Clinical Psychology Internship
Gain a holistic understanding of clinical psychology with our transformative internship program.
About us
The Clinical Psychology Internship program at Geisinger provides advanced training in evidence-based practice and integrated care at all levels of the health system. Most clinical psychology internships prepare you for professional practice. Geisinger’s Clinical Psychology Internship goes beyond that. Our training philosophy reflects a commitment to developing your understanding of cultural and individual differences, social determinants of health and the complex biological and psychological factors with each patient in your care. Our training also teaches you interdisciplinary care coordination and collaboration with other members of the healthcare team, including primary and specialty care providers, nurses, psychiatrists, pharmacists, clinical social workers and case managers.
Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) since 1986, the internship is primarily focused on ensuring you attain competency in all APA profession-wide domains (research; ethical and legal standards; individual and cultural diversity; professional values, attitudes and behaviors; communication and interpersonal skills; assessment; intervention; supervision; consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills). Like most APA clinical psychology internships, all your experiences in this Geisinger internship have been developed with this aim in mind.
To better meet your interests and provide a fulfilling experience, the Clinical Psychology Internship offers intensive training in two specific areas of clinical psychology:
Our faculty prioritize patient care and clinical supervision above all, but are also committed to continuous quality improvement, program development and evaluation, and clinical research. As an intern, you are encouraged to participate in a clinically focused project aimed at enhancing the delivery of patient care.
Learn more about trainee admission, support and outcome data (in accordance w/ APA Regulation C-27 I).
Diversity
Geisinger’s leaders and faculty are committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is inclusive, respectful of and sensitive to individual and cultural differences. This is true for our patients, colleagues, staff and students.
The continuous development of cultural competence is a major part of the learning process for interns and faculty alike. It is a thread that runs throughout didactic seminars, supervision, clinical practice and the way we interact with each other daily.
We expect all interns to engage in healthy and productive conversations around all forms of diversity, including race, gender, ethnic background, cultural beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, age, social and economic status, size and physical and mental ability.
Speak with your supervisor or the internship program director if you have any concerns about diversity and inclusion during your internship. We take these concerns seriously and try to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all trainees. In addition, we have identified faculty of color and faculty who identify with the LGBTQ community within and outside the psychology internship who are willing to serve as mentors to discuss the intersection of professional development and diversity.
Seven Geisinger hospitals earned designations in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2019 LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Index. Two locations, including Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., received the “Leader” designation, the highest possible, with five other Geisinger locations receiving “Top Performer” honors.
Our program works closely with Diversity & Inclusion to ensure we follow best practices in the teaching and practice of culturally competent care. Review Diversity & Inclusion’s webpage for more information about Geisinger’s commitment to supporting diverse patients, members and learners.
The internship program was reaccredited by APA in 2017, and the next site visit of the Commission on Accreditation will be in 2027. For questions about the program’s accreditation status, contact:
Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-336-597
apaaccred@apa.org
Website
Program overview
Geisinger Clinical Psychology internships are a pivotal component of your transition from student to professional. By offering two tracks, this internship lets you specialize in the field of study that interests you the most. All programs have broad-based training at their core. However, each track has exclusive experiences the other tracks do not.
Didactic seminars
Clinical psychology internships typically have a seminar component. At Geisinger, you’ll attend a series of formal seminars and case conferences designed to complement the clinical components of the program. Interns across all tracks will attend some seminars together, as the content will be meaningful to all learners at this stage of development and map onto certain American Psychological Association (APA) profession-wide competencies focusing on professional development and research. Other seminars are designed to provide more in-depth, track-specific training. Content areas generally include the following:
- Professional development
- Ethical issues
- Cultural and individual factors
- Evidence based practice
- Supervision
- Research
- Clinical skills training
- Clinical health psychology/integrated care for adult vs. pediatric populations
Clinical assignments permitting, you’ll attend monthly Psychiatry Grands Rounds, which include presentations by Geisinger faculty and external speakers. And you’re encouraged to attend conferences sponsored by other medical center departments as your schedule allows. You are encouraged to prepare and deliver a presentation during Psychiatry Grand Rounds or another Geisinger-sponsored educational event approved by the internship training directors.
Recent presentations and publications
Recent presentations from pediatric psychology faculty and trainees
- Sevecke, J. R., & Meadows, T. J. (2018, May). Early childhood sleep: Fight for your right to Paaarty! Workshop presented at the Nurse Family Partnership Pennsylvania State Meeting 2018, Harrisburg, PA.
- Bellinger, S., Rutt, C., Cook, L. A., & Sevecke, J. (2018, April). Ethical issues in pediatric primary care: Navigating complex challenges. Presentation at the Geisinger Behavioral Health Primary Care 5th Annual Conference, Danville, PA.
- German, R. L., Marx, J. M., & Meadows, T. (2018, April). The alphabet soup of special education: what primary care providers should know. Presentation at the Geisinger Behavioral Health Primary Care 5th Annual Conference, Danville, PA.
- Hostutler, C., Cook, L., & Sevecke, J. R. (2016). Addressing sleep concerns in primary care. Presentation presented at the Geisinger Primary Care Behavioral Health 3rd Annual Conference, Danville, PA.
- Meadows, T., Hosterman, S., & O'Dell, S. (2018, October). Impact of visit length on operational and financial outcomes in pediatric integrated primary care. Paper to be presented at the 20th Annual Conference of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, Rochester, NY.
- O’Dell, S. M., Gormley, M. J., & Meadows, T. (2017, August). Examining How Integration Affects Primary Care Physician Encounter Duration and Revenue Generation. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
- Parikh, M., Cook, L. A., & Thordarson, M. A. (2017, October). Crisis evaluations in primary care: The possible benefits of on-site behavioral health providers. Poster presentation at the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association Conference, Houston, TX.
- Rutt, C., Whitehead, M., Petts, R., Signore, A., Bogaczyk, T., Kettlewell, P., & Shahidullah, J. D. (2017, October). Understanding the training needs of pediatric residents: The need for programs and partnerships to enhance medical education in behavioral health. Poster presentation for the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, Houston, TX.
- Shahidullah, J. D., Kettlewell, P. W., & DeHart, K. A. (2019, Mar). Embedding psychologists into a rural primary care clinic to enhance pediatrician management of psychotropic medications. Poster presented at the Society of Behavioral Medicine Conference, Washington, DC.
Recent publications from pediatric psychology faculty and trainees
- Lilly, R. G., Meadows, T. J., Sevecke-Hanrahan, J. R., Massura, C., Golden, M., & O’Dell, S. (2020). Hub-Extension model and access to pediatric behavior integrated primary care. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 8(3), 220–227.
- Valleley, R., Meadows, T. J., Burt, J. D., Menousek, K., Hembree, K., Evans, J., Gathje, R., Kupzyk, K. A., Sevecke, J. R., & Lancaster, B. (2020). Demonstrating the Impact of Colocated Behavioral Health in Pediatric Primary Care. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 8(1), 13-24. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000284.
- Sevecke, J. R., & Meadows, T. J. (2018). It takes a village: A multidisciplinary approach to the screening and prevention of pediatric sleep issues. Medical Sciences, 6(3), 77-87.
- German, R., Schuessler, A., & Meadows, T. (2018, August). Vaping, e-cigarettes, and your teenage patients. Families and Health Blog.
- Hoffses, K. W., Honnaker, S. M., Riley, A. R., & Meadows, T. J. (2018). Screening and assessment of sleep disturbance. In M.E. Maruish (Ed.), Handbook of Pediatric Psychological Screening and Assessment in Primary Care. (pp. 358-380). New York: Routledge.
- Hoffses, K.W., Ramirez, L.Y., Berdan, L., Tunick, R., Honaker, S.M., Meadows, T.J., & Sturm, L. (2016). Topical review: Building competency: Professional skills for pediatric psychologists in integrated primary care settings. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 41, 1-8.
- Hosterman, S., Meadows, T., & Parikh, M. (2015). Primary care behavioral health: Improving access to care. The Pennsylvania Psychologist. 27-29.
- Lancaster, B., Cook, A., Bruni, T., Sturza, J., Sevecke, J., Ham, H., . . . Orringer, K. A. (2018, July). Comparing primary care pediatricians' perceptions of clinics with and without integrated behavioral health. Primary Care Research and Development.
- Meadows, T. J., Hoffses, K. W., & Sevecke, J. R. (2018). Sleep Disorders. In S. G. and J. D. Shahidullah (Eds.), Handbook of Pediatric Behavioral Healthcare. Springer International Publishing.
- Meadows, T. J., & Sevecke, J. R. (2016) APA Modules on Integrated Primary Care: Pediatrics.
- Parikh, M. (2018, June). Availability and acceptablity of behavioral health services in a rural pediatric primary care setting. The Pennsylvania Psychologist, Serving the Underserved.
- Segool, N., Meadows, T., Roberts, H., Thorson, R., Dogan, R., Evans, J., & Reisener, C. (2013). The effect of location on psychotropic treatment practices among pediatricians. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
- Sevecke, J. R., & Meadows, T. J. (2018, September). It takes a village: A multidisciplinary approach to the screening and prevention of pediatric sleep issues. Medical Sciences.
- Shahidullah, J. D., Hostutler, C. A., & Stancin, T. (2017). Collaborative medication-related roles for pediatric primary care psychologists. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology.
- Shahidullah, J. D., Kettlewell, P. W., DeHart, K. A., Rooney, K., Ladd, I. G. Bogaczyk, T. L., Signore, A., & Larson, S. L. (2017). An empirical approach to assessing pediatric residents' attitudes, knowledge, and skills in primary care behavioral health. International Journal of Health Sciences Education.
- Shahidullah, J. D., Kettlewell, P. W., & Green, C. M. (2019). Training pediatric residents in behavioral health collaboration: Roles, evaluation, and advocacy for pediatric psychologists. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000276
- Valleley, R. J., Lancaster, B., Burt, J., Menousek, K., Hembree, K., Evans, J., Kupzyk, K., Sevecke, J. R., & Meadows, T. J. (2019). Demonstrating the impact of co-located behavioral health in primary care. Clinical Practice in Clinical Psychology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000284
Recent presentations and presentations by adult and neuropsychology faculty and interns
- Brosius, H., Shoff, C., Tsai, C., Campbell, L., Ritter, B., Wright, L., McCurley, D., & Lettich, T. (Oct 2019). Improving patients’ perception of health: a quality improvement initiative. Presented at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC), Nashville, TN.
- Campbell, L.K. (October 2019). Patient Centered Opioid Tapering. Presented at the Annual Geisinger Pain Symposium, Danville, PA.
- Campbell, L.K. & Rakauskas, W. (May 2019). Comprehensive assessment and management of suicide: a standardized curriculum. Presented at the 25th Annual Resident and Fellow Scholarship Days at Geisinger, Danville, PA.
- Cunningham, J., Sevecke, J., & Campbell, L.K. (June 2017). LGBTQ affirmative therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Presented at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Annual Convention, Bedford Springs, PA.
- Ehrlich, L.E & Campbell, L.K. (June 2019). Behavioral management of obesity in primary care. Presented at the Annual Geisinger Obesity Summit, Danville, PA.
- Garruba, K. M., Maphis, L. E., Hergenrather, J. R., Ladd, I. G., Connors, J. N., Bogaczyk, T. L., Larson, S. L., & Semiclose, H. (2017, March). The elephant in the exam room: Medical provider perceptions of and comfort with discussing women’s behavioral health needs. Poster session presented at: Society for Behavioral Medicine 38th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions; San Diego, CA.
- Gorrell, S., Mahoney, C., Lent, M.R., Campbell, L.K., Wood, G.C., & Still, C.D. (2019). Interpersonal abuse and long-term outcomes following bariatric surgery. Obesity Surgery. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-018-03696-1
- Harple, K., Haupt, C., Maphis, L., Grassi, S., Greskovic, G., & Rolston, D. (2020, April). Enhancing Mental Health Care in Primary Care: Adding a Clinical Pharmacist to the Embedded Behavioral Health & Primary Care Team. Poster session presented at the annual convention of The Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Francisco, CA.
- Junod, A., Childs, K., & Stewart, P. V. (2018). The Quick Dementia Rating System and Ecological Validity in a Memory Disorders Cohort. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 33(6), (703 – 794). https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acy061.28
- Lent, M.R., Campbell, L.K., Lawson, J.L., Murakami, J.M., Kelly, M.C., Wood, G.C., Yohn, M.M., Ranck, S., Still, C.D., Petrick, A.T., Cunningham, K., & Lamotte, M.E. (2019). The feasibility of a behavioral group intervention after weight-loss surgery: A randomized pilot trial. PLOS ONE, in press.
- Lichtenstein, M. L., Stewart, P. V., & Feldman, H. H. (2018). Social Cognition Differentiates Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia from Depression and Healthy Controls. 11th International Conference on Frontotemporal Dementia. Sydney.
- Maphis, L. E., Collins, C., Campbell, L., Williams, A., West, J., Larson, S., Pellegrino, B. (2015, October). Road Map to Sustainable Primary and Behavioral Health Integration: Geisinger Health System. Poster session presented at the 47th Annual Collaborative Family Healthcare Association 17th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.
- Maphis, L. & Hergenrather, J. (April 2017). Integrated primary care and women’s health issues. Presented at the Geisinger Behavioral Health Primary Care 4th Annual Conference, Danville, PA.
- Muench, A.L., Van Dyke, B., & Shook, C.B. (2018). A new standard for chronic pain management: initial efficacy of CBT-P within a large regional medical center. Presented at the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association Conference (CFHA), Rochester, NY.
- Pacheco, J., Stewart, P. V., & Lichtenstein, M. (2019). Clinical utility of a Brief Social Cognition Screening Tool in a Memory Clinic. 25th Annual Geisinger School of Medicine Annual Resident and Fellow Scholarship Days.
- Shahida, F., & Cunningham, J. (October 2019). Warm Handoffs: Strategy, Access, and Impact. Facilitated Group Discussion at the Collaborative Family Healthcare Conference (CFHA), Denver, CO.
- Steele, R. G., Gayes, L. A., Dalton, W. T., III, Smith, C., Maphis, L., & Conway-Williams, E. (2016). Change in health-related quality of life in the context of pediatric obesity interventions: A meta-analytic review. Health Psychology, 35, 1097-109.
- Stewart, P. V., Auday, E., Hayhurst, H., & Klempel, N. (in press). Validation of the Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS) in a Large Memory Disorder Clinic Sample. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society: JINS.
- Stewart, P. V., Fulton, R. L., & Wilson, B. J. (2015). Psychometric Criteria for Detecting Impairment: Concordance Between Abbreviated and Full Versions of The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) Memory Module, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 30 (6), 579 – 580. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acv047.249
- Stewart, P. V., Swartz, J., Tapscott, B., & Davis, B. (2019). Montreal Cognitive Assessment for Dementia Severity Staging in a Diagnostically Heterogeneous Clinical Cohort. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 34, 1065–1065. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acz034.198
Internship benefits
The Clinical Psychology Internship salary at Geisinger is fulfilled through a stipend. The minimum stipend for psychology interns for the 2023 – 2024 academic year is at least $31,200 (paid biweekly).
There may be a small increase once budget information is announced for the coming fiscal year, and we will update this information as we get it. In addition to the stipend, you’ll receive $1,000 for educational expenses.
As an intern, you’ll receive two weeks paid vacation, one week of educational leave, and one week of sick leave. You are also given one week of job search and relocation time. Excellent health insurance coverage is provided for interns and dependents. Professional liability insurance and a $30,000 life insurance policy are also included as benefits.
There is a significant salary increase for the postdoctoral fellowship year, and in addition to the benefits received by interns, fellows are also given one week of job search/relocation time.
Geisinger is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of Geisinger not to discriminate against any person with respect to hiring, wages, hours, fringe benefits, working conditions, placement or promotion because of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, handicap, status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran or any classification protected by law in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local laws.
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.
Geisinger is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants for employment in order to assure that qualified individuals with disabilities enjoy full access to equal employment opportunity (EEO). Geisinger shall provide reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants with disabilities unless a particular accommodation would impose an undue hardship on our system. If you need an accommodation to apply for a position with Geisinger or have any questions, call the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at 570-808-5809.