Announcement of Training Opportunities at Vital Sources Psychological Services

Clinical Psychology Externship and Counseling Internship
August 2022 -June 2023

Objectives of training program:

• To give students a quality professional experience in the provision of psychological services with a spectrum of patients
• To provide active, consistent, and relational supervision and training
• To give an experience of a group psychological practice that functions as a dynamic team
• To invite trainees into a living integration of faith and psychological practice

Description of the training program:

• Up to three trainees will be accepted for the 2022-2023 cohort, which may be either psychology doctoral students (externship) or counseling graduate students (internship).
• Psychology externs will have licensed psychologists as primary supervisors and may receive additional supervision / consultation from other professionals.
  • The primary responsibility for these externs will be to provide psychotherapy to individuals and couples, with the possibility of conducting family and / or group psychotherapy. They will additionally be asked to assist with the completion of full psychological evaluations for seminary candidates and/or current seminarians in need of further evaluation.
• Counseling interns will have a licensed clinical professional counselor as a primary supervisor and may receive additional supervision / consultation from other professionals.
  • Their primary responsibility will be to conduct various psychotherapies with individuals and couples, with the possibility of conducting family and /or group psychotherapy.
• Time and schedule commitments:
  • Days in the office are Tuesday and Thursday, with required training and team meetings occurring from 12:15 – 1:50 on those days. Training times include opportunities for interns and externs to receive consultation and to act in the role of consultant. If a student cannot be in the office for the entirety of the day on Tuesday or Thursday, he or she is still welcome to apply as long as attendance at meetings is possible.
    The time commitment is 16 hours / week.
    Externship/internship will commence in mid- August, 2022 and continue through mid June, 2023 (exact dates TBA).
• Requirements:
  • For PsyD applicants: A minimum of one year of clinical experience (i.e., this is the second or later year externship).
  • For MS and MA counseling applicants: A minimum of 1 semester of clinical experience.
  • Professional attire and presentation befitting a professional psychological practice.
• Stipend: A stipend of $500 each semester ($1,000 for the training year) is offered to each intern and extern.

Distinctive features of Vital Sources:

• We are a multidisciplinary group of mental health professionals, providing various modalities of therapy (individual, couples, family, and group) and assessment services to people struggling with mental health needs from acute episodes to chronic disabilities.
• We seek to provide services to individuals and families of all racial, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. We work to honor people in the name of Christ as we serve them.
• We serve the City of Frederick, the surrounding county of Frederick, including the neighboring counties and all those who consider the general Baltimore/Washington corridor their home.
• We are Christian professionals. Our relationship to Christ and the church is central in our identity and mission. Out of this Christ-centered identity, we seek to respect the various religious values and orientations of all our patients.
• We value practicing in a team and believe that the professional services offered in this context are not only efficacious but also provide significant health and support for the providers. In one sense, a team is in fact treating the patient and the power of this unit is not to be overstated.

Application Process:

• Materials: Please provide a cover letter, resume or CV and two letters of recommendation. The cover letter is to address the reasons this externship/internship opportunity would enhance your training and development as a professional and how your involvement would enhance the distinctive features of Vital Sources Psychological Services. One of the two letters of recommendation must be from a clinical supervisor who has observed your work.
• Letters can be addressed to Pamela R. Shepp, LCPC, Internship/Externship Program Director. Please send all materials electronically to Autumn Pante at [email protected]. Be sure to include your mobile phone number and a frequently checked email address. Any questions about the process may be addressed to Autumn Pante by email or by phone at 301-620-8700 x 114 (Monday to Friday 8-4).
• Applications must be received by Friday, February 11, 2022.
• Interviews will be held at Vital Sources on February 21 and 22, 2022.
• Offers will be extended by March 11, 2022. For psychology externs, the DC Consortium Guidelines will be followed. Offers may be made prior to March 11, but students will not be required to accept until that date. If an offer is made prior to March 11, we ask students to accept or decline by 9am on that date.
• A sample contract will be given to each applicant during the interview so as to clarify Vital Sources’ expectations and in anticipation of the signing of an individual contract.