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Psychology Advanced Practicum

The CSU Health Network offers Advanced Psychology Practicum placements for doctoral students from Colorado State’s Counseling Psychology Program and other regional institutions.  These placements are designed for graduate students who are beyond the beginning stages of training and clinical experience, and who are interested in more advanced training within an APA-accredited counseling center setting.  The Advanced Practicum is open to 3rd, 4th and 5th year doctoral students in counseling or clinical psychology.

The Colorado State University Health Network is an integrated mental health and medical clinic serving both undergraduate and graduate students within a large land-grant university. It is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) for the doctoral internship in Health Service Psychology and by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Presenting issues of clients range from the expected developmental concerns of college students to severe mental health diagnoses, including psychoses and personality disorders. The most common presenting concerns are stress/anxiety, mood disorders, relationship issues, eating disorders, sexual concerns, substance use, and identity development.

Clinicians in our counseling center serve the mental health needs of students in a variety of ways. General Services includes individual psychotherapy, a vibrant group therapy program, and crisis intervention services. We work to foster team-based collaboration between our medical staff and mental health professionals and provide experience working within a medical context through several interdisciplinary treatment teams. Specialty programs including the DAY Programs (treatment related to substance use/abuse and other addictions) and the iTEAM (DBT-informed post-hospitalization program providing integrated care to clients experiencing an acute mental health crisis) provide additional opportunities for students to receive specialized care. Our Multicultural Counseling Team (MCC) was established to provide additional support for students holding marginalized identities and includes drop-in counseling hours for these students. The CSUHN has a strong commitment to social justice advocacy and has solid working relationships with the various Cultural Resource Centers and other student support offices and programs on campus.

The training of clinically-competent, ethical, self-aware, and culturally sensitive psychologists is central to our mission. (Please click here for more information on the training program’s commitment to diversity.) We provide training to as many as thirty graduate students from diverse disciplines each year. All training is provided on site. The CSUHN does not use any distance education technologies for training or supervision. The seven training cohorts that comprise our training program are described very briefly below.

Our Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology has been accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1973 and was one of the first university counseling services to earn this recognition. Our Master’s Internships in Social Work and Counseling are offered to students from CSU and other regional institutions. Advanced Practicum placements are open to third, fourth, and fifth year doctoral psychology graduate students from CSU and nearby universities, and GSA positions are sometimes offered to advanced-level doctoral psychology graduate students in CSU’s Counseling Psychology graduate program. The third year Counseling Psychology Practicum is offered in conjunction with CSU’s doctoral program in Counseling Psychology and is only open to their students. We also offer Post-Doctoral and Post-Masters Fellowships. These fellowships provide opportunities to continue to build skills as a generalist clinician while also developing skills in a specialized area.

Six core principles reflect our training philosophy and serve as a foundation for the model of training at the CSUHN. The following statements address our beliefs about the nature of training and our expectations for the treatment of others.

Broad-based training is essential for developing professionals.
We value the contributions of our own and other professional disciplines to the training program, recognizing that a diverse set of knowledge and skills are essential for effective practice.

Psychological theory and research are the foundation for competent practice. 
The training staff believes that psychological theory and scientific research provide a foundation for conceptualization and intervention. The practice of mental health professionals should be grounded in theories relevant to their discipline and the supporting scientific literature.

An optimal learning environment is supportive and challenging.
We believe that learning is facilitated by an environment in which challenge is balanced with support. We value an open environment in which ideas can be explored and it is safe to make mistakes. We encourage trainees to honestly assess their professional strengths and limitations so that we may collaboratively establish training goals.

A commitment to self-awareness and a willingness to monitor the impact of personal needs on professional behavior are expected of all members of the staff.
Effectiveness as a mental health professional is not simply the result of skills acquisition, but rather the successful synthesis of competence and personal maturity that results in self-regulated, ethical behavior. Self-knowledge, self-care, and the ability to balance one’s personal and professional lives are essential to being an effective role model and instrument of change.

Each trainee and staff member has the right to be treated with respect.
Respect, honest communication, cooperation in meeting goals, and the support of one’s colleagues are central to a productive work environment. Evidence of bias, stereotyped thinking, and prejudicial beliefs and attitudes will not go unchallenged, even when such behavior is rationalized as a being a function of ignorance, joking, or cultural differences.

Respect for human diversity is a fundamental component of all activities.

The CSU Health Network bases all its programs and services, including training, on a philosophy that affirms the dignity of all people. We expect staff and trainees to be committed to the social values of respect for diversity, inclusion and equity. Both trainers and trainees should demonstrate a willingness to examine their own assumptions, behaviors, and values so that they may work effectively (as clinicians, teachers, mentors, and advocates) with “cultural, individual, and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status” (APA Ethics Code, 2002, Principle E).

Our training program is based on the values inherent in the Practitioner-Scholar model. As practitioners, we value the learning that comes through direct experience with others and thoughtful self-reflection. As scholars, we recognize the importance of theory, research and critical thinking. We believe that both practice and scholarship are essential in preparing new mental health professionals to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups in a rapidly-changing world. We value a lifelong commitment to the integration of self-reflective practice and scholarly examination.

We believe that becoming a competent psychologist, social worker or counselor is a developmental process requiring graduated experiences and training. Consequently, the CSUHN offers training experiences from beginning practica through postdoctoral fellowships. The didactic instruction and supervised practice opportunities vary according to the level of training and the readiness of the individual student. As trainees gain experience, expectations for more advanced professional skills, greater self-awareness and autonomous functioning increase.

We place a high value on the integration of one’s personal and professional identities. We strive to tailor each student’s experience to their individual needs within the structured activities of our training program. Ongoing self-assessment of one’s strengths and limitations is encouraged. When coupled with the supervisory feedback of multiple staff members who are committed to training new professionals, there is great opportunity for personal and professional development.

Although there is some flexibility in the weekly time commitment for an Advanced Practicum student, we prefer a commitment of a minimum of 16.5 hours per week in both Fall and Spring semesters. Placements are available in General Services (initial consults, individual therapy, and walk-in triage/crisis intervention) or ***DAY Programs (Drugs, Alcohol and You, a comprehensive substance use & addictions treatment program for both mandated and voluntary students).

***PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR DAY PROGRAMS FOR THE 2024/2025 TRAINING YEAR. We still will be accepting up to five General Service Advanced Practicum students.

Students are paid on an hourly basis at a rate of $16.00/hour.

SPECIAL NOTE: Orientation for Fall semester begins three weeks before the first day of CSU classes (July 29 in 2024) and runs throughout the 3 week period until classes start. Advanced Practicum students must be available to attend approximately 20 hours/week of scheduled training during that time period.

Service Delivery ExperiencesService delivery experiences differ somewhat depending upon whether one is placed within General Services or ***DAY. Advanced Practicum students are typically on site at the CSUHN two days per week for 16.5 hours total.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR DAY PROGRAMS FOR THE 2024/2025 TRAINING YEAR.

General Services Advanced Practicum Students: Training clinicians in the General Services track will have opportunities to work with clients presenting a broad range of problems, including mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, and family concerns. Training clinicians’ work focuses on intakes (“Initial Consultations”) and individual therapy. They typically also are responsible for a daytime on-call counseling shift (OCC), providing drop-in crisis and triage support to students. A licensed senior staff clinician will be available to provide support if needed during these shifts.

DAY Programs Advanced Practicum Students:  Training clinicians in the DAY (Drugs, Alcohol and You) Programs track will work with students whose presenting concerns include issues related to the use of alcohol and other drugs. Their clinical hours will be divided between individual therapy, groups, facilitation of psycho-educational workshops, national best practice programs such as BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students), and participation in the Open to Change (OTC) multidisciplinary treatment team. OTC is an innovative program, designed for working with students needing substance use treatment. The program offers weekly individual therapy, group, academic support, and access to psychiatric services. The training clinician will have the unique opportunity to participate in all aspects of this multidisciplinary program, which uses a combination of sanctions and incentives to encourage positive change while providing individualized treatment, psychoeducation, and compliance monitoring. In the past, more than half of DAY Programs students were mandated to treatment, but the demand for services for voluntary clients continues to rise.

Training ActivitiesCSUHN’s commitment to training is reflected in seminars, supervision, and other professional development activities available to training clinicians.

Supervision: Individual supervision is provided by senior staff psychologists, social workers, and counselors. Supervision also may be provided by unlicensed clinicians with advanced skills (e.g., doctoral psychology interns or postdoctoral fellows) under the supervision of a licensed clinician, who will also take responsibility for the Advanced Practicum student’s clinical work and sign off on all of their clinical documentation. General Services Advanced Practicum students typically receive 1.5 hours of weekly individual supervision, while DAY Advanced Practicum students receive an hour of weekly individual supervision and an hour of weekly group supervision. Other members of the training staff may provide additional clinical supervision of aspects of the student’s work. The supervisor will work with the student to identify their training needs and develop a contract that best fulfills the individual’s training goals, as well as those of their academic program and the CSUHN.

Training Seminars and Meetings: 

  • Adv Prac/GSA SeminarAll Advanced Practicum Students participate in this Seminar. This seminar focuses on issues of diversity and social justice, with a strong emphasis on case consultation and group supervision. The seminar may include formal and informal case presentations as well as group discussions on topics selected to foster training clinicians’ ability to work effectively with clients holding diverse identities. A primary focus of this seminar is on identity exploration and examination of how different aspects of participants’ identities impact their clinical work and professional presentation.
  • Crisis Seminar/OCC Group Supervision (General Services only): Training clinicians who are assigned an OCC shift will attend a crisis seminar that meets every other week for an hour during the semester that they have this shift. This seminar focuses on topics relevant to the brief triage and crisis work they will be doing on their OCC shift (e.g., types of interventions that are possible within this time frame, assessment of client needs and referrals) as well as how to address crisis situations (e.g., risk assessment, hospitalization). This seminar will also provide opportunities for the training clinicians to process challenging experiences on OCC and to receive additional guidance and feedback on these experiences.
  • DAY Group Supervision (DAY Programs only): This weekly group supervision meeting is attended by all DAY core staff and training clinicians. The DAY group supervision primarily is focused on didactics and discussion of issues related to substance use, as well as opportunities to consult about challenging clinical cases.
  • OTC Staffing Meeting (DAY Programs only): This weekly multidisciplinary team meeting is an opportunity for training clinicians in the DAY Programs to present on clients in this program. Academic support staff and DAY staff discuss program participants in order to coordinate care, consult and receive clinical support, and made collaborative decisions on student progress through the OTC program.

Administrative Time: Depending upon the number of clinical hours provided, Advanced Practicum Students are typically allotted 2-4 hours each week to write clinical notes, make phone calls, respond to emails, and tend to other administrative tasks.

Although the training clinician’s schedule will depend on their assignment in the agency and the number of hours in the placement, a sample weekly schedule for Advanced Practicum students follows:
General ServicesDAY
Clinical Services
Individual Therapy5.0
Initial Consultations (intakes)1.0
Drop-in On Call Services (OCC)3.5
DAY Clinical Services7.0
DAY OTC Staffing2.0
Training
Individual Supervision1.51.0
Adv Prac/GSA Seminar1.51.5
Crisis Seminar0.5
Group Supervision1.0
Meetings
Clinical Administration2.52.5
OCC Huddle0.5
OCC Meeting0.5
DAY Meetings (Case Mgmt, Admin)1.5
Total16.516.5
 

Evaluation of Advanced Practicum Performance:

At the beginning of each semester, each Advanced Practicum Student and his/her supervisor set goals for the semester. The student is responsible for articulating their goals with the input and collaboration of the supervisor. At the end of the semester (December and May), the training staff meets with each student to provide feedback about their respective performances and to solicit feedback about the student’s training experience. The supervisor’s evaluation of the Advanced Practicum student is completed at this time.

If the student’s home program requires a different evaluation form than the form used by the CSUHN, the student should discuss this with their supervisor at the beginning of their work together and should provide their supervisor with a copy of this form at least two weeks before it is due. 

Feedback for Supervisors and Training Staff from Training Clinicians:

At the conclusion of each semester, training clinicians will have an opportunity to complete formal evaluations of their clinical supervisors and seminars. Training clinicians are encouraged to provide on-going feedback to the training staff throughout the year.

Graduate students interested in applying for a 2024-2025 Advanced Practicum position should submit the following materials in Word format to Ginny.Laahs@colostate.edu by Sunday, January 28th at 11:59pm Mountain Time.

  1. A letter describing your interest in the position;
  2. A C.V. or professional resume;
  3. A completed Information Form;
  4. Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of two academic/professional references.

Please note that students who have received ongoing individual counseling services from the CSUHN since starting their graduate training are not eligible for this position. The eligibility of students who received individual counseling services from the CSUHN before starting their graduate training will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, to avoid potential dual role relationships. Students who have received group services through the CSUHN at any time are eligible for this position. Please contact the CSUHN Training Director, Aki Hosoi (Aki.Hosoi@colostate.edu), if you have received ongoing services (i.e., not a one-time crisis appointment) at any time through the CSUHN, to discuss possible dual role concerns and how we can best navigate these when considering reviewers for application review and supervisors if selected for training here. Please also contact Dr. Hosoi with any questions concerning your eligibility.

Interviews will be scheduled in February. In an effort to reduce applicant stress, we will adhere to the Mutual Selection Date (Friday, February 23, 2024) that was agreed upon by many of the UCCs in the area. (Please note that not all sites follow this deadline, so you may want to ask other sites you apply to whether they are also adhering to this date when you interview there.)

The sites that have agreed to adhere to the Mutual Selection Date have consulted with one another and recognized a benefit to working more collaboratively with one another for the greater efficiency and benefit of sites and students alike when selecting advanced practicum level training clinicians for placements at our centers. We recognize that every year it is challenging to navigate so many different timelines in the interview process. We have found that many applicants apply to multiple UCCs at the same time and are pressured into making selections before having interviewed or heard back from all UCC sites. The Mutual Selection Date will work as follows:

Mutual Selection Date: February 23th, 2024

  1. Sites will interview on their own timelines
    Sites will offer placements to their first selected applicants; these applicants will have until February 23, 2024 to notify that site whether they will accept the offered placement. Applicants are of course welcome to accept or decline an offer before February 23, 2024 and sites will continue to make offers per normal should offers be declined prior to the selection date. This timeline simply allows all applicants an opportunity to have interviewed at any UCCs prior to having to make a decision.
    Sites will then be contacting other applicants after February 23, 2023, should remaining placements be open or should all positions be closed.
    Our hope is that this will ease the process for all involved.

Additional Requirements:

Orientation for fall semester begins three weeks before the first day of classes at CSU (July 29 in 2024). Advanced Practicum students must be available to attend approximately 20 hours/week of scheduled training during that time period. Trainings are scheduled at varying times throughout those three weeks, so training clinicians will need to have the flexibility to attend trainings at varying days/times throughout the orientation period (a schedule of orientation trainings will be sent to selected trainees in the summer). Trainees will commit to a regular weekly schedule beginning the first day of CSU’s fall classes.

All offers are contingent upon the student successfully passing a background check. Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.  CSU Policy Library:  http://policylibrary.colostate.edu/policy.aspx?id=461

Colorado State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding affirmative action requirements.

2023/2024 Training Staff

Helen Bowden
Year-Round Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2008)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – University of Florida (2005) 

Jenny Brandsma 
Associate Director, Clinical Services
Licensed Professional Counselor (2011)
MA – University of Denver (2007)

Andrew L. Brimhall
Senior Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2019)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Ball State University (2018)

Ivis Carrera Valdes
Year-Round Staff, General Services
MSA– University of Florida (2020)

Lisa Cline
Year-Round Staff, iTEAM
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2013)
MSW – Colorado State University (2008)

Dee Colombini
Senior Staff, DAY Programs
Licensed Professional Counselor (1999)
Licensed Addictions Counselor (2014)
MA – University of Missouri (1990)

Karen Eichel
Senior Staff, Interpersonal Violence Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor (2018)
M.Ed.—Colorado State University (2015)

Beit Gorski
Licensed Professional Counselor (less than 3 years)
Naropa University – 2013

Aki Hosoi
Associate Director/Training Director
Licensed Psychologist (2011)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2010)

Christopher Leck 
Assistant Director, DAY Programs
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2009)
MSW – Colorado State University (2006)

Allegra Lyon 
Year-Round Staff, iTEAM
Psychologist
PhD – University of Northern Colorado (2022)

Pam McCracken 
Year-Round Staff, DAY Programs
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (2014)
MSW – University of Kansas (1993)

Jeff Nepute
Senior Staff (team lead), iTEAM
Licensed Psychologist (2016)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2014)

Stephen Okiyama
Senior Staff, General Services
Licensed Psychologist (2013 – CO)
PhD (Clinical Psychology) – Fuller Graduate School of Psychology (1989)

Adam Sargent
Assistant Director, Group Program
Licensed Psychologist (2016)
PhD (Counseling Psychology) – Colorado State University (2015)

Jesse Wolf
Senior Staff, iTEAM
Licensed Psychologist (2020)
PsyD (Clinical Psychologist) – William James College (2018)
 
Zoe Urcadez
Year-Round Staff, General Services
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Candidate
MA- University of San Francisco (2020)

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, a mid-size city of 165,080 residents in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The 833-acre main campus of Colorado State University is virtually a city within itself, with nearly 100 buildings that house administrative offices and facilities, classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, library, student activity and recreational facilities, a bookstore, and performing arts venues.

The University’s 2018-2019 resident instruction enrollment was 28,679 with students from every state and more than 110 countries. Approximately 62% of the students are Coloradoans. Our U.S. student population identifies as 27.3% ethnic minority and 72.7% Caucasian. There are over 2300 students and scholars from foreign countries with the highest percentage from Saudi Arabia, China, Oman, and Vietnam. Women represent approximately 51.8% of CSU’s enrollment. Last year, 6084 students (approximately 21% of CSU’s 2018-2019 enrollment) were seen at the CSUHN Counseling Services. We saw primarily undergraduate students, with graduate/professional students making up 19.5% of the population we served. Of the clients who came to the CSUHN Counseling Services, 58.2% identified as female, 41.3% identified as male, and 0.5% identified in another way. In terms of ethnicity, 20.7% of our clients identified as ethnically diverse: American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%), Asian American/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Black/African American (2.2%), Latinx (11.8%) and multiracial (3.8%). These numbers closely parallel the representation of these populations within the student body. International students comprised 8.5% of the students we served. Many more of these historically underrepresented students were served through outreach programming.

Colorado State University is one of our nation’s leading research universities with world-class research in infectious disease, atmospheric science, clean energy technologies, and environmental science. It was founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College, six years before the Colorado Territory became a state. Colorado State is a land-grant institution and a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University-Extensive.

Colorado State University is a “university of choice” for Colorado residents – 37% of all of Colorado’s science, math, engineering and technology majors pursue degrees at CSU. In addition to its excellent programs in those areas, CSU offers among the very best professional programs in the United States in veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, journalism, agriculture and construction management. Colorado State faculty are researching and tackling critical global issues, such as the reemergence of tuberculosis, air pollution in Asian cities, severe weather forecasting, nutrition and wellness, and bioterrorism. CSU’s faculty provides an enriched student learning experience by offering laboratory and field experiences from a major research university. This approach – combining the intellectual experience of the classroom with the practical experience of the field and laboratory – is based on the land-grant philosophy.

Colorado State’s Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement office hosts some of the strongest community-service programs in the country, allowing more than 6,000 students to participate in the university’s proud tradition of public outreach. CSU faculty played a significant role in the founding of the Peace Corps, and CSU remains one of the primary sources of Peace Corps volunteers today.

Colorado State is ranked in the top tier of universities in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of “America’s Best Colleges and Universities,” while Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine named CSU one of the top public universities in the United States in terms of educational quality and affordability. For more information on Colorado State University, please visit http://www.colostate.edu.

Fort Collins is a city that has garnered an array of honors:

∙   One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today– September 2019

∙   One of the top six ‘Smarter Cities’ for Energy: Natural Resources Defense Council, (population 100,000-249,999)– August 2010

∙   6th Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine– July 2010

∙   One of the Most Underrated Cities in the West: com– June 2010

∙   One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy magazine– April 2010

∙   Ranked 4th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes– April 2010

∙   One of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations: National Trust for Historic Preservation– February 2010

∙   Ranked 3rd ‘Smarter City’ for sustainability: Natural Resources Defense Council– July 2009

∙   One of America’s 20 Most Economically Vibrant College Towns: com– September 2011

∙   Ranked First, Safest Drivers in America: Allstate Insurance Company– 2011

∙   Ranked 3rd on the Best Bicycle Cities list: League of American Bicyclists and TheStreet.com– August 2011

∙   One of the top 15 Best Places for triathletes to live and train: Triathlete Magazine– August 2011

∙   Ranked 1st Best Place to Live and Work for Young Professionals (pop. 100,000-200,000): Next Generation Consulting– March 2009

Fort Collins has more than 300 days of sunshine per year (rivaling Miami or San Diego), so Colorado State University students can sample the city life and a variety of recreational opportunities throughout the year. Fort Collins is located 65 miles north of Denver and 45 miles south of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Transportation between Fort Collins and Denver International Airport is provided by both bus and limousine service.

At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is within a one-hour drive of such major recreational areas as Estes Park, Red Feather Lakes, Horsetooth Reservoir, and several national parks, including the 790,000 acre Roosevelt National Forest and Rocky Mountain National Park. A wide variety of recreational activities is fostered not only by the presence of such areas but also by the climate in the Fort Collins region. Located at an elevation of 5,000 feet, Fort Collins has a clear, dry atmosphere and generally pleasant temperatures throughout the year. The summer temperature ranges from an average high of 82 to an average low of 52 degrees; the winter temperature ranges from an average high of 41 to an average low of 13 degrees.

Indicative of the cultural life of Fort Collins is the museum, public library, Lincoln Center, and Civic Symphony. An active University calendar — guest speakers, art exhibits, theater, cinema, concerts — adds to community life. This broad spectrum of cultural and outdoor recreational facilities, the excellent climate, and the mountain surroundings contributes to the ideal university setting of Fort Collins.

For more information on Fort Collins, please visit http://www.fcgov.com/visitor/.