Requirements for Completion of Internship
The MCG-Charlie Norwood VAMC Psychology Internship requires that the following standards
be met by the completion of the Internship:
- Completion of 2080 hours of training. Georgia requires 2000 hours of internship training
and the VA requires 2080 hours of internship training; we routinely provide 2100 or
more. Required rotations are expected to be completed with no more than one week of
vacation and one week of sick time per 4 months. If an intern misses more than two
weeks of a 4-month rotation block, the amount of time must be made up. The internship
will be a minimum of 48 weeks. The Intern is required to complete the full one-year
tour of duty in which leave does not exceed allowable leave hours/days. Stipends will
be paid to the end of the internship year. If makeup time is needed, it will be completed
without remuneration.
- A minimum of 520 hours of direct clinical services. Direct clinical services includes
“All intervention activities (of a psychological nature) with patients/clients. Examples
include individual therapy, test administration or feedback sessions, client consultation,
career counseling, crisis intervention, family therapy, group therapy, intake interviews,
hospital rounds, school intervention, program development, etc.
- By the end of the training year the intern must be rated by the supervisors as having
demonstrated all of the competency milestones targeted for the completion of internship
– Level 3 or higher, which generally represents that the Intern is “competent to implement
clinical skills independently.”
- Maintain timesheets on a weekly basis that record all indirect and direct service
hours, research efforts, supervision, etc. These timesheets are reviewed by the Internship
Co-Training directors to make sure interns are meeting the various internship requirements.
- Participation in at least one Outreach Educational & Prevention Project designed to
provide mental health education for consumers and providers in mental health and medically
underserved areas in the region.
- Competency-based evaluations demonstrating proficiency in the Diagnostic Intake Assessment
and the Cognitive Behavioral therapy Assessment.
- Demonstrate proficiency in psychological testing assessments by accurately completing
a minimum of three assessments in which the intern: (1) demonstrates well-reasoned
selection of the tests to be administered; (2) administers the tests adhering to standardized
testing procedures; (3) effectively interprets and integrates the test data; and (4)
produces an integrated report that accurately communicates the key findings and relevant
recommendations requiring only minimal corrections by the clinical supervisor. To
fulfill the minimum assessment requirement Interns must most also demonstrate proficiency
in at least a neurocognitive screening instrument, one broadband psychological test,
and symptom specific instruments that can be used for screening and/or treatment progress
monitoring.
- Demonstrate the ability to work comfortably and professionally as a member of interdisciplinary
teams.
- Completion of a minimum of one research-scholarly project in which there is a written
product authored or co-authored by the intern that is publishable.
- Completion of all medical record documentation.
- Completion all evaluations of training experiences, supervisors, and self-evaluations.
- Successful Completion of the internship training requirements is documented in the
end of the year Intern Performance Milestones Tracking form. In addition, at the end
of the training year the Co-Training Directors compose a letter that is sent to the
intern’s graduate school Training Director verifying the successful completion of
the internship.
Diplomas are awarded after all requirements are met.