Brown Psychology Training Consortium
Clinical Psychology Internship
Child Track
Greta Francis, Ph.D., Track Coordinator
The general goal of the Child Track is to provide training in the assessment and treatment of a variety of childhood disorders while allowing the intern to gain greater depth of experience in specific areas of interest within clinical child or pediatric psychology. Interns have access to a diverse range of patient populations (e.g., psychiatric, medical, school) and a faculty representing a variety of theoretical orientations (e.g., cognitive-behavioral, attachment). The Child Track is organized in such a way as to allow interns to specialize in one of two subtracks: General Clinical Child Psychology or Pediatric Psychology. Within the Pediatric Psychology subtrack, interns may complete a general pediatric psychology internship or one focused on HIV related clinical and research activities. Interns in the Child Track also are involved in child or pediatric research placements.
The General Clinical Child Psychology Subtrack is designed for those interns with clinical/research interests within the area of clinical child psychology. The two interns in the General Clinical Child Psychology Subtrack complete both of their 4-month child rotations and a concurrent 8-month supplemental assignment in one of the Bradley Hospital programs. Each intern completes two primary rotations in Childhood Psychopathology, Adolescent Psychopathology, or Developmental Disabilities. These interns also select a supplemental assignment to gain more focused and specialized experience.
The Pediatric Psychology Subtrack is designed for interns with clinical/research interests within the area of pediatric psychology. The two interns in the Pediatric Subtrack complete one 4-month rotation at Bradley Hospital gaining clinical child experience and their other 4-month rotation at Rhode Island Hospital receiving training in pediatric psychology. While placed at Bradley Hospital, Pediatric Subtrack interns continue to spend 1/2 day per week at Rhode Island Hospital in order to maintain continuity of training in pediatric psychology. In the HIV focused pediatric internship, interns participate in in-depth clinical and research experience related to pediatric HIV for the entire year. A concurrent 8-month assignment is spent at Rhode Island Hospital gaining experience in general pediatric psychology.
For clinical and research interests for the faculty listed below please click here.
Below are descriptions of the primary rotations and the clinical-research focused experience available within the Child Clinical Track.
Developmental Disabilities Program (Primary) E.P. Bradley Hospital
Faculty Supervisors: Rowland Barrett, Barbara Tylenda,
Christopher Borden, Karyn Blane, Stephen Sheinkopf
This rotation emphasizes breadth exposure to the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of co-morbid behavioral and psychiatric problems in children and adolescents presenting with developmental disabilities. The full range of developmental disabilities is represented which includes: Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Mental Retardation, neurological disorders, genetic disorders, and other forms of developmental handicaps. The rotation occurs within Bradley Hospital’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). It is available to all interns in the Child Track and to other interns on an elective basis. The CADD includes a 21-bed inpatient unit, a day school, four residential group homes, an intensive behavior therapy (IBT) program, in-home services, and an outpatient clinic. The CADD services children and adolescents between the ages of infancy and 22 years. Concurrent treatment of patients’ families also is central. The intern will participate as an integral member of the CADD's multidisciplinary treatment team. The following professionals make up the CADD’s multidisciplinary treatment team: psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, social workers, teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational and physical therapists, behavior analysts, nurses, nutritionist, and milieu therapists. The intern will be involved in completing diagnostic evaluations and comprehensive psychological assessments, conducting therapy (individual and group) as well as applied behavior analysis (ABA), in-services to staff, and participating in school consultations across the continuum of care. The intern will participate actively in all aspects of the CADD program including treatment team meetings and multidisciplinary diagnostic reviews.
Childhood Psychopathology (Primary), E.P. Bradley Hospital
Faculty Supervisors: Rod Gragg, Steve Swartzlander for BSSC; Anne Walters,
Christina Bellanti, Karen Cammuso, Carol Faulkner for BSP
This rotation emphasizes exposure to a broad range of psychopathology within a combined psychiatric/educational setting for youngsters between the ages of 3 and 12 years. It is available to all interns in the Child Track and to other interns on an elective basis. The intern is placed either at the Bradley School in South County (BSSC) or the Bradley School in Portsmouth (BSP). Both are
community-based, school-funded, day treatment programs. BSSC and BSP service school-aged children with severe psychiatric, behavioral, and/or emotional problems. Children are referred by local departments of special education, and they attend school while living at home. On-site therapeutic services are provided to the students and their families. Referral concerns include most of the major diagnostic categories (e.g.,schizophrenia, mood disorders, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder). BSSC and BSP use a consultative psychiatry model in which treatment teams are led by clinical psychologists. Interns participate as members of multidisciplinary treatment teams that specialize in working with preschool and elementary school-aged children. Close collaboration occurs with special education teachers, classroom behavior specialists, occupational therapists, and speech/language pathologists who work within the classrooms. Each intern has the opportunity to conduct assessment and treatment with children within the school setting. Treatment typically occurs within the context of individual, dyadic, and/or group therapy modalities, with a focus on improving social skills and self-regulation utilizing age-appropriate interventions.Interns also may have the opportunity to provide consultation regarding behavior management in the classrooms and/or consultation to local public schools.
Adolescent Psychopathology (Primary) E.P. Bradley Hospital
Faculty Supervisors: Greta Francis, Francine D’Elia, Lisa Freda
This rotation emphasizes exposure to a broad range of psychopathology within a combined psychiatric/educational setting for youngsters between the ages of 12 and 21 years. It is available to all interns in the Child Track and to other interns on an elective basis. The intern is assigned to the Bradley School East Providence, a school-funded day treatment program on the grounds of Bradley Hospital. The School services middle and high school students with psychiatric, behavioral, and/or emotional problems. Youth are referred by local departments of special education, and they attend school while living at home. On-site therapeutic services are provided to the students and their families.Referral concerns include most of the major diagnostic categories (e.g.,schizophrenia, mood disorders, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder). The School uses a consultative psychiatry model in which treatment teams are led by clinical psychologists and
social workers. Interns participate fully as members of multidisciplinary treatment teams that specialize in the assessment and treatment of youth in grades 6 through 12. Close collaboration occurs with special education teachers, classroom behavior specialists, occupational therapists, and speech/language pathologists who work within the classrooms. Each intern carries a combination of assessment and treatment responsibilities. Treatment modalities include individual, family, dyadic, and group therapies.Consultation opportunities for behavioral management in the classroom also are available to a limited degree.
Pediatric Psychology Program (Primary) Rhode Island Hospital
Faculty Supervisors: Debra Lobato, Julie Boergers, Elizabeth McQuaid, Jack Nassau, Robin Mehlenbeck, Celia Lescano, Jennifer Freeman, Wendy Plante
This rotation provides in-depth training in pediatric psychology within a general medical setting. It is available to Pediatric Subtrack interns within the Child Track and to other interns on an elective basis. It is designed to teach interns assessment, treatment, and consultation skills in both pediatric inpatient and outpatient clinics. Children with joint medical and psychological problems constitute the primary treatment population. The intern receives exposure to a variety of pediatric populations: recurrent childhood pain (e.g., headache, abdominal pain); chronic and life threatening illness (e.g., cancer, asthma); encopresis; sleep disorders; eating disorders; obesity; and children with multihandicapping conditions. Interns participate on the Consultation-Liaison Team and in the Partial Hospitalization Program. In addition, the intern sees outpatient pediatric psychology cases and may cover the pediatric emergency room one day per week. Cognitive-behavioral interventions such as desensitization, parent skills training, stress management, and relaxation constitute the primary therapeutic modalities. The intern also is provided with training in the use of biofeedback in assessment and treatment of the above-mentioned populations, where appropriate. Individual behavior therapy and psychotherapy are utilized to address emotional/behavioral sequelae of chronic illness. Interns may also obtain experience providing group treatment for overweight adolescents and siblings of chronically ill and disabled children.
Clinical-Research focused 12 month experience
Child & Adolescent HIV (Primary) clinical/research focused, RI Hospital
Faculty Supervisors: Larry Brown, Celia Lescano, Christopher Houck, Wendy Hadley, Marina Tolou-Shams, Elissa Jelalian
Clinical- research focused experiences, unlike the 4 month rotations described above, are 12 month long experiences providing concentrated clinical-research training in a specialty area. During the 1st 8 months of the training year, time is spent as follows: 50% HIV clinical research, 25% pediatric psychology service at RIH, 15% outpatient pediatric psychology at RIH, 10% didactics. During the last 4 months of the training year, time is spent as follows: 60% HIV clinical research, 40% out-of-track clinical experience.
The overall goal of this internship experience is to develop competence in clinical service and research with children and adolescents from an integrated biopsychosocial model. Development of clinical research skills in the area of HIV prevention will be a primary focus, while HIV/AIDS will be highlighted, other pediatric conditions and risk behaviors will be addressed. The intern will experience the full spectrum of clinical activities that can be confronted by a child psychologist functioning in inpatient and outpatient medical and psychiatric, as well as community settings. Interns will develop proficiency in psychological assessment, intervention, and consultation with pediatric and adult psychiatric conditions, as well as HIV prevention. Over the course of the year, interns will develop specific skills for: A) prevention and treatment of HIV in outpatient medical and outpatient psychiatric settings and B) assessment and treatment of children and adolescents presenting with medical and behavioral problems in pediatric and psychiatric settings.
Supplemental Clinical Child Assignments
2008-2009
Each supplemental assignment is designed to offer General Clinical Child Subtrack interns the opportunity for more specialized and/or longer-term experience in a particular area of interest. Supplemental assignments last for the first 8 months of the internship year and involve a total of 8 hours of time per week. Other opportunities may become available on a case by case basis as we get closer to the start of the training year. For example, an intern who is doing Childhood Psychopathology for first rotation and Adolescent Psychopathology for second rotation, may elect to do a 1 day/week supplemental assignment within the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
- Mood and Stress Disorders Clinic, This outpatient clinic is located on the campus of Bradley Hospital and provides evidence-based treatments for adolescents presenting primarily with mood or anxiety disorders. The CBT protocol for the multi-site study Treatment of Resistant Depression in Adolescents will be the primary EVT taught in the clinic in 2006-2007. Trainees will take part in multidisciplinary intake evaluations. They will then be assigned 2-3 patients to be treated using an adaptation of the TORDIA CBT protocol. Individual supervision will be provided on a session-by-session basis. Psychology trainees will also have the opportunity to sit in on medication evaluations and follow-up appointments with Dr. Horowitz and psychiatry residents to learn more about current prescribing practices for depressed adolescents. More experienced trainees may also have the opportunity to supervise practicum students new to CBT. Supervision is provided by Anthony Spirito, Ph.D.,ABPP, Christianne Esposito-Smythers, Ph.D., and Karen Horowitz, M.D.
- Pediatric Anxiety Research Clinic. The purpose of this supplemental assignment is to allow interns to gain more specialized and long-term experience in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. The patient population includes primarily outpatient youth with diagnoses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobic disorder, school avoidance, and separation anxiety disorder. The intern is involved in completing diagnostic evaluations and providing cognitive-behavioral treatment to children and their families. Supervision is provided by Jennifer Freeman, Ph.D., and Abbe Garcia, Ph.D. Treatment and supervision is done at the CORO building in Providence