Students are expected to write assessment reports, keep notes, use the empirical method exactly as one would in an ideal mental health agency. A valuable component of this training opportunity is a seminar in how to supervise, taught during the student's last summer in residence by the Clinic Director, Dr. Stephen Lisman. Senior students in this seminar have the opportunity to themselves supervise less experienced therapists. The community-based practicum rotation is of special importance since it also provides the central mechanism whereby our student receive funding after their first year . The practicum is supervised either by the professional staff of the agency or by a faculty supervisor, and is typically less intensive than the psychotherapy practicum.
All agencies are within a short drive from campus and represent a wide variety of services.
Usually students rotate through about two or three agencies, spending one year in each, however there are some agencies that encourage a two-year practicum. A sample of some of the most important training agencies is provided below. Binghamton Psychiatric Center. This is a large state hospital facility serving patients with severe mental illness. The hospital is moving towards a psychosocial rehabilitation model and provides excellent experiences in all aspects of in-patient and community psychiatric services.