consult, and other
similar databases.

Professional development and research activities are encouraged to the
extent possible. Authorized absence may be granted with appropriate
approval for participation in professional psychology conferences,
dissertation defense (up to three days including travel), off-site
research time only if of direct benefit to the VA, and job interviews
only with a federal agency. Any other off-site university related
activities, research time, and job interviews would require use of
annual leave. Interns may negotiate a reasonable amount of on-site
dissertation research time with their major rotation supervisors,
presuming satisfactory progress toward completion of rotation and
internship requirements.

Interns participate as part of a community of learners comprised of
faculty, residents, and interns. Interns are encouraged to work
diligently during their time at the medical center, but to maintain
balance in their lives by taking advantage of the many recreational and
cultural opportunities available out and about in the state of Maine.

**TRAINING ROTATIONS**

The Department of Veterans Affairs as a whole has in recent years
undergone one of the most extensive reorganizations in its history.
While Togus continues to provide inpatient psychiatric services, there
is increased emphasis on outpatient mental health services, including
planned short-term change and brief treatment models. Clinically, we
have moved toward psychiatric primary care, while maintaining areas of
specialty mental health care. We encourage candidates to stay in touch
regarding any changes that might occur during the application process.

**Acute Psychiatry**

At the present time, one doctoral level psychologist provides
psychological services to a 16-bed inpatient acute psychiatric unit,
providing acute psychiatric stabilization and alcohol detoxification.
The patient population consists of primarily male and some female adults
and elder adults, suffering from psychotic, mood, anxiety,
substance-related, and adjustment disorders. This is a full-time
four-month rotation. Responsibilities include assessment and evaluation,
treatment planning, individual and group psychotherapy, treatment
activities, medical rounds, consulting activities, and program
development. An intern selecting this rotation will likely participate
in the following training experiences:

**Assessment.** Interns will frequently be assigned new admissions for
evaluation and assessment. These assignments will emphasize the
development of the intern\'s ability to formulate diagnostic impressions
based on interviewing and testing, to conduct mental status
examinations, and to formulate realistic treatment plans.

Required psychological assessment instruments will likely include intake
assessment and BDI-II. Opportunities may also exist to gain experience
with other rapid screening measures, as well as the MMPI-2 and MCMI-III.

**Psychotherapy.** Each intern will be expected to work intensively in
individual psychotherapy with one to three inpatients at all times
during the rotation. Individual therapy is conceptualized primarily
using a cognitive-behavioral approach. Opportunities may exist to gain
experience with empirically supported cognitive behavior therapy for
depression, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The intern
will participate as a co-leader in one or two therapy groups.
Opportunities also exist to participate in therapy/meetings with
families and significant others.

**Consultation.** The intern will be expected to participate as a
regular staff member at team meetings for selected patients. These
meetings focus on treatment planning, evaluation, and the assignment of
responsibilities to the various team members.

**Outpatient Mental Health**

            One doctoral level psychologist provides psychological
services within the Mental Health Clinic on a full time basis.  Other
psychologists in specialty programs also provide services to the clinic
but are located elsewhere in the facility.  The patient population
consists of primarily male and some female adults and elder adults,
suffering from mood, anxiety, adjustment, personality, and psychotic
disorders, often with co-morbid substance abuse.  This is a full-time
four-month rotation or a part-time yearlong rotation.  There will only
be one position available each intern year.  Responsibilities include
assessment and evaluation, treatment planning, individual and group
psychotherapy, treatment activities, consulting activities, and program
development.  An intern selecting this rotation will participate in the
following training experiences:

            **Assessment.**  Interns will frequently be assigned new
clients for evaluation and assessment.  These assignments will emphasize
the development of the intern\'s ability to formulate diagnostic
impressions based on interviewing and testing, to conduct mental status
examinations, and to formulate realistic treatment plans.  Required
psychological assessment instruments include intake assessment and Beck
Depression Inventory -- Second Edition (BDI-II). 

**            Psychotherapy.**  Each intern will be expected to work
intensively in individual psychotherapy with ten or more patients at all
times during the rotation.  Individual therapy is conceptualized
primarily using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and
commitment therapy (ACT), and solution-focused approaches. 
Opportunities may exist to gain experience with empirically supported
cognitive behavior therapy for depression, panic disorder, and prolonged
exposure therapy for PTSD.  There may be training and practice
opportunities in telehealth.

            The intern will participate as a co-facilitator or
facilitator in one or two therapy groups.  Options may include Coping
Skills Group (with a major emphasis on cognitive therapy), Acceptance
and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Group, and possible other groups which are
process-oriented, interpersonal, or psychoeducational in nature. 
Opportunities also exist to participate in therapy/meetings with
families and significant others.

**            Consultation.**  The intern will be expected to
participate at team meetings for selected patients. These meetings focus
on treatment planning, evaluation, and the assignment of
responsibilities to the various team members.  The intern will
participate in either the ACT Clinical Supervision Group or other
supervision groups which may be developed. These groups include
supervision and training.  These supervision groups are
multi-disciplinary, with members from the PTSD Program, Women Veterans
Program, and/or Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, including the
postdoctoral resident and interns.

**Posttraumatic Stress Disorder**

Four doctoral-level psychologists, a psychiatrist, a social worker, and
a registered nurse, as well as a psychology postdoctoral resident,
provide evaluation, treatment, and referral services for veterans who
have psychological symptoms related to trauma suffered while in military
service.  The population consists primarily of male adult and elder
adult veterans, some female veterans, and some active duty personnel. 
There are two training rotation options, depending on the intern's
interests and goals.

**[PTSD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)]{.underline}**

The PTSD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) provides treatment from an
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach.  The duration of the
standard program is one week, and the primary treatment modality is a
cohort group format.  Upon completion of the program, veterans may
choose to participate in a relapse prevention component and/or brief
individual consultation sessions as part of the services provided. 
Interns selecting this rotation will participate as full team members in
specialized psychological assessment, treatment planning, group
psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy, clinical consultation, program
development, and research.  This is a full-time four-month rotation. 

**Assessment.**  Interns learn to conduct a clinical interview to obtain
relevant life history information and to identify symptoms of
posttraumatic stress and other diagnostic features for purposes of
individualized treatment planning.  Required assessment instruments
include the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL), PTSD Symptom
Scale Interview (PSSI) or Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS),
Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ), and a modified Valued Living
Questionnaire (VLQ).  Opportunities may exist to gain experience with
the MMPI-2 and MCMI-III.

**Psychotherapy.**  Within the PTSD Intensive Outpatient Program,
psychotherapy is conceptualized from an Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy (ACT) perspective.  ACT is a behaviorally-based intervention
that is designed to target and reduce experiential avoidance and
cognitive entanglement while encouraging veterans to make life-enhancing
behavioral changes that are in accord with their personal values.  ACT
involves a focus on both acceptance and change strategies.  The key
components of the program are designed to assist the veteran in a
conscious abandonment of the mental and emotional change agenda when
change efforts have not worked, replacing it with emotional and social
acceptance (Noticing Group and Willingness Group).  Then the veteran is
encouraged to experience emotional processing (e.g., exposure) while
engaging in practical, safe, and valued behaviors (Valued Life
Directions Group).  Interns become adept at facilitating these therapy
groups.  Within the context of a group therapy treatment program,
interns also provide individual case coordination and, as needed,
short-term individual psychotherapy. 

**Consultation.**  The program provides consultative services to other
providers of care to veterans with PTSD and acts as a liaison with the
Veterans Outreach Centers, the acute psychiatry unit, the Women Veterans
Program, and community agencies.  Interns may gain experience in
providing such consultation.  There are also opportunities to develop
projects in program evaluation, using such measures as the Acceptance
and Action Questionnaire (AAQ), and the Valued Living Questionnaire
(VLQ).

**[PTSD Clinical Team (PCT)]{.underline}**

The PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) is an outpatient treatment program for
individuals with military related PTSD and co-morbid disorders. We
provide comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions to
veterans individually and in groups as well as education to patients,
family members and significant others. This is a fairly new and
developing rotation. Interns selecting this rotation will participate as
a full team member in monthly PCT meetings. Other responsibilities
include assessment and evaluation, treatment planning, individual and
group psychotherapy, clinical consultation and program development. This
is a year long, one day a week rotation. There will only be one position
available each intern year.

**Assessment.** Interns will be assigned new clients for evaluation and
treatment. These assignments will emphasize the development of the
intern\'s ability to conduct a clinical interview to obtain relevant
life history information and to identify symptoms of posttraumatic
stress and other co-morbid diagnoses. Optional assessment instruments
include the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Beck
Depression Inventory -- Second Edition (BDI-II). Emphasis will be placed
on formulating diagnostic impressions and developing realistic treatment
plans.

**Psychotherapy.** Within the PCT, psychotherapy is conceptualized
primarily using a cognitive-behavioral approach. The intern will be
expected to work individually with veteran clients with opportunities
for co-facilitating or facilitating psychoeducational and/or process
based therapy groups. Opportunities may exist to gain experience with
the evidence-based treatment approaches of Cognitive Processing Therapy
and Seeking Safety cognitive behavior therapy for PTSD.

**Consultation.** The program provides consultative services to other
providers of care to veterans with PTSD and acts as a liaison with the
Veteran Outreach Centers, the acute psychiatry unit, the Women Veterans
Program, and community agencies. Interns may gain experience in
providing consultation. The intern will also have an opportunity to
participate in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Clinical
Supervision Group which includes supervision and training.

### Neuropsychology

One full-time doctoral level psychologist provides neuropsychological
services for the entire medical center. These services are provided on
both an inpatient and outpatient basis, and cover a wide range of
presenting problems including various forms of dementia, traumatic brain
injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, substance abuse,
seizure disorders, and other neurological and psychiatric conditions.
There are two training rotation options, depending on the intern's
preparation, interests, and professional goals.

**[General Neuropsychology]{.underline}**

This four-month, full time rotation is available to any intern who
wishes to gain an appreciation of the role of neuropsychological
assessment in the evaluation and treatment of adults. This rotation is
designed to fit the needs of individuals who do not plan to pursue
neuropsychology as a professional specialty. As such, it is intended for
those who wish to gain an exposure to the specialty so they may be
prepared to understand and critically evaluate neuropsychological
assessment results they may encounter in their future clinical practice.
While the clinical responsibilities of this rotation are the same as for
the Clinical Neuropsychology rotation described below, interns choosing
this rotation are not expected to attain the same level of productivity
and expertise as those choosing the Clinical Neuropsychology rotation.
The general neuropsychology rotation requires a minimum of four reports
during the rotation, with a competency level of 3 on required
instruments.

**[Clinical Neuropsychology]{.underline}**

The intensive Clinical Neuropsychology rotation is designed to conform
to the guidelines recommended by the Neuropsychology Division 40 Task
Force and the Houston Conference. This rotation is designed for interns
who are planning on careers in the field of clinical neuropsychology.
Interns choosing this rotation are expected to have relevant coursework
and practica prior to internship. The entire first four-month full-time
rotation is devoted to neuropsychological assessment, treatment, and
research. In addition, the intern will continue to participate in
neuropsychology activities for 10 hours per week through the remainder
of the year. This most typically will occur through the year-long,
part-time rotation, as well as through continued neuropsychological
assessment in the context of the remaining two full-time rotations. The
neuropsychological activities would continue to be supervised by the
neuropsychologist for the duration of the training year.

**Assessment.** A flexible battery approach is used for test selection,
although a core set of measures is routinely used for most patients.
Required instruments include the WAIS-III, WMS-III, Repeatable Battery
for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), California
Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II), Rey Complex Figure Test, Finger
Tapping Test, Grooved Pegboard Test, Trailmaking Test, Stroop Color-Word
Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Boston Naming Test, Hooper
Visual Organization Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Word Memory Test,
TOMM, MMPI-2, and MCMI-III. Additional instruments may be used,
depending on the patient's abilities and the specific referral question.
Interns will provide consultation and feedback to physicians, other
treatment providers, and to patients and their families. The clinical
neuropsychology rotation requires a minimum of seven reports during the
initial rotation plus two during the remainder of the year, with a
competency level of 4 on required instruments by the end of the year.

**Psychotherapy.** Short term therapy may be provided to help veterans
and their families adjust to the effects of brain injury and other
disorders. Training in the provision of various cognitive rehabilitation
and remediation techniques is available. Similarly, the opportunity to
co-lead a memory intervention and education group for veterans is
available.

**Consultation.** This rotation emphasizes consultation to physicians,
psychologists, and other health care providers regarding the effects of
brain damage on a person's behavior. Outcome measurement is an essential
component of the cognitive rehabilitation process. Participation in both
ongoing and original research projects is emphasized and encouraged. A
neuropsychology database is available for a wide variety of research
questions. Frequent literature reviews are strongly encouraged in this
rotation, both for the understanding of unique conditions encountered in
clinical practice as well as for keeping up with the rapidly expanding
base of literature on more common conditions.

**Clinical Geropsychology**

Geriatrics and Extended Care Service is highly committed to excellent
geriatric care. It has been estimated that almost one-half of all
veterans with service-connected disabilities are over age 60. The demand
for psychologists with training and experience in clinical
geropsychology will increase proportionately over the next decade. The
clinical geropsychologist provides coverage to inpatient wards of
primarily male elderly patients in the Geriatric and Extended Care
Service. These patients present with a wide variety of problems,
including dementia and other cognitive disorders, mood disorders,
psychotic disorders, substance abuse disorders, and a range of
psychiatric disorders of varying severity. Thus, for those of you who
seek broad training and experience in clinical geropsychology, your
training program can include an intensive full-time four-month rotation
in this area.

**Assessment.** You will become a valued member of the Geriatric
Evaluation and Management (GEM) Team for the purpose of assessing new
patients. You will initially work quite closely with the clinical
geropsychologist to develop sensitivity to the older patient and an
awareness of the special applications of psychological instruments and
procedures with this population. You will conduct psychological
evaluation of cognition, memory, social, and personality functioning, as
well as neuropsychological and capacity evaluations to determine
competency.

Required psychological assessment instruments include the Cognistat,
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Adult Functional Adaptive Behavior
Scale (AFABS), Independent Living Scales (ILS), and the Executive
Interview (EXIT-25). Opportunities also exist to gain experience with
the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status
(RBANS), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, and Trailmaking Test.

**Psychotherapy.** Due to the great variety and complexity of problems
presented by the elderly patient, a number of different psychological
techniques are utilized. Psychological services may include behavioral
procedures for the maintenance of basic activities of daily living and
social skills (functional adaptive behavior), as well as individual or
group psychotherapy. Opportunities may exist to gain experience in
empirically supported individual or group cognitive/reminiscence therapy
for geriatric patients. The development of long-term therapeutic
relationships with particular patients, extending beyond the end of the
rotation period, is encouraged as a valuable learning experience.

**Consultation.** Staff consultation and education, both formal and
informal, are important aspects of the psychological services provided
in clinical geropsychology. You will become a member of a
multidisciplinary team in which the psychologist consults with nursing
and medical staff regarding the optimal treatment of elderly patients.
As you acquire experience and competence in these areas, independence is
encouraged in the selection of problem areas for concentrated work and
the development of patient programming. The supervisor has previously
validated and published a psychological instrument designed to assess
the level of adaptive functioning of the elderly patient.

**Primary Care Psychology**

Interns who select this rotation will work closely with the supervising
psychologist, as well as a social worker and a psychiatric nurse
practitioner to provide psychological and behavioral health services
within a primary care setting. The model of service delivery in this
setting is integrated care, such that mental health providers and
medical providers strive to work seamlessly and collaboratively to best
meet the needs of patients in the primary care setting. Interns will be
expected to take on a number of roles and responsibilities, described
below, as a part of this training experience.

**Assessment.** Much of the assessment in the primary care setting is
performed by necessity in a very time-limited manner, and thus interns
will gain experience administering and interpreting a variety of
screening assessments, as well as in conducting brief yet meaningful
clinical interviews. Interns will be required to gain proficiency in
using the following brief assessment measures: the Alcohol Use Disorders
Identification Test screen (AUDIT-C), Patient Health Questionnaire
(PHQ-9), and PTSD Checklist (PCL). As opportunities arise for brief
cognitive screenings in the primary care setting, instruments such as
the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Saint Louis University Mental
Status (SLUMS) Exam, and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of
Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) may also be used as a part of this
training experience.

**Psychotherapy.** Within this rotation, individual psychotherapy is
typically time-limited (one to six sessions), and is conceptualized
primarily from a behavioral perspective, drawing heavily from Acceptance
and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR),
Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution Focused Therapy. The focus
of treatment in this setting is to create a context in which patients
begin to take actions and make healthy choices that are consistent with
whatever is most vital and important in their lives. To this end, a
number of methods may be used, including the interventions mentioned
above, as well as any number of educational and behavioral means. In
addition to individual psychotherapy, interns will have the opportunity
to co-facilitate MBSR groups and/or ACT groups for depressed patients
along with the supervising psychologist.

**Consultation.** The most important roles of mental health providers in
an integrated care model are as consultants to medical providers, and as
liaisons between the medical providers and specialty mental health
services within the hospital. Interns will gain experience collaborating
with medical providers about a number of patient concerns (e.g.,
depression, anxiety, weight loss, smoking cessation) as well as in
taking an active role in weighing various options for addressing both
patient and provider concerns in the most efficient way possible. This
consultation role will include "curbside" discussions with medical
providers, conjoint meetings with medical providers and patients, and
interdisciplinary team meetings.

**Health Psychology**

This yearlong part-time rotation provides the intern with training for
the role of health psychologist and behavioral health consultant.
Interns will gain experience applying general psychological principles
to health maintenance issues and emotional problems found in a medical
population. Core clinical services may include behavioral health
evaluation, brief interventions, psychoeducational group treatment, and
consultation to primary and specialty care medical providers. A full
range of medical diagnoses may be represented, including cancer, heart
disease, pulmonary disease, renal failure, chronic pain, diabetes, and
obesity.

**Assessment.** Health psychology interns are expected to become
proficient at mental health screening and evaluation within a behavioral
health context. Interns are required to become proficient in intake
assessments, behavioral health assessment using the Millon Behavioral
Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD), and emotional screening using the Beck
Depression Inventory (BDI-II). They may develop competence in cognitive
screening (Mini-Mental State Examination or Cognistat) and personality
assessment (MCMI-III). Interns may also use brief screening instruments
such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and BDI-FastScreen for
Medical Patients. The integration of interview and test data is a
particular focus in psychological evaluation of organ transplant or
bariatric surgery candidates. Interns are expected to gain experience in
making assessment-based treatment recommendations and developing
appropriate treatment plans.

**Psychotherapy.** Within this rotation, treatment is conceptualized
primarily from an existential and cognitive-behavioral perspective.
Individual psychotherapy cases will generally consist of brief
interventions for health-related issues (e.g., patient education,
compliance enhancement, relapse prevention) and behavioral medicine
interventions for coping with chronic medical conditions. Interns may
cofacilitate group psychoeducational sessions within cardiac
rehabilitation and weight management programs. They will have the
opportunity to cofacilitate empirically supported cognitive behavioral
group treatment for chronic pain management (Keefe et al., 1997) and
smoking cessation (Cinciripini et al., 1994). Opportunities may be
available for training in other evidence-based treatments, including
motivational interviewing, behavioral treatment for chronic headache,
cognitive behavioral therapy for irritable bowel syndrome, cognitive
behavioral therapy for persons with cancer, and stress inoculation
training for coping with stressors.

**Consultation.** This rotation emphasizes the role of the psychologist
as behavioral health consultant to primary and specialty care medical
providers, through such activities as clinical collaboration, provider
education, program development, and team building. This may involve
consultation to the multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation, pain
management, smoking cessation, and/or MOVE weight management teams.
Interns are expected to conduct reviews of the empirical literature to
inform their consultation and treatment recommendations. Program
evaluation within individual and group health behavior interventions is
done regularly through the use of appropriate pre-post measures (e.g.,
stages of change, health locus of control). Interns may also have the
opportunity to gain experience in psychology training administration.

**Research**

A part-time, yearlong research rotation is possible for interns looking
to further develop clinical research skills, pending availability of
appropriate supervision for a given project. It may be helpful for an
intern considering a research rotation to begin to develop a potentially
viable research proposal prior to arriving on site. Research projects
that would advance evidence-based practice are particularly encouraged.
The research project may be dissertation research, if it is conducted at
Togus and is of direct benefit to the VA. Research at the Togus VA is
strictly under the auspices of the Research and Development (R&D)
Committee. Interns desiring to do research are required to complete an
extensive computer-based training protocol and to complete numerous
related forms and documents. This requires several hours and will be
completed during the first two months of the internship. During this
time, the intern will also work to develop his or her research proposal
and timetable. The formal research proposal and training forms will be
completed and sent to the R&D Committee by the end of the third month of
the research rotation. The proposal will also be presented to the
Psychology Training Committee. The R&D Committee will review the
application during the fourth month. Even in the event of a one or two
month delay, this would allow the researcher to have six months to
collect the data, conduct the analysis, and write up the results in a
manner suitable for formal submission as a presentation and/or
publication. The intern is also required to present the results of the
research to the Psychology Training Committee. A full day (eight hours)
per week is devoted to this rotation. This new rotation offering is
still in the process of development.

**External Training Rotations**

The psychology internship program has established training affiliations
with various external agencies, and up to 346 hours of your 2,080-hour
training experience may occur at a mental health facility other than the
VA Medical Center. These placements allow for considerable flexibility
and specialization in training. Current well-established external
training opportunities include a community mental health center, a
community hospital, an outpatient pediatric center, and a state forensic
evaluation service. Training experiences in other settings (e.g., rural
health centers, state mental hospitals, correctional facilities,
residential children\'s center) may be explored, according to intern
interests and contingent upon the availability of appropriate
psychological supervision. Current external training rotations are
described as follows:

**[Kennebec Behavioral Health]{.underline}**

Kennebec Behavioral Health is a comprehensive Community Mental Health
Center in the central Maine area. The agency offers numerous programs to
the general public as well as specialized programs for children and
persons with mental illness. These programs allow exposure to a broad
range of clients and problems. Clients vary by gender, age, presenting
problem and level of need.

This is a part-time, yearlong rotation. Participation in an
administrative rotation as well as any of the agency's programs may be
negotiated. Interns generally elect to participate in programs that
relate directly to their specific interests. Rotation requirements are
individualized based upon the intern's training needs and interests.

The Clinical Director of K.B.H. provides clinical supervision. This
supervisor presents an eclectic approach to the variety of clinical as
well as administrative concerns that present themselves at the agency.
In practice, there is a heavy emphasis on careful conceptualization of
the problem, what the research says, what can be practically
accomplished, and what works effectively.

Interns will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from the
agency's other psychologists and/or psychology postdoctoral residents.

**Assessment.** Interns have the opportunity to gain experience in
psychological assessment, service planning, treatment planning and
disposition, outpatient evaluation of children and adults, and substance
abuse evaluation. Opportunities exist to gain experience conducting
intake assessments. A strong focus of any assessment or treatment
planning effort will be on the development of specific and useful
service, treatment, and outcome recommendations.

**Psychotherapy.** Interns may gain experience in the outpatient
treatment of children and adults, including opportunities for child
abuse treatment and substance abuse treatment. There are currently
numerous evidence-based treatments being used at the agency. These
include treatments for depression, anxiety, parent training, behavioral
anger management, dialectical behavior therapy, and multi-family
psychoeducation. Because of the broad array of presenting problems
encountered, interns also have the opportunity to research and apply
various treatments to individual cases as they are presented.

**Consultation.** Interns may elect to design an administrative
rotation, with training options including exposure to agency
administration, research-based program development and modification,
program consultation, program assessment, clinical outcomes management,
and quality improvement. Interns may also elect to participate in
Maine's Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel.

**[MaineGeneral Medical Center, Behavioral Health Service]{.underline}**

This yearlong, part-time rotation provides the opportunity to gain
experience working within a medium-size acute care community hospital
practice. The MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta Campus, serves the
Augusta-Gardiner area and is a 120-bed community hospital with a full
range of medical services from acute medical, surgical, and psychiatric
care to extended intermediate care. This rotation emphasizes delivery of
psychological services throughout the medical center under the
supervision of a clinical psychologist.

The client population ranges in age from late adolescence through
geriatric with gender being predominately female. Clients are assessed
and treated in a variety of contexts including outpatient, inpatient,
and intensive outpatient treatment settings. A wide range of diagnoses
are likely to be encountered.

**Assessment.** Assessment training opportunities include diagnostic
evaluation, intellectual evaluation, cognitive screening, LD/ADHD
evaluation, neuropsychological evaluation, competency/guardianship
evaluation, and pre-surgical bariatric surgery consultation. Your
particular assessment training requirements will depend upon your focus
and objectives, but in all cases developing competence in the use of the
MMPI-2 will be required. If your interest is in learning disability,
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and/or neuropsychological
assessment, then the use of the WAIS-III, Halstead Reitan Test Battery,
California Verbal Learning Test, and Rey Complex Figure Test will be
required.

**Psychotherapy.** Psychotherapy training will concentrate upon the uses
of cognitive behavioral therapy in both individual and group formats.
Group formats more specifically will include dialectical behavior
therapy (DBT). Options for training in empirically supported treatments
may include cognitive behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder,
cognitive behavior therapy for panic disorder, stress inoculation
training for coping with stressors, cognitive therapy for depression,
and dialectical behavior therapy for personality disorder.

**Consultation.** Consultation opportunities may include clinical
supervision of undergraduate practicum students from local colleges.
Considerable opportunity exists for development of performance
improvement measures and treatment outcome evaluations.

            **[MaineGeneral Medical Center, Pediatric
Center]{.underline}**

            The Edmund Ervin Pediatric Center at MaineGeneral Medical
Center, Waterville Campus, Seton Unit, provides a variety of medical and
mental health services to children and their families in Waterville,
Augusta, and surrounding communities.  The Pediatric Center serves
children from birth through age eighteen with behavioral, emotional,
developmental or learning disturbances, and their families.  The primary
responsibilities of the psychology intern are to conduct psychological
screenings and complete psychological evaluations of children's
emotional, behavioral, social, and developmental functioning and provide
individual and family psychotherapy under the supervision of a licensed
psychologist.  This is a yearlong, part-time rotation.

            **Assessment.**  Assessment opportunities include
participation in two team evaluation programs, the Developmental
Evaluation Clinic and the Pediatric Behavioral Medicine Clinic, and/or
conducting center-based and school-based psychological evaluations. The
intern assesses children's mental development, learning skills,
behavioral and emotional adjustment, and adaptive functioning, and
incorporates results into a comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation.
Interns are trained and required to conduct structured parent and
individual interviews, administer cognitive testing with instruments
such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV or others, and
administer standardized behavior rating scales such as the Achenbach
Child Behavior Checklist.  Optional assessment training may include
training with a variety of instruments such as measures of infant
developmental assessment (Bayley Scales), alternate cognitive ability
testing (Stanford Binet, Differential Ability Scales), achievement
testing (Woodcock-Johnson, WIAT), adaptive behavior assessment
(Vineland) objective personality tests (Child Depression Inventory), and
self-report scales.

**Psychotherapy.** Psychology interns at the Ervin Pediatric Center
conduct psychological therapy services under the supervision of a
licensed psychologist. The theoretical orientation of treatment services
provided is primarily behavioral and cognitive-behavioral. Interns have
the opportunity to conduct treatment with a broad range of presenting
problems, including disruptive behavior disorders and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, habit
disorders, family relational disturbance, and pervasive developmental
disorders. Empirically supported treatments include Barkley's defiant
child program and other parent training programs, and Kendall's
cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders and
obsessive-compulsive disorder.

**Consultation.** Psychology interns have limited opportunities for
consultation, program development, research, and administrative duties.
Consultation may consist of communicating assessment results to
interdisciplinary teams, physicians, or school staff; assisting in
synthesizing information from various sources to arrive at a
comprehensive understanding of a child's competencies and needs; and
using this information to direct intervention efforts. Interns may also
have the opportunity to provide psychological consultation to
developmental therapists and trainers as part of an applied behavior
analysis program for preschool children diagnosed with autistic disorder
or other pervasive developmental disorders.

**[State Forensic Service]{.underline}**

The State Forensic Service (SFS) is directly responsible to the Maine
Commissioner of Health and Human Services, and functions in an
evaluative and educative capacity for the state's courts in criminal
matters. The SFS is mandated to perform pretrial (e.g.,
predispositional, competency to proceed, and criminal responsibility),
presentence, pre-release, and bindover evaluations. An intern on the SFS
yearlong, part-time rotation, would be supervised by the Chief Forensic
Psychologist and would have opportunities to consult with the Director
of the SFS.

**Assessment.** Assessment training opportunities at the SFS involve
both comprehensive and more targeted evaluations for both juveniles and
adults. Both types of evaluations typically include mental status,
cognitive, personality, structured interviewing, risk assessment, and
collateral contact components. Targeted evaluations also address
specific referral questions such as competency to proceed and criminal
responsibility.

Required assessment instruments include intake assessment, MMPI-2,
MMPI-A, a brief cognitive assessment tool (Kaufman Brief Intelligence
Test (K-BIT) or Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI), and
the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool - Criminal Adjudication
(MACCAT-CA). Opportunities may exist to gain experience with the
WAIS--III, the Multiphasic Sex Inventory -- Second Edition (MSI-II), and
numerous risk assessment instruments: Psychopathy Checklist -- Revised
(PCL-R), Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG), Sex Offender Risk
Appraisal Guide (SORAG), Rapid Risk Assessment For Sex Offense
Recidivism (RRASOR), HCR-20 -- Risk Assessment for Violence -- 2,
Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool, Structured Assessment of Violence
Risk in Youth (SAVRY), the Estimated Risk of Adolescent Sex Offense
Recidivism (ERASOR), Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol (JSOAP,)
and the Static 99. Interns may also gain experience with the Substance
Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), Trauma Symptom Inventory
(TSI), Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), Parenting Stress
Index (PSI), Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), Validity
Indicator Profile (VIP), Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM), Adolescent
Psychopathology Scale (APS), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and Youth
Self Report (YSR). Interns will be expected to integrate test data with
other sources of data into reports that make recommendations germane to
the referral question and that are useful to the court.

**Psychotherapy.** There are no psychotherapy opportunities associated
with this rotation.

**Consultation.** The intern may observe court proceedings involving
testimony from the psychological supervisor as expert witness. They may
conduct literature reviews on forensic assessment instruments or other
relevant forensic issues. They may gain experience providing
consultation to contract psychologists and psychiatrists as well as area
attorneys. Interns are encouraged to participate in two conferences
offered each year by the SFS on topics important to practitioners of
forensic psychology. They may also engage in scholarly writing on
various forensic psychology topics.

**SEMINARS**

Didactic seminars enhance the training experience. Interns are required
to participate in two weekly psychology seminars to facilitate the
development of psychological competencies. Additional educational
opportunities are also available.

**Clinical Psychology Seminar**

The clinical psychology seminar primarily addresses the development of
psychological competencies in assessment, psychotherapy, and
consultation. The curriculum incorporates core requirements in some
areas, with numerous electives largely determined by the interests and
needs of the participating interns. All potential offerings are subject
to availability of presenters. Toward the end of the year, each intern
will present a clinical psychology seminar on a topic of his or her
choice.

**Assessment.** Required psychological assessment seminars include
training in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition
(WAIS-III), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2),
Millon Clinicial Multiaxial Inventory-3^rd^ Edition (MCMI-III), and
competency assessment. In addition, interns choose at least two
electives from such topics as the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition
(WMS-III), Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), Kaufman
Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), Structured Clinical Interview for
DSM-IV (SCID), Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), 16-PF, Adult
Functional Adaptive Behavior Scale (AFABS), brief psychological
screening instruments, PTSD assessment, ADHD assessment, and learning
disability assessment.

**Psychotherapy.** Psychotherapy seminars address the broad areas of
crisis management, cultural diversity, psychotherapeutic approaches, and
evidence-based treatments.

Required *crisis management* seminars cover management of suicidal and
violent patients, and abuse reporting/duty to warn. Optional seminars
are offered in crisis management and management of manipulative
behaviors.

Required *cultural diversity* seminars address the topics of human
diversity in psychology, counseling Native Americans, psychotherapy with
Franco-Americans, and rural psychology. Interns are required to choose
at least one elective from topics such as psychology of disabilities,
and psychology and spirituality.

For didactic training in *psychotherapeutic approaches*, interns choose
at least three electives from topics including psychodynamic
psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, existential psychotherapy,
solution-focused psychotherapy, narrative psychotherapy, group therapy
models, family systems psychotherapy, strategic family therapy,
contextual family therapy, mentally ill and mentally retarded
maltreating parents, harm reduction for substance abuse, reactive
attachment disorders, seasonal affective disorder, dissociative identity
disorder, and antisocial personality disorder.

Interns are required to take a seminar reviewing *evidence-based
practice in psychology*. Interns also choose at least four elective
seminars on various evidence-based or empirically-supported treatments,
including acceptance and commitment therapy, prolonged exposure therapy
for PTSD, stress inoculation training for PTSD, panic control therapy,
exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder,
cognitive behavior therapy for social phobia, reminiscence therapy for
geriatric depression, motivational interviewing for behavior change,
motivational interviewing for substance abuse, cognitive behavioral
marital therapy, cognitive behavior therapy for anxious children, parent
training for oppositional behavior, cognitive behavior therapy for pain,
cognitive behavior therapy for irritable bowel syndrome, behavior
therapy for smoking cessation, and mindfulness based stress reduction
(MBSR).

**Consultation.** Required consultation seminars include training in
organizational consultation and primary care consultation. Interns
select at least three additional seminars from such topics as developing
a private practice, managing managed care, competent supervision,
employee assistance programs, school psychological consultation,
psychological disability evaluations, disability determination
consultation, deinstitutionalization consultation, academic careers in
psychology, evidence-based behavioral medicine, and burnout prevention.

**Specialization areas.** Additional specialty seminars provide
introductory training in the areas of psychopharmacology,
neuropsychology, health psychology, and forensic psychology. Interns
participate in a required *psychopharmacology* seminar series on the
topics of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and
anxiolytics. *Neuropsychology* electives include dementia, mild
traumatic brain injury, memory education group, and neuropsychological
rehabilitation. *Health psychology* electives include stages of change,
organ transplant candidate evaluations, cardiac rehabilitation, weight
management, and psychological aspects of Lyme disease. *Forensic
psychology* electives include a forensic psychology overview, forensic
examination, forensic assessment of juveniles, competency/criminal
responsibility evaluation, detection of malingering, psychologist as
expert witness, repressed memories as legal evidence, and involuntary
hospitalization.

**Professional Psychology Seminar**

The professional psychology seminar further addresses the development of
psychological competencies in consultation, supervision, research
utilization, and professional development. It seeks to facilitate the
professional development of the intern as a future psychologist. We
continue to develop the curriculum for these seminar offerings. This
seminar currently includes the following components:

**ACT Clinical Supervision Group.** This monthly offering is meant to
help developing clinicians translate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
(ACT) principles into clinical practice. It includes consideration of
ACT principles in the literature, case presentation and
conceptualization. It offers a place to receive ongoing supervision and
consultation for clinical work from an ACT perspective. It is
facilitated by a staff psychologist.

**Professional Development.** This monthly seminar for residents and
interns considers career development issues for the future psychologist.
It provides a specific opportunity to prepare for written and oral
psychology licensing exams. It also allows for practical consideration
and preparation for entry-level career options in psychology. Topics may
include: the EPPP, oral exam prep, licensure, vita and cover letter
critique, postdoctoral positions, early career options, balancing
personal and professional life, service and citizenship, publication and
presentation. It is facilitated by a postdoctoral resident.

**ACT Clinical Consultation Group.** This monthly offering via telephone
conference is designed to further assist clinicians in developing
competence in the understanding and clinical use of Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy (ACT).  It includes discussion of key ACT manuals and
related literature, integrated with relevant case discussion. It is
facilitated by an internationally-known expert in ACT from the VA
National Center for PTSD.

**Journal Club.** This monthly seminar for residents and interns offers
a forum for review and discussion of current relevant articles in the
field. Selected readings of topical interest are selected on a rotating
basis by residents and interns, and time is set aside to discuss and
debate the issues raised by these articles. This seminar is designed to
encourage research-based practice. Recent offerings have included such
topics as treating returning Iraqi war veterans, treatment of female
veterans with PTSD, military traumatic brain injury, decisional capacity
assessment, treatment of chronic pain, sleep apnea, telehealth
psychotherapy, hurricane disaster intervention, multicultural training,
poverty and classism, working with suicidal patients, providing expert
testimony, and training ethical psychologists. It is facilitated by a
postdoctoral resident.

**Research Forum.** On an approximately quarterly basis, residents and
interns have the opportunity to discuss relevant research topics and
opportunities within the medical center. This forum is facilitated by
the Togus VAMC Coordinator for Research and Development.

**Neuropsychology Seminar**

This weekly seminar is designed for residents and interns with an
interest in neuropsychology. It incorporates topical and case
presentations. Recent topics have included test/norm selection,
estimating premorbid IQ, attention, language, memory, executive
functioning, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's dementia, movement
disorders, seizure disorders, traumatic brain injury, cognitive
remediation, and ABCN exam prep. This seminar is facilitated by a staff
neuropsychologist.

######## Other Seminars

Interns are also expected to participate in the regular training of the
staff, including monthly Case Conference presentations by Psychology
Section staff, residents, and interns, and periodic Mental Health Grand
Rounds. They may also participate as appropriate in the Dartmouth
Psychiatry Grand Rounds via weekly videoconferencing broadcast from
Dartmouth to the Togus VA Medical Center. They may participate in
educational sessions presented by pharmaceutical company
representatives. Interns are encouraged to participate in relevant
continuing education conferences.

**FACULTY**

**Training Supervisors**

**John D. Agee, Ph.D.** Dr. Agee earned his doctoral degree in clinical
psychology from the University at Albany in 2006. He is Team Leader of
the Integrated Primary Care Team at Togus. He is a member of the
Psychology Training Committee. His professional interests include
integrated primary care, health psychology, Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions, particularly as applied to
the treatment of chronic pain and anxiety disorders.

**Jerold E. Hambright, Ph.D.** Dr. Hambright earned his doctorate in
counseling psychology at Arizona State University in 1988. He is a
member of the Psychology Training Committee. His professional interests
include assessment and treatment of PTSD, group therapy, acceptance and
commitment therapy, and ethnic minority psychology.

**Keith A. Houde, Ph.D.** Dr. Houde received his doctoral degree in
clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary Graduate School of
Psychology in 1990. He is the Psychology Training Director and a member
of the Psychology Training Committee. His professional interests include
health psychology, personalist psychology, existential psychotherapy,
and the teaching of psychology.

**Michael S. McLaughlin, Ph.D.** Dr. McLaughlin received his doctoral
degree in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2002. He
is a member of the Psychology Training Committee. His professional
interests include inpatient individual and group psychotherapy.

**Chantal N. Mihm, Psy.D.** Dr. Mihm received her doctorate in clinical
psychology from Nova Southeastern University in 1999. She is Coordinator
for PTSD Services and Team Leader of the PTSD Clinical Team at Togus.
She is a member of the Psychology Training Committee and Chair of the
Disruptive Behavior Committee. Professional interests include individual
and group therapy, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and domestic
violence.

**Philip S. Pierce, Ph.D., ABPP (CL).** Dr. Pierce earned his doctorate
in clinical psychology at the University of South Carolina in 1971 and
his ABPP in 1977. He is Board Certified in Clinical Psychology. He is
the Senior Psychologist and a Fellow of APA, APS, and the Maine
Psychological Association. His professional interests include
geropsychology, behavior modification, assessment and treatment of the
elderly, and ethical issues in psychology. He is a member of the
Psychology Training Committee.

**Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.** Dr. Polk received his doctoral degree in
clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 1989. He serves as
Chair of the Psychology Training Committee. His professional interests
include advancement of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the
treatment of PTSD for returning veterans and Acceptance and Commitment
Training for the community. 

**Robert A. Riley, Psy.D., ABPP (CN).** Dr. Riley earned his doctorate
in clinical psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2000.
He is Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology. He is the
Neuropsychology Program Director and a member of the Psychology Training
Committee. Dr. Riley's professional interests include neuropsychological
assessment, memory intervention and rehabilitation, clinical research,
and test development.

**Susanne Stiefel, Ph.D.** Dr. Stiefel earned her doctorate in
counseling psychology at Arizona State University in 1986. She is a
member of the Psychology Training Committee. Her clinical interests are
individual, group, and family therapy of adults.

**Debra Baeder, Ph.D., ABPP (FP).** Dr. Baeder earned her doctoral
degree in clinical psychology from the Fielding Graduate Institute in
2000. She is Board Certified in Forensic Psychology. She is Chief
Forensic Psychologist for the State Forensic Service. Her professional
interests include forensic evaluation and treatment issues, adolescent
psychopathology, juvenile competence to proceed, and issues pertaining
to "restoration of sanity" for insanity acquittees. She is a psychology
consultant and member of the Psychology Training Committee.

**Glen Davis, Ph.D.** Dr. Davis earned his doctorate in clinical
psychology from the University of Vermont in 1985. He is Psychology
Director at MaineGeneral Medical Center, and Director of Psychology at
the Edmund Ervin Pediatric Center. He currently serves as chairperson of
the Board of Examiners of Psychologists of Maine. Professional interests
include evaluation and treatment of psychological and developmental
disturbance in children, including anxiety disorders, disruptive
behavior disorders, and autism. He is a psychology consultant and member
of the Psychology Training Committee.

**Karen K. Mosher, Ph.D.** Dr. Mosher completed her Ph.D. in clinical
psychology at Purdue University in 1979. She is the Clinical Director at
Kennebec Behavioral Health. Professional interests include the
identification and application of best practices, personality disorders,
child maltreatment, and program administration. Dr. Mosher is a
psychology consultant and member of the Psychology Training Committee.

**Dana B. Sattin, Ph.D.** Dr. Sattin earned his doctorate in clinical
psychology at Duke University in 1974. He serves as Clinical
Neuropsychologist at MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta Campus and the
Sheepscot Valley Health Center. Professional interests include clinical
neuropsychology, dissociative disorders, and trauma-related emotional
disorders. He is a psychology consultant and member of the Psychology
Training Committee.

**Psychology Consultants and Other Contributors**

**Frederick R. Ackley, Ph.D.** Dr. Ackley earned his doctorate in
clinical psychology at the University of Maine in 1988. He is a clinical
psychologist in private practice, with areas of competence including
substance abuse, employee assistance matters, program development, and
staff supervision. He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Stephen H. Adams, D.O.** Dr. Adams received his degree from the
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1993. He is board
certified in psychiatry and neurology. He serves as staff psychiatrist
at the Togus Mental Health Clinic. Professional interests include adult
psychiatry. He is a psychopharmacology seminar presenter.

**Mary Alyce Burkhart, Ph.D.** Dr. Burkhart obtained her doctorate in
clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University in 1989. She is a
licensed psychologist in private practice. Professional interests
include adolescents, children, family therapy, and treatment of reactive
attachment disorder. She is a psychology consultant and seminar
presenter.

**Frederic C. Craigie, Ph.D.** Dr. Craigie received his doctorate in
clinical psychology from the University of Utah in 1978. He serves as
psychologist and faculty at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice
Residency and is Associate Professor of Community and Family Medicine,
Dartmouth Medical School. Professional interests include spirituality
and health, behavioral sciences in primary care medicine, and brief,
solution-focused therapy with adults and couples. He is a psychology
consultant and seminar presenter.

**Maggie Fitzgerald** Maggie serves as Medical Support Assistant for
Mental Health Services. At work she particularly enjoys data management
tasks.

**Barbara L. Hainke** Ms. Hainke is the Secretary for Psychology
Section/PTSD Program. At work she has a strong interest in computers.

**Thomas A. Knox, Ph.D.** Dr. Knox received his doctorate in counseling
psychology from Colorado State University in 1987. He is a licensed
psychologist in private practice. Professional interests include therapy
and consultation within a primary care setting and consultation
regarding major mental illness. He is a psychology consultant and
seminar presenter.

**Ann LeBlanc, Ph.D., ABPP (FP).** Dr. LeBlanc obtained her doctorate in
counseling psychology from Ohio State University in 1982. She is Board
Certified in Forensic Psychology. She is director of the Maine State
Forensic Service. Professional interests are in the area of forensic
psychology. She is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Bruce A. Letsch, Ph.D.** Dr. Letsch earned his doctorate in clinical
psychology at Adelphi University in 1975. He is a staff psychologist at
Togus VAMC and a consultant to the training program. His major interest
is in the individual, group, and family treatment of PTSD.

**Kathryn Graff Low, Ph.D.** Dr. Low received her doctorate in
counseling and health psychology from Stanford University in 1991. She
is a Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Psychology Department at
Bates College. Professional interests include women's health research
and the teaching of psychology. She is a psychology consultant and
seminar presenter.

**Neil MacLean, Ed.D.** Dr. MacLean earned his doctorate at the
University of Maine at Orono in 1973. He is a licensed psychologist in
private practice. His interests are primarily in the area of forensic
psychology. He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Peter MacMullan, Psy.D.** Dr. MacMullan obtained his doctorate in
clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1993. He is a staff
psychologist at Togus VAMC. Professional interests include family
therapy, substance abuse, and suicide prevention. He is a psychology
consultant and seminar presenter.

**Robert Maierhofer, Ph.D.** Dr. Maierhofer received his doctorate in
counseling psychology from Michigan State University in 1984. He is a
licensed psychologist in private practice. Professional interests
include marital therapy, personality assessment, and school
consultation. He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Teresa M. Mayo, Psy.D.** Dr. Mayo obtained her doctorate in clinical
psychology from the University of Denver in 1996. She is Director of
Psychology at the Riverview Psychiatric Institute of the State of Maine.
Professional interests include group therapy, trauma, and inpatient
treatment of serious mental illness. She is a psychology consultant.

**Daniel L. Meyer, Ph.D.** Dr. Meyer earned his doctorate in medical
sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1981. He is
director of research at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency
and an Associate Professor at Dartmouth Medical School. Professional
interests include health services research and patient education
training. He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Douglas Nangle, Ph.D.** Dr. Nangle obtained his doctorate in clinical
psychology from West Virginia University at Morgantown in 1993. He is a
Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the
University of Maine. Professional interests include advanced clinical
assessment, and child and adolescent psychotherapy. He is a psychology
consultant and seminar presenter, and member of the Psychology Training
Committee.

**Janis B. Petzel, M.D.** Dr. Petzel obtained her medical degree from
the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1996. She is board
certified in adult psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, and psychosomatic
medicine. She is a geriatric Psychiatrist and the Coordinator for
Research and Development at the Togus VAMC. Professional interests
include dementia, disaster relief, and cross-cultural health. She is a
psychology research consultant.

**Edward Quinn, Ph.D.** Dr. Quinn obtained his doctorate in clinical
psychology from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1996.
He is a licensed psychologist in private practice. Professional
interests include psychoanalysis, trauma, anxiety, and substance abuse.
He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Mark Ranco, M.S.W.** Mr. Ranco earned his degree from the University
of Maine at Orono in 2000. He works as a Readjustment Counselor at the
Bangor Vet Center. Professional interests include PTSD treatment and
Native American cultural sensitivity training. He is a seminar
presenter.

**Charles Robinson, Ph.D.** Dr. Robinson received his doctorate in
clinical psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1971. He is
a forensic psychologist in private practice. Professional interests
include trauma, violence, sexuality, and memory. He is a psychology
consultant and seminar presenter.

**Maryanne Shaver, Psy.D.** Dr. Shaver earned her doctorate in clinical
psychology from Baylor University in 1986. She is Staff Psychologist at
the Bangor VA Mental Health Clinic. Professional interests include PTSD
and the treatment of sexual trauma. She is a consultant and seminar
presenter.

**Sandra Sigmon, Ph.D.** Dr. Sigmon obtained her doctorate in clinical
psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1989.
She is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine.
Professional interests include seasonal affective disorder, coping and
health, women's physical and mental health, and research ethics. She is
a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Geoffrey L. Thorpe, Ph.D., ABPP (BP).** Dr. Thorpe completed his
clinical psychology degree at Rutgers University in 1973. He is Board
Certified in Behavioral Psychology. He is a Professor of Psychology at
the University of Maine. Professional interests include behavior
therapy, anxiety disorders, ethics and law. Dr. Thorpe is a psychology
consultant and seminar presenter.

**Frederick A. White, Ph.D.** Dr. White received his doctorate in
counseling psychology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1993. He
is a licensed psychologist in private practice, with professional
interests in the area of psychotherapy, assessment, primary prevention,
and supervision. He is a psychology consultant and seminar presenter.

**Frank Willard, Ph.D.** Dr. Willard obtained his doctorate in anatomy
and neurobiology from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in
1980. He is Professor of Anatomy at the University of New England
College of Osteopathic Medicine. Professional interests include
neuroanatomy, spinal anatomy, and pain pathways. He is a psychology
consultant.

**Bruce Williams, J.D.** Mr. Williams earned his degree from Franklin
Pierce Law Center in 1981. He is Senior Principal Attorney for the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs. Professional interests include
alternative dispute resolution, public sector labor-management
relations, medical malpractice, and medical-legal ethics. He is a
seminar presenter.

**Margaret M. Zellinger, Ph.D., ABPP (CN).** Dr. Zellinger received her
doctorate from Purdue University in 1983. She is Board Certified in
Clinical Neuropsychology. She is a neuropsychologist in private
practice. Professional interests include neuropsychology, major mental
illness, patient and family education, behavioral medicine, and group
treatment. She is a postdoctoral supervisor, psychology consultant, and
seminar presenter.

**The Psychology Training Committee (2008-2009)**

![](media/image2.jpeg){width="5.288888888888889in"
height="3.966666666666667in"}

Front row, left to right: Katharine E. Mocciola, Psy.D. (Resident),
Sarah K. Downing, Psy.D. (Resident), Jonathan Woodhouse, M.A. (Intern),
O. Dicle Turkoglu, B.A. (Intern), Philip S. Pierce, Ph.D. (Senior
Psychologist), and Keith A. Houde, Ph.D. (Psychology Training Director).

Back row, left to right: John D. Agee, Ph.D., Robert A. Riley, Psy.D.,
(Neuropsychology Program Director), Jerold E. Hambright, Ph.D., Jeffrey
A. Meyer (Intern), and Michael A. McLaughlin, Ph.D.

Missing from photograph: Debra Baeder, Ph.D., Glen Davis, Ph.D., Chantal
N. Mihm, Psy.D., Karen K. Mosher, Ph.D., Douglas Nangle, Ph.D., Kevin L.
Polk, Ph.D. (Chair, Psychology Training Committee), Dana B. Sattin,
Ph.D., Susanne Stiefel, Ph.D., Robert J. Weniger, Psy.D., and Margaret
M. Zellinger, Ph.D.

**APPLICATION PROCEDURES**

**Qualifications**

A candidate for the internship program should be a third year doctoral
student in good standing from an APA-accredited or
provisionally-accredited program in clinical or counseling psychology.
You must be a U.S. citizen. You must have been admitted to doctoral
candidacy, with completion of all coursework and qualifying/preliminary
exams required by your graduate program. You must have completed a
minimum of 800 hours of supervised practicum experience (including a
minimum of 375 AAPI intervention and assessment hours). Verification of
eligibility for internship from your graduate training director must be
provided.

**Selection Process**

The Togus Psychology Training Program adheres to the current Association
of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) Match
Policies, available from the APPIC internet web site:

**www.appic.org/**

This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person
at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any
ranking-related information from any intern applicant.

The Veterans Affairs Medical and Regional Office Center at Togus is an
Equal Opportunity Employer. Student opportunities in the federal
government are based on qualifications and performance, regardless of
race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, national origin, or disability.

**Application review.** Following receipt of completed applications,
each application is screened by at least one supervisory psychologist
and reviewed with the Training Director to determine a final list of
approximately 20 candidates who will be invited for interview. The
considerations in this initial screen are reputation and quality of the
graduate training program, graduate GPA, total number of practicum
hours, stated interests and goals consistent with what our program can
offer, and cultural diversity. Other than the minimum practicum hours
stated above, we do not rely on specific cutting scores; an applicant
with credentials that are outstanding in one area but weaker in another
area may still be invited for interview.

By mid-December, applicants still under consideration will be notified
by e-mail and contacted to schedule an interview. At that time, released
applicants will be notified by e-mail that they are no longer under
consideration.

**Interview.** Individual interviews are scheduled from mid-December
through the third week of January. The interview is heavily weighted in
the final ranking of candidates. The Togus Psychology Training Program
is committed to providing access for all people with disabilities and
will make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations if requested
at least two weeks in advance of a scheduled interview.

Because of the importance of the interview in our selection decision,
in-person interviews are encouraged. In-person interviews are typically
scheduled for a five-hour period, including a tour of the facility.
Applicants usually meet with the Training Director and at least two
other supervisory staff, for 30-60 minute interviews (Effort is made to
schedule interviews with staff in the applicant's stated rotations of
interest, but follow-up telephone contact may be made when scheduling
difficulties preclude this). Additionally, applicants typically meet
with current interns so that they may gain an intern's perspective on
the program.

Telephone interviews are granted for applicants who are unable to travel
to our site. Telephone interviews last one-hour, and are conducted on a
speakerphone with the Training Director and at least one additional
psychologist. If desired, applicants may subsequently contact a current
intern by phone for further information.

Through the interview process, prospective supervisory psychologists
will evaluate your existing competencies, training needs and interests,
clinical judgment, critical thinking, interpersonal presentation,
professionalism and character. We will also attempt to identify unique
qualities that you may bring to the program. This information will be
integrated with the information from your application, including a more
detailed consideration of your specific assessment, therapy, and
research experiences.

**Final ranking.** Following completion of all interviews, candidates
are rated on the dimensions of program quality, academic record/grades,
assessment, therapy, research/scholarly productivity, interests/goals,
letters of reference, and interview. In addition, we frequently attempt
follow-up with references. These ratings are summarized to provide a
preliminary ranking of candidates.

In late January, the entire training committee (except current interns)
meets to review the preliminary ranking and to make adjustments in the
final ordering. These adjustments are based on the relatively greater
importance we place on interview, references (written and oral), the
specific nature of the experience/needs of the applicants, and the
diversity of the intern class. The final ranking established that day is
formally submitted for the APPIC Match by the Rank Order List Submission
deadline in early February.

**Match Day.** The results of the 2009 APPIC Match will be released on
Monday, February 23, 2009. The training director will contact matched
applicants by telephone as soon as possible after 11:00 a.m. EST on
APPIC Match Day. Appointment of applicants to positions may be
contingent upon the applicants satisfying certain eligibility
requirements, specifically including a security check through our VA
Police Department and a VA physical examination or the equivalent
verifying fitness for duty.

**Summary of relevant dates for the 2009 APPIC Match.**

Application Deadline: November 15, 2008

Notification of Interview Selection or Release: by December 15, 2008

Interviews: December 18, 2008

through January 23, 2009

Ranking Meeting: January 28, 2009

Rank Order List Submission Deadline: February 4, 2009

APPIC Match Results Notification Day: February 23, 2009

**Instructions**

Thank you for your interest in our internship program. The Togus
Psychology Internship Program participates in the APPIC Internship
Matching Program, utilizes the current APPIC Application for Psychology
Internship (AAPI), and also requires certain additional site-specific
information. To complete your application, please carefully follow the
procedures outlined below:

**APPIC Internship Matching Program.** Applicants must obtain an
Applicant Agreement package from National Matching Service, Inc. (NMS)
and register with them for the Matching Program in order to be eligible
to match to our program. You can request an Applicant Agreement package
from NMS through the Matching Program internet web site:

**www.natmatch.com/psychint/**

Or you may contact NMS as follows:

National Matching Services Inc.

20 Holly Street, Suite 301

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M4S 3B1

Telephone: (416) 977-3431

Fax: (416) 977-5020

E-mail: psychint@natmatch.com

For purposes of the Match, please note that the Togus VA Medical Center
psychology internship Program Code Number is **135711**.

**APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI).** You may download
the current APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI 2008-2009)
as a word processor file from the APPIC internet web site:

**www.appic.org/**

Please read and follow the AAPI instructions. Please note that this
document consists of two separate forms:

• APPIC Application for Psychology Internship (AAPI).

> • Please submit to us a copy of this completed application, ensuring
> that each of the six sections begins on a separate page.
>
> • "Academic Program's Verification of Internship Eligibility and
> Readiness" form.
>
> • This form should be printed separately and completed by both you and
> your Training Director (according to the instructions for that form).
> This form may be sent to us either directly by the Training Director
> or by you along with the AAPI.

**Site-specific information.** For your application to be complete at
Togus, we also require submission of the following information:

> • A cover letter describing your specific interest in our training
> program and indicating your preliminary rotation interests, as a
> response to the following question: "How do you envision our
> internship site meeting your training goals and interests?"
>
> • A current curriculum vitae.

• Three letters of recommendation from recent practicum supervisors.

> • Official graduate and undergraduate transcripts (Please request
> these early so that they will be available for timely review).
>
> • A self-addressed stamped postcard (to notify you when all materials
> have been received and your application is complete).

The application deadline is **November 15, 2008.** Please ensure that
all information is sent to us by this date so that your application will
be complete and ready for review. All application materials should be
sent to:

**Psychology Training Director**

**Togus VA Medical Center**

**1 VA Center (116B)**

**Augusta, Maine 04330**

If further information would be helpful, please contact us by phone at
**(207) 623-8411, ext. 5324**, or by e-mail at <keith.houde@va.gov>. We
look forward to hearing from you, and we wish you well in your quest for
an internship that best meets your training needs.