Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology

Illinois Behavioral Health Group is proud to continue offering a doctoral internship in Clinical Psychology for the 2025-2026 training year. The program is a 2000-hour, 40-hour per week, full-time training experience to be completed over one year. Training at Illinois Behavioral Health Group provides a unique opportunity in a private practice setting to not only be trained as a generalist, but also specialize in various treatment approaches and modalities. The Doctoral Internship Program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Our Member Number is 2558. The program also submitted an accreditation self-study to APA. Please be advised there is no assurance we will be able to successfully achieve accreditation.

Please click here to download our Doctoral Internship Brochure. Please note our Application deadline is December 9, 2024 by 11:59 EST.

Training Structure

Approximately 20 hours of the intern’s time each week is spent in direct service to Illinois Behavioral Health Group clients. Interns receive training in working with clients across the lifespan and are assigned to 1-2 outpatient offices, carrying a therapy caseload at that center for the full 12 months. In addition to their therapy caseload, interns also complete a minimum of 4 and up to 6 psychological/neuropsychological testing batteries, which are tailored to the training needs and interests of the intern.

Interns participate in 4-5 hours of learning activities each week: 2-hour didactic trainings that focus on various topics in accordance with the Profession-Wide Competencies, one-hour weekly professional development seminar, one-hour weekly wellness seminar, and one-hour team meeting/consultation group. Interns additionally participate in at least 4 hours of supervision each week: individual supervision with primary and secondary supervisors, therapy group supervision, and diagnostic group supervision.

Training Commitment

Interns’ work schedules are organized around regularly scheduled supervisory meetings, trainings, diagnostic testing blocks, and some evening hours. The following time breakdown may be helpful in achieving a sense of time commitment:

40 hours/week; 2000 Total Hours

• Direct Service
  • Therapy
    • Interns are expected to have 18-20 open therapy time slots per week on their schedule to accommodate an expected 75% show rate typical of a private practice setting.
  • Psychological Assessment
    • In addition to therapy cases, interns are expected to complete 4-6 assessment batteries during their training year.
• Training
  • Interns participate in 4 hours formal supervision and 4-5 hours of learning activities.
• Case Management/Documentation/Authorizations
  • Interns are given 4 hours a week to work on different administrative tasks.
• Dissertation Time
  • Interns are allowed to schedule up to 4 hours per month to work on their dissertations.

Training Goals and Competencies

Illinois Behavioral Health Group's internship training goals and objectives directly coincide with the APA Commission on Accreditation’s Profession-Wide Competencies:

• Competency 1: Research 
  • Goals: Critical evaluation and application of scientific knowledge
• Competency 2: Ethical and Legal Standards 
  • Goals: Patient risk management, crisis management, patient confidentiality, ethics and Illinois law
• Competency 3: Individual and Cultural Diversity
  • Goals: Awareness of one’s own background and sensitivity to patient diversity
• Competency 4: Professional Values and Attitudes 
  • Goals: Professional interpersonal behavior, responsibility and accountability, self-reflection, administrative competency, time management, and use of self-care
• Competency 5: Communication and Interpersonal Skills 
  • Goals: Effective and appropriate interpersonal communication, appropriate management of conflict, and appropriate use of supervision
• Competency 6: Assessment 
  • Goals: Diagnostic skills, assessment and interviews skills, and competency in administering, scoring, interpretation, write-up and feedback of psychological and neuropsychological assessment
• Competency 7: Intervention 
  • Goals: Patient rapport, case conceptualization and treatment planning; case management, evidenced-based interventions, and flexibility with interventions
• Competency 8: Supervision 
  • Goals: Effective and appropriate consultation with other interns/clinicians
• Competency 9: Consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills 
  • Goals: Appropriate and effective coordination of care with other professionals

Compensation and Benefits

Intern Stipend: $36,000. The salaried internship includes eligibility to enroll in the company’s health, dental, and vision insurance plans; 7 holidays, 14 Paid Leave days; and 5 Sick Leave days consistent with Illinois Behavioral Health Group policies. A pre-employment background check may be required.

Application Process and Intern Selection

Students wishing to apply for Illinois Behavioral Health Group's Doctoral Internship Program should submit through the APPI online an APPIC application form, three letters of reference, a sample de-identified psychological evaluation, transcripts of all graduate course work, and a curriculum vita. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact Dr. Stacey Lipson at slipson@illinoisbhg.com. Selection process will proceed in accordance with APPIC's published guidelines. This Internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any Intern applicant. The internship will begin after Labor Day, on September 2, 2025