Location
Code-4 Counseling has three locations in Greenwood Village, North Denver, and Colorado Springs. Code-4 Counseling provides mental health services to local and national responder agencies including, but not limited to, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, South Metro Fire Rescue, Children’ Hospital Colorado, and Carepoint. We serve a large number of responder agencies within the Denver Metro area and in rural areas across the state of Colorado. Public transportation is easily accessible within the Denver Tech Center, where Code-4’s primary location is housed in the Landmark center. However, much of our work is done on-site for agencies outside of our physical office locations; therefore, Code-4 Counseling requires interns to have reliable transportation to travel between sites and to respond to crises immediately should they arise. Please keep in mind that some travel may include mountain driving during winter months, as Code-4 provides services throughout the state which may include rural counties.
Organization
Code-4 was founded by Dr. Sara Metz and her husband, Nick Metz (retired Chief of Police) in September 2017 with a mission of supporting the people and organizations that serve and protect our communities each day. Direct clinical services include both individual psychological services for sworn and civilian responder personnel (law enforcement, fire, EMS), frontline healthcare workers (medical providers, nursing staff, and behavioral health providers), their family members (adolescent dependents, spouses/partners), as well as couples and family counseling. In addition, we respond to agencies that require assistance following a critical incident (officer-involved shooting, line-of-duty death, or other traumatic event impacting personnel). Code-4 Counseling also offers customized consulting and training mental health services to emergency responders and front-line healthcare professionals across the state of Colorado, and beyond. Training and consulting opportunities may include providing mental health training to personnel, assisting in the completion of an agency wellness program needs assessment, facilitation of psychoeducational webinars for personnel and their families, etc.
Population Served
The Internship Experience
Interns placed at Code-4 Counseling are engaged in a variety of services offered by our organization. The intern’s primary clinical responsibilities are within our counseling and psychological services program. This includes individual and couples counseling, as well as occasional family counseling. Responsibilities also include phone intakes, safety plan development, and follow-up care for new clients, some of whom may be in crisis. Interns will also have the opportunity to assist with training if they choose and if they are determined to be both comfortable and skilled at public speaking. Interns are thoroughly trained and supervised on therapy cases to ensure a high level of competence. Additional intern responsibility may include crisis response for critical incidents or clients in crisis (these can occur 24/7 so reasonable flexibility is needed), engaging in “ride-along” opportunities with police and fire personnel, fire station and dispatch center visits and wellness checks, facilitating psychoeducational workshops and therapy groups, developing handouts, and assisting with wellness needs assessments (one-on-one interviews, facilitating focus groups, report writing, etc.).
Code-4 embraces an integrative view with regard to the therapeutic approach to clinical work that frequently incorporates modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. Additionally, Code-4 emphasizes the Gottman Institute when working with couples and offers the opportunity for interns to receive specialized training in this approach if they choose. We have a strong focus on training and providing trauma-informed care given the exposure to trauma the majority of our clients experience. We also encourage alternative therapy treatments such as canine-assisted therapy (Code-4 has two therapy dogs, Elton and Lync, that are often available to both clients and clinicians at the office).
Interns receive a minimum of two hours of individual supervision each week from their primary supervisor (licensed psychologist) and at least one additional hour of group supervision and case consultation with our entire team. Interns also participate in weekly didactics and group supervision with the CO-PIC intern cohort. Supplemental weekly individual supervision will be provided by other credentialed professionals and by supervisors of elective focus area experiences, as needed.
Elective Focus Areas
Interns will have the opportunity to create and focus on an elective focus during the internship year. Elective focus areas are selected based on intern interest and agency need. Examples of specialty focus areas may include:
- Suicide Prevention and Intervention Training
- Responder Relationship Support Workshops
- LGBTQ+ Outreach for responder and healthcare personnel
- Post-trauma Growth initiatives
- Substance Abuse support groups
- Crisis Counseling and Emergency Response
- Responder and Healthcare Wellness Program Needs Assessments
Additional Areas of Focus
In addition to direct client service, interns will have the opportunity to provide weekly individual clinical supervision to a masters or doctorate level extern. Interns receive supervision on the provision of supervision and are exposed to didactic discussions that focus on the theories of supervision, reflective supervision, and ethical responsibilities of supervisors.
Preferred Candidate Qualifications:
Interest and experience working with responder and/or front-line healthcare professionals is strongly recommended. Experience providing trauma-informed care is required.
Faculty Information:
Preferred Candidate Qualifications
Faculty Information
Kaitlin Vieweg Parker, Psy.D., LP – CO-PIC Director & Primary Site Supervisor & Director
Dr. Kait Vieweg Parker, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado. She is a CO-PIC alumna and has served on the COPIC faculty for the past five years. Dr. Vieweg Parker began her career in health psychology and has been a dedicated member of the Code-4 team for the last two years. She obtained both her clinical master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Denver- Professional Psychology Department.
Specializing in trauma-informed care and perinatal services, Dr. Vieweg Parker is formally trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy). Her mission is to support clients across the lifespan who have experienced trauma, helping them lead lives with reduced symptoms and improved functioning.
Dr. Vieweg Parker has extensive experience working with a variety of presenting concerns, including trauma, substance use, LGBTQIA+++ affirming care, sleep disturbances, crisis assessment and stabilization, and grief and loss. She provides therapy for individuals across the lifespan, as well as couples and families.
Outside of her clinical work, Dr. Vieweg Parker is an avid supporter of all Denver sports teams and has a background as an athlete herself. She is also a passionate animal lover and can often be found at the zoo or enjoying time outdoors with her dog, Peyton.
Email: kait.vieweg-parker@code4counseling.com
Naomi Spilka, Psy.D., LP
Site Supervisor
Dr. Naomi Spilka, earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University with a concentration in Military Psychology and Trauma following her own military service. She then moved to Colorado, where she attended University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology, specializing in military and veteran-related concerns as well as high-risk occupations and forensic psychology. During her training, Dr. Spilka gained experience working in the areas of detentions, veteran care, forensic and psychological assessment, emergency psychiatry, hospital care, and crisis intervention. In 2018, Dr. Spilka began working with Code 4 Counseling where she wears many hats and relishes in having no two days look alike. Some of her responsibilities and passions include, but are not limited to, supervising student clinicians, managing in-house roles, overseeing peer support teams, wellness program development, engaging in critical incident response/follow-up care as well as working with individuals and couples therapeutically.