Doctoral Internship Manual

Overview

Doctoral Interns at PMHW provide intake assessments, carry an interesting and complex therapy caseload, engage in consultation with PMHW staff and clinicians, and participate in a variety of supervision, process, and didactic trainings throughout the training year. Interns will have an opportunity to co-lead a support or therapy group, to provide a range of outreach programs/presentations, and to assist with the intern selection process.

Several aspects of the training environment make PMHW a unique site. PMHW has a strong commitment to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion, including a genuine, inclusive, and curious exploration of differences. PMHW has a particularly strong alliance with gender, sexual, and racial minorities and those with low socioeconomic status in our community. PMHW has a strong record of serving those that are traditionally underserved in the provision of mental health care. Currently, in 2024, 24% percent of our clients are on Medicaid. Forty three percent of our patients identify as LGBTQIA2S+ and 17.5% of patients identify as gender diverse. Eight percent of our patients identify as BIPOC. Our providers are similarly diverse with 24% identifying as LGBTQIA2S+ and 32.5% as people of color.

Additionally, to assist trainees in nurturing a distinctive (and marketable) professional identity, we help them choose activities to support a Developing Specialty. Interns have opportunities to collaborate on outreach programs with colleagues.

As an internship, our theoretical orientation is process-oriented and focuses on the whole person in the context in which they live. Our licensed psychologists call primarily upon gestalt and psychodynamic orientations. Review our staff bios for fuller descriptions of our approaches to psychotherapy and clinical supervision. We do not require our interns to identify their orientation as gestalt or psychodynamic. We are the best fit, however, for interns who seek the deepening of skills through process-oriented training and supervision experiences. Above all, this internship is about becoming an outstanding clinician, and we value focused supervision a great deal.

Interns will be working with Medicaid and Kaiser patients with sessions that are 55 minutes in length. Moderate to moderately severe psychopathology is the norm (ex: mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, trauma) though we all have a few patients working on purely adjustment issues and a few with serious mental illness. Treatment plans are developed considering patient needs, therapist competence and the demands for our services. Interns learn to manage their caseload, including managing insurance requirements, coordinating with community and medical referrals as necessary, or referring patients to more intensive care (ex. IOP, inpatient treatment, substance abuse treatment) as necessary.

Duration of Commitment

The PMHW Doctoral Internship in Psychology is a 2,000-hour program. Interns commit to 40 hours per week for 12 consecutive months. These figures are what many state licensing boards require.

Interns are expected to fully commit to the training experience with us at PMHW. We are excited to have you with us, and hope for that feeling to be mutual. Interns are expected to anticipate and plan for any conflicting responsibilities like commute time, conference attendance, child/elder care, job start-date and long-distance move time.

Dates

The internship extends from mid August 2025 through the following August. The first two weeks of the training year are dedicated to intern orientation, including team building exercises, organizational culture and HR trainings, clinical seminars, and administrative procedures trainings.

Hours of Operation

Interns will work four 10 hour days per week, 8 am – 6 pm, or five 8 hour days, 9 am – 5 pm. PMHW administrative staff is typically onsite 9 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday. Licensed clinicians generally set their own schedules.

Work Culture

Boundary-setting and maintaining personal balance are valued here. We believe interns can challenge themselves without being stretched too thin, so there is no expectation that trainees take on every project or opportunity that presents itself. On the other hand, the workweek sometimes demands more of us. Crisis response, case documentation, presenting outreach programs, and advising peers are examples of activities that may call for work beyond traditional business hours. Taking advantage of special training opportunities may mean working beyond the traditional business day.

Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion Including Anti-Racist Practice

We hold ourselves accountable by committing to actively engage in inquiry and awareness of white supremacy and all other oppressive systems and their impact in various settings, including our own and acknowledge that there will always be work to do and ways to improve our DEAI efforts. We welcome, affirm, and support all people with different core identities, including identities by race, ethnicity, class, age, gender, ability, national origin, immigration status, and sexual orientation. At PMHW we believe diversity is a fact, equity is a choice, inclusion is an action and belonging is an outcome. As a primarily white culture organization, we are committed to deconstructing institutional racism, white supremacy, and associated constructs. We are doing this initially by:

  • Engaging consultants and other experts in the field to advise us as an organization
  • Providing extensive online resources for learning and reflecting to our staff.
  • Hiring qualified BIPOC administrative and clinical employees.
  • When necessary, engaging external supervisors for pre-licensed practitioners who reflect the race and/or culture of the pre-licensed practitioner.
  • Engaging trainers who can specifically support our clinical staff to address racism, marginalization, and white identity development in clinical work.
  • Evaluating and transforming the structure of the company, management, and meeting structures so these may become supportive for the ongoing pursuit of diversity, equity, access and inclusion.

About PMHW

About the Practice

Portland Mental Health & Wellness is a collaboration among psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, our trainees and administrative support staff.

We work with people first, diagnoses second. Though accurate diagnosis is important, people are much more than a diagnosis. We understand the constraints of a health care system that accommodates specific diagnosis focused therapy. We are able to work within that system but take extra care to allow for the gradual unfolding and blossoming that takes place as a matter of a course in therapy.

Mission

The mission of PMHW is to provide comprehensive mental health care grounded in the importance of curiosity, empathy, meaning making, growth, the mind body connection, relationships, dialogue and collaboration. As a natural extension of this mission, we offer training for mental health professionals.

Vision

A culture in which attending to one’s own mental health is not only considered normal but an essential part of living a healthy and value creating life; People of all backgrounds can participate in mental healthcare that honors their human complexity, life context, inherent dignity, and supports their emotional growth, meaningful relationships and sense of connection and wholeness.

Values

  • Administratively, clinically and in policy, we value:
  • Holding sacred the impact of connection on health & wellness.
  • Honoring the capacity for growth and healing of the whole person.
  • Engaging each other, our patients, and our community with cultural humility.
  • Practicing ethically with empathy, compassion, integrity, and mutual respect.
  • Maintaining and developing anti-racism and anti-oppression practices, as well as an openness to receiving feedback for when we are missing the mark.

We seek to embrace and develop an organizational culture that values feedback at all levels, radical candor, brave space, transparent decision-making processes, inverted organizational structure, antiracist practice, trauma informed and organizational & individual humility.

We recognize the health disparities of people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women and LGBTQ people. We believe that the experiences of these communities must be valued in the work we do. We believe that by operating under the principles, values and frameworks below, we are well positioned to do just that.

We aspire to the below with the awareness that this is an ever unfolding process and we will not do it perfectly.

For more details about our organizational culture principles, please visit our Organizational Culture Page.

Portland Mental Health & Wellness (PMHW) is a private group practice that offers interns with an interest in working with patients of diverse and intersecting identities an exciting opportunity to deepen their therapy skills. Our practice offers outpatient psychotherapy, assessment services, medication management, and intensive outpatient services. Clinicians generally practice from process-oriented and social justice-informed models. Interns are trained in the outpatient program. PMHW is contracted with private insurance and Medicaid, and offers sliding scale/self pay. We currently have three office locations in Portland, OR, and have a hybrid model where interns will work from home via telehealth 2 days per week and out of the office 2 days per week.

The Bora Building (our primary location; 905 SE 14th Ave) offices are on the first floor of the building and have accessible, all gender restrooms. Our Stevens location (812 SW Washington St, Ste 700) has an elevator to our offices on the 7th floor and accessible, all gender restrooms. Our Division location (3050 SE Division St, Ste 215) also has an elevator to our offices on the 2nd floor and accessible restrooms. All locations are easily accessed on public transportation and have on-street parking available.

Click here to learn more about our staff and their roles at PMHW.

Training Model & Supervision

Portland Mental Health & Wellness (PMHW) is a private group practice that offers interns with an interest in working with patients of diverse and intersecting identities an exciting opportunity to deepen their therapy skills. Our clinicians practice from relational and process-oriented models and focus on the whole person in the context in which they live. Staff psychologists, LPCs, LCSWs, and other clinicians practice primarily from Gestalt and Psychodynamic frameworks and utilize a therapeutic model of supervision in an effort to both support and challenge our trainees to attend to both their patients and their own process. Our philosophy of training for the PMHW Psychology Internship is a culturally-focused Developmental Mentorship Practitioner model designed to train generalists to be prepared for entry-level practice in health service psychology and to function in multiple clinical contexts within a multidisciplinary staff.

The core of the model is a practitioner orientation. This is rooted in applied psychology and includes extensive training in: assessment, diagnosis, and triage; individual, group, and relationship therapy; outreach and consultation; supervision (receiving and providing) and didactic training. The PMHW staff embrace a range of theoretical orientations, treatment modalities, and ways of thinking that are intentionally divergent. The developmental focus highlights the parallel process that occurs between clients’ development, interns’ personal and professional development, and the transitions of the training year. The internship year begins with assessment of entering interns’ skills, and progresses with facilitated, active involvement in both individually selected and universal professional activities. Our site is committed and dedicated to ethical, culturally aware mentoring through reciprocal learning within supportive and challenging relationships with staff and peers.

Notice of Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Policy

PMHW is committed to providing a work environment free of sexual or any form of unlawful harassment or discrimination. Harassment or unlawful discrimination against individuals on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status or any other classification protected by local, state or federal laws is illegal and prohibited by PMHW policy. Such conduct by or towards any employee, contract worker, customer, vendor or anyone else who does business with PMHW will not be tolerated. Any employee or contract worker who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of their employment or engagement. To the extent a customer, vendor or other person with whom PMHW does business engages in unlawful harassment or discrimination, PMHW will take appropriate corrective action if informed of the harassment or discrimination.

Aim of the PMHW Doctoral Internship Program

The aim of the PMHW doctoral internship program is to facilitate growth and training of generalist psychologists who are committed to and prepared for entry-level practice in health service psychology. At PMHW, interns will learn to promote and facilitate the attainment of optimal mental health through prevention, treatment, and maintenance services. Most importantly, we support interns’ development in learning to work collaboratively with patients, their families, and other healthcare providers, recognizing that all voices are important and deserve to be heard. They provide culturally sensitive and responsive care, acknowledging the impact of historical trauma and colonization on the mental health of communities and individuals.

Internship Goals

Generalist Skills: Interns will engage in a range of professional activities appropriate to a generalist entry-level psychologist. In accordance with Oregon and CDC guidelines for health and safety, generalist skills will be developed both in person and through virtual platforms.

  • Assessment and Diagnosis
  • Individual and Group Therapy
  • Outreach and Consultation
  • Supervision and Training

Integration of Science, Theory, and Art of Practice: Interns will demonstrate awareness of the intersection and integration of science, theory, and art in the practice of professional psychology.

  • Theoretical Orientation and Clinical Style
  • Integration of Science and Theory into the Art of Practice
  • Ethics and Legal Standards

Professional Identity: Interns will develop a sense of identity within the field of professional psychology.

  • Awareness of Interpersonal Style
  • Cooperative Discourse with Peers and Staff
  • Consultation and Collaboration
  • Lifelong Learner

Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion Awareness & Skills: Interns will demonstrate understanding of the relevance and complex intersection of multiple identities, including cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, sexual and gender, SES, physical ability, etc., for clients and themselves.

  • DEAI Awareness and Knowledge

Therapeutic Model of Supervision: PMHW provides an integrated, holistic, and effective training paradigm in which supervisors view the supervisee as more than a therapist, rather as a complete, integrated person, or, at least a person working toward wholeness and integration. Supervisors strive to facilitate the supervisee’s ability to respond to and engage with the patient in an authentic, meaningful, therapeutic manner. Professional development focuses on purposeful and meaningful interactions that effectively contribute to the supervisee’s personal and professional development. Supervisees are free to fully own and appreciate who and what they are in the moment fostering the ability to automatically grow and improve as they are not only permitted to be a novice without judgment or criticism but encouraged to appreciate, own, even love their current place in the developmental continuum. At the same time, authentic meaningful feedback is vital and central to supervision. Feedback articulates processes and interactions observed by the supervisor and their personal reactions to the supervisee, the client, or the interactions between them without their judgment of them and is intended to facilitate awareness in the supervisee. Awareness is central to supervision and suggests that the skill, knowledge, and ability to become a better clinician already exists within the supervisee. It simply needs to surface and be realized.

Supervision exploration areas:

  • Personality functioning of the therapist and the client
  • Relationships between client, therapist, and supervisor
  • Theories of development, personality, psychotherapy, and change
  • Clinical theory, diagnosis, and treatment planning
  • Professional, administration, and business practices

Methods of intervening in the supervision process:

  • Educational instruction
  • Open-ended questioning
  • Modeling Support and encouragement
  • Clarification

Self-other Supports:

  • Identification with and the owning of supervisee’s current experience in the moment
  • Self-support inventory of supervisee’s:
    • Experiences
    • Information
    • Knowledge
    • Skills
  • Strengths and weaknesses

We begin the internship year with an orientation that provides staff and interns ample opportunities to begin developing strong working relationships. During this time our staff learn about each intern’s experiences, training, strengths, interests and identify areas for growth. We strive to support our interns individually and as a group in their professional development. Upon the successful completion of the internship, our interns will be prepared for entry-level professional practice, as generalists, within the field of health service psychology. We seek interns who wish to expand and deepen their effectiveness working with patients of diverse and intersecting identities in the areas of psychotherapy, outreach, and interdisciplinary consultation skills. Interns who desire integrative supervision, are open to clinical challenges, have good ethical judgment, and a sense of humor are valued here. Read more about our training philosophy under Internship Goals.

PMHW adheres to the following Policy Regarding Intern Self-Disclosure:

  • Self-discovery is essential to growth as a psychologist; therefore interns are encouraged to disclose historical and cultural influences that may affect clinical practice.
  • However, per the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (Standard 7.04) interns are not required to disclose personal information unless “the information is necessary to evaluate or obtain assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be preventing them from performing their training- or professionally related activities in a competent manner or posing a threat to the students or others” (APA, 2017).
  • At no time is the supervision experience intended to be a therapeutic relationship or to substitute for therapy.

The PMHW Internship in Clinical Psychology Program is an integral part of the Training Department at PMHW. This organizational chart depicts how the program is situated within the context of the larger organization.

Laurel Fuson-Lang, PsyD (Oregon License #3512) she/her

I am training director at PMHW and a clinical psychologist with experience working with adults from diverse backgrounds in individual, group, and relationship therapies. I am a graduate of the Pacific University School of Graduate Psychology, with a training focus in multicultural psychology and an emphasis in working with the Latinx Spanish-speaking population. I completed my internship at Miami University Student Counseling Service in Oxford, OH, and my postdoctoral residency here at PMHW. I have experience in community mental health, college counseling, and healthcare settings and am trained in cultural adaptation of evidence-based treatment, intercultural communication, and trauma-informed care. I am able to provide therapy in Spanish. As a clinician, I work from a Gestalt and humanistic-existential framework, and my interests include relational/relationship concerns, existential concerns, trauma processing, and identity development. I approach supervision from a developmental and therapeutic model centered on the experience and learning goals of the supervisee. I begin every supervisory relationship with an invitation to get to know one another and our intersecting identities, establishing an ongoing conversation about the way our experiences impact the work we do together, and the work the supervisee does with the patient. I hope to create a space that is both supportive and stimulates growth, following the supervisee in their understanding of their need in the moment. I love to share gestalt therapy perspectives, and am also excited to work with supervisees coming from other theoretical orientations. I provide supervision of individual therapy, couples/relationship therapy, and group therapy.

Read More about Laurel > 

Adrian Larsen Sanchez, PsyD (Oregon License #2623) he/him

I am a licensed psychologist and psychoanalyst. My clinical interests include contemporary relational thinking and intersubjectivity in psychoanalysis, personality and characterological dynamics, complex/developmental trauma, psychosis, collaborative/therapeutic assessment and working with LGBTQ2S+ and immigrant communities. My approach to supervision is collaborative, focused on understanding the strengths and “growing edges” of each particular practitioner in their clinical work, including clinical formulation and intervention, use of self, and expanding awareness and reflection around relational and dynamic processes in the therapeutic context. I value attending to issues of power, privilege, diversity and culture in therapy. My educational background is below: Doctorate in clinical psychology, Pacific University Doctoral internship, Jacobi Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (NYC) Postdoctoral fellowship, Kaiser Permanente, NW Division Fellowship in psychoanalysis, Institute for Psychoanalytic Education/NYU School of Medicine Certificate in Theory and Practice of Psychoanalysis (four year Psychoanalytic Training program), Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis (Los Angeles)

Read More about Adrian >

Len Kaufman, PhD (Oregon License #2744) he/him

I am a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families, specializing in identity and developmental issues throughout the lifespan, parenting, loss/grief, chronic/terminal illness, and issues related to lgbtqia+ identities. My theoretical orientation is developmental, incorporating psychodynamic, interpersonal, humanistic, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral approaches. After earning my MA in general psychology and PhD in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, I completed my predoctoral internship in 1995 at the DC Commission on Mental Health in Washington, DC in the child track. My training as a supervisor includes 12.5 hours of live supervision training and 19.5 hours of online supervision training, as well as engaging in a peer supervision group for 19 years and providing clinical supervision in various settings for over 25 years. With a supervision approach that is developmental and interactive, I focus on meeting clinicians where they are in their professional development and supporting them in further developing their professional identities. In individual and group supervision, I support clinicians in their roles as therapists, valuing vulnerability, openness and curiosity.

Read More about Len > 

Mark Reck, PsyD (Oregon License #3539) he/him

I earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Pacific University School of Professional Psychology in Hillsboro, Oregon, and completed a 2-year post-graduate training in gestalt therapy from the Gestalt Therapy Training Center-Northwest in Portland, Oregon. I completed my predoctoral internship at the New Mexico State University Counseling Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Counseling & Assessment Services in Amherst, Massachusetts. My interests lie in humanistic-existential and experiential approaches to psychotherapy, infusing social justice and an anti-oppressive frame throughout psychotherapeutic work, and navigating the incorporation of research to clinical practice. My approach to supervision is founded upon my theoretical orientation, namely gestalt therapy, and my ongoing aspiration to embody an anti-oppression stance in my supervisory work. In parallel to my approach, my supervision style is founded upon focus and concern for the individual experience of my supervisee, how my supervisee’s experience works together over time within any given relationship (e.g., therapeutic relationship with a patient, supervisory relationship with me), how various contexts of my supervisee’s life influence their understanding of their self-in-relation, and how my supervisees can learn from moving to action and experimenting with various ways of being and doing in their work. As a result of this approach, I tend to be responsive to the particular needs and desires of my supervisee, accounting for their developmental and training level, considerate to their past clinical experience, and open to navigating a variety of roles as a supervisor to address all of these factors. It has been my experience that following this foundational path has allowed me to attend to supervision in a way that resonates with other supervisory frameworks, such as the integrative-developmental model of supervision, especially in specifically attending to a variety of competency areas (e.g., intervention skills, assessment, conceptualization, cultural sensitivity, theoretical orientation, treatment planning, professional ethics), as well as supporting the ongoing development of my supervisee’s clinical identity.

I provide supervision of individual therapy, couples/relationship therapy, and group therapy

Read More about Mark > 

Schedule & Activities

Interns engage in 40 hours of professional activity each week. In consultation with their individual supervisor and/or the Training Director each intern will have some discretionary time for select activities. The actual time per week for many of the activities below fluctuates during the year related to the training cycle and clinical flow. The chart below represents a typical week during the year.

Intake Interviews

Learning objectives include an ability to follow diagnostic clues, familiarity with symptomatology and development, establishing strong rapport, informed case disposition, and comfort with a discussion of confidentiality.

Individual Psychotherapy

Interns provide individual psychotherapy to patients with the following commonly treated diagnoses: mood and anxiety disorders, PTSD, complex trauma, and Cluster B personality adaptations. PMHW patients commonly identify within the following populations at rates higher than the general population: trans and gender-nonconforming, queer or LGBTQ+, Spanishspeaking. A full weekly individual caseload will average 17 clinical hours. Interns treat patients from the theoretical frameworks deemed most effective (in consultation with the primary supervisor, of course) with an attention to process. Clinicians have reported that their caseloads are surprisingly diverse with regard to patient background and treatment concerns.

Group Therapy

Interns co-facilitate a process-oriented group with a licensed psychologist or psychologist resident. Interpersonal process groups are a powerful method for achieving personal growth, deeper and more meaningful relationships and addressing fears about connecting with others. Groups typically are for adults struggling with a variety of problems including intimacy, anger, trauma, depression, or unsatisfying relationships.

Clinical and Objective Assessments

In addition to the clinical assessment that occurs at each intake, limited diagnostic testing is performed with every patient at PMHW. We utilize outcome measures such as the DSM-5 Level 1 and Level 2 measures as part of intake assessment, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS), ACORN outcome measure, and a variety of brief measures are readily available online and via iPad in our offices. All outcome and severity measures are linked directly with clinician email and patient chart.

Provision of Supervision

Interns supervise one advanced doctoral level trainee during spring semester. This typically involves case supervision of a doctoral student, in conjunction with a licensed psychologist, who retains umbrella responsibility for the supervision and consults weekly with the intern. Interns providing supervision also receive consultation and oversight through Group Supervision of Supervision.

Psychological Assessment

Interns provide full battery psychological assessments and therapeutic assessments as a part of their assessment rotation. At Portland Mental Health & Wellness, psychological assessment is a collaborative process. We utilize validated psychological tests to help illuminate underlying factors contributing to distressing symptoms and behaviors, including emotional, personality, or cognitive strengths and vulnerabilities. During their assessment rotation, Interns will each complete 1-2 assessments focused on a wide range of presenting issues, e.g. ADHD, PTSD, complex trauma, personality disorders and dynamics impacting treatment, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and psychosis, as needed by outpatient and intensive outpatient services. Assessments will be multimethod in nature, following models by Bram and Peebles (2014) and Blais & Hopwood (2010), and completed within a Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment Framework (Finn et al., 2012). Typical instruments for a given battery will include the WAIS-IV, Rorschach (R-PAS), PAI, Spectra, and Adult Attachment Projective. Other instruments may be added depending on the specific nature of the referral questions, e.g. D-KEFS, TSI-2, MIGDAS, SRS-2, etc.

Outreach/program development

Interns must engage in at least two outreach activities during the course of their internship year. Interns need not wait for an outreach request that fits their particular interests and schedule. They are welcome to develop programs for specific groups or advertise workshops that are open to the community. Interns may revamp existing outlines or develop new programs from scratch.

Individual Supervision with a Licensed Psychologist Psychology

Interns receive two hours per week of individual supervision, which is devoted to the development of their psychotherapy skills and professional identity. The supervisory sessions include case conceptualization, treatment planning, ethical decision-making, therapist selfawareness, and career development discussions. Review of video recordings of sessions is part of this process, too. The psychology staff at PMHW all have very high regard for trainees and for the supervision process. Naturally, we are looking for interns who share this value and openness.

Didactic Seminars

Interns engage in a weekly 2-hour didactic training. Interns will be asked to present on their developing specialty during the training year.

Case Conference

Each intern presents at the Case Conference at least once during the training year. This is an opportunity to explore clinical, diagnostic and/or ethical issues with other trainees. Interns participate in the conference when they are not presenting as well to ask questions and practice clinical consultation skills.

Group Supervision

Interns meet as a cohort for the following group supervision experiences. Group supervision provides a forum for processing reactions, mentoring, observational learning, and supervisory and consultative guidance

  • Group Supervision of Individual Therapy
    • Interns meet for group discussion of individual casework every week.
    • Interns alternate showing video of therapy with clients and providing informal presentations.
  • Group Supervision of Group Therapy
    • Interns meet every week to discuss co-facilitation of therapy groups.
    • This experience typically includes both a didactic/consultative aspect and a feedback/group process component.
  • Group Supervision of Supervision
    • In the spring semester, interns attend weekly supervision to discuss interns’ supervision of doctoral trainees.
  • Group Supervision of Assessment
    • During the Assessment Rotation interns also receive direct supervision on interpretation of assessment results, integrative report writing, and feedback to clients.

Experiential Training

Biweekly throughout the training year, interns will engage in experiential, process-focused training in order to gain and practice skills in relational, process-oriented therapeutic modalities.

Peer Mentorship Program

Interns will participate in our peer mentorship program as recipients of mentorship and support from our postdoctoral residents. The group will meet biweekly and is designed to provide support surrounding interns’ professional development and integration into our practice community

Meeting with the Training Director

Interns meet weekly with the Training Director to process concerns, discuss administrative questions and procedures, and bond as a cohort.

Participation in PMHW Staff Meetings

We meet monthly as a full staff to discuss emerging issues, programs, policy and to build community.

Development of a Specialty or Growth Area

Although the internship is generally focused on building your generalist skills, PMHW Interns will identify one specialty area during their year with us. The “developing specialty,” is an area of professional practice the intern would like to emerge from their internship year having made special progress on. Ideally, they carve enough of a niche that they may then move into job interviews able to describe their unique understanding of this one area of practice. The developing specialty may be an area of longstanding interest or expertise an intern wishes to deepen, or it may be an area that has been under-developed during graduate education, which the intern would like to develop a stronger grounding in.

Documentation of Direct Service Provided

Documentation of clinical service is an important aspect of our professional identity as psychologists. Attention to training in documentation skills is covered from legal, ethical, and writing skill perspectives. Interns are allocated at least one hour of administrative time per day worked for documentation. Intake assessments, management of complex cases, consultations with prior providers, etc. often mean that case notes cannot be written in the five minutes following each session.

Intern Selection Committee

Doctoral interns are an important part of our selection team for the following year’s class. They participate in the review of files, interviews, selection and ranking of finalists. Serving on the selection committee is a highly illuminating process.

Dissertation and professional development time

Two hours per week may be devoted to dissertation research, professional reading, job search activity, etc. during the academic semester. Since interns arrive at different stages in their dissertation process, we expect that this time will be utilized in different ways.

Intern Rights & Grievance Procedure

Each intern has a right to conditions favorable to learning. Interns have the right to pursue training free from discrimination based on gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, marital status, age, sexual orientation, or physical disability. Interns at the PMHW enjoy freedom of speech, expression, and association, freedom from harassment, the right to appeal disciplinary judgments or penalties for alleged misconduct. It is the sincere intent of PMHW to ensure that all interns receive fair and equitable treatment and to provide an easily accessible procedure to resolve grievances in a manner that allows constructive relationships to be maintained during internship.

The purpose of the grievance policy is to resolve differences in a manner that allows constructive relationships to be maintained during internship. We expect that differences and conflicts are a matter of course in training and aim to support you in learning how to navigate them successfully. As a developing professional, we expect that you will respond to differences and conflicts with integrity and professionalism. It is the desire of PMHW that grievances be resolved on an informal basis whenever possible and, if not resolvable, that the formal grievance procedure is followed. The internship grievance procedures are designed to protect confidentiality for all parties as fully as possible.

Grievance Steps

If an intern encounters significant difficulties or problems (e.g., poor supervision, unavailability of their supervisor, evaluations perceived as unfair, workload issues, other staff conflicts) during the training experience, the intern will follow the following grievance procedures:

  1. Discuss the issue with the person(s) directly involved.
  2. Seek consultation for the issue in group supervision and/or consultation group. Then resume discussion of the issue with the person(s) directly involved.
  3. If the issue cannot be resolved informally, the intern should discuss the concern with the Training Director. If the issue is with the Training Director, the intern should consult with a Clinical Director for assistance with addressing the grievance.
  4. If the Training Director or a Clinical Director cannot resolve the issue, the intern can formally challenge any action or decision taken by the Training Director, or a Clinical Director, or any member of the training staff by following this procedure:
    1. The intern should file a formal complaint in writing and with all supporting documents with the Training Director. If the intern is challenging a formal evaluation or remediation plan, the intern must do so within 5 business days of receipt of the evaluation/plan for this procedure to apply.
    2. Within 5 business days of receiving a formal complaint, the Training Director will consult with a Clinical Director and implement Review Panel procedures (see next scene).
  5. As trainees of PMHW, interns may also consult at any time with the Human Resource Manager or PMHW owner, Brad Larsen Sanchez, for advice and assistance regarding addressing grievances.
  1. When needed, a Review Panel of three members will be formed by a Clinical Director with recommendations from the Training Director and the intern involved in the dispute. Review Panel members may be drawn from supervisors or other PMHW staff. The intern has the right to hear all facts with the opportunity to dispute or explain their grievance.
  2. Within ten business days of receipt of the request, a hearing will be conducted in which the challenge is heard and relevant material presented.
  3. Within five business days of the completion of the review, the Review Panel submits a written report to the initiating Clinical Director, including any recommendations for further action. Recommendations made by the Review Panel are to be unanimous.
  4. Within five business days of receiving the recommendation, the initiating Clinical Director will either accept or reject the Review Panel’s recommendations. If the initiating Clinical Director rejects the panel’s recommendations, due to incomplete or inadequate evaluation of the dispute, the initiating Clinical Director may refer the matter back to the Review Panel for further deliberation and revised recommendations or may make a final decision.
  5. If referred back to the panel, they will report back to the initiating Clinical Director within five working days of the receipt of the initiating Clinical Director’s request for further deliberation. Then, the initiating Clinical Director makes a final decision regarding what action is to be taken.
  6. The Training Director informs the intern, staff members involved, and if necessary, members of the training staff, of the decision and any action taken or to be taken. If the grievance is with the Training Director, then the HR Manager will complete this step.
  7. . If the intern disputes the Human Resources Manager’s final decision, the employee has the right to appeal to PMHW owner, Brad Larsen Sanchez, who will issue a final determination in consultation with the Clinical Directors, Training Director, and Human Resources Manager. This decision is final.
  8. All steps need to be adequately and appropriately documented in a manner consistent with the due process procedures.

Due Process

Developmental Action Plan Steps

In the event that an intern is not consistently meeting the performance standards and/or the competency benchmarks, documented action may be necessary with the use of a Developmental Action Plan. The primary purpose of the Developmental Action Plan is to collaborate with the intern in support of their successful continued development and growth.

  • PMHW reserves the right to modify or bypass this process when a violation warrants.
  • Each step will be documented and retained in the intern’s file.

Stage 1 – Identify the Problem

  • Review and bi-directionally identify the generalized missed performance standards in the Intern Handbook AND Competency Benchmarks in Professional Psychology
  • Co-create an agreement that addresses these problems

Focus: Finding common understanding of problem and why it is happening and co-creating solutions

Responsible Parties: Supervisor and Intern

Stage 2 – Reevaluate Agreement (Written Warning)

  • Identify key people to model how the problem is worked through
  • Look for mirroring of the mode in the supervisee

Focus: Breakdown in compliance, taking direct corrective action, further training

Responsible Parties: Supervisor, Intern, HR Manager, Training Director

Stage 3 – Return to Orientation/Remediation Plan with Home Program

  • Either directly or following a hearing, Training Director will create a Competency Remediation Plan up to and including reduction in duties or probation
  • Intern’s home program will be contacted
  • Intern must demonstrate full capacity to carry out necessary competencies without further evidence the problem in order to progress successfully from this stage
  • Intern progress will be documented in a follow up document on the Competency Remediation Plan

Focus: Severity of the issue, final warning status

Responsible Parties: Training Director, Intern, Supervisor, HR Manager, Internship Committee, Intern’s Home Program

Stage 4 – Expulsion from Training Program

  • Termination of participation in PMHW Internship Program

Focus: Expulsion

Responsible Parties: Intern, Training Director, Supervisor, HR Manager, Internship Committee, Intern’s Home Program

Appeals

Interns have the right to appeal any decision made to changes in standing. Appeals must be made in writing to the Training Director within 5 business days of the decision. Appeals will be reviewed by the Training Director and Internship Committee within 10 working days of receipt and a response will be made in writing to the intern within this timeframe. If this response does not address the concern, the intern may choose to further appeal to the Practice Owners, whose decision will be final. If there is a conflict of interest with the Training Director or other member of the Internship Committee, this individual will exempt themselves from the appeals process. It is recommended that the intern seek support from their home program DCT to navigate the appeals process.

Standings in the Program

The definitions of each progress standing are as follows:

  • Good Standing: Indicates a performance that meets the conditions that qualify for excellence or that meets acceptable standards. During Step 1 on the Developmental Action Plan, an intern is still considered to be in good standing.
  • Probation: This indicates the presence of a problem(s) judged to be serious, or potentially serious, or condition(s) that may jeopardize the intern’s standing, or a problem previously brought to the intern’s attention which has not been corrected. Examples include a pattern of late preparation and submission of paperwork, written work that is consistently of poor quality, ethical violations, poor interpersonal relationships, poor clinical skills, evidence of poor clinical judgment, evidence of concerns with professional functioning, etc.
  • Suspension: Under certain extenuating circumstances, the intern is placed on suspension and is temporarily removed from the internship for a designated period and will be on probation upon reassignment to internship activities.
  • Expulsion: The intern is permanently removed from the internship and will not be readmitted. Expulsion from the program is appropriate if a serious breach of ethics or illegal act has occurred or if some concern regarding judgment or functioning with respect to clinical activities proves irremediable.

Procedure of Hearing for Probation, Suspension, or Expulsion

  1. If there is concern or report of the intern engaging in egregious behavior or dereliction of duty, the Training Director, in consultation with the Internship Committee, will consider calling a hearing to evaluate the situation and the intern’s standing in the program.
  2. If a hearing is scheduled, the Training Director will communicate in writing to the intern and the intern’s DCT that a hearing has been scheduled. The letter includes issues relevant to the hearing.
  3. The hearing is scheduled as quickly as possible and no later than 14 days from the time the decision is made to hold a hearing.
  4. The intern is invited to submit information at the hearing in response to the reasons for the hearing and can complete an optional self-evaluation form
  5. . The Training Director may ask for other sources of information and request evaluation forms from internship supervisors, seminar leaders, interprofessional supervisors and others.
  6. The hearing will proceed whether or not the intern attends the hearing.
  7. The Internship Committee will render a final decision in consultation with the Training Director. The intern and their DCT will be notified of the outcome of the hearing within 5 business days.
  8. If there is a remediation plan, the Training Director and the intern’s direct supervisor will be provided with a clear written statement of what changes are expected and the timeline for completion of the remediation plan. If the required changes are not completed, then the intern may be considered for suspension or expulsion.

Documentation

  1. All steps need to be adequately and appropriately documented in a manner consistent with the due process procedures.
  2. The Training Director has the responsibility of sending reports that provide feedback to the intern’s academic program. For each report, the most recent evaluation constitutes the primary basis for comments. In the event there are serious problems with regard to a intern’s ability to perform counseling duties, incidents of unethical behavior, or particular behavioral/interpersonal difficulties substantiated by supervisory report or appeal, the Training Director will notify the academic program in writing. A copy of any report or letter sent to the intern’s academic department will be placed in the intern’s permanent file maintained at PMHW by the Training Director and the intern’s personnel file maintained by the Human Resource Manager.

We maintain electronic files of intern records and formal complaints. These are stored on PMHW cloud storage. These files are encrypted and backed up. Permission to access these files is granted by the Internship Training Director and HR Manager. Typically, only the Training Director and HR Manager have access to these files, though other members of the Internship committee and PMHW management team may have access as needed. Intern records are kept permanently.

Application Process

  • Please note that we only accept applications through the National Match Service Application for Psychology Internship Form (AAPI). Go to https://www.appic.org/ for instructions.
  • Application materials should be submitted through the AAPI Portal and are due Friday, November 8, 2024 by 11:59 PM (EST).
  • Make sure your cover letter is specific to our site. The clearer this is, the more readily we can determine “goodness of fit”
  • We require three letters of reference.
    • Two letters of reference must be from your most recent direct clinical supervisors. These supervisors must have directly observed and supervised your clinical work on site, rather than as a practicum coordinator.
    • The third letter should be from your advisor, a faculty member in your program, or an additional supervisor.
  • You must have advanced to doctoral candidacy, passed any required qualifying exams/comprehensive exams, and successfully proposed your dissertation prior to the submission of the ranking list in February.
    • If you have a unique circumstance that might affect the date of your dissertation proposal, you may email to request an exception.
  • The PMHW internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant.
  • The PMHW internship does not enter into training contracts with academic training programs, and the PMHW supervisors do not complete evaluations of interns developed by academic training programs. We will provide a midyear and end of internship progress letter in addition to our evaluation forms
  • All applicants will be notified by Friday, December 13, 2024. Be sure we have a phone number where you can be reached and your current email address.
    • Those invited for interview will receive an email notification or a phone call to set up an interview time. Interviews are scheduled in order of response, so the greatest flexibility of days/times will go to candidates who respond quickly.
    • All candidates who are not invited to interview will be notified by email.
  • Due to the number of applications received, we ask that you please do not contact us for the status of your application.
  • We regret that due to the number of applications received we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates about the decision-making process.
  • We will be conducting interviews via Zoom. Each selected candidate will join us via Zoom for a half-day interview on one of the following dates January 14, 15, or 16th, 2025.
  • Candidates and staff will have a chance to meet as a group to hear about staff roles and to get an idea of staff culture and interactions. Candidates will have individual interviews with 2-3 staff members and an additional individual interview with the Training Director.
  • We will ask a set of prepared questions and give you an opportunity to ask us any questions you may have about the internship at PMHW.
  • You do not need to prepare anything formal to present during the interviews, but we may ask you questions about your clinical experiences, diversity issues, professional interests, supervision experiences, ethical dilemmas, programming and consultation, and other relevant topics.
  • We look forward to meeting you!
  • The PMHW Doctoral Internship in Psychology contract is officially from August 18, 2025 to August 17, 2026.
  • The current stipend for PMHW psychology interns is $35,000.
  • Benefits include:
    • Paid health leave (40 hrs)
    • Paid holidays (80 hours)
    • Paid vacation (80 hours)
    • Health, dental, vision insurance covered at 60%
    • Employer Paid Life/AD&D
    • Voluntary Short Term Disability
    • Monthly public transportation pass (TriMet) covered at 50%
    • 20% discount on vitamins & supplements through Fullscript