Doctoral Internship Program in Clinical Psychology
Program Overview
VIP Community Mental Health Center’s Doctoral Internship program in Clinical Psychology offers graduate students a wide range of training opportunities in a multidisciplinary, multicultural work environment to help them develop the core competencies needed to be skilled psychologists.
Modeled in accordance with guidelines set by the American Psychological Association, the program enables interns to work directly with clients, participate in weekly didactic trainings, and gain professional experience in the context of VIP’s mission. In addition, VIP’s clinical supervisors provide individual and group supervision of students on a weekly basis.
Program Details
Primary objectives include developing conceptual knowledge and applied skills in the following areas:
- Child and Family Services
- Children’s Mental Health
- Crisis Intervention
- Trauma Treatment
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
- Early Childhood Mental Health
The program requires a 12-month, 40-hours-per-week commitment. Training is provided in psychological trauma assessment, including crisis intervention; psychotherapy interventions (individual, group, and family); psychological trauma interventions (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or TF-CBT); evidence-based practices (Child Parent Psychotherapy or CPP, Families Moving Forward or FMF, and IPT-A); and interprofessional, multi-disciplinary consultation and collaboration.
For more information, please contact Maribel Mejia, Ph.D., Training Director, at [email protected].
View Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data
View Competencies and How the Competencies are Measured
Inspirational Stories
- Kiana Female – 17 y/o
- Angel Male – 12 y/o
- Josey Female – 13 y/o
- William Male – 19 y/o
- Sarah Female – 10 y/o
- Gabriela Female – 15 Months
- Sophia Female – 7 y/o
- Sandy Female – 11 Months
- Ashley Female – 18 y/o
Our Programs
Children and Youth Services
Children are among the most vulnerable in our society, and we work incredibly hard to create new ways to support children in distress and their families. Learn more about our specific programs and support centers here.
FASD Program
Recent research indicates that between 2-5% of children have a FASD, which is a higher number than those affected by autism. The rate of FASD within children in foster care is even higher.
LGBTQ + The
Alexis Project
We’re taking an active role in normalizing health and mental health support for all LGBTQ+ patients. We invite queer youth to find safety at the Alexis Project, where we provide specialized medical and mental health staff who understand their needs.
Join Our Team
The Violence Intervention Program puts its heart and soul into serving the community and its people. That means working hard to innovate and create programs and systems of support for the variety of needs of people in the Los Angeles area – including the dedicated and diverse staff that make it possible.
We value our team, which is why VIP offers a competitive benefits package that allows employees to meet their personal and professional needs while contributing their special talents and passion to our community.
Our Founder
Astrid Heppenstall Heger, M.D. is our Executive Director at VIP, and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Southern California Medical Center.
Leadership
Meet the passionate team of leaders who give their expertise and hard work every day to make our work at VIP possible.
Get Involved
Your help as a volunteer can literally mean the world to our clients. Find out how you can help in a program near you.
