Doctoral Internship Information | UC Davis MIND Institute

Applicants must be enrolled in an APA-, CPA-, or PCSAS-accredited doctoral program in Clinical Psychology (preferred), Counseling Psychology, or School Psychology and must have completed at least three years equivalent of full-time graduate-level study by the start of the internship. In addition, applicants must have the approval of their graduate program Director of Clinical Training, completed 400 direct practicum hours (minimum of 300 intervention/therapy hours and 100 assessment hours preferred) at the time of application, completed all doctoral coursework as required, passed the academic program’s comprehensive exams (if applicable), and have a dissertation project proposal approved by their graduate program before the beginning of the internship.

Applicants who are well-suited to this program have demonstrated a commitment to clinical and research interests relevant to working with diverse individuals with NDD, have written at least 5 integrated psychological evaluation reports, have a theoretical orientation consistent with the program’s (i.e., cognitive behavioral, behavioral), and/or have some experience with evidence-based treatments (cognitive behavioral therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.) with youth with a range of clinical diagnoses including NDDs. Additional attributes that have been determined to contribute to intern success at our site include: the ability to provide assessment or therapy services in a language other than English;  a high degree of cultural humility and self-awareness/self-reflection around issues of diversity and equity; experience providing services to individuals from a range of diverse backgrounds; prior involvement in research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and documented involvement in/commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g., through professional memberships, extracurricular activities, research focused on diversity).

Interns are responsible for approximately 20 hours of direct and indirect clinical responsibilities and supervision through the Massie Family Clinic and approximately 20 hours of additional learning experiences. Interns are expected to engage in learning activities for a total of 40 hours per week over the course of a year, for a total of 2,000 internship hours. 

At the beginning of each year, each intern is assigned a therapy supervisor and an assessment supervisor who will also act as mentors throughout the internship period. During the first week, a two-day orientation program acquaints the new interns with the range of training opportunities available at the MIND Institute, and interns and their supervisors will develop an individualized training plan (ITP) to identify specific individualized training goals and activities for the year within a developmental perspective. The ITP is a professional tool which outlines objectives that the intern and supervisor have identified as important for professional development. A comprehensive review of the intern's career goals and objectives is identified at the beginning of the training year and during the quarterly evaluation process to aid in providing relevant, constructive feedback that will facilitate the intern's transition into independent practice. The ITP will be completed and signed by the intern and supervisor within the first month of the training year. 

Interns engage in clinical activities spanning both assessment and treatment (including both individual and group treatment as well as involvement in a clinical research placement); didactic seminars related to clinical issues, ethical issues, issues of diversity and equity, and professional development (including emerging supervision skills); and high-quality supervision.

Detailed descriptions of all clinical, learning, and supervision activities can be found in the Training Handbook (PDF).  Prospective applicants may wish to check back in September to review the Training Handbook for the upcoming training year.

Length of Appointment
The MIND Institute will accept two interns for the upcoming training year. The appointment begins July 1 and ends June 30 of each training year; if these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, start/end dates are the following/preceding business day, respectively. The internship is a one-year, full-time appointment, 40-hour work week. After accounting for the 14 holidays, interns can accrue up to 2,000 hours of supervised professional experience over the course of the training year. Please refer to the vacation policies below for important information on the impact of vacation time on SPE hours. Upon successful completion, the intern will be awarded a certificate of internship completion from the UC Davis MIND Institute at UC Davis Health.

Stipend
Doctoral interns are hired by UC Davis and receive a gross stipend of $48,000 per year. Applicable taxes, social security deductions, and benefits-related costs are withheld.

Benefits
Based on a 100% appointment, interns are eligible for coverage in the UC Davis medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans, with options to provide coverage for spouses/domestic partners and dependents. We are proud to offer our interns UC Davis Resident and Fellow Health and Welfare benefits (PSD). Interns are allocated a total of 24 vacation days, 4 professional development days, and 12 sick days annually.

Professional Development Resources
Interns receive up to $1,000 (for the training year) to cover professional development activities. Professional development funds can be used for conferences, trainings, and certifications in relevant clinical areas. 

Support
Doctoral interns are provided with appropriate shared office space, computer access, and a phone line. Assessment and therapy materials required to carry out learning and clinical activities are provided. Interns have access to the UC Davis library system, which includes a health sciences branch at the UC Davis Medical Center and the main library on the Davis campus. The library provides loan services for written materials, access to the catalogs of all nine UC campuses, literature search tools such as PsychInfo and PubMed, and access to electronic journals. UC Davis Health also offers confidential, cost-free assessment, counseling, consultation and referral services to all UC Davis Health faculty and staff through the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP). If an intern is unable to obtain the necessary support, they are instructed to contact the Training Director who will make every effort to meet all reasonable requests.

Application Process

The MIND Clinical Psychology Training Program, Doctoral Internship program utilizes the uniform application developed by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Our National Matching Service (NMS) Program Number is 2556. 

The internship training program agrees to abide by the recruitment and ranking policies. More specifically, no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. 

Please submit only the APPI online application located on the APPIC website. Follow the directions detailed on the APPIC website for submitting your application and uploading required documents.

Your application will be considered complete upon receipt of the following: 

• A completed APPIC Uniform Application (APPI) 
• A cover letter 
• A current Curriculum Vitae 
• Transcripts of all graduate level coursework 
• Three letters of recommendation. It is preferred that at least one letter be from a current graduate school faculty (typically the doctoral thesis/dissertation advisor) and one letter be from a practicum placement supervisor.

Interested applicants must submit their applications using the APPI by November 22, 2024. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Training Office at 916-703-0263 or hs-mind_psychtraining@ucdavis.edu.

Selection Procedures

Intern selection is made by a committee comprised of the Training Director, Associate Training Director, and training supervisors. Applicants are rated based on their clinical training (including assessment and psychotherapy), academic coursework, letters of recommendation, clinical and research interests, demonstrated commitment to equity and diversity, and stated goals for internship. Prospective candidates assessed by the committee to hold interests and goals most closely matching those opportunities offered by our program will be asked to participate in interviews.  

Applicants will receive notification by December 13, 2024, as to whether they are invited for an interview. Candidates will have the opportunity to meet with current trainees and (if interviewing in person) tour the MIND Institute and clinic. These interviews help both the program and the applicant to determine if there is a good fit between the applicant’s experience and training goals and the program’s needs and training objectives.

Interviews will be held virtually on January 14-17, 2025. Please note that these dates are tentative; final dates will be provided to you if you are invited to interview.

Interns matching to our site must meet UC Davis Health employment requirements prior to formal appointment, including:

• Documentation of identity and employment authorization
• Completion of an online background check
• Completing pre-employment health screening (additional details here)
• Providing documentation that doctoral program’s requirements for starting an internship program have been completed prior to the start of the training year (by June 30) 

The UC Davis MIND Institute and the Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology are committed to advancing diversity in recruitment and training of all interns as well as among faculty and staff who serve as mentors and supervisors. As a training program, we recognize the significance of continued learning in order to facilitate growth and enhance a climate of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. We also recognize the rich learning environment created by collaboration among interns, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and with diverse identities. The MIND Institute and the Doctoral Internship Program are committed to fulfilling our mission to help all families affected by neurodevelopmental challenges and to promote equal access to high quality health care and education for all members of our community. We take pride in the achievements of all members of our community, and we celebrate our differences. We strive to build and maintain a culture and climate based on mutual respect and caring and to ensure that equity and social justice are woven into the work we do every day as we address the mission of the MIND Institute and our training programs. The MIND Institute’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals are aligned with those of UC Davis Health and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.

The Internship program is committed to training individuals from diverse backgrounds, and who are committed to serving children and families from diverse backgrounds, in the area of neurodevelopment and preparing them to enter the field of health service psychology. Interns in our program have opportunities to contribute to agency-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by joining the MIND Institute’s DEI committee, actively engaging in DEI-related trainings (both as a learner and a co-presenter), and participating in agency-wide community building activities to uphold a work climate focused on equity and justice as demonstrated by respect and support for one another. The program also emphasizes the benefits of receiving and providing mentorship, particularly for interns from underrepresented backgrounds in the field. Based on mutual interest, significant efforts are made to provide interns with the opportunity to work with supervisors and faculty with shared identities for mentorship into the profession. The MIND Institute also offers opportunities for interns to mentor undergraduate students from diverse and underrepresented communities through Maternal Child Health Careers/Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement - Undergraduate Summer Program (MCHC/RISE-UP), a program focused on eliminating health disparities by introducing qualified, diverse undergraduate scholars to the fields of medicine, psychology, and public health. 

Meghan Miller is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the MIND Institute and is the Associate Director for the UC Davis CTSC Mentoring Academy for Research Excellence. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and is a licensed clinical psychologist whose specialty is in early diagnosis of, and comorbidity between, autism and ADHD. She directs a research program focused on the emergence and intersection of autism and ADHD. She currently leads several ongoing research projects funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and serves on the training guidelines steering committee for the Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology Training Council of the American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.