Externship
SCRS, ranked one of the best College Counseling Centers in the nation by the Gourman Report (1997, 1998) and in operation for over 50 years, is a comprehensive student mental health clinic that is available to all undergraduate and graduate students matriculating at The University of Chicago. We provide individual, couple and group counseling, crisis intervention, academic skills assessment, alcohol/drug abuse intervention, psychopharmacology, consultation to faculty and staff, and 24-hour/365-day emergency on-call phone service.
Students served are adolescents and adults who bring with them a range of psychological difficulties that are very similar to what one would see in a standard outpatient clinic. And as a highly competitive, internationally recognized university, there is a great deal of ethnic diversity within the student body and the students seeking services at the clinic.
SCRS offers training opportunities to pre-doctoral clinical psychology trainees seeking an advanced psychotherapy externship and internship. 3–4 externs and 1 intern will be selected annually to train with our highly accomplished staff, which possesses a wide range of theoretical orientations and clinical interests.
Since student-trainees are not expected to provide the bulk of services at SCRS, they have the opportunity to be immersed in a supportive, nurturing and intellectually challenging environment that should serve as an excellent segue to their future professional life.
Externs will commit 3 days to SCRS (a total of 20 hours per week). Friday is a mandatory didactic day, while the other days are based on SCRS office availability. The practicum starts in September with a trainee orientation and lasts through June, amounting to approximately 650 hours of supervised experience. Time off from practicum includes all University holidays, sick leave as needed and 2 weeks of vacation to be taken during winter and spring breaks. All trainees will receive a University e-mail address to aid communication with staff and clients, and training will be given to learn the clinic’s electronic medical record system.
Direct Service Activities
Psychotherapy (7–9 hrs per week)
Given the amount of students served at SCRS, a brief treatment model is preferred, with exceptions made when clinically appropriate. However, student trainees will be encouraged to carry 2 long-term psychotherapy cases as a way of gaining a more intensive clinical experience. Selecting good long-term cases will be determined collaboratively between the trainee and his/her primary supervisor. Building gradually, the student trainee will be expected to carry a caseload of 7-9 individual students or couples per week.
Academic Skills Assessment Program (ASAP) (2–3 hrs per week)
Student trainees will have the opportunity to gain some specialized diagnostic and treatment skills in the area of learning disabilities/difficulties that will be particularly helpful to those trainees who envision taking an internship or future job within an educational environment. The psychologist who coordinates this program will provide training and supervision.
Co-Leading Introduction to Stress Management Workshops (varies)
This interactive workshop empowers students to more effectively manage the stress of daily life. Training and supervision is provided by the counselor who runs this program.
Outreach (varies)
SCRS is committed to doing more outreach on campus, including to the more than 400 student organizations and 10 undergraduate residence halls, in order to increase our visibility and accessibility to those who might be reluctant to seek help from SCRS. With the assistance of staff, student trainees will present brief workshops and/or be available for questions at “table events” on campus that address issues relevant to student well-being. Additional supervision will be provided as needed.
Group Psychotherapy (varies)
While individual/couple psychotherapy is predominant at SCRS, there are currently 7 group therapy opportunities available to students: Procrastination, Eating Concerns, Coming Out, Students of Color, Transgender Support and Interpersonal Relationships. Student trainees will be required to co-lead one group over the course of the academic year.
Other Training Possibilities
"Let's Talk" Counseling Services (3-4 hrs per week)
Adopted from Cornell University's Counseling Center, this innovative program involves the creation of 2 drop-in offices on campus (International House & the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs) to assist students who might be reluctant to seek psychological services through traditional means by offering more informal contact that may serve as a prelude to seeking services at SCRS. This program is run by SCRS and can be partially staffed by trainees.
Family Resource Center (varies)
Workshops and lectures can be offered to The Family Resource Center, whose mission is to create a welcoming space where families from the university community can access resources, information, and supportive programming and services. The Center is administered by the Office of Graduate Affairs. The space includes a private space for nursing and changing a baby, playroom with new toys and books, email access, and a place for babysitting exchanges. In the past, SCRS has run workshops on preparing for a 1st child and parenting toddlers.
Participation on Wellness Committee (varies)
A growing initiative by SCRS to promote primary prevention of mental health issues, trainees can help plan and implement wellness programming, including co-leading stress management workshops and working collaboratively with the Student Care Center (the medical side of student health at the University) to create a monthly newsletter that provides health tips and highlights wellness activities at the University and in the larger community.
Clinical Training Activities
Supervision (2 hrs per week)
Student trainees will receive 2 hours of individual supervision per week, 1 by a primary supervisor and 1 by a secondary supervisor. The primary supervisor will track the trainee’s experience for the entire 9 month commitment, while the secondary supervisor will be a “rotating” supervisor who will provide the trainee with specialty supervision in clinical areas of interest. Trainees are encouraged to receive secondary supervision from a variety of staff in order to increase their breadth of experience at SCRS.
Psychotherapy/Psychiatric Seminar (1.5 hrs per week)
Student trainees will meet weekly for 1.5 hours with various SCRS staff and invited guest speakers to present and discuss clinical cases, including medical & psychiatric concerns/developments, and hear lectures on relevant clinical topics to a college population.
ASAP Supervision (1 hr per week)
This training and supervision will be provided weekly in a group format and will focus on properly conducting ASAP intakes and learning strategies for assisting students who present with learning difficulties/disabilities.
Special Topics Seminar (1 hr - alternating weeks)
Outreach activities will be discussed and planned. Issues regarding professional development will be addressed, such as preparing for a future job and understanding the multifaceted role of a modern psychologist. Preparation for group co-leading will be provided, and trainees will increase their competence in working with a diverse population; emphasizing the areas of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, socioeconomics, sexual orientation, and ability.
Stress Management Supervision (1 hr - alternating weeks)
During the fall quarter, externs will receive intensive training on facilitating stress management workshops via didactics and co-leading.
Clinical Case Conference (1.5 hrs per week)
Trainees can participate in a weekly staff meeting that includes staff case presentations and invited guest speakers who address a variety of issues related to student mental health and well-being. This is an optional training activity because the trainee may not have office hours on the day of the Clinical Case Conference.
Grand Rounds (1 hr per week)
Trainees are permitted to attend Grand Rounds at the Department of Psychiatry on Thursday at noon, where guest speakers from across the country, discuss a variety of research and clinical topics.
Application Process
Applicants should submit a cover letter stating their clinical interests and reasons for applying to SCRS, along with their CV, 3 letters of reference and a transcript to the following address:
The University of Chicago-SCRS
5737 S. University Avenue
Chicago, IL. 60637
ATTN: John McPherrin, Psy.D.
Applications should be received no later than 3 weeks prior to the notification day set forth by the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training Sites (ACEPT) and offers will be made on notification day at 9:00 AM.
Trainee Evaluation, Grievance & Due Process Procedures
At the end of each quarter, the extern/intern will receive a formal written evaluation on his/her performance in all areas of training by his/her primary supervisor. Performance evaluations will be discussed by the SCRS Training Committee to insure that high ethical & clinical standards are being maintained and that all trainee expectations are being met. In the event that there is a problem with a trainee’s performance, SCRS has in place Grievance and Due Process Procedures that clarify remediation steps. These procedures are in place to insure fair and equitable treatment of all trainees and staff at SCRS. All trainees are expected to be acquainted with SCRS policies & procedures as outlined in our Policies & Procedures Manual that is distributed at the Trainee Orientation.
Additionally, trainees will evaluate their primary supervisor at the end of each quarter so as to insure that their expectations are being met. In the event that there is a problem with a supervisor, the Director of Training will first attempt to resolve it by informal means and if necessary a Grievance and Due Process Procedure.
