Interns provide varied services through community-based or internal OHSU programs, through contracts with local agencies or through branches of the University that focus on activities that complement the internship training goals. The goal of this aspect of the training program is to expose interns to practice, policy/planning, and/or research-related activities in various contexts and to expand the application of one's skills.

Interns will spend approximately six to eight hours per week in these activities, and remain in the same placement for the entire year. Specific placements can change year to year, and thus are not guaranteed; however, it is the goal of the Division of Psychology to maintain ongoing relationships with community partners to ensure consistency in training.

Recent examples of placements completed by interns include:

1. OHSU General Pediatrics Clinics*: interns provide brief behavioral consultation to patients in an integrated primary care setting, brief behavioral health interventions through a follow-up program, and training to pediatric residents. Interns have the opportunity to engage in program development, revision, and evaluation.
2. OHSU Doernbecher Oncology and Survivorship Clinic*: interns work alongside a multidisciplinary team of providers serving youth and young adults who are 2+ years post cancer treatment, including psychosocial and behavioral assessment. In addition, broad program development for pediatric oncology psychology services will be part of this placement.
3. Pediatric Nephrology Clinic*: interns provide integrated behavioral health consultation to pediatric renal transplant recipients, participate and lead clinical quality improvement projects. Interns have the opportunity to engage in program development, revision, and evaluation.
4. Pediatric Doernbecher Gender Clinic*: interns work alongside an interdisciplinary team caring for youth from elementary through young adulthood who are gender-exploring, gender non-conforming, and transgender. Interns provide direct patient education/consultation and program development support.
5. OHSU Pediatric Neurology Clinic: interns provide brief behavioral health consultation with patients with a variety of neurologic conditions, with recent emphases on those with epilepsy and headache. Service emphasizes same-day consultation and focuses on a variety of behavioral health topics (e.g., adherence, adjustment, behavior management).
6. Disorders of Sexual Development Clinic: interns work alongside a team of medical and allied health professionals caring for youth with DSD, in particular those who identify as transgender. Interns provide direct patient consultation, collaboration/consultation with medical team, program development related to mental health screening and assessment, and referral assistance.
7. OHSU Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-operative Medicine: interns provide peer mentoring to anesthesiology fellows regarding conducting research and engaging in research related to peri-operative anxiety and pain.

* These positions are in place for the 2023-2024 training year and are anticipated (but again, not guaranteed) for the 2024-2025 training year.

In addition to the specific placement as described above, interns also will participate in specific community engagement projects as part of the LEND interdisciplinary training curriculum. Along with trainees of other disciplines, psychology interns typically complete 1-2 engagement projects. Examples of projects include developing, organizing, and providing a community-based training to parents of youth with special needs on various topics (e.g., behavioral support strategies, feeding and nutrition issues); consulting with community-based health organizations to provide education, support, or screening for individuals with disabilities, collaborating with a community organization to support and implement an annual camp for children with ASD; and partnering with Doernbecher Children's Hospital Volunteer Services to enhance knowledge and skills of volunteers regarding working with children with complex medical and/or developmental conditions.

Finally, all interns complete a Family Mentor experience, whereby they are paired with a family with a child with a disability and asked to complete several (~3) non-clinical joint activities, with the goal of helping improve understanding and appreciation of day-to-day life for these families.

Outpatient Treatment Services

The Division of Psychology maintains an active outpatient treatment program focused on serving children, adolescents, and families with a variety of presenting concerns. Referrals are received from clinics that specialize in children with developmental disorders, general and specialty pediatric clinics at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, community pediatricians/family practitioners, other community sources, and families. Given the clinical programs at our facility and setting in which the program operates, a sizable percentage of children present with co-occurring developmental and/or medical conditions, though healthy children with emotional and behavioral challenges are seen.

Interns in all tracks are actively involved in providing services through this program. In general, interns provide therapy services in the following areas: family therapy interventions; parent-child interactions and parent training; individual treatment of emotional and/or behavioral challenges, often associated with developmental/medical conditions; and psychosocial and behavioral interventions with individuals presenting with a wide variety of presenting concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression, behavioral challenges) and their families. Interns typically have 2-3 treatment cases at any one time. Emphasis is on shorter-term (e.g., 8-16 sessions) and focused therapy, though care is extended based on clinical complexity and need.

In addition to providing outpatient treatment services through the division's treatment program, all interns will provide care through the General Pediatrics Behavioral Health Consultation Clinic. This clinic serves patients of OHSU general pediatrics clinics and is designed to offer either a) short term, focused treatment for presenting issues that warrant more care than offered by pediatricians but are likely to respond well to a brief course of care and b) stabilization and maintenance while patients seek ongoing specialty mental health care. Interns see 1-2 patients per week via this clinic.

In addition to providing outpatient treatment services through the division's treatment program, all interns will provide care through the General Pediatrics Behavioral Health Consultation Clinic. This clinic serves patients of OHSU general pediatrics clinics or the General Pediatrics Clinic at the Grand Ronde Health and Wellness Center and is designed to offer either a) short term, focused treatment for presenting issues that warrant more care than offered by pediatricians but are likely to respond well to a brief course of care and b) stabilization and maintenance while patients seek ongoing specialty mental health care. Interns see 1-2 patients per week via this clinic.