Interns are required to select rotations that fulfill requirements in each of the three clinical core areas - assessment, consultation, and intervention and prevention — in each half of the year. See below for descriptions of each core rotation.

Interns are also involved in the following professional experiences throughout the training year and spend approximately four hours per week in each of these activities:

• Internship didactics: participation in a planned series of didactic experiences (Thursday mornings)
• LEND didactics (Monday mornings)
• LEND Leadership Project: Interns select a year-long Research Leadership, Community Leadership, or Quality Improvement Leadership project and LEND Experiences (Autism, Family Collaboration, and Community Collaboration) through the LEND Program.
• Clinical supervision

Internship requirements

Completion of the Psychology Internship Training Program requires a minimum of 1,900 hours of supervised clinical experience and participation in our program on a full-time basis for 12 months beginning on the Monday closest to July 1. Although interns may reach the maximum hour requirement prior to the official ending date (on or near June 30), interns are expected to continue clinical and training responsibilities until that date. If illness or some other circumstance makes it impossible to meet the 1,900-hour minimum definition of the internship by the official ending date, special arrangements will be made to ensure satisfactory completion of the Psychology Internship Training Program.

Restrictions

During the internship year at CHOP, interns will not be allowed to participate in any other outside professional activities without first being granted permission. Interns are also not allowed to provide clinical services to the public outside of the purview of the internship. Non-funded supervised clinical service of a training nature will be considered. All other activities will be considered for approval on an individual basis.

Core training areas and clinical rotation options

Each semester, interns select an array of three to four rotations, including one rotation from each of our three functional competency areas. Rotations vary year to year, but could include (descriptions below represent rotations that have been offered during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 training years):

Assessment

• Autism Spectrum Disorders Assessment - Outpatient Psychiatry/Autism Integrated Care Program
• Autism Spectrum Disorders Assessment – Center for Autism Research
• Early Childhood Autism Screening & Assessment – Center for Autism Research 
• ADHD Diagnostic Clinic
• ADHD Psychoeducational Assessment
• Outpatient Division Assessment and Referral Center (ARC)
• Cardiac Kids Development Follow-up Program
• Neonatal Follow-up Program
• PASSAGE Program Assessment Clinic
• Post Surgery Neurodevelopmental Assessment
• Pediatric Neuropsychology Service – Inpatient Rehabilitation (Neuropsychology Track only)
• Pediatric Neuropsychology – General Outpatient
• Pediatric Neuropsychology – Focus in Oncology/Late Effects
• Pediatric Neuropsychology – Focus on Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• Pediatric Neuropsychology – Focus on Turner Syndrome
• Young Child Clinic
• Psychological/Psycho-Educational Assessment

Consultation

• Acquired Autonomic Dysfunction Program (AADP) Clinic
• Behavioral Health Integrated Program (BHIP)
• Cardiac Psychology Consultation
• Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment
• Endocrine Psychology
• Healthy Weight/Adolescent Bariatric Surgery
• Inpatient Rehabilitation
• Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit
• Oncology Survivorship
• Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Center
• Pediatric Primary Care (IBH and Pediatric Psychology Tracks only)
• Pediatric Stroke Program
• Perinatal Mental Health and Bereavement
• Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
• Regional Autism Center (ASD Track only)
• Solid Organ Transplant Program
• Sleep Psychology/CPAP Adherence

Intervention and Prevention

• Anxiety Behaviors Clinic (Anxiety and OCD Treatment
• The Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome Program (AMPS)
• ASD Intervention
• Behavioral Parent Training (Young Child)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy Multi-Family Skills Group
• Diabetes Center for Children
• Eating Disorder Outpatient Intervention
• Facing Your Fears – Group Intervention for Anxiety
• Gastroenterology and Nutrition
• Headache Program
• Hematology (Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center & Bone Marrow Failure Program
• Pediatric Concussion Program
• Pediatric Health and Behavior (PHAB) Program
• Pediatric Regional Epilepsy Program and Tic Disorders
• Primary Care (for IBH and Pediatric Psychology Track Interns)
• School Based Mental Health Program

Didactic training

Numerous seminar series are available to Interns throughout the training year. Seminars are sequential, building upon previous knowledge and skills, and organized around achievement of the core competencies.

The following is a description of seminars attended by interns:

• Behavioral Health Seminar. This required department-wide seminar series meets twice a month and is open to the entire Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, which is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Seminars are organized into training modules related to a unifying theme. Faculty, trainees, and outside presenters take responsibility for conducting seminars that are interactive and geared toward the professional development and clinical skill development of all attendees.
• Intern Research Series. One intern presents each month on a research topic of their choice (typically focused on the dissertation project) to the rest of the intern class. Other trainees and faculty/staff members are also invited to attend. The series provides presentation experience for the interns, and allows the CHOP community to learn about the trainees’ research interests.
• Professional Development Seminar. This required seminar series meets monthly and is designed to educate interns about professional issues pertaining to clinical practice, working with families of diverse backgrounds, collegial relationships, ethics, professional standards, professional development, and career development
• LEND Seminar Series. Interns are required to attend weekly seminars (three to four hours total) on a variety of topics related to neurodevelopmental disabilities and the development of leadership skills within the healthcare environment.
• Rotation Specific Seminars. Many clinical rotations sponsor ongoing seminars or staff meetings that are required or offered to interns on the rotation.
• Group Supervision Seminar. This seminar meets monthly and is designed to assist interns with the development of supervisory skills. The seminar includes readings on the core competencies of supervision. It also includes opportunities for interns to provide supervised peer supervision on case presentations, written assessments, and therapy skills.
• Diversity & Inclusion Forum. This non-evaluative monthly seminar designed only for psychology interns provides a venue for processing issues relevant to development of skills and competencies for effective assessment, treatment, and consultation. Interns will examine how identity, worldview, social context, and current events influence patient care and interactions with colleagues.
• Interprofessional Seminar in Community-Based Practice. This required seminar series is related to the care of medically underserved populations, and includes psychology interns, as well as child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, and social work trainees. The specific seminar topics and session format are determined by the trainees at the start of the training year.
• Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Grand Rounds and Teaching Rounds. This monthly rounds series features nationally/internationally recognized experts in behavioral health and is open to the entire medical center community. Departmental trainees also participate in case-based teaching rounds with the invited speaker.
• Multidisciplinary Case Conference. This is a monthly seminar series attended by psychology interns and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. The seminar is designed to assist trainees with the development of case conceptualization and presentation skills. Faculty may serve as expert panelists for specific cases.
• Additional multidisciplinary seminars may be scheduled.

Interdisciplinary training: The LEND Program

Psychology interns participate in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program, which provides training in an interdisciplinary forum.

As LEND fellows, CHOP interns devote three to four hours per week to a LEND Core Curriculum. The Psychology Internship Program research requirement is mentored through the LEND program. Psychology interns will spend approximately three additional hours per week on other LEND related activities, such as community-based programs regarding children with special needs, and work with families of children with special needs on improving the delivery of services and supports.

CHOP LEND also provides ASD specific training in collaboration with the Center for Autism Research. For all LEND fellows, this includes additional coursework in ASD, options for ASD research and community projects, training in evidence-based ASD screening, diagnosis, and intervention, and opportunities to observe ASD assessments at the Regional Autism Clinic.

One internship position is reserved for an intern who has selected autism as their area of emphasis. This intern will participate in the LEND program, complete the Autism Assessment Rotations, focus on autism in their research, community, or quality improvement leadership project, and may have the opportunity to participate as a postdoctoral fellow through the Center for Autism Research following the internship year.

Learn more about the LEND Training Program.

Research

Interns, as LEND fellows, have the opportunity to to participate in an interdisciplinary research leadership project with LEND fellows from other disciplines (e.g. audiology, physical therapy, developmental pediatrics), resulting in an oral or poster presentation in May. The Psychology Internship Program provides four hours per week support to allow interns time to develop their LEND Research Leadership, Community Leadership, or Quality Improvement Leadership project . The goal of the Research Leadership Project is to support the development of research leadership skills. Interns can choose to participate on an existing project in collaboration with their discipline research mentor or develop a new project. It is expected that interns will engage in a research project separate from their dissertations.

Numerous resources are available to interns conducting research, including the extensive library system of the University of Pennsylvania as well as mentoring from numerous faculty at both the university and hospital.