Training and Education

SBU-CIP Goals

The goals of the SBU-CIP are three-fold:

1. To provide interns with training and experience in delivering services across various therapeutic settings, including outpatient mental health facilities and hospital-based programs. Our trainees rotate through a variety of hospital-based clinical settings (e.g., a psychiatric emergency room, inpatient psychiatry units (adult or child), and the hospital consultation/liaison service). Our primary training orientation is cognitive-behavioral (CBT), including third-wave CBT interventions [e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based therapies]. Interns also receive training in behavioral medicine and working in integrated medical settings (e.g., bariatric weight loss center).
    
2. To provide interns with the necessary training that will enable them to develop and/or strengthen “generalist” skills. This is accomplished through instruction, supervision and direct clinical experience in a wide spectrum of functions engaged in by a professional psychologist, including provision of psychological assessment/evaluation, psychotherapy services to clinical populations, supervision of others, and consultation and liaison services. The SBU-CIP trains interns to discharge their professional responsibilities upholding the highest standards of professional conduct and in ways that are thoughtful, compassionate, skillful, culturally sensitive and ethical.
    
3. To provide continual professional development by building on the interns’ existing skills and competencies via additional training in evidence-based methods. Each main program or rotation is designed to provide interns with training that is sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity. Upon completion of the internship, SBU-CIP interns will have acquired the knowledge, skills and professionalism to move to the postdoctoral resident level.
   The goals of SBU-CIP are accomplished by capitalizing on the academic training resources and faculty professional expertise of Stony Brook University. The KPC and MB-CRC have pooled resources to provide a training and experiential program that provides interns with wide breadth and strong depth of training.

The training curriculum is designed to promote acquisition of internship goals in a manner that is sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity. Training processes include as follows: (1) Didactics/Instruction, including structured lectures, presentations and clinical workshops; (2) Supervision; (3) Mentoring in research/readings; (4) Experiential activities, including direct service delivery and professional development.

Unique Training Highlights

Full-scale Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Adolescent/Family and Adult programming

• Cognitive Behavioral Analysis Systems of Psychotherapy (CBASP)
• Behavioral Medicine (Obesity/Weight Management; Stress Management & Resilience Training)
• Working with LGBTQ+ People of Color
• Neurodiversity (Autism Spectrum Disorder/Tics & Tourette's) and LEND
• Trauma-based work across the lifespan
• Outpatient and hospital-based work

Components of the SBU-CIP

1. Didactics
   The SBU-CIP offers two or more formal presentations/lectures/clinical workshops weekly across member agencies, including as follows: (1) in-house presentations at the KPC; (2) Grand Rounds offered by the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health; (3) Supervision course at the KPC; (4) selected presentations offered by the Psychiatry Residency training program, and (5) brown bag presentations within the doctoral program in clinical psychology associated with the KPC. Additional readings and instruction about theories and methods of supervision are provided during the group supervision. The interns are expected to attend all didactics offered by the program (as a cohort activity) and do associated readings (e.g., the in-house presentations at the KPC include a minimum of two readings weekly).
    
2. Supervision
   The SBU-CIP takes a developmental approach to supervision that is sequential, cumulative and graded in complexity. Face-to-face supervision is provided both individually and in groups. The supervisors are NYS licensed clinical psychologists who are also clinical faculty members across academic departments in the two member agencies. Supervision in minor programs/rotations may be provided by NYS licensed psychologists or psychiatrists. Supervision includes observational methods, namely, live streaming and/or direct observation. Interns are assigned supervisors who are leaders in the various experiential training programs (main and minor).
    
3. Experiential Activities: Face-to-Face service delivery of psychological services
   All interns participate in the two main outpatient training opportunities throughout the academic year, namely, the general outpatient program at the KPC and the behavioral medicine program at the MB-CRC. In addition, all interns complete several full-battery psychoeducational and/or psychological evaluations at the KPC. Specifically, interns complete at least 3 full-battery psycho-educational evaluations, or if less than 3 full-battery evaluations, a combination of 4 integrative reports, including full- batteries, ADHD evaluations, disability determinations, and/or mental health clearance. Main programs include an average total of about 10 hours of face-to-face client contact through individual or group interventions or assessments (e.g., psycho-educational evaluations, clinical intakes, etc.).

Major rotations generally include an average of 8 hours of face-to-face client contact weekly for a period of 4 months. As such, interns may complete up to 3 rotations during the academic training year.  Interns have the opportunity to rotate through a variety of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services at Stony Brook Medicine.

These programs include:

• Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP). The CPEP provides emergency psychiatric services to people in urgent need of psychiatric evaluation, acute intervention, and referral services. Interns work closely with a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and coordinate care for individuals in urgent need of psychiatric services. Interns receive training in conducting psychiatric evaluations, treatment formulation and disposition, and care coordination within the context of the emergency department.
• Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. The Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Unit is a self-contained 30-bed unit designed for the acute short-term stabilization treatment of adult inpatients with a variety of psychiatric and behavioral problems including suicidality, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and severe anxiety disorders. Interns work closely with a psychologist and with a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and care for patients on the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. Interns participate in patient rounds with the team and co-run anger management, mindfulness, and DBT-based skills groups.
• Child Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. The Child Inpatient Unit is a self-contained 10-bed unit designed for the acute short-term stabilization treatment of child inpatients (ages 8-14) with a variety of internalizing and externalizing psychiatric and behavioral problems. Every child receives a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation by our team of child psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and special education teachers. Children also attend school on the unit. Interns participate in patient rounds with the team, co-run DBT-based skills groups, and provide individual services.
• Consultation and Liaison (C&L) Psychiatry. The C&L service provides psychiatric consultation throughout the hospital. Interns attend patient rounds with a multidisciplinary team and provide psychiatric and psychological evaluations, short term interventions, and consultation to patients and clinicians on medical and surgical inpatient units throughout the SBU Hospital.
• Obesity and Weight Management Clinic (OWMC). The OWMC program is designed to include an average of 10 hours of face-to-face client contact weekly. Interns will have the opportunity to rotate through the OWMC every 4 months. Interns conduct pre-surgical and post-surgical psychiatric diagnostic evaluations and pre- and post-surgical interdisciplinary skills training groups in an outpatient interdisciplinary setting.

Additional Practicum Experience: We are pleased to offer a training opportunity focused on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) & Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (ND). This training experience can be part of our child or adult tracks and is supported by the recently awarded Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other related Disabilities (LEND) grant program to Stony Brook University. LEND includes coursework, seminars, research and presentation opportunities, mentorship, and hands-on experiences in clinical or community-based settings focused on treating ASD/ND. The intern will also participate in the Stony Brook Center for Tics and Tourette's Disorder, providing direct clinical services to patients and families and will receive training in comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT). Participation in this training experience is contingent on a formal application to the LEND program. Eligible applicants will be interviewed by LEND faculty and made aware of their application success prior to when rankings are due.

Minor areas of concentration involving a minimum of 4 additional hours weekly are also available.

4. Research Opportunities
   Interns are invited to participate in research activities offered by faculty in the doctoral program in clinical psychology associated with at the KPC or the MBCRC. In alignment with the aims and mission of our internship, interns are granted 4 hours/week of protected time to be used for research or other professional development activities, as discussed with the TD. Dependent on available funding, interns may be able to spend an additional ½ day working on research in lieu of a portion of their practicum. The OWMC also has a large data set collected over the course of several years with patients undergoing bariatric surgery, and interns can also get involved in this type of research. At the outset of the internship, interested interns should discuss their research interests with the principal investigators of the various research projects, as well as with the members of the internship Executive Board.
    
5. Accreditation Status
   The SBU-CIP is currently accredited by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA CoA) (2017-2027). The SBU-CIP is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC), member site # 2371, since 09/26/2016.  It can be found in the National Matching Services (NMS) rank system as program code #2371-11 (adult tracks) and #2371-12 (child track).

Questions related to the program’s accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: 

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1 st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202)336-5979 / Email: apaacred@apa.org
Website: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

6. Application and Contact Information
   Interested students should upload their application onto the APPIC portal. The SBU-CIP is currently listed as a member site #2371. In addition to the standard application materials listed in the APPIC program, prospective applicants should include two additional clinical reports, including a “Case Formulation for Treatment Planning” and a “Psychoeducational Evaluation.
   Please note: Consistent with recent New York State vaccination mandates for state health care facilities, all interns matched with SBU-CIP will be required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status to begin employment. No exceptions will be granted.

Contact Information

Dina Vivian, Ph.D.
Training Director, Stony Brook University Consortium Internship Program (SBU-CIP)
Dina.Vivian@stonybrook.edu
Phone: (631) 632-7848 or (631) 632-7830

Adam Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Co-Director, Stony Brook University Consortium Internship Program (SBU-CIP)
Adam.Gonzalez@stonybrookmedicine.edu
Phone: (631) 632-8675 or (631) 632-8657

Consortium Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Leonard Krasner Psychological Center (KPC) and the Mind Body Clinical Research Center (MBCRC) in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry (respectively) at Stony Brook University seek 4 full-time Post-doctoral Fellows (3 adult-focused positions and 1 child/adolescent position) to provide outpatient and inpatient clinical services.

Outpatient psychotherapy services include: assessment, consultation, and provision of time-limited evidence-based interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Inpatient clinical services will include working as part of an interdisciplinary team in either the psychiatric emergency department, consultation and liaison service, adult inpatient unit, or the child inpatient unit. Additional activities will include: providing support for ongoing research studies, assisting with training activities, and providing supervision to pre-doctoral psychology interns and externs.

Postdocs may receive advanced training in emergency psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry, inpatient psychiatry and/or Dialectical Behavior Therapy through our comprehensive program.

Child fellowship will involve training in DBT and on our inpatient psychiatric unit for children aged 8-14. Depending on trainee interests and service needs, adult fellows may choose to focus on outpatient care or split their time between outpatient and inpatient hospital services.

Adult and child clinical fellowship activities will include:

• 75%-Providing evidence-based psychotherapy services (CBT/DBT/ACT)
• 15%-Supervision, Training and Supervising trainees
• 5%-Research activities
• 5%-Other duties as assigned

Research focused fellowship positions (50-75% research focused activities) may also be available depending on availability of grant support and match to PI research focus.

Required Qualifications

Doctoral Degree in clinical psychology; Demonstrated experience in providing cognitive behavioral and/or third-wave treatments (e.g., mindfulness, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy); Publication(s).

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with providing hospital-based psychological services; Broad-based clinical research experience with adults and/or children/adolescents; Experience with supervising support staff and/or trainees; Experience leading/co-leading DBT skills groups; Experience with grant and manuscript writing; Experience with trauma-related research and treatment. Minimum 1 first authored publications (3+ for research focused fellows).

Start Date: August 1st

Applications are considered on a rolling basis, following the standard APPIC notification deadlines.

How to Apply

Please email a cover letter, CV, and 2 letters of recommendation to Drs. Dina Vivian (dina.vivian@stonybrook.edu) and Adam Gonzalez (adam.gonzalez@stonybrookmedicine.edu).

Consortium Externship Program

The Stony Brook University Consortium Externship Program (SBU-CEP) offers a part-time, 12-month doctoral externship in clinical psychology to qualified students currently enrolled in doctoral psychology programs.

The SBU-CEP includes two-member agencies: the Mind Body Clinical Research Center (MB-CRC), an outpatient facility associated with the Department of Psychiatry (Stony Brook Medicine), and the Leonard Krasner Psychological Center (KPC), a psychology training clinic associated with the Department of Psychology (College of Arts and Sciences). Although completely distinct in administration and location, both member agencies are part of Stony Brook University (SBU). The SBU-CEP is also associated with the SBU doctoral program in clinical psychology. Information about the SBU-CEP is included on the NYNJADOT-PSYDNYS site.

The SBU-CEP is designed to provide externs with training and experiences in delivering services across various settings, including outpatient mental health facilities and hospital-based programs (e.g., psychiatric emergency medicine, inpatient psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry). Training includes experience in delivering cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT), including third-wave CBT models including DBT, ACT, CBASP and mindfulness-based interventions, behavioral medicine, and in-hospital consultation and liaison services. The patient population includes adults, children, and adolescents.

General Information

The SBU-CEP externship includes approximately 16 hours of training weekly, including direct face-to-face delivery of psychological services, didactics/clinical workshops, supervision, readings, and administrative responsibilities. Schedule permitting, externs may also elect to attend our weekly two-hour didactics that are part of our APA Committee on Accreditation (CoA) accredited doctoral internship program, the Stony Brook University Consortium Internship Program. Up to 8 unpaid positions are offered each year. The externship start/end dates are August 1 to July of any given year.

Application Requirements

Preference is given to clinical trainees who will have completed a minimum of two years of supervised practice prior to the start of their externship SBU-CEP, and who are in good standing academically in their program. Interested applicants should apply in accord with the externship guidelines set forth by the PSYDNYS/NYNJADOT as described in the APA externship site.

Application materials: Cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, unofficial transcript, a de-identified “Case Formulation for Treatment Planning” report, a de-identified “Psychoeducational Evaluation” report, and two letters of recommendation from clinical supervisors. Contact information concerning the Director of Clinical Training (DCT) of the applicant’s home program should also be provided.

Please note: Consistent with recent New York State vaccination mandates for state health care facilities, all interns matched with SBU-CIP will be required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination status to begin employment. No exceptions will be granted.