Our Philosophy

The Psychology Internship Program’s philosophy and mission are grounded in the belief that the psychologist’s role is paramount to meeting the psychological, behavioral, and developmental needs of children who are seen through pediatric tertiary care facilities. The development of our training components has paralleled the increasing demands of clinical service delivery, with an ever-expanding appreciation for children’s unique needs as well as the manner in which behavioral and psychological factors interface with medical conditions to determine health outcomes.
Our mission is to contribute to and formalize our commitment to the fields of pediatric health psychology, child and adolescent clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology.

Our Goals


All interns are expected to acquire knowledge and develop skills consistent with the training philosophy of the program. Each intern gains experience in psychological assessment, intervention and consultation liaison service. Each intern will also participate in a specialized interdisciplinary training track and provide services consistent with that track during the internship year.
Experience in working with professionals from other disciplines is a critical aspect of training. Sensitivity to cultural and individual diversity is also emphasized. Interns are provided the opportunity to work with individuals from a variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. The internship is also structured so that each intern gains experience with a population diverse in terms of age, gender, and presenting problems.

Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Psychology Internship Program (PIP) offers a pre-doctoral clinical psychology internship program with an emphasis in the areas of pediatric health psychology, and clinical neuropsychology.

Internship Tracks

There are two Elective Tracks based on personal and professional interests. Our interns are housed under the Division of Psychology but Neuropsychology interns have consistent involvement with the Brain Institute. Our interns are regarded as integral part of our division and in providing services to inpatient population and children out in the community

  • Pediatric Health Track: (2 interns) Provides interns with knowledge in evaluation and intervention with medically involved infants, children and adolescents
  • Neuropsychology Track: (2 interns) Provides interns with knowledge in evaluation and intervention of the pediatric population with neurocognitive and complex medical conditions impacting the central nervous system

Curriculum

 

The goal of the Pediatric Health Track is to provide interns with knowledge in evaluation and intervention with medically involved infants, children and adolescents. The intern will participate in a variety of multidisciplinary clinics and teams addressing medical conditions, such as diabetes, migraines, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Children with major behavioral/developmental disorders (e.g., autism, intellectual deficiency, failure to thrive, insomnia, attention deficit/hyperactivity, learning disorder, chronic pain) as well as children medically compromised (chronic and acute medical conditions and pain) are assessed and treated.
The format on this track is a developmental process that involves observation of evaluations/interventions under direct supervision and subsequently completing the evaluations/interventions without direct supervision. Training in Psychoeducational and developmental assessment is provided in the areas of clinical interview, assessment, and direct observation of the supervisor working with patients and their families. Beyond the core training experiences and specialized training tracks, interns gain additional experience through participation in several multidisciplinary clinics and training teams.

The Neuropsychology Track, in association with the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, provides neuropsychological assessment services for inpatient and outpatient consults. The service offers neuropsychological evaluations focused on children with neurological conditions and/or other medical disorders that affect brain functioning, resulting in behavioral and cognitive alterations. Neuropsychological evaluations provide detailed information regarding cognitive skills including attention, language and communication skills, memory and learning, motor and sensory functions, academic achievement, visuospatial and visuoperceptual functioning, and "executive" processes.
The information obtained from these evaluations provides baseline levels to monitor change over time, serves to determine the presence or absence of brain dysfunction, assists in differential diagnosis and in developing remedial intervention and treatment strategies. The neuropsychology service also collaborates with a wide range of other medical specialties. Services are provided to children with acquired brain disorders including traumatic brain injuries, hypoxic episodes, brain tumors, metabolic encephalopathies, cerebrovascular disease, CNS infections, and other medical conditions that affect the brain. Additionally, the neuropsychology service is part of the epilepsy and hematology-oncology teams. Evaluations are frequently requested in order to monitor the impact of treatment on neurocognitive and academic functioning.