Psychology Training Program

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Aim of program

Our aim is to provide the training necessary to fully prepare you with the knowledge and skills to have a successful career as a health service psychologist.

We do this by:

  • providing you with a diverse clinical experience and client population
  • following a model of training that provides supervised experience in areas of assessment, intervention and consultation
  • focusing on relevant research and evidenced-based practice that can be incorporated into your internship experience through direct clinical services, didactic experiences, consultation and/or supervision
  • valuing and focusing on your individual training needs and desires

As you become more familiar with your location and clients, gain experience and develop professionally, closer supervision will transition to mentorship and, eventually, relatively autonomous practice.

Allina Health's Psychology Internship values individual and cultural diversity. The training staff recognize that the services we provide our patients and the training you receive as an intern is vastly improved when a compassionate view of human differences is adopted by all. Given such, it is the aim of the training staff to offer continuous development of cultural competencies. It is one of our top priorities to be a mentor to you in this continuous learning process

Learn more about our tracks, rotations, supervision, training committee, salary and benefits in our brochure.

As required by the APA Commission on Accreditation, find the program's current Internship Admissions, Support and Initial Placement Data.

Contact information

Please contact the training director with any questions about the psychology internship or application requirements.

Mark Goetz
763-236-0797

Career accreditation

The Allina Health Psychology Internship Program is excited to announce that we are fully accredited as of 2020

Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system, with more than 90 clinics and 13 hospitals, cares for people from the beginning of life to the end of life. In alignment with our mission, vision, values and promise, Mental Health & Addiction Services has been strategically positioned within our primary care clinics, behavioral health hospital-based clinics, and inpatient mental health settings to serve people who have higher-acuity mental health needs. To learn more about Allina Health, visit our About Us page.

Allina Health System’s Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship program offers four positions each year. These are full-time, one-year postdoctoral fellowships of 2,080 training hours. Our goal is to provide the training necessary to fully prepare you with the knowledge and skills necessary to have a successful career as a Health Service Psychologist.

You will receive experience in core clinical services with a diverse patient population.

Allina Health offers psychology trainees a well-rounded and unique training opportunity. We provide high-quality training in clinical therapeutic intervention, clinical assessment, and supervision.

Aims

The aim of the Psychology Fellowship is to prepare you for practice in Health Service Psychology. We do this by:

  • providing you with a diverse clinical experience and client population
  • following a model of training that provides supervised experience in areas of assessment, intervention and consultation
  • focusing on relevant research and evidenced-based practice that can be incorporated into your postdoctoral fellowship experience through direct clinical services, didactic experiences, consultation and/or supervision
  • ·valuing and focusing on your individual training needs and desires. As you become more familiar with your location and clients, gain experience and develop professionally, closer supervision will transition to mentorship and, eventually, relatively autonomous practice.

Allina Health’s Psychology Postdoctoral fellowship values individual and cultural diversity. The training staff recognize that the services we provide our patients and the training you receive as a postdoctoral fellow is vastly improved when a compassionate view of human differences is adopted by all. Given such, it is the goal of the training staff to engage in continuous development of cultural competencies. It is one of our top priorities to be a mentor to you in this continuous learning process.

While the pace of your training is based on your developmental needs, our commitment to you is to help you develop the core competencies listed below, which are needed for independent practice in Health Service Psychology. This postdoctoral training program meets the postdoctoral supervised practice requirements for the state of Minnesota.

Core Competencies

Research

You will display substantial knowledge of scientific methods, procedures and practices while being able to critically evaluate and disseminate research with sensitivity to individual and cultural differences.

Ethical and legal standards

You will demonstrate knowledge of the “APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct”, and laws, regulations, rules and policies, professional standards and guidelines governing health service psychology.

Individual and cultural diversity

You will demonstrate the ability to conduct all your professional activities with sensitivity to human differences. This includes the ability to deliver high-quality services to an increasingly diverse patient population. As a postdoctoral fellow you will demonstrate knowledge, awareness, sensitivity, and skill when working with patients and communities who embody a variety of cultural and personal backgrounds and characteristics.

Professional values, attitudes and behaviors

You will display behaviors that are consistent with the values and attitudes of the field of psychology. This includes self-reflection and the ability to incorporate feedback focused on improving your performance and professional effectiveness.

Communication and interpersonal skills

You will exhibit the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, supervisors, other staff members, and patients and clients, by implementing effective communication strategies.

Assessment

You will develop competence in evidence-based psychological assessment with patients and clients who have a variety of diagnoses, problems and needs. Emphasis is placed on developing your competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically validated instruments that assess cognitive functioning and personality.

Intervention

You will exhibit the ability to establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance with patients and clients while providing evidenced-based interventions with sound clinical judgment and sensitivity to cultural differences.

Supervision

You will demonstrate the ability to identify evidenced-based supervision models and engage in direct or simulated supervision.

Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills

You will develop competence in the intentional collaboration of professionals in health service psychology with other individuals or groups.

Tracks and rotations

Postdoctoral fellows begin the year by completing a self-assessment that provides insight into current knowledge and skill in the areas of evaluation/assessment, the provision of psychological interventions, and other skills related to the program’s competencies. A postdoctoral fellow’s skill level, experience, interests and goals are taken into account in formulating a training plan for the year. The training plan for the year consists of goals and a plan by which to meet those goals. Individualized training plans can be modified throughout the year, depending on a postdoctoral fellow’s needs. All training activities are structured according to a developmental model, with trainees initially being provided close and detailed supervision as appropriate, with opportunities to master fundamentals in assessment, interventions, supervision/consultation, and ethics. As the year progresses, more time is allocated to more focused skills and techniques/approaches. As the year progresses, training staff encourage Postdoctoral fellows to use themselves and each other as resources more and supervisory relationships become increasingly consultative.

Supervised service delivery is the principal means by which skills are taught and integrated. Techniques such as observational learning, video recording and role playing are used to facilitate the development of clinical skills. In addition, didactics and corresponding readings support clinical skill development.

TRACKS (one position for each track)

Adult Primary Care (Allina Champlin Clinic)

  • As a fellow you will gain proficiency in implementing evidenced-based practices such as CBT, BT, IPT and mindfulness-based interventions as well as brief assessment. You will also implement an integrated health model, consulting with other on-site medical professionals. You also will gain skills in consultation between disciplines, honing your diagnostic skills and providing consultation services.  There will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Child / Adolescent Primary Care (Allina Bloomington Clinic)

  • As a fellow you will gain proficiency in implementing evidenced-based practices such as CBT, BT, IPT and mindfulness-based interventions as well as brief assessment. You will also implement an integrated health model, consulting with other on-site medical professionals. You also will gain skills in consultation between disciplines, honing your diagnostic skills and providing consultation and early intervention services.  There will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Adult Inpatient and Hospital-Based Outpatient Clinic (multi-site at Unity Hospital)

Hospital-Based Clinic

  • Psychology fellows will work with people who have a higher level of mental health acuity and/or are in need of specialized services. These patients may benefit from longer-term, evidenced-based therapy and/or additional collaboration with other members of the treatment team. Your team will include therapists, psychiatrists, registered nurses and certified medical assistants. Clinical activities will include individual and group therapy and assessment. You will gain exposure to diagnostic assessment and psychological evaluation as well as provide evidenced-based therapies such as CBT, mindfulness-based, and IPT. These assessment opportunities will help you develop competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically- validated instruments that assess cognitive function and personality.

Inpatient

  • The Inpatient adult rotation occurs at Unity Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation.
     
  • Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees. Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

Child/Adolescent Inpatient and Hospital-Based Clinic (multi-site at United Hospital)

Hospital-Based Clinic

  • The Inpatient adult rotation occurs at Unity Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation. 

     

  • Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

     

  • Psychology postdoctoral fellow will work with people who have a higher level of mental health acuity and/or are in need of specialized services. These patients may benefit from longer-term, evidenced-based therapy and/or additional collaboration with other members of the treatment team. Your team will include therapists, adult and/or child and adolescent psychiatrists, registered nurses and certified medical assistants. Clinical activities will include individual and group therapy and assessment. You will gain exposure to diagnostic assessment and psychological evaluation as well as provide evidenced-based therapies such as CBT, mindfulness-based, and IPT. These assessment opportunities will help you develop competence in diagnostic interviewing as well as administration and scoring of psychometrically validated instruments that assess cognitive function and personality. 

Inpatient

  • The Inpatient adolescent rotation occurs at United Hospital. The clinic interdisciplinary staff specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. Psychology Postdoctoral fellows attend staff meetings, providing clinical assessment and interventions such as diagnostic interviews, individual therapy, presenting psychoeducational classes, co-facilitating psychotherapy groups, and completing documentation. 

     

  • Across both rotations, there will also be opportunities for training in individual and / or group supervision with doctoral-level psychology trainees.  Last, there will be opportunity for research and/or program development work.

SUPERVISION

Two hours of individual, face-to-face supervision are provided each week by a primary and secondary supervisor (licensed psychologists). One additional hour of weekly supervision is provided through group supervision (licensed psychologist).  Additional supervision is provided as needed.

DIDACTIC EXPERIENCE

To supplement your supervision and foster inter-professional education and experiences, didactic experiences are scheduled weekly for one hour. They provide a wide variety of clinical content from a variety of disciplines that support evidence-based practice. Topics may include but are not limited to: a review of various classes of medication, prolonged exposure, TF-CBT, ACT, ethnicity and family therapy, professional/career development, and ethical considerations. Postdoctoral fellows will also participate in monthly Psychiatry and Psychology Grand Rounds that are interdisciplinary in nature and focus on clinical needs of patients in both inpatient and ambulatory settings.  Last, postdoctoral fellows will choose a research project or program development project(s) that they will work on over the course of the training year.

An additional hour of didactic training occurs through a variety of meetings and experiences. These activities occur at least one time per week for a total of at least one hour. Activities include but are not limited to: Lunch and Learn activities (in-service training), Regional Psychology meetings (case conferences), Regional consultation meetings (case conferences), all staff clinic meetings (case conferences and in-service training), and provider meetings (case conferences).

MINIMAL LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT

Minimum levels of achievement

As a postdoctoral fellow, you will receive ongoing and formal feedback three times per training year through a competency evaluation. Our training staff have identified minimal levels of achievements (MLAs) and identified ways in which postdoctoral fellows remain in good standing. These include:

  • For the first evaluation halfway through the year, obtain ratings of at least a "5", which is defined as “Periodic supervision required on challenging cases/projects and in new skill areas; most cases/projects need consultation only” for all competencies on the Competency Evaluation.

     

  • No items rated as a “4” or less which is defined as “Regular supervision required on challenging cases/projects and in new skill areas (intern entry level)””

     

  • Demonstrate progress in competencies below a "7", which is defined as ”Sound critical thinking/ judgment is evidenced in advanced or specialized area(s). Consultation needed on very complicated cases/projects (postdoc exit level)”

     

  • Have displayed ethical behaviors at all times.

To successfully complete the postdoctoral psychology fellowship, you must:

  • By the end of the last training period, obtain ratings of at least a "7" for all competencies on the Evaluation.

     

  • Have displayed ethical behaviors at all times.

Salary, benefits and resources

The postdoctoral year begins on the second Monday in August and continues a full 12 months. Your yearly training stipend is $48,000. Also included is the option for health insurance and 25 days of time away (including vacation, illness, personal appointments, outside educational opportunities, job interviews and other relevant activities). In addition, postdoctoral fellows are provided time off for these holidays: New Year’s Day (or observed), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day (or observed). You also will be provided the option for benefits including long-term disability, dental, vision and life insurance.  Medical Leave (including maternity leave) is processed per Allina Health’s system wide policy, which indicates all Allina employees working in benefit eligible positions are entitled to a 6 week leave of absence with job protection and income protection during their first year of employment. Postdoctoral fellows are eligible for this benefit. Postdoctoral fellows seeking paternity leave would be able to request time off within the afforded 25 days of time away.

During this Postdoctoral fellowship, Postdoctoral fellows are provided office space or touch-down space (e.g., primary care) in which to treat patients or work on documentation. Depending on location, a Postdoctoral fellow may have a designated office, whereas in other rotations Postdoctoral fellows have regular use of exam rooms or patient rooms to provide care. Additionally, each rotation includes support from support staff to ensure proper scheduling of patients, scanning of relevant documentation, coordination of referrals, etc. Allina Health Psychology Postdoctoral fellowship program also maintains a small onsite library of resources for assessment and intervention. In addition, Allina Health maintains a larger system wide library that allows access to journal articles and relevant research. This Postdoctoral fellowship also values live supervision and in an effort to incorporate such into the training experience, Postdoctoral fellows are provided laptops with access to videotaping equipment to allow for recordings of sessions and subsequent review in supervision.

Supervisory Staff

Heather Crabtree, Ph.D.

Tonya Freeman, Psy.D.

Kara Goldmann, Psy.D.

Daniel Hurley, Ph.D.

Cindy Johnson, Psy.D.

Brian Kovach, Psy.D.

Meghan Miller, Psy.D.

Chad Radniecki, Psy.D.

Shannon Woulfe, Ph.D.

Application requirements

  • Completion of doctoral degree in clinical, counseling, or school psychology prior to beginning fellowship
  • Applicants must have graduated from an APA/CPA-accredited program
  • Completion of an APA/CPA accredited internship

Additional Information

Upon applying, please indicate in your cover letter the track(s) to which you are applying (Adult Primary Care, Child/Adolescent Primary Care, Adult Inpatient and Hospital-Based Outpatient Clinic, Child/Adolescent Inpatient and Hospital-Based Outpatient Clinic).

Please contact the Training Director with any questions related to the Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship or application requirements.

Mark Goetz, PhD, LP
Mark.Goetz@allina.com
763-236-0797

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