CO-PIC’s training is based on the Practitioner-Scholar model. CO-PIC trains interns to practice as psychologists who are effective consumers of research and who utilize scholarly inquiry to inform their practice. CO-PIC offers generalist training, with the opportunity for specialized elective training that varies across training sites. Each CO-PIC site adheres to APA and CO-PIC training standards as outlined below. For more information regarding site specific training opportunities, check out CO-PIC’s site pages.
Behavioral Health
Interns across training sites will spend approximately 20-25 hours per week in activities related to Behavioral Health Intervention. The consortium provides opportunities for interns to work in inpatient and/or outpatient settings to provide individual, group, family and/or couples therapy to people from a diverse range of age groups, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic levels within a variety of therapeutic modalities.
Across the consortium, service settings may include primary care clinics, counseling centers, medical/ hospitals, shelter/emergency safe houses, schools, offices of the district attorney, detention facilities, law enforcement agencies, and sports clinics.
Psychological Assessment
Interns across training sites will spend approximately 3-5 hours per week in activities related to Assessment. Assessment experience is provided at each consortium site. Interns at every site will be expected to administer, interpret, and provide written synthesis of psychological measures. Assessments may include intellectual, achievement, personality, forensic, integrated assessments focused on improving health outcomes, and/or competency- based measures. Interns will have opportunities to write reports and make recommendations that convey meaningful information to clients and collateral parties. While each site varies on the number and type of referrals, interns will complete a minimum of 8 batteries throughout the course of the year.
Elective Focus Areas
All sites will offer elective focus areas, which will differ across sites. Please refer to the individual site descriptions for more information. Elective focus area opportunities will be determined based upon supervisor approval, the resources within each training site, and the specific interests and experience of the intern. Interns may spend approximately 3-5 hours per week engaged in minor training activities.
Across the consortium, service settings may include primary care clinics, counseling centers, medical/ hospitals, shelter/emergency safe houses, schools, offices of the district attorney, detention facilities, law enforcement agencies, and sports clinics.
Consultation & Systems Collaboration
Interns across training sites will spend approximately 6-8 hours per week in activities related to Consultation and Systems Collaboration. In this capacity, interns will learn about community health and human service agencies and how to effectively collaborate across systems (e.g., schools, health, etc.) and professional disciplines (e.g., educators, social workers, clergy, medical staff, etc.). Examples of specific topic areas may include: Psychologists as Leaders, Coordinated Community Response (e.g., suicide prevention coalitions, disaster preparedness and response, etc.), and Grant Writing and Project Management.
Research
CO-PIC places an emphasis on evidence-based practice and incorporates critical review of research articles into the didactic series on a monthly basis. Additionally, CO-PIC encourages interns to inform treatment utilizing the most current research and best practices. Opportunities to be involved in research vary across consortium sites; however, CO-PIC sites do not currently offer dedicated time towards research projects as a standard part of the training year. Inquire with the specific site for more information on research opportunities at the respective site.
Didactics & Supervision
CO-PIC interns meet in person at least three times during the training year. All faculty and interns meet at one of the CO-PIC sites (e.g., Vail Valley or Denver area) at the outset of the internship year for orientation, again near the mid-year of the internship, and for a final time at the end of their training year for a graduation celebration. The location and focus of the mid-year shared training activity depends upon the availability of other professional development activities (e.g., Colorado Psychological Association meetings or conferences). Additional in-person shared training opportunities are offered throughout the year for all interns.
CO-PIC hosts weekly didactics and group supervision for all interns via videoconferencing. In an effort to prioritize training, attendance at these scheduled activities take priority over other site obligations each week. The yearly schedule for didactics and supervisions are distributed at the beginning of each training year. Interns receive 1 hour of group supervision per week, together as a cohort. Additionally, interns participate in a variety of exciting didactics for two hours per week as a cohort. Didactic training places an emphasis on increasing cultural humility, evidence-based intervention, evaluating current research, and more (see sample didactic/supervision schedule below). As a distance consortium, these group opportunities allow interns and faculty to connect and collaborate on a weekly basis. Primary supervisors rotate facilitating supervision and didactics to provide interns the opportunity to experience diverse perspectives from faculty with wide-ranging expertise.
Interns are also provided with a minimum of two hours per week of individual supervision with their primary site supervisor, who is a licensed psychologist. One additional hour of supervision is provided by the intern’s respective site and will either be individual or group format by appropriately credentials professionals. Between site facilitated supervision and the CO-PIC group supervision, interns receive a minimum of four hours of supervision per week during the internship year.
