Training - Frequently Asked Questions
A minimum of 500 direct clinical hours are required for internship at UCSD. Clinical (or intervention) hours are hours used for individual therapy, group therapy, and assessment/testing.
The stipend is $23,660 for a full-time, 12 month internship (from August 1 to July 31). Interns are also provided medical benefits, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to the UCSD libraries and recreation facilities.
The deadline to submit a complete APPIC application (and supplemental questions for our site) is November 15, 2007.
Interviews are typically conducted between the end of November through January. Applicants are notified via phone for selection for interviews. All applicants are notified of their status by January 1, 2008.
CAPS conducts telephone interviews. We realize that many applicants are unable to come to our site for face-to-face interviews. Because of this, we elect to conduct phone interviews for all selected applicants in order to have as equivalent interview situations as possible. These interviews are approximately 30-45 minutes in length. Applicants are welcome to contact staff and/or come for a site visit and meet available CAPS staff.
CAPS emphasizes the importance of a wide range of training and supervision experiences in interns' training. Interns will receive primary supervision, secondary (or College) supervision, group supervision, and peer supervision (in Case Review meetings). Interns will have at least 4 hours of supervision per week.
UCSD is comprised of 6 "Colleges": Revelle, Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt, and Sixth. The current choice of six colleges allows undergraduates to choose the one that best fits their academic, social, and career goals. Academic departments themselves are campus-wide and not identified with any one college. Consequently, students may pursue any major regardless in which college they enroll. CAPS staff work closely with the Colleges to provide consultation and outreach services. Each college houses at least one member of the CAPS senior staff. Each intern is housed at one of the Colleges. For more information about the Colleges at UCSD, click here.
CAPS provides psychological, outreach, and consultation services to a diverse student and University population. The UCSD campus is comprised of over 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Over one-half of the undergraduates at UCSD are students of color: Asian American (39%), Mexican-American (8%), Latino (2%), African American (1%), Native American (1%), Other/Undeclared (13%), and Caucasian (37%). The incoming high school GPA of the 2002 freshman class was 3.94, with almost one-half of them earning GPAs of 4.0 or higher.
There are many opportunities to provide outreach and consultation to the University community. At the Colleges, interns establish consultative relationships with the College administration and student organizations, as well as other units on campus. In addition, interns provide several outreach presentations and programs throughout their internship year - at both the Colleges and across the greater University community. Interns also supervise peer educators in their outreach efforts to the UCSD student population.
Yes! During the early part of their internship, interns teach a college preparation course for a program called "Summer Bridge." This course is offered to selected incoming first year students who are from historically underrepresented populations. This course offers students information and experiences related to diversity, self-awareness, and group- and teamwork. In addition, students are taught skills in stress/time management, cross-cultural communication, and conflict resolution.
The Group program at CAPS is extensive and is an important part of intern training. CAPS offers Personal Growth and Wellness Groups, Skill-Building Workshops/Groups, and Forums. Interns are required to co-facilitate at least one therapy group, one support group or forum, and one psychoeducational group. By the latter part of the internship, interns may elect to facilitate a group with another intern if all other group requirements have been met (or are in the process of being met). For a list of Groups currently offered by CAPS, click here.
The "typical week" for an intern varies according to the time of year of the internship. The first two months (e.g., Summer) incorporates a more flexible schedule that includes extensive training, teaching, and supervision. During the 33-week academic year (Fall, Winter, & Spring quarters), Interns incorporate a more formal schedule that includes direct clinical services, outreach and consultation, supervision, supervision of peer educators, and other administrative tasks or meetings. Interns spend a minimum of four hours in clinical supervision per week. The average work week for interns across the entire internship year is approximately 40 hours per week. Typically, the number of hours spent on the following areas are as follows:
| Area |
Approximate Number of Hours per Week |
|
| Direct Clinical Service | 15-20 Hours |
|
| Training Seminars | 4-5 Hours |
|
| Primary Supervision | 2 Hours |
|
| Secondary Supervision | 1 Hour |
|
| Peer Supervision (Case Review Team) | 1 Hour |
|
| Group Supervision | 1 Hour |
|
| Peer Education Program | 1-2 Hours |
|
| CAPS Staff Meeting | 1 Hour |
|
| College Staff Meeting | 1-2 Hours |
|
| Administration and Prof. Development | 4-5 Hours |
|
CAPS is very proud with the diversity represented on our staff. Our staff is diverse with respect to ethnicity, gender, and sexual identity. Over half our staff are from ethnic minority groups. In addition, our staff possess a diverse range of specializations that address the majority of issues and concerns salient to college student populations (e.g., substance abuse, coming out, relationship concerns, diversity issues). For a detailed list of our staff and their specializations, please go to our Staff page.
San Diego is often referred to as "America's Finest City." This may be due to the great diversity of the population. It may be due to the wonderful climate (imagine an average temperature of 70-75 degrees every day!) and access to beaches and mountains, which allows for participation in many outdoor activities. In fact, you can surf AND ski on the same day. Perhaps the numerous cultural and artistic events are what make our city so great. Or maybe its location on the beautiful coast of California is the reason .
In any case, San Diego presents a most appealing setting for many individuals. With all this PLUS a well-established internship program, we hope that you seriously consider our site for your internship. For more information about San Diego, you can go to the following link to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.
