Child clinical/pediatric psychology track
Geisinger’s Child Clinical/Pediatric Psychology track offers you comprehensive training in short-term, evidence-based treatment in the primary care setting. As an innovative healthcare system serving thousands of rural patients, Geisinger is focused on improving patient access to physical and mental healthcare. Pediatric psychologists are embedded in Integrated Practice Units (IPUs) and work on care teams throughout the system.
This track offers an exciting chance to work side-by-side with medical professionals to provide effective interventions to children, adolescents and families. You’ll leave the program with a strong knowledge of clinical skills, operational factors, administrative procedures and program evaluation approaches unique to integrated behavioral health and child clinical/pediatric psychology.
At Geisinger, we adhere to the scientist-practitioner model of psychological practice. Clinical training follows the apprentice model. You are supervised by faculty members with active practices and function with considerable autonomy, assuming junior-level staff responsibilities.
As a participant in the program, you’re expected to:
- Develop clinical skills to support independent practice
- Collaborate by learning about the medical culture, serving as an interdisciplinary team member and consulting with medical professionals
- Work with culturally diverse groups and respect individual differences
- Apply research skills in a clinical setting
- Uphold high standards of patient care and professional ethics
- Use scientific evidence to guide practice
- Advocate for the profession of psychology
Over the training year, you will expand your skills in the areas of assessment, treatment, consultation and research. Clinical experiences are of primary importance with particular emphasis placed on learning behavior change methods. Faculty provide supervision in empirically supported therapies, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and motivational interviewing.
Regional model
As an intern, you are assigned to an Integrated Practice Unit (IPU) and have multiple clinical experiences within that region. Sites vary in terms of level of integration, patient populations and treatment experiences. Intern cohorts meet weekly for didactic seminars.
Clinical practice in pediatric psychology
You will provide evidence-based individual, group and family therapy in the primary care setting, where there’s an emphasis on short-term, problem-focused assessment and brief intervention. You will deliver all services on-site in medical practices.
Consultation & collaboration
You may have the opportunity to participate in face-to-face consultations with medical professionals. This consultation may include education on a behavioral health topic or specific guidance on their approach to a patient issue.
Crisis evaluation & treatment
You’ll have the opportunity to provide timely patient care and help reduce unnecessary use of high-intensity services in the emergency room or inpatient setting. Consistent with this goal, you and faculty may engage in same-day management of crisis situations in the outpatient setting. You’ll expand your skills in crisis risk assessment, safety planning and stabilization in the primary care setting.
Interdisciplinary training
You may have the opportunity to provide valuable training and education to primary care providers, medical residents, nurses and office staff in the primary care setting. Formats vary across clinics and may include scheduled lectures and trainings, individual consultations, case conferences and clinical observation. Topics are tailored to meet the needs of the clinic and have included motivational interviewing, school anxiety and refusal, behavioral parent training skills, supporting transgender youth and behavioral strategies for shot administration. There may also be opportunities to supervise students across disciplines.
Group treatment programs
Group treatment programs may include:
- Behavioral parent training and children’s problem-solving skills training for school-age children with disruptive behavior disorders/ADHD
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for adolescents
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Group
Program development & evaluation
As an intern, you’ll contribute to clinic-wide improvement efforts and help implement, problem-solve and evaluate these approaches. Examples of past efforts include creating a token economy to improve compliance during medical visits, the development of school note policies and the revision of vaccine administration procedures.
Schedules include protected research time, and we encourage you to participate in evaluation and dissemination efforts during training. Trainees have routinely presented at national conferences, and they contribute to manuscripts for publication.
Eligibility
Preference is given to applicants who meet 4 admission criteria:
- Enrolled in an APA- or CPA-approved doctoral training program
- Have a master’s degree in psychology or counseling — at least 3 years of full-time graduate-level training, 4 years preferred
- Passed the comprehensive or qualifying exam by the application deadline
- Approved dissertation proposal by the application deadline
Geisinger is committed to cultivating a culture of diversity and inclusion. We recognize that our team is our most valuable asset and seek to promote an environment that is welcoming of persons of all races, ethnicities, religious beliefs, genders and sexual orientations. We celebrate your life experiences, personal differences, knowledge, innovation and talent, and we work to create a welcoming and safe environment for all residents and fellows.
Geisinger is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. 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.