Students

• The importance of integrating scientific data and inquiry into our training and clinical work.
• Training in a wide variety of evidence-based treatments.
• Immersion in clinical services including individual, group, and couples psychotherapy, as well as psychological testing.
• Broad training across the age span, across a wide variety of clients with varying diagnoses and presenting problems, and across a wide array of evidence-based and theoretically varied intervention techniques.
• The importance of providing intensive and varied supervision.
• Training in a supportive, multidisciplinary setting with supervisors dedicated to this task, and among a large cohort of fellow trainees at various levels.

As an intern at MARI, you are an integral member of our highly experienced, multidisciplinary treatment team. You will participate in staff meetings and discussions, and your suggestions and observations about our service delivery system are seriously considered. Trainees’ skill levels and clinical interests are carefully considered in designing and tailoring clinical assignments and training experiences to the professional development of each trainee.

Our training fosters the development of clinical competencies from basic to professional psychology. We train our interns to develop the skills and attitudes that are expected of well-qualified, humane, and ethical professionals.

In short, you will get a hands-on, highly interactive, broad-spectrum training experience as an intern for MARI.

The University of Michigan Psychological Clinic focuses on the assessment and treatment of adult individuals and couples from our campus and community.

About the Clinic

• The Psychological Clinic was established in 1938 and has been committed to training in psychology for 75 years.
• Trainees work here within a wide scope of evidence-based treatment approaches, including interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral , emotion-focused, couples / systems, biological / psychiatric, and brief psychodynamic approaches.
• Trainees treat a wide range of adults outpatients, including those with anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, adjustment difficulties, emotion dysregulation, and the full range of other outpatient presenting concerns.

The University Center for the Child and Family (UCCF) assesses and treats children, adolescents, couples, and families from our campus as well as the Ann Arbor and surrounding community.

About UCCF

• UCCF was established in 1988, and over the past 25 years has established itself as a respected center for psychology training, as well as a valued community resource for the provision of high quality mental health assessment and treatment for local children, adolescents and families.
• Trainees gain experience working in all of the basic areas of child and family work, integrating a wide range of perspectives when assessing and treating clients. The studied perspectives include biological, behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, family systems, and community / cultural approaches.

A multi-theoretical, evidence-based approach to training and treatment is practiced at both sites, and a multicultural, diversity-infused perspective is infused in our setting and all of our work.

These two centers are located next to each other within a single building within one block of U-M’s central campus.

• Pre-Doctoral Practicum
• Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship
• Post-Doctoral Fellowships

Post Doctoral Fellowship applications are usually due at the beginning of each year, with the material for both available in early September.

More information will be made available here, along with on our social media channels, when it is available.

Mary A. Rackham Institute’s Psychology Internship program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation (CoA) of the American Psychological Association.

Please contact Dr. Michelle (Shelly) Van Etten Lee, director of clinical psychology training, for more information about any of our clinical psychology placements by calling (734) 764-3471 or send an email to vanetten@umich.edu.

We embrace a training model that emphasizes:

• The importance of integrating scientific data and inquiry into our training and clinical work;
• Training in a wide variety of evidence-based treatments;
• Immersion in clinical services including individual, group, and couples psychotherapy;
• Broad training in treating a diverse group of clients with varying diagnoses and presenting problems, and across a wide array of evidence-based and theoretically varied intervention techniques;
• The importance of providing intensive and varied supervision; and
• Training in a supportive, multidisciplinary setting with supervisors dedicated to this task, and amongst a large cohort of fellow trainees at various levels.

Trainees are integral members of our highly experienced, multidisciplinary treatment teams. You will participate in staff meetings and discussions, and your suggestions and observations are seriously considered. We take into account your skill levels and clinical interests when we design and tailor your clinical assignments and training experiences.

Our training fosters the development of a range of clinical competencies in professional social work. We train our clinicians to develop the skills and attitudes that are expected of well qualified, humane, and ethical professionals.

The following are our centers offering social work training:

1. The University of Michigan Psychological Clinic is an agency which focuses on the assessment and treatment of adult individuals and couples from our campus and community.

• The Psychological Clinic was established in 1938 and has been committed to training in psychology for 75 years.
• Trainees work here within a wide scope of evidence-based treatment approaches, including interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, emotion-focused, couples / family systems, biological / psychiatric, and brief psychodynamic approaches.
• Trainees treat a wide range of adult outpatients, including those with anxiety, depression, interpersonal problems, adjustment difficulties, emotion dysregulation, and the full range of other outpatient presenting concerns.

      2. The University Center for the Child and Family (UCCF) assesses and treats children, adolescents, couples, and families from our campus and community.

• UCCF was established in 1988, and over the past 25 years has established itself as a respected center for psychology training, as well as a valued community resource for the provision of high quality mental health assessment and treatment for local children, adolescents and families.
• Trainees gain experience working in all of the basic areas of child and family work, integrating a wide range of perspectives when assessing and treating clients. The studied perspectives include biological, behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, family systems, and community / cultural approaches.

A multi-theoretical, evidence-based approach to training and treatment is practiced at both sites, and a multicultural, diversity-infused perspective is infused in our setting and all of our work.

These two centers are located next to each other within a single building within one block of U-M’s central campus.

We invite applications for our training placements from individuals in the University of Michigan Master of Social Work (MSW) program and Smith College Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program.

All of our social work training programs are administered by our director of social work training, Susan Watts, ACSW, LMSW, in conjunction with the respective clinic directors:

• Dr. Todd Favorite, U-M Psychological Clinic Director
• Dr. Cynthia Foster, University Center for the Child and Family Director
• Dr. Cheryl King, MARI Director

Interpersonal Practice Field Placements
Students in Interpersonal Practice field placements complete their training in either the University Psychological Clinic or the University Center for the Child and Family (UCCF). These placements are out-of-sequence and begin in September of each year. Each student is at his or her placement forfour semesters.

Fieldwork placements take place at the following units:

University Psychological Clinic (Adult Mental Health)
Social work students interested in acquiring skills in psychotherapy with adult individuals and couples in evidence-based treatments receive training and supervision from senior staff at our adult mental health center, the University Psychological Clinic. Students can expect to be exposed to CBT, IPT, ACT, CBASP, and short-term psychodynamic treatment. They also participate in a wide variety of seminars and meetings. On multiple occasions, students will have opportunities to present their clinical work.

UCCF (Child and Family Mental Health)
Training at our child and family unit – UCCF – is offered to students who desire to develop skills in psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and families. Students can expect to be exposed to cognitive-behavioral interventions for youth depression and anxiety, parent behavior management training, school consultation, and evaluation / intervention for youth on the Autism Spectrum. Students in these field placements participate in a core curriculum of seminars and clinical conferences, and provide direct clinical service with supervision from senior clinicians.

Administration Field Placements
Social work students wishing to learn the skills necessary to administer a mental health clinic are invited to apply for our administration field placements. During their administration field placements, students have the opportunity to work with senior administrators in both UCCF and the University Psychological Clinic.
Training in personnel management, data management processes and systems, interagency communication and collaboration, billing and insurance practices, and preparation of administrative reports is provided to administrative field placement students.

Please visit our Admission Information page for details on how to apply for administration field placements and interpersonal practice field placements in either unit.

Our fellowships give recent MSW graduates further training and experience in the field as they prepare for licensure. Fellows provide direct clinical service with supervision from expert clinicians. They also participate in a core curriculum of seminars and clinical conferences, consult with other professionals, and have the opportunity to engage in community outreach.

Fellows receive training in evidence-based psychotherapy interventions, including individual, group, couples, and family therapy. Infused throughout each internship are the following:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Multicultural competencies
• Professional Development
• Ethics
• Leadership, supervision, and administrative skills

While our fellowships start as one-year programs, there is a possibility of extension for a second year with mutual consent of the fellow and his or her supervisor(s). Our internships start in either September or January every year. Graduation from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) approved program is required of our applicants. A generous benefits package is given to the successful applicant(s).

Please note that the U-M School of Social Work (SSW) Field Office handles all applications for field placements directly through the field office. Please visit their website and contact them if you wish to apply for either field placement.

For further general information about either of our social work field placements or post-graduate fellowships, please contact Director of Social Work Training Susan Watts, ACSW, LMSW at  (734) 764-3471 or by emailing.

***Neither of these contact names appear on the U-M School of Social Work field placement website. Who should be contacted for information about these programs?

We advocate the following training criteria:

• Using evidence-based therapy approaches with our diverse population
• Becoming skilled diagnosticians to develop measurable treatment goals
• Working with clients in individual, group and computer sessions
• Understanding the benefits of intensive therapy and working with a team of professionals
• Being effective communicators with clients and caregivers
• Developing strong writing skills
• Learning to be a critical and creative thinker in therapy
• Advocating for clients and providing resources
• Embracing the field of Speech-Language Pathology

As an intern or clinical fellow, you are an active member of our clinical programs and participate in weekly speech forums and team meetings as well as center-wide meeting and activities. You will be immersed in an exceptional learning environment to work with a variety of highly trained and compassionate professionals. You are observed and given ongoing feedback from your supervisors to help perfect your clinical skills.

We scaffold our supervision based on your skill sets. We foster independence as you progress through your clinical placements. Clinical assignments and special training experiences are integrated into the whole experience. Our objective is to send you out in the professional field as a competent and qualified clinician, ready for success.

A longer-term one-year clinical placement is also available for fellows at UCLL. Clinical fellows are students who have completed their graduate training in the field of Speech-Language Pathology and are seeking employment. During this placement, the clinical fellow participates in a 9-month internship and then achieves certification from our national organization.