Psychology Externship

General Information: Outpatient Externships & Application Process:

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) is a specialty rehabilitation hospital, co-owned and co-operated by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins. The Outpatient Psychology and Neuropsychology externships are a 12-month placement generally starting in June or July. Other start dates can be discussed or considered. All placements require a minimum of a 2 days per week commitment.  

 

 Doctoral Psychology Externship Tracks

1. Comprehensive Clinical Child: If you are applying to the Comprehensive Clinical Child Externship, email Elizabeth Getzoff Testa, Ph.D. at [email protected].

2. Trauma: If you are applying to the Trauma Externship, email Lindsay Gavin, Ph.D. at [email protected] and cc' Erica Lee, Psy.D. at [email protected].

3. Integrated Diabetes Clinic and Integrated Primary Care Clinic: If you are applying to the Integrated Diabetes Clinic and Integrated Primary Care Clinic Externship, email Erica Lee, Psy.D., at [email protected] 

*Please indicate your tracks of interest (in order) in your cover letter and if you are applying to more than one track. Please note the application deadline for either track is February 7, 2025. 

Program Descriptions for Psychology Doctoral Externship Tracks

 

Comprehensive Clinical Child Track

The Comprehensive Clinical Child Track externship program is a training experience in clinical and pediatric psychology. The externship includes two major aspects 1.) outpatient therapy and 2.) psychological testing. Externs carry a caseload consisting of children and adolescents, with a variety of ages, presenting problems and social issues. Weekly individual and group supervision as well as didactics are provided. Externs will need to be available on one required day (Friday), as well as a second day that will be determined based on student and supervisor availability.

In addition to their standard caseload, externs may also request specialized training within the populations listed below. This allows students to get exposure to more specialized populations and supervision in a specific topic area of interest. 

·       Internalizing & Externalizing Disorders (i.e. anxiety, depression, mood, ADHD)

·       Behavioral Pain

·       Gender Health 

·       Autism

Please review the PDF with more information and description of this track.

 

Trauma and Healing Program

The Trauma and Healing externship is for students who have a strong interest in working with children and families impacted by trauma and have had a full year of child therapy and assessment experience. Primary presentations include children and adolescents with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Developmental Trauma, Complex Trauma and other comorbid mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, disruptive/oppositional disorders, self-harm, suicidality and more. 

The extern will also be expected to conduct initial intakes/consultations and trauma-informed evaluations (minimum of 1 case per month). During the year, students in the trauma externship program will gain exposure to several evidence-based treatments for traumatic stress, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); Attachment, Regulation and Self-Competency (ARC); Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and more. Externs will have the opportunity to complete the initial 2-3 day formal training in TF-CBT, which is needed for certification in TF-CBT, and will receive supervision in implementation of TF-CBT throughout the year. 

Students will also participate in monthly didactics with topics focused on trauma and child maltreatment. The externship position is unique and in addition to clinical work, will also involve community engagement and outreach (e.g., presentations/education to various community groups on topics related to childhood trauma). Experience/training/strong interest in working with children and families exposed to trauma is preferred.

 

Integrated Diabetes Clinic and Integrated Primary Care Clinic
The Integrated Diabetes Clinic is an interdisciplinary clinic where psychology works collaboratively with physicians, medical residents and fellows, dietitians, social workers, and nurses to improve/treat medication compliance, medical phobias, and psychosocial issues stemming from adjustment to chronic illness.

The extern will be fully integrated in the interdisciplinary clinic as a resource for patients and physicians. In addition to treating patients in clinic, the extern will take on individual therapy patients struggling with diabetes compliance and related issues. The Integrated Primary Care Clinic (Pediatric Integrated Care for Complex Kids [PICCK]) provides behavioral and primary care for children with complicated medical needs along with their siblings. Many of the children we care for have genetic conditions, orthopedic conditions, developmental delays, behavioral health problems, feeding issues, and/or other chronic medical conditions.

In addition, the clinic treats infants born with complex medical conditions with the emphasis on achievement of developmental milestones. The goal is to keep patients healthy and minimize the need for emergency care and hospitalization. The program aims to enhance and streamline healthcare and improve each child and family’s quality of life. The extern in this position will be housed within the interdisciplinary PICCK Clinic and work closely with physicians, nurses, medical residents, psychiatry, social work, and parent advocates. The extern may take on patients with chronic and acute medical conditions for individual therapy.

Weekly supervision will be provided as well as group supervision and didactics. The extern is also expected to conduct psychological assessments once a month and occasionally conduct psychological intakes. The externship program at MWPH is a 20 hour per week commitment. You are expected to be on site for 16 hours per week. The additional 4 hours can be spent at your discretion to complete paperwork and can be completed off-site. Wednesday and Friday are required days.

Neuropsychology Doctoral Externship Track

If you are applying to the Neuropsychology Externship, please email your CV, two letters of recommendation, and a cover letter to Kalina Hurley, Ph.D. at [email protected].

Please note the application deadline for neuropsychology is February 7, 2025. 

Neuropsychology Program

The Neuropsychology Externship program is a training experience in assessment of brain-based medical conditions that impact child development, cognitive skills, and emotional functioning.

·      Conduct neuropsychological evaluations every other week

·      Externs are trained on test administration, data interpretation, case conceptualization, report writing, and participate in feedback sessions.

·      Participate in intakes/initial consultations and opportunities for advanced opportunities include Concussion Clinic and Inpatient Assessment. 

·      Weekly individual and group supervision, as well as didactics, case presentations, and Brain Cuttings at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Common medical conditions that are referred for evaluation include: prematurity, in-utero substance exposure, traumatic brain injury, stroke, genetic conditions, epilepsy, and brain tumors.