This training experience is not an APPIC Member program and is not APA Accredited. Applicants should be aware that this training experience has not undergone a formal external quality review process.
We are not offering the fellowship for the 2024-2025 year. Our fellowship is a well-established CAPIC-member postdoctoral fellowship that has been in existence for over 15 years and has undergone a formal external quality review process with the same criteria as APPIC except that the fellowship is 9.5 months instead of 12. Mount Saint Mary’s University is a private, Catholic college of approximately 3,500 students, the majority of whom are women. The students are diverse in terms of ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, and life experience. For example, 47% of the students we serve are Latina/o, 22% are Asian/Pacific Islander, 15% are Caucasian, and 6% are African American. A majority of the students are first-generation college students and come from under-served populations. A strong emphasis on diversity in all forms is a key component in clinical services at Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS).
Our training philosophy views Counseling and Psychological Services as a welcoming and supportive university setting committed to training. The general purpose is to guide budding psychologists to appropriate levels of clinical competence and professional conscience given their level of experience. Our training values learning through observation, mentoring, modeling, didactic training, and supervision. In support of the mission of the College and the Student Affairs division, CPS is committed to serving and enhancing the holistic well-being of our students as well as educating and consulting with the college community.
The Postdoctoral Fellowship is a nine-and-half-month, full-time training program that meets the licensure requirements in Psychology for supervised postdoctoral experience as defined by the California Code of Regulations (section 1387). The Fellow will accrue 1500 hours, working forty to forty-four hours/week working at both the Chalon and Doheny campuses. In regard to postdoctoral training, CPS provides a collegial, supportive, and semi-structured training site. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be setting advanced level professional goals and completing a self-assessment at the beginning and the end of the Fellowship year. The Fellow will be supervised regularly but working with more autonomy than in practica and pre-doctoral training experiences. The level of responsibility will also increase in areas such as pursuing specific areas of interest, modeling ethical and professional behavior, developing a more integrated personal clinical style, coordinating outreach projects, taking initiative in establishing liaison relationships on-campus, handling more complex clinical cases, carrying a larger clinical caseload, becoming better versed at integrating theory, research, and practice, participating in professional organizations, completing special projects, and attending continuing education workshops, and providing training. CPS is committed to working collaboratively with our Fellow to become a more confident, competent generalist psychologist.
Areas to be assessed throughout the year to ensure adequate competency include -1-clinical knowledge and skill across assessment, conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention, and referral -2-openness to self-examination, -3-multiculturally-congruent assessment, treatment, and outreach, -4- application of CA laws and APA ethical guidelines, -5- clinical work informed by empirical research, and -6- development of a stronger professional identity. By the end of the year, the Fellow should be ready to contribute their knowledge and skills as an entry-level staff member in various settings.
The Fellow provides a range of services to both undergraduate and graduate students. Common student concerns addressed by our staff include depression, anxiety, academic performance, family and romantic relationships, disordered eating, substance abuse, trauma and sexual assault history, adjustment disorders, intergenerational conflict, and low self-esteem.
Psychotherapy - The majority of the Fellow’s time at CPS is devoted to providing direct clinical service. Fifty to sixty percent of the time each week is devoted to counseling clients in short-term therapy and crisis intervention. The Fellow can carry two long-term clients in her/his caseload, one on each campus.
Consultation - The Postdoctoral Fellow has opportunities to consult with the Mount Saint Mary’s University community, such as parents, staff, and faculty. As a result, the Fellow will gain increased competence in providing culturally sensitive education and guidance. The main purpose is to help the community assist our students in removing obstacles and optimizing holistic development.
Prevention Programming - Outreach is considered a key component of our work at the Mount. The purpose is to reach the underserved and provide psycho-educational prevention programs that will increase the well-being of our community. Outreach opportunities are numerous at CPS. Each year, we receive requests from different departments, such as the Orientation Committee, Learning Resource Center, Residence Life, Women’s Leadership, Student Activities, and professors. Fellows will develop formal and/or informal liaison relationships with other departments and learn to develop culturally appropriate prevention programs. Some programs are collaborative efforts, such as Take Back the Night, which is an annual sexual assault prevention program. Other programs, such as National Depression Screening Day, are sponsored solely by CPS. The diverse outreach opportunities provide the Fellow with a better understanding of the campus community and the development of a broader range of skills.
Training Seminars - The Fellow attends didactic training regularly on clinical topics relevant to our young adult college population. A sample of past topics includes Latino Psychology and Clinical Implications, Updates on Psychopharmacology, Evidence-Based Treatments, and Crisis Intervention. Speakers include CPS staff as well as community psychologists. Relevant readings are provided.
Supervision - The Fellow receives, at minimum, four hours of supervision each week by licensed clinical psychologists: 3 hours of individual supervision, 1 hour of group supervision, and .5 to 1 hour of outreach supervision. The Fellow works with different supervisors which enhances the training experience. Staff also meets bi-weekly for 2 hours for staff meeting/case conference.