Harris County Juvenile Probation Department

The potential applicant must currently be enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology (clinical, counseling, forensic, school, or educational psychology). During the course of the year, interns will be required to complete a minimum of 2000 clock hours to be used towards licensure. Interns are expected to work at least 40 hours per week, and at least 25 percent of the time will be devoted to direct services. The internship is primarily assessment oriented; however, interns also conduct individual, family, and group counseling, crisis intervention, and consultation services. Upon completion of the internship year, interns will be granted a certificate of completion signifying that all requirements have been met.

The mission of the internship program is to assist interns in developing proficiency in the provision of psychological services to juveniles in the justice system in a manner consistent with APA Ethical Standards. HCJPD adheres to a Practitioner-Scholar training model, with the focus of training the intern from a developmental perspective. One of the most important aspects of the internship year with HCJPD is to continue to sharpen the clinical skills of the interns and to provide the interns with the opportunity to work with a variety of clients and presenting concerns. The interns are expected to utilize evidenced-based practices in their assessments and interventions and to use scientific research to inform their professional practice. They are exposed to these practices through several didactic seminars, and they are clinically guided in implementing these practices through group and individual supervision. In addition, they are given additional opportunities to scientifically review and critique the current literature that is relevant to this population. There are also limited opportunities to become involved in ongoing research within the department, if an intern expresses an interest in this. Our ultimate goal is to assist the intern in learning how to act competently, respectfully, ethically, and empathically in the delivery of mental health services while being ever cognizant of the cultural and individual diversity of the clients being served. This necessarily includes an understanding of issues related to multiculturalism, underserved populations, and juvenile delinquency, as well as an awareness of professional issues and ethical standards.

All training experiences within HCJPD are approached by utilizing a developmental model. The intern progresses from initially being closely supervised and monitored, to gradually developing into a more autonomously functioning professional by the end of the internship. Additionally, as the year progresses, the interns are expected to be able to manage more clinically complex cases. The training program encourages the continual accumulation of knowledge, refinement of clinical skills, and development of professional identity. While there are overall training goals and objectives, each individual intern might require or desire more experience and/or supervision in different areas. Training for each intern is accomplished through interaction with a diverse client population, psychological assessment, crisis intervention, brief psychotherapy, individual and group supervision, didactic instruction, consultation with other forensic and mental health professionals, research, and self-study. Supervision is provided for diagnosis, treatment planning, and case management with juveniles experiencing a wide variety of disorders. Additionally, clinical research is also encouraged and supported by formal opportunities to discuss current research in the areas of juvenile delinquency, child psychopathology, and clinical assessment. In addition to developing clinical skills, this internship site seeks to assist the intern in the development of a professional identity. To that end, interns are encouraged to participate in educational seminars and conferences, and are afforded the opportunity to provide training of professionals working in the juvenile justice system.

The overall goals of the training program are intended to help interns transition from trainees to entry level psychologists. This is accomplished through the provision of clinical services to youth and their families who are involved in the juvenile justice system. The program consists of eight goals, with specific objectives and competencies that are expected by the end of the internship:

1. Assessment & Diagnosis
         A.    To develop and demonstrate accurate diagnostic skills
         B.     To demonstrate the ability to accurately and efficiently score and interpret psychological test measures
         C.     To demonstrate the ability to utilize assessment writing skills to efficiently produce accurate, high qaulity, and useful reports
         D.     To provide feedback and to communicate findings in a clear, accurate, and conceptually appropriate manner

2. Psychological Treatment & Intervention
         A.    To demonstrate case conceptualization and treatment planning skills
         B.     To demonstrate competency in individual therapy
         C.     To demonstrate competency in skills-based group therapy
         D.     To demonstrate competency in crisis intervention skills

3. Ethical Conduct & Professional Behavior
         A.    To demonstrate knowledge of ethics and values as they relate to the profession of psychology
         B.     To demonstrate professional conduct and interpersonal behavior
         C.     To demonstrate professional accountability and responsibility

4. Individual & Cultural Diversity
         A.    To be able to develop an adequate level of rapport with most youth and their families
         B.     To demonstrate sensitivity to diversity
         C.     To develop an awareness of one's own cultural and ethnic background

5. Scholarly Inquiry & Evidenced Based Practice
         A.    To participate in weekly journal hour and to be able to competently discuss relevant research
         B.     To utilize effective, evidence-based interventions
         C.     To understand the importance of research as it relates to the field of psychology

6. Psychology & Juvenile Justice
A. To demonstrate knowledge of a psychologist's role in the juvenile court system
B. To demonstrate familiarity with techniques of program evaluation within a juvenile justice system

7. Professional Development
A. To engage in activities which promote professional self-awareness and reflection
B. To actively seek out and participate in learning opportunities

8. Consultation, Teaching, & Supervision
         A.    To provide consultative guidance to other professionals regarding psychological issues
         B.     To function effectively in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts
         C.     To provide education and formal training to other professionals regarding mental health issues
         D.     To demonstrate knowledge of effective supervision
         E.      To provide supervisory guidance to practicum students

TRAINING EXPERIENCES

The juveniles who are seen by the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department represent a diverse population of youth. Fifty to sixty percent of the youth have a psychiatric disorder. Many youth come from single parent homes, have had Child Protective Services (CPS) involved with their family at some point, and have learning disabilities. They most often come from low socio-economic backgrounds. Training is available in psychological assessments of juveniles, crisis intervention with youth and parents, individual and group therapy with juveniles, family therapy, and consultation with various juvenile justice staff.

The primary training site will be at the Juvenile Justice Center in downtown Houston, which houses approximately 250 youth. However, services provided by interns may be conducted at different sites in Houston, such as the Harris County Psychiatric Center or Juvenile Probation offices within the community. Due to interns needing to occasionally travel to outside sites, personal transportation is strongly recommended.

Psychological Evaluations. Conducting psychological evaluations is the primary focus of the internship and two out of the three rotations will be heavily focused on conducting such evaluations. Interns will conduct both full psychological assessments and brief psychological screenings during their training year. Examples of psychological evaluations to be completed include court ordered evaluations, certification evaluations to determine if a youth will be certified to stand trial as an adult, and psychological screenings to help determine appropriate placement and treatment goals. Clients are referred for assessment due to concerns raised by mental health providers, probation staff, attorneys, and judges and there is frequent collaboration with these professionals.

These evaluations will enable interns to develop proficiency in diagnostic skills, writing forensic and psychological reports, and making pertinent treatment and placement recommendations. A wide variety of assessment instruments including intellectual, achievement, objective, and projective measures are available for use at the HCJPD. Interns are encouraged to enhance their knowledge of the many instruments available to them. A doctoral-level psychologist provides supervision directly related to psychological evaluations each week.

Crisis Intervention. Interns will have an opportunity to learn how to provide crisis intervention with juveniles in detention, and occasionally with juveniles and their parents who are living in the community. Crises requiring intervention primarily pertain to juveniles and their parents’ emotional responses to the child’s detention, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, violence/ conflict among juveniles in detention, and exacerbation of existing mental health problems.

Psychotherapy. Interns will conduct psychotherapy with pre-adjudicated youth at the Juvenile Justice Center. The interns will have the opportunity to provide brief therapy and to have a limited number of long-term therapy clients, which typically involves adolescents who have been detained due to a very serious offense or who are involved with one of our specialty courts such as Mental Health Court or GIRLS Court. Interns will also be providing outpatient psychotherapy to youth in the community who are involved in the Juvenile Justice system. This usually involves youth who have been placed on probation or who have recently been released from an HCJPD institution. The intern will be able to provide individual, family, and group therapy in this setting.

Consultation. Interns will be involved in one of HCJPD’s specialty courts; either the Juvenile Mental Health Court or the GIRLS Court. The Mental Health Court aims to effectively address the underlying clinical component of delinquent behavior in mentally ill juvenile offenders, while emphasizing public safety and personal accountability. The GIRLS Court utilizes a comprehensive strength-based approach in working with girls who are actively engaged in prostitution and who are victims of human trafficking. This program is comprised of a clinically driven multi-disciplinary team that works to effectively address the underlying trauma associated with the participants’ at-risk behaviors and related delinquent conduct. As a part of the intern’s involvement with the specialty courts, the intern will be acting as a consultant and a clinical liaison between the court and the community treatment providers for some of the youth involved with these specialty courts. Besides this court involvement, interns also have the opportunity to consult with family members, schools, probation officers, medical personnel, attorneys, and other mental health staff regarding their evaluation or therapy clients. Through consultation, the intern is able to discuss the clinical presentation of the client and is often able to gain more information to make appropriate decisions related to treatment. Interns often provide feedback about testing results to family members, attorneys, and juvenile probation officers. Reports are sent directly to the juvenile courts and are used to inform decisions about placement after adjudication. Additionally, consultation with Texas Department of Family Protective and Regulatory Services caseworkers occurs on an as-needed basis in reference to reports of child abuse and neglect.

Didactics. Interns participate in weekly case consultation with other interns and staff members. At least two hours per week is devoted to discussing case concerns and case-related issues. As part of our appreciation for the role of research in psychology, the interns and practicum students participate in weekly journal hour meetings to present and discuss relevant research. This time allows us to keep abreast of recent research in the area of adolescent development, delinquency, and recidivism. Additionally, on- and off-site seminars are available for training in a wide range of clinical and forensic issues. Some examples of topics presented at these seminars include the assessment and treatment of substance abuse in adolescents, treatment of conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, crisis intervention techniques, understanding juvenile sex offenders, gang training, autism spectrum disorders, impact of trauma on children and adolescents, and professionals testifying in court. All APA-accredited internship sites in the Houston area also participate in the Council of Houston Area Training Sites (CHATS), which allows interns to participate in didactic seminars presented by other accredited internship sites and to network with interns and post-doctoral residents from other programs. In addition, interns often have opportunities to attend Grand Round talks offered by the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (held at Harris County Psychiatric Center) as well as trainings provided in the community by agencies such as the Children’s Assessment Center, the Memorial Hermann Hospital System, and the Houston Independent School District.

Clinical Supervision Provided by Interns. Depending upon the number of practicum students at HCJPD and their specific program requirements, interns might be given the opportunity to supervise master’s level psychology practicum students from schools such as the University of Houston, Prairie View University, Houston Baptist University, and Sam Houston State University.

Clinical Supervision for Interns. Supervision is a major emphasis of the internship program at HCJPD. Supervision is the primary form of training and evaluation for the development of skill proficiency. Supervision is intended to provide both depth and breadth in clinical application, research, and assessment. All supervision is provided face-to-face and consists of a minimum of two hours of individual supervision and two hours of case consultation/group supervision with other interns and practicum students each week.

Uche F. Chibueze, Psy.D. Assistant Training Director/Co-Chief Psychologist, Juvenile Forensic Unit, received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Texas School of Professional Psychology in 2009. She also has a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from Baylor University. She completed her pre-doctoral and post-doctoral internships with the Juvenile Forensic Unit. She is also employed as an adjunct professor for the University of Houston, University of Phoenix, Prairie View A&M University, and South University. She has conducted research that explored the impact of the acculturation process on African immigrant families and also created one of the first clinical measures geared specifically for the African immigrant population. In addition, she has provided presentations on mental health issues affecting the Black population for the American Psychological Association and Texas Psychological Association annual conferences.

Nicole B. Dorsey, Ph.D. Internship Training Director/Co-Chief Psychologist, Health Services Division, received her doctoral degree from Ohio University in 2000. She completed her internship at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She previously worked at the Children’s Crisis Care Center, an agency working with children who have been removed from the home by the Department of Family and Protective Services due to allegations of physical abuse or neglect. She has also worked for the Children’s Assessment Center, providing services to children and their families who have experienced sexual abuse. She has extensive clinical and supervisory experience in working with traumatized youth and their families.

Connie F. Nelke, Ph.D. Specialty Court Psychologist, GIRL's Court, received her doctoral degree from Utah State University and completed her internship at the Baylor College of Medicine. She has an extensive clinical background including both treatment and evaluation in the areas of trauma and abuse with research interests involving parent-child relationships in the context of an abusive history and the trauma associated with human trafficking. Previously, she worked as the clinical director of a sexual abuse treatment program, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine overseeing the clinical operations of a trauma treatment program in private practice conducting forensic evaluations and treating children and families with CPS and abuse histories, and more recently, with the HCJPD in her current role.

Akalita A. Ross, Ph.D. Staff Psychologist, Mental Health Courts and Forensic Unit, earned her doctoral degree in Clinical and Adolescent Psychology from Prairie View A&M University. She also received her Master’s degree in Clinical Community Psychology from Texas Southern University and her B.A. in Psychology from Baylor University. Dr. Ross has clinical experience in providing psychological services in forensic and school settings. She has co-authored journal articles and participated in various trainings in the forensic settings. Dr. Ross has also been employed as an adjunct professor in institutions of higher learning. She is bilingual and can speak, read and write in Spanish and has completed assessments in Spanish for non-English speakers. Dr. Ross is a native Houstonian

John A. Webb, Ph.D. Staff Psychologist, Juvenile Forensic Unit, received his doctoral degree from the University of Houston in 1985. He has training in both Social and Clinical psychology. His research interests include substance abuse prevention, psychological correlates of cancer, and psychological factors related to adjustment among immigrants and refugees. His most recent research articles have examined gender differences in alcohol use among adolescents.

Diana Quintana, Ph.D. is the Deputy Director of the Health Services Division. Dr. Quintana was formerly the Chief Psychologist in the Forensic Unit and she continues to play an active role in the internship program through direct consultation with interns and providing and coordinating training experiences throughout the agency.

Olivia McGill, Ph.D. is the Assistant Deputy Director of the Health Services Division. She has prior experience testing youth in the Forensic Unit as well as overseeing both the Mental Health Court and the Girls Court.

Mary Martinez, M.A. is the Forensic Unit director and she is also available for clinical and assessment supervision. In addition, HCJPD houses several Masters-level clinical staff who provide psychological services to the clients in the juvenile justice system with whom the intern may interact.

Interns can expect to be busy during their internship year at the HCJPD; however there is also an appreciation for quality of life. This internship seeks to provide an excellent training environment while still allowing time for the intern to explore their other personal endeavors. Estimates from interns regarding the number of hours they spend per week on clinical activities can vary, but it typically falls between 40 to 45 hours per week. It is important to note that some of the clinical work provided by the interns might occur in the early evenings and having personal transportation is necessary. This reasonable workload provides plenty of opportunities to explore life in the fourth largest city in the United States.

The internship year is divided into three rotations; two forensic testing rotations and one clinical treatment/consultation rotation. Each rotation lasts four months. During the two forensic testing rotations the intern will primarily conduct a variety of psychological evaluations and will be stationed at the Juvenile Forensic Unit. The intern will have a different licensed psychologist supervisor during each four month rotation. The third rotation will be more consultation and treatment focused. During this rotation, the intern will be assigned to one of our specialty courts (Mental Health Court or GIRLS Court). In addition, the intern will provide therapeutic services throughout the year to youth who are residing in the detention center and to youth in the community who have been placed on probation. Finally, the intern will have the opportunity to consult with detention officers, educational staff, caseworkers, and psychiatrists to help coordinate adequate treatment and treatment goals for the juvenile.

Qualified applicants must currently be enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology and have completed all pre-doctoral coursework, including Ethics, Psychopathology, Cognitive Assessment, and Objective Assessment courses. Additionally, prior practicum placements involving direct experience with therapy and assessment are required. Of particular importance are strong writing and clinical interviewing skills. Preferred applicants will have a minimum of 10 integrated psychological evaluation reports, 250 intervention hours, 100 assessment hours, experience in providing clinical services to children and adolescents, experience in providing services in a forensic setting, and some experience or special interest in working with diverse populations.

Compensation for the one year, full-time internship is at least $25,000. As full-time Harris County employees, interns and their dependents are eligible to receive health insurance after 60 days of employment. A basic level health insurance plan is provided at no cost to the county employee. All county employees also participate in contributing to a retirement plan and have the option to enroll in additional retirement plans. Interns accrue 3 hours of vacation time and 3 hours of sick time during each two-pay period and are provided nine holidays and one floating holiday (to be used at the employee's discretion) throughout the year. Interns are also invited to participate in various Juvenile Probation Department activities including the annual Christmas party, luncheons, and volunteer opportunities.

HCJPD interns have access to numerous resources. Assessment and other training materials are provided, as well as access to a library of professional manuals and books. Interns are provided with office space and designated computers and related equipment. Each intern additionally has access to administrative and IT support.

___ Two complete psychological assessment reports with interpretations (supplemental materials to be submitted through APPIC)

The application and supplemental materials should be submitted through AAPI online. Documentation that is mailed directly to this department will not be accepted.

Contact Dr. Nicole Dorsey with questions via email ([email protected]) or telephone at: 713-222-4257.

Applicant materials will be reviewed upon receipt. The applicant will not be notified that his or her application has been received, unless it is an incomplete application. However, applicants may contact Dr. Dorsey with any questions regarding the status of their application. A subgroup of applicants will be invited for interviews by December 15^th. Individual interviews will be conducted in January. In person interviews are strongly encouraged; however Skype or phone interviews are also acceptable.

This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. All pre-doctoral interns will be determined through the APPIC match. Additionally, the HCJPD is an equal opportunity employer and encourages minorities and persons of diverse backgrounds of all types to apply to the psychology internship program. Harris County does not discriminate against employees with disabilities and will provide appropriate reasonable accommodation(s) when requested. Accepted interns will be subjected to a criminal background check and must pass this before beginning the internship year. Harris County does not employ individuals who have had a felony within the past 10 years or a misdemeanor within the past 5 years. In addition, Harris County is committed to providing a workplace free of drugs and alcohol - and interns must pass a drug and alcohol screening.

The policies and procedures for Harris County employees are applicable to HCJPD interns. Please see http://www.co.harris.tx.us/hrrm/ for additional information. Please click on the link below to view the policies and procedures specific to the internship program. This includes information regarding intern grievances, due process, and intern evaluations.