Qualifications and Application Procedures

We are committed to training interns whose practica and educational experiences match well with our training goals and objectives.  We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to review and apply to our site.  We look for  interns who are energetic, creative, flexible, and focused on their training as psychologists.  The following bullets are general guidelines for prospective applicants to consider when applying to our site.  Application materials are due by November 11, 2011.  Three internship positions are available for the 2012-2013 internship training year.  Interns will receive a stipend of $22,000 dollars.

We are looking for:  
  • Students who want to move beyond "traditional roles" as a psychologist. 
    • For example, we look for school psychology students who want to be seen as a "Psychologist in the Schools", rather than the more traditional school psychologist.  
    • For the clinical child/clinical/counseling student, you must want to be seen as a "Psychologist" who may choose to work in a mental health setting but can be equally comfortable in a school-type of setting. 
  • Students from school psychology programs who have some training and/or experience in child counseling but want more intensive, supervised training in child therapy and counseling. 
  • Students from clinical child/clinical and counseling programs who have training in administering and scoring traditional psycho-educational assessments and have consulted in school settings, but want more intensive training in these activities.
  • Students who want to develop their skills in psychotherapy, assessment, crisis intervention, and consultation.
  • Students from APA-approved doctoral programs. 
  • Students accepted into doctoral candidacy (completed comps by Match Day) and have a completed dissertation proposal (by beginning of internship).    
  • Students who have completed at least three years of practicum/field placement experience which includes direct experience/practica in psycho-educational assessment (at least 10 integrated batteries), diagnostic and treatment methods.  This must include at least 50 hours of direct psychotherapy and/or counseling experience with children.   
  • Students who have direct experience working in schools providing teacher consultation, psycho-educational assessment, and group counseling.   
  • Students who have experience and/or training working with multi-problem families.  
  • Students who have experience with children with emotional and behavioral disorders as well as trauma and abuse.   
  • Students who have a good working knowledge of test administration, scoring, and interpretation with the at least the following: WISC IV, Woodcock Johnson-Achievement and Cognitive, BASC, CBCL, and Adaptive Behavior Scales.   
  • Students who possess an understanding of child development.   
  • Students who have a working knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis.   

School Psychology Students:  We strongly prefer students from school psychology programs who already hold a terminal Masters Degree in School Psychology and have completed their internship in a school setting. 
Clinical Child/Clinical/Counseling Students:  We strongly prefer students from these programs to have a Masters Degree.   It is also critical that students from clinical child/clinical/counseling psychology programs demonstrate training (either academically or practically) in psycho-educational assessment.  The student should have training and/or experience in a school or school-type of setting, and at least one of their letter's of recommendation must be from a practicing school psychologist who provided supervision.   

Our interns are expected to devote themselves to their training, yet we believe interns should experience the assets our community has to offer. We encourage and foster efforts to help interns develop their professional identity. 

Application Process: The Internship utilizes a three-part selection process. First, application materials from eligible candidates are reviewed and evaluated independently by Internship faculty. Second, selected applicants will then be invited for a formal interview.  In-person interviews are highly recommended however, in some limited emergency situations, we will allow phone interviews. Third, applicants are ranked in terms of their overall compatibility to our program.

The match between the applicant’s training and career goals and the internship’s training goals and orientation is a primary consideration.  In accordance with APPIC guidelines, applicants who are no longer under serious consideration may be notified as soon as possible in the selection process but no later than ten days prior to the Rank Order List submission deadline. 

APPIC Match: The Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center adheres to all Match Policies established by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The center accepts three full-time interns each training year beginning in early August. Intern applicants for these slots are advanced pre-doctoral students who have completed required graduate course work and supervised practica. At least 1200 hours of practica are required for the internship. 

Click here for the summary of the requirements for PA certification in school psychology (PDE). A current certification in school psychology from the applicant’s home state is highly desirable. 

  • Clinical Child/Clinical or Counseling Psychology Students: Applications will be reviewed as long as their application includes documented experience  working in a school or school-type setting with direct supervision of a school psychologist.  This experience must include formal psycho-educational assessment experience (e.g. training/experience administering/scoring/interpreting the WISC IV and the WJIII or WIAT II; training/experience with the BASC II).  The application must include a letter of recommendation from the supervising school psychologist.

 

  • Interested applicants should complete the following documents as per the APPIC Online Instructions: All supplemental materials must be submitted on-line as per APPIC.
    • Current APPIC (Online-AAPI)
    • Current Resume (Submit On-line)
    • A copy of a psycho-educational evaluation of a child including cognitive and achievement testing.  Please make sure that all client identifying information is redacted.  The report must also include the name of the supervising psychologist.  (Submit on-line)
    • A copy of a therapy treatment summary or other document that demonstrates the intern's ability to conceptualize a clinical case involving a child.  Please make sure all identifying information is redacted/altered to protect the client's confidentiality.  The report must include the name of the supervising psychologist.  (Submit on-line)
    • Official transcripts of all graduate studies.   
    • Three letters of recommendation from supervisors and faculty knowledgeable about their academic and clinical work (Submit On-line).  These letters should be on letterhead stationery and electronically signed by the letter writer.  We would expect that these letters include the strengths of the intern as well as any relevant areas of needed professional growth and development while on internship. **Applicants from Clinical Child/Clinical or Counseling Psychology programs must submit at least one letter of recommendation from a supervisor who is a School Psychologist attesting to their training in psycho-educational assessment and consultation in schools or school-type settings.
    • It is the candidate's responsibility to make arrangements with the recommending persons and transcript offices so that all materials are received on-line by the application deadline.  Any questions should be directed to Dr. Eric Schwartz, Director of Clinical Services and Psychology Internship Training, Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center, 2445 West 34th Street, Erie, PA 16506.
  • The deadline for all materials  to be uploaded to the APPIC on-line website is November 11, 2011.

Please Note:  Applicants should clearly understand that in addition to the APPIC Match Policies, the selected intern must also meet specific requirements established by the Sarah Reed Children's Center for any and all individuals employed by the agency.  These include: a drug screen, criminal background checks, and child abuse clearances.  An offer of employment with the agency is specifically conditioned on the prospective employee successfully passing the drug screen. Sarah Reed Children's Center will pay the cost of any initial drug and alcohol testing that it requires.   Any additional tests that the prospective employee requests will be paid for by the prospective employee.   Furthermore, any candidate who has not been a resident in the state of Pennsylvania for at least a year preceding their hire date will be required to obtain a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Check.   This includes a   fingerprint card FD-258 with ORI PA920980Z Dept. of Public Welfare, Harrisburg, PA   (obtained from HR and completed at a local or state police department) and a money order or cashier's check in the amount of $24.00 made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   The HR department or applicant will forward this to The Department of Public Welfare ChildLine & Abuse Registry Criminal Verification Unit, P.O. Box 8053 , Harrisburg , Pa. , 17105-8053.

All prospective employees and interns will be notified by the Human Resources Department of the requirement to obtain both Child Abuse and Criminal History Clearances prior to employment with Sarah Reed Children's Center and their obligation to disclose future occurrences.  The Children's Center will accept originals of clearances processed within one year of employment.  Child Abuse Check Form CY113, "Application for Child Abuse History," must be used to request a child abuse background check and is available through the HR Department.  The form will be submitted by HR to the Childline and Abuse Registry, P.O. Box 8170 , Harrisburg , PA   17105-8170 .  A $10.00 money order made payable to the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare (provided by the employee) must accompany the application. Criminal History Check: Each prospective employee will be required to complete a Criminal History Request Form which will be submitted by the Children's Center to process the Act 34 check electronically.  The on-line processing fee for this service is $10.00 and will be paid by the candidate in the form of cash or money order.  Act 80 Disclosure Statement: Prospective employees who complete this form are able to be hired on a provisional basis for thirty days (ninety days for out-of-state residents). All new employees, regardless of status of their clearance application or original form verification, must complete an Act 80 form. Copies of completed requests for clearances and checks must accompany written attestations that the newly hired employee's criminal check and child abuse clearance will not reflect a founded report of child abuse or conviction of one or more of the following offenses within the last five years:  Criminal Homicide ,Aggravated Assault, Stalking, Kidnapping, Unlawful Restraint, Rape Statutory Sexual Assault, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Sexual Assault, Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Indecent Exposure, Incest, Concealing Death of Child Endangering Welfare of Children, Dealing in Infant Children, Prostitution and Related Offences, Relating to Obscene and Other Sexual, Corruption of Minors, Materials and Performance, Sexual Abuse of Children, or an equivalent crime under federal law or the law of another state. If the processed reports reflect any of the aforementioned offenses, the employee may not provide direct care, nor supervise employees who provide direct care, for children/adolescents. During the provisional period, Act 80 mandates that the employee must be within the eyesight of a permanent employee who has secured the requisite clearance and check.  In addition, if the clearance/check is not received before the provisional period expires, the employee may not continue to work with children/adolescents in any capacity.  A process for challenging the results of either the FBI clearance or child abuse clearance is outlined in the "Child Abuse and Criminal Record Clearances and Disclosures" policy.

In addition, there may be additional requirements and costs associated with placement in the Millcreek Township School District. 

The Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create an environment that embraces and celebrates diversity.  We strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you have any additional questions, please contact:  

Eric Schwartz, Psy.D.
Director of Clinical Services and Psychology Internship Training
Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center
2445 West 34th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16506
(eschwartz@sarahreed.org)

Accreditation's/Memberships Continuously Accredited since 1998 by the American Psychological Association 750 First Street NE Washington, D.C., 20002-4242p: (202) 336-5979 Member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) 10 G Street, NE, Suite 750Washington, D.C. 20002p: (202) 589-0600

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