Clinical Psychology Doctoral Internship
Internship Program in Clinical Psychology
Founded in 1912 as the Boston Psychopathic Hospital, the Massachusetts Mental Health Center (MMHC) was one of the nation's first public psychiatric teaching hospitals. An agency of the Department of Mental Health and an academic division of the Department of Psychiatry at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the MMHC has a proud history of providing state of the art treatment to those with serious mental illness, as well as excellent training and research in a rigorous academic program.
The internship program in clinical psychology at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center has been part of that tradition for over 50 years. The program provides education and training in the major roles of the contemporary psychologist and the mastery of skills essential to the practice of psychology.
It aims to develop reliable competencies in consultation, program evaluation and quality improvement; evaluation and treatment planning; psychotherapy, psychodiagnostic testing, neuropsychological testing; and research through supervised clinical experience, seminars and relevant readings. The program honors and teaches the mission of MMHC to provide person-centered, trauma informed, and recovery-focused care to people with serious mental illness.
About the Training & Experience
In terms of theoretical approach, our training experience is highly integrative. Our curriculum aims to train clinicians in contemporary leading-edge evidence-based practice that is responsive to current social realities, while also remaining informed by its context in the broader history of psychodynamic and psychoanalytic thought.
Accordingly, our training supervisors and course readings come from a broad range of approaches and theoretical orientations. This training requires a substantial time commitment to the core curriculum for psychology interns in the Psychology Department and a sustained, year-long involvement with multiple clinical placements.
The program includes experience with a range of populations that have limited access to comprehensive clinical care, particularly those with chronic and severe mental illness. The ability to work with individuals from a broad range of backgrounds and lived experiences is a major focus of our internship.
The program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) and abides by its regulations. The internship program in clinical psychology at MMHC is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association.
More About the Internship
The internship carries an appointment as Clinical Fellow in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Interns receive four weeks of vacation and paid sick leave. In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, the program allows reasonable unpaid leave to interns and residents more than personal time off and sick leave.
Interns are employees of, and benefits are provided by, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Health insurance offers coverage for families, legally married partner and domestic partner. A substantial part of the cost of health insurance is included, but trainee contribution to cost is required. Athletic privileges and other resources of the university, including Harvard library and commuter benefits, are available on a fee basis.
In order to begin the internship you must pass the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check that will be requested. As employees of BIDMC, interns are subject to the policies of the BIDMC and its Human Resource Department.
Although the doctoral internship is a one-year program, MMHC offers many opportunities for post-internship training. Two two-year fellowships in Neuropsychology are regularly available. We also offer two one-year clinical fellowships in severe mental illness and clinical services research. Other fellowships are available in various clinical programs depending on funding from year to year. There are often research fellowships at MMHC, which combines clinical and research opportunities.
From 2021 to 2024, 14 interns were in the 3 cohorts and all interns sought out employment or hold a post-doctoral residency position. Currently, one intern has an employed position academic teaching, four interns hold a post-doctoral residency position at a community mental health center, seven interns hold a post-doctoral residency position at a hospital/medical center, one intern holds a post-doctoral residency position in an independent practice setting and one intern holds a post-doctoral residency position in another area.
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