Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
Adult Track - Ochsner Psychology Doctoral Internship
The OPDI Adult Track consists of a variety of experiences to promote the development of both breadth and depth of clinical skills for psychologists in training. As outlined below, interns on the Adult Track choose 3 rotations during the year (4 months each) where they work with specific populations and within specialized settings to gain exposure to a variety of clinical settings within a medical center. Throughout the internship year, interns also work within the general outpatient setting in several different roles, as described below. There are three positions available on the Adult Track each training year.
Year-Long Experiences
Interns carry 4-8 individual therapy cases at any given time, with cases assigned from the general outpatient psychiatry clinic. Long-term cases can be tailored to the intern’s particular interests, and will be supervised by staff psychologists with the goal of exposing interns to an array of therapeutic modalities.
Interns carry 4-8 individual therapy cases at any given time, with cases assigned from the general outpatient psychiatry clinic. Long-term cases can be tailored to the intern’s particular interests, and will be supervised by staff psychologists with the goal of exposing interns to an array of therapeutic modalities.
Interns will facilitate or co-facilitate a minimum of 1 group during their training year. Depending on the intern’s level of experience with group therapy, they will have opportunities to observe groups or co-facilitate with experienced psychologists at the start of the year. There are a variety of group therapy possibilities available to interns, including time-limited CBT groups, support groups for specific populations, or process groups.
Interns are expected to complete at least 4 integrated testing reports throughout the year. The types of reports include psychoeducational assessments, pre-surgical assessments (bariatric and pain evaluations), and adult ADHD assessments.
Rotations
During the internship year, interns complete three 4-month rotations for approximately 16 hours per week. At the beginning of the year, interns rank their rotation preferences, and every effort is made to give interns their top three choices. Rotations provide the interns with exposure to different specialties within a large medical center and the opportunity to develop a breadth of clinical skills in these specialties through observation, formal learning, supervision, and direct clinical work. It is expected that interns spend 4 half days per week on their rotations, although each rotation may have important aspects that require some flexibility with scheduling. Interns have a primary supervisor on each rotation who sets up a schedule of training and clinical activities with them. The Co-Training Director over the Adult Track oversees interns schedule to ensure that rotation requirements and required intern training experiences, such as didactics, do not conflict.
All rotations are located at Ochsner Medical Center unless otherwise noted. Available rotations are subject to change based on department staff, but are likely to include:
(Supervisors: Michele Larzalere, PhD and Tracey Murry, PhD) – Located at the Benson Cancer Center, this rotation involves working with inpatients and outpatients with a variety of cancer diagnoses. Clinical opportunities include being on a multidisciplinary team, providing assessments, conducting individual therapy, and providing consultation. The psycho-oncology rotation also may include some research opportunities.
(Supervisor: Jared Israel, PhD) – This rotation provides interns with the opportunity to develop skills working with medically ill patients requiring psychological and behavioral interventions. To that end, interns work on the Consultation/Liaison service and the Inpatient Rehabilitation service and provide assessment and intervention while serving a critical role on a multidisciplinary team.
(Supervisor: Sunni Primeaux, PhD) – This rotation provides interns with multiple experiences in the realm of behavioral medicine and involves a mix of assessment/evaluation, group, and individual services as well as training in specific Evidence Based Therapies (including the options of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Insomnia, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – Chronic Pain, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Chronic Pain). The rotation may include any of the following components, taking into account any specific interests of the interns: presurgical evaluation (bariatric surgery and spinal cord stimulator), treatment of palliative care patients, and targeted interventions for insomnia, dysfunctional eating, and chronic pain.
(Supervisor: Jackie Ball, PhD) – Located at Ochsner Baptist Hospital, this rotation includes training related to assessment/evaluation as well as evidence-based group and individual treatment to women diagnosed with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, as well as pregnancy and infant loss and birth trauma.
(Supervisor: Sunni Primeaux, PhD) – Interns on this rotation work within Ochsner’s Behavioral Medicine Unit, a rolling admission 10-day intensive outpatient program for patients with a primary psychiatric diagnosis requiring stabilization. The intern’s duties may include: facilitating or co-facilitating groups, providing individual therapy to patients, providing psychological assessment to patients, and being involved on multiple levels with an interdisciplinary team approach.
(Supervisor: Jacklyn Ruhl, PhD) – On this rotation, interns learn to assess, diagnose, and treat PTSD using APA’s Clinical Practice Guidelines. They have introductory training for evidence-based trauma treatment to one or both of these EBP’s - Prolonged Exposure (PE) or Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Interns are supervised on individual therapy cases using one or both of these protocols, and have the opportunity to be involved in the provision of CPT group therapy.
(Supervisor: Jacklyn Ruhl, PhD) – Interns on this rotation learn the four modules of DBT skills in depth and are supervised implementing DBT skills to treat a variety of presenting problems. Interns use these modules, under supervision, in both individual and group interventions. This rotation does not teach comprehensive DBT, and focuses on learning and teaching core skills.
