Description of externship setting

Women's Health Project Treatment and Research Center
Men's Center for Healing and Recovery

Training Opportunities in the Treatment of Trauma and Addiction
@ The Trauma-Focused Programs at The Addiction Institute of New York, St. Luke's Hospital

Adult Psychology Externship Program

The Women's Health Project (WHP) and The Men's Center for Healing and Recovery (MCHR) are outpatient clinical services at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center (SLRHC), serving the mental health needs of survivors of trauma or abuse many of whom are also in recovery from substance use. The treatment programs are located at the St. Luke's site at 114th St. between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive.

Agency Mission

WHP/MCHR provide a supportive, multi-modal outpatient treatment environment for men and women in recovery from trauma or abuse, including an integrated treatment approach for clients also recovering from addiction. Our clinical work is informed by our research, which has sought to enhance our understanding of the impact of violence and drug and alcohol abuse on our clients' lives and to develop and support effective interventions for these issues.

Treatment Program

Treatment at WHP/MCHR is designed to address the issues involved in recovering from trauma and, for clients also grappling with substance use, to address addiction in the context of symptoms often related to trauma. The program includes individual and group psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy and case management. Clients may present with a range of mental health issues, including posttraumatic stress disorder, other significant anxiety or mood disorders, or dissociative disorders.

Description of Externship Experience

This externship provides extensive experience in the treatment of trauma and co-morbid substance use, through the use of traditional as well as structured treatment modalities. Externs are exposed to empirically supported treatments for PTSD and traumatic stress, substance use disorders, other anxiety disorders and depression.

The externship involves a two and a half day/week commitment, from September to August 15. Monday is a required day. The externship is most appropriate for doctoral level clinical psychology students with prior clinical experience. Students with prior externship experience are preferred.

Outpatient Psychotherapy

Each extern sees up to six to eight individual psychotherapy clients per week (once- to twice-weekly sessions).

Additional Clinical Experience

Externs may co-facilitate a psychotherapy group and will conduct initial clinical consultations of clients, depending on clinic needs.

Seminars and Conferences

The externship program offers a weekly psychotherapy seminar, providing training and ongoing supervision in empirically supported treatments in trauma and addictions. This seminar meets for one hour per week. Externs also meet weekly for assessment seminar/supervision to discuss assessment issues related to this population and to review initial consultations.

Supervision

Externs meet for one hour of individual psychotherapy supervision per week with a psychologist affiliated with St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. In addition, students meet for an additional small group supervision hour each week to discuss clients in a case conference format. There is also weekly group supervision.

Research Opportunities

The Trauma-Focused Programs are affiliated with the Trauma and Addiction Project at the City College of New York, a research center pursuing epidemiological, assessment and treatment studies related to women exposed to violence and aggression and substance use. Externs are invited to reach out to this team to become involved in current research as time and interest permit. This involves an additional time commitment.

Application Procedures

Please email a letter of interest and CV to Dr. Lisa Litt as early as your school permits. Interviews are offered on a rolling basis and will begin after January 17. Please send two letters of reference, including at least one letter from a clinical supervisor. Letters of reference may follow your letter and CV.

Contact Information

Lisa Litt, Ph.D.
Clinical Director
Trauma-Focused Programs
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
411 W. 114th St., 6C
New York, NY 10025
LLITT@CHPNET.ORG