Training Calendar
Each week the training program includes a one-and-a-half hour Didactic Training session, given by a range of professionals from the program and the community, and an additional hour plus time of Training and Supervision session in Triage/Current Topics/Outreach Skills. Didactic training is organized within the framework of an integrative model and includes developmental, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, systems, and gestalt orientations. Emphasis is placed on understanding and utilizing transference, counter-transference and cross-cultural issues in a brief therapy model. Trainees are encouraged to participate with current clinical material for each training to integrate theory and practice.
Training topics include brief therapy approaches, working with trauma, anxiety, depression, mindfulness-based approaches, couples therapy, ethics, working with crisis clients, substance abuse, medication issues, sexuality, sexual orientation, and termination issues.
Two-year Training Program
SPS is both a one and a two year site for CAPIC, and often BAPIC students and MFT students choose to participate for two years as well, to allow for continuity and greater depth of learning. The two year program overall has a graded progression increasing in responsibility, breadth and depth from year one to year two. In training this means that more is expected of each trainee in their second year in level of participation, mentoring, leadership and modeling in training experiences. The topics change from year to year, and the complexity and depth increases in material and application in the second year.
NOTE: The one year half-time program is equivalent to the first year of the two year half-time program.
How Doctoral Internship differs from Practicum
All unlicensed staff, Interns and Practicum students alike, are met at their particular level of training and readiness. Assessment of skill level is made in the first weeks of the program, and evaluation and support are ongoing. In general, in relation to practicum students, doctoral interns carry more responsibility both clinically, in terms of caseload and duties performed, and professionally, in terms of their modeling and support of peers and other members of the cohort. There are many variables in the program which could come into play: numbers of clients, numbers of Drop-in days, frequency of support organization meetings to facilitate, numbers of presentations to the college, roles in the trainings and outreach. In terms of supervision, less experienced participants in the program are likely to have more frequent and specific assignments regarding document development and the broadening and deepening of treatment and intervention skills.
Program Summary
The SPS Training Program Summarized:
- Practicum/MFT internship: 10 mo. half-time (20 hours) program, Aug 12, 2024 - May 23, 2025.
- Doctoral Interns: two year half-time program (one year is also an option)
- 12 mo., 24 hours/week program Aug-July, 7 weeks vacation - meets all 50 US state's licensure requirements, or
- 10 mo., 20 hours/week program Aug-May, 4 weeks vacation - meets some state's licensure requirements, including CA (but doctoral intern should be certain they will not seek licensure in other states in the future)
- Orientation Week: Mon - Fri, 10:00am to 5:00pm, August 12 to 16, 2024.
- Weekly Tuesday Training Program, 8:30am - 2:00pm.
- Case Conference/Group Supervision 8:30am - 10:00am.
- Didactic Training, 10:10am - 11:40am.
- Training/supervision on Triage, Current Topics and Outreach, 12:45pm - 1:50pm.
- Weekly Individual Supervision (one hour during the week).
- 9-11 clients (practicum/MFT internship) to 12-14 clients (doctoral internship) per week, includes 2 drop-in sessions/week.
- Record all sessions for use in supervision.
- Liaison to student and campus clubs/organizations
- Participate in outreach and prevention presentations.
- Provide informal supervision/mentorship to peer support workers.
All SPS Trainees/Interns are provided a $8000/year stipend for the 10-month program.
Qualifications
SPS is both a clinical placement and a training community. Trainees must have adequate training and experience to support clinical work in a demanding site working with a diverse adult population. Familiarity with DSM diagnoses and standard of care documentation is expected, as well as the curiosity and openness to further professional growth in these areas through training. For BAPIC, SPS prefers trainees who have had at least one prior year of direct clinical service experience and CAPIC-level trainees who have had at least two years of direct clinical service, in both cases ideally at least one year with adults or high-school aged clients. For MFT interns, SPS prefers those who have worked with clients prior to starting. The personal maturity, psychological mindedness, respect for individual and cultural differences, and life experience of a trainee are all also significant factors. Familiarity with several theoretical orientations and an openness to integrative training is a must.
We seek to create a safe setting where trainees will learn deeply about themselves, as they develop the skills and craft to be a clinician. Thus, SPS seeks competent, motivated, thoughtful, curious, and eager applicants, who are interested in and committed to fully participating in an engaging and open training program to help create an enriching and positive learning environment. Bilingual and bicultural abilities are highly desirable.
Tuesdays from 8:30am-2pm are required; the full-time Orientation period in August is required. Beyond this, hours and days are flexible. A commitment of 20 hours each week for practicum/MFT students and 20-24 hours per week for doctoral interns is required, and the program follows an academic calendar with school holidays observed, including five weeks in which the college is on vacation in the 10-month period and seven weeks in the 12-month period. Individual vacations must coincide with the school vacation periods.
Sport Psychology Track
Each year Student Psychology Services as SRJC accepts one trainee to its Sport Psychology program. This trainee follows a schedule very similar to the other trainees at SRJC. Most commonly, our Sport Psychology trainees have come from JFK/NU's program in Sport Psychology with a MA already or soon-to-be in this field.
This practicum student obtains all the training as the other trainees (individual and group supervision, and didactics), as well as seeing general therapy and drop-in clients.
Additional hours are used specifically to see student-athletes, either in our athletic facilities in Tauzer Gym or in our regular counseling offices. This work may consist of team and individual performance enhancement training as well as therapy around issues such as dealing with injuries, concussions, and team dynamics. Therapy also addresses clinical issues that student-athletes may be experiencing, such as anxiety, mood and relationship issues. In addition, the Sport Psychology trainee provides workshops and groups to SRJC athletic teams focusing on team dynamics and performance enhancement.
The trainee works closely with SRJC’s Head Athletic Trainer and with the coaches of the 20 official SRJC sports teams, providing consultation and receiving referrals.
Individual supervision is provided by Joe Puentes, PsyD, a sport psychologist, at SRJC.
To Apply: Follow the standard BAPIC procedures and application instructions as noted in our general materials – and select the Sport Psychology Track. (Note: You may apply to both our Sport Psychology and our Generalist Track if you wish.)
Qualifications: Applicants should have some experience in conducting sport psychology. Other qualifications are the same as those for the rest of our practicum applicants.
Your Future: This practicum is designed to prepare you for a future career as a sport psychologist, with your obtaining significant experience this year, making you an attractive applicant for future Sport Psychology training and professional positions.
We look forward to your joining our team.