Elective Program

Almost all of the services described as part of the core program are also available as elective rotations. Students already scheduled for these experiences may choose to spend more than the minimal time or take on more than the minimal number of cases. For example:

Interns may spend more time in Acute/Crisis Services.
Interns may spend more time doing outpatient intakes.
Interns in each track may elect to conduct intakes in the other developmental specialty.
Interns may pick up more outpatient cases.
Interns may pick up more than the minimally required experience in the partial programs.
Interns may spend more time involved in formal testing experiences, and/or select more than one formal testing rotation.

In addition, electives are available in the following service areas:

1. Children of Violence: Intern will carry one treatment case in this project. Children seen in this program are referred specifically because of histories of victimization by or witnessing violence. These include histories of sexual or physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence or community violence, or surviving the homicide of a family member. Group supervision, Paula Iudica, Ph.D., 1.5 hours per week.

2. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Child track interns may elect to learn the empirically supported intervention Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. This is a dyadic therapy approach in which the therapist’s interventions are targeted at the caretaker’s behavior, and the treatment is conducted through a one-way mirror, utilizing bug-in-the-ear technology. There will be group supervision of this elective, that will include a didactic component. Dr. Rinku Arora will supervise.

3. Intensive Behavioral Therapy: Working within the Department of Psychiatry, interns carry a case from the perspective of Rational Emotive Therapy. Supervision is provided by Dr. Donald Ciccone.

4. Primary Care Consultation: Working with Dr. Donald Ciccone, interns may assess and provide direct services to primary care clinics, and perform brief screening assessments.

5. FXB: The FXB Clinic provides medical services for children who are HIV+ through maternal transmission. Interns may co-lead groups for children seen in this clinic. Supervision is provided by a licensed clinical social worker in the program, Heidi Haiken, LCSW

6. DBT Project: Interns may elect this program, within Child Outpatient Services, which provides both individual and group therapy, utilizing a Dialectical Behavior Therapy model, for adolescents with complex trauma histories and associated symptomatology. Staff involved in the program rotate being available by beeper 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Supervision will be provided by a psychologist, Rinku Arora, Psy.D., or Eric Parker, Ph.D.

7. Child Group Therapy: Interns co-lead a group in the Child Outpatient Services, either with a staff member or another intern. Groups may be focused on particular age ranges, particular diagnostic categories, particular skills, or particular content areas. Examples of groups may include teen girl sexual abuse groups, ADHD groups, or child bereavement groups. Interns might also develop a group for a selected population of their interest. Supervision will be provided by the staff member who is the co-therapist, or by an assigned supervisor, if interns lead a group together.

8. Youth Consultation Services: Child track interns participate in group and dyadic treatment of mothers and babies. Dr. Gerard Costa and Dr. Jennis Hanna are the supervisors. This is an off-site placement, and use of a car is necessary. A didactic component is included.

9. Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program: Interns carry 1-2 substance abuse outpatient cases and participate in the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Adult Outpatient Services. The IOP team consists of three clinicians who run one group per night for patients presenting with a range of alcohol and other substance use disorders and addictions. Interns may co-facilitate some groups. Supervision is 1 hour per week and will be provided on an individual basis by Dr. Frank Baffige.

10. Adult Developmental Disabilities Clinic: Interns will carry one to two treatment cases of adults with autism-spectrum disorders with a focus on family and behavioral interventions. One hour of individual supervision per week, Norman Hymowitz, Ph.D.

11. Violence Institute: Interns may elect to do some work on ongoing violence intervention programs in the schools, such as consulting or implementing programs for teen dating violence prevention, in the public schools, under the supervision of a clinical psychologist, Dr. Douglas Boyle.

12. Arts in Mental Health: Interns may co-facilitate art/music therapies for children, initially observationally, and then lead some arts sessions themselves, under the supervision of a faculty psychiatrist with considerable experience in this field, Dr. Diane Kaufman.

13. School-Based Mental Health: Interns may elect to do some psychotherapy or consulting with mental health clinicians who are identifying children in need of mental health services within the school setting, under the supervision of a licensed school-based psychologist (Dr. Debra Waksberg; on-site Dr. Evelyn Orozco).

14. Termination of Pregnancy Grief Group: Interns may elect to co-lead grief groups for couples who have suffered from termination of pregnancy for medical reasons. Supervision is jointly provided by a social worker (Ms. Gisela Rodriguez) with considerable experience in this field, and an on-site psychologist (Dr. Beata Geyer-Beaudoin)

15. Inpatient Group Therapy: Interns may elect to work in co-leading adult inpatient groups, with a short-term behavioral focus. The highest functioning patients are usually included in these groups, and supervision is provided by a licensed faculty psychologist, Dr. Donald Ciccone.

16. Forensic Elective: Interns may elect to work in performing psychotherapy or assessments in one of the correctional facilities available (Edna Mahon, Northern State, Avenel, Jamesburg), under the supervision of a variety of licensed UCHC psychologists.

17. Student Wellness/EAP: Interns may elect to work with the treatment team in the Employee Assistance Program. Interns will conduct psychotherapy sessions. Supervision by a UBHC psychologist, Dr. Mark Chernin.

18. Parents are People Too: Interns may co-lead a parenting training group on-site, under the supervision of a faculty psychiatrist, Dr. Diane Kaufman.

19. Consultation/Liaison: Interns may elect to take this major elective supervised by a faculty psychologist, Dr. Donald Ciccone, consulting to diverse hospital patients in need of brief assessment and/or intervention. This is a major elective, requiring about 2 days per week.

20. Liver Transplant/Gastric By-Pass Evaluation: Working with a faculty psychiatrist, Dr. Giovanni Caracci, interns may assist in conducting evaluations of clients being considered for liver transplant surgery or gastric by-pass surgery.

21. Child Intensive Outpatient Program: Interns may elect to co-lead an intensive outpatient therapy group, which meets 1.5 hours twice a week, and possibly take on individual cases as well, under the supervision of a psychologist.

22. Neuropsychology: Training in neuropsychological assessment is available through an agreement with the departments of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Student Affairs, for a limited number of students with serious interest. Hospital consultation is often available in this context. This supervision may be provided by psychologists James Hill, Ph.D., or Celena Martino, Psy.D.

23. Child Evaluation Center / Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Clinic: Interns may elect to assess children who are suspected of having fetal alcohol syndrome, as well as other underserved populations, under the supervision of psychologist Susan Adubato, Ph.D.

24. Chec Clinic / DYFS screenings: Interns may elect to do screening evaluations of children identified as needing screening for academic and/or treatment recommendations when they enter the DYFS (NJ child welfare) system, and are often being removed from their families into resource family care settings, under the supervision of psychologist Susan Adubato, Ph.D.