Tracks & Schedules

We provide a well-rounded psychology training experience and offer two-year, yearlong, simultaneous tracks. Activities in these tracks include assessment, outpatient individual, family, group therapies, outpatient clinics, and inpatient consultation/liaison, which interns must participate in each week. All interns are expected to conduct one Neuroscience Grand Rounds, at least three didactic presentations, and at least two therapy groups during their internship year.  Interns will have 14-18 clinical contact hours per week.

Track Experiences

Pediatric Psychology Track

The Pediatric Psychology track emphasizes working with medically hospitalized patients, their families and treatment teams. Interns in this track are also required to work in outpatient medical clinics (e.g., hematology/oncology, pain management, cystic fibrosis). We will also offer a year-long rotation in our Gender Support Program. In this rotation, you are able to co-lead brief consultation regarding readiness to initiate puberty suppression or gender-affirming hormone therapy and to provide ongoing individual and family therapy for gender-diverse youth. You would participate in monthly multidisciplinary team meetings and have opportunities to collaborate with community partners (local nonprofits and schools).   You have a year-long experience with the consultation/liaison service. The service works with teams across the hospital. Patients that are frequently seen on this service include those with acute or chronic pain or illness, severe problems in adjustment to a medical condition, and/or significant non-adherence. Other consults involve pre- and post-solid organ transplant, problems after serious accident or traumatic brain injury, and/or end-of-life concerns. Interventions with these patients often involve training in skills for coping with complex medical conditions, pain management strategies and the brief assessment and treatment of anxiety and/or depression. Interns attend care conferences in which psychosocial impressions are presented and treatment recommendations are made. Therefore, there is an emphasis in training within multidisciplinary teams.  Interns will also receive training before participating in the department’s weekend on-call service to the general medical floors. In times of a “surge” in mental health needs in the Emergency Department, Psychology and interns may be called to assist.

Pediatric Neuropsychology Track

Interns in this track are also required to participate in outpatient medical clinics (e.g., hematology/oncology, pain management,), and to conduct outpatient individual and group therapy programs with medically complex patients.  The Pediatric Neuropsychology track provides training in the practice of clinical psychology, with emphasis in neuropsychology, through supervised evidence-based patient care within the hospital setting supplemented by a didactic curriculum. This track affords training in concert with the criteria set forth by the Houston Conference on Specialty Education and Training in Clinical Neuropsychology. Clinical activities include a major rotation involving outpatient neuropsychological evaluation of pediatric patients ranging in age from 3-21 years old who present with acquired brain injuries and medical conditions that affect central nervous system functioning including pediatric cancers, brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, genetic disorders, movement disorders, and congenital CNS disorders. The intern will also participate in a minor inpatient neuropsychology rotation involving inpatient neuropsychological assessment with referrals from the neurorehabilitation unit, pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit, biobehavioral unit, as well as hospital-wide neuropsychological consultation. Interns also have opportunities to work with staff neuropsychologists to provide supervision and training to pre-doctoral practicum students. Outstanding didactic training is available from the options listed below. Interns in this track are also required to conduct outpatient individual and group therapy programs with medically complex patients. Interns will also receive training before participating in the department’s weekend on-call service to the general medical floors. In times of a “surge” in mental health needs in the Emergency Department, Psychology and interns may be called to assist.

Outpatient therapy opportunities include working with the clinics such as cystic fibrosis, chronic pain management, dermatology, palliative care, and providing outpatient follow-up to patients discharged from the hospital. Patients from the dialysis or LGBTQI clinics can be followed long-term. Other patients are seen for a variety of behavioral health issues, such as conduct problems, anxiety, or depression. Interns lead psychoeducational group programs for parents and/or teens. These programs are usually provided for parents of children with ADHD and teens with chronic pain, or anxiety, and their parents. Other training experiences:

Changes to the program related to COVID-19.  

Our curriculum remains basically the same although the means by which some of the experiences are obtained has changed.  For example, didactic training can occur through video conferencing.  In addition, outpatient psychotherapy and some of the assessment process (e.g., interviews, informing sessions, etc.) can also be conducted remotely. We will provide training in tele-therapy and the use of the Phoenix Children's Hospital telehealth system.  Inpatient intervention and much outpatient assessment is conducted in-person.  

• Monthly one-hour case seminar discussion/presentation *
• Weekly one-hour Intern Training Seminars with staff and outside professionals on clinical/ethical/assessment/medical/professional issues *
• Weekly one-hour Grand Rounds presentations for all medical staff
• Weekly one-hour Pediatric Neuroscience Grand Rounds
• Weekly Epilepsy Conference
• Monthly meetings with the Training Director *
• Monthly Diversity Seminar *
• Monthly Trauma Rounds
• Continuing education seminars and conferences held by/for Phoenix Children's staff and residents throughout the year
• Additional Didactic Training specific to tracks *
• Monthly assessment case conference *

* Attendance is expected