PRE-DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

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Baruch College Counseling Center
137 East 25th Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10010
646-312-2155

FACULTY AND SUPERVISORS
New York State licensed

David Cheng, Ph.D.
Professor and Director

Caroline Kasnakian, Psy.D.
Associate Director/Director of Training

Staci Davis, Psy.D.
Staff Psychologist

Ryan Androsiglio, Ph.D.
Staff Psychologist

Jairo Fuertes, Ph.D.
Adjunct Staff Psychologist

Robert Kayne, Ph.D.
Adjunct Staff Psychologist

Stacie W. Kessler, Psy.D.
Adjunct Staff Psychologist

Elizabeth Merrick, Ph.D.
Adjunct Staff Psychologist
 
David Roane, M.D.
Off-Site Supervising Psychiatrist
 
Nancy Ziehler, Ph.D.
 Mental Health Counselor Staff  

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
Logan Persons Jones, Psy.D candidate 2013
Joanna Symeou, Psy.D

 OFFICE MANAGER
Elizabeth Ruggieri,  B.A.,  M.P.A. candidate, 2014

FOREWORD

Baruch College, named after Bernard M. Baruch in 1953, originated from the United States' first free public higher education institution, the Free Academy. Townsend Harris who, in 1847, challenged the city to "let the children of the rich and poor take their seats together and know no distinctions save that of industry, good conduct, and intellect" founded it. Mr. Baruch graduated from City College, as the Free Academy was renamed in 1866, and became a financier, philanthropist, and advisor to eight presidents. As a trustee, he established a school of business and college government administration in 1919. The School became informally known as "City College Downtown" and has since generated countless business and civic pioneers. In 1968, Baruch separated from City College and became a distinct senior college of the City University of New York.

Baruch College, City University of New York

Baruch College, a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), offers rigorous baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs to its more than 16,000 students through its three schools—the Zicklin School of Business, the School of Public Affairs, and the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.  Baruch educates men and women for leadership roles in business, civic and cultural affairs, and academia.  It is also a catalyst for the social, cultural, and financial mobility of a diverse student body, reflective of its historical mission.  Baruch attracts motivated students of proven achievement who are seriously committed to making their dreams a reality, while offering a high-quality, low-cost education to students who might not otherwise be able to attend college.

Baruch students reflect the ethnic diversity of New York City.  The College has been ranked the most ethnically diverse masters-level college in the United States for well over a decade, according to U.S. News & World Report’s rankings.  They are predominately immigrants, children of immigrants, and international students —60% are Asian, Hispanic, or Black; 40% were born outside the United States; more than half speak English as a second or third language, representing 107 languages and come from 156 countries.  Baruch students also represent members of disadvantaged and underserved communities.  Baruch, which draws the majority of its students from New York City’s public and parochial schools, serves many students with limited financial means—40% with household incomes of $25,000 or less and almost 70% with household incomes of $50,000 or less; almost 40% are the first in their family to attend college; and 76% work at full- or part-time jobs while enrolled. 

The Counseling Center

The Counseling Center, named democratically by the student body in 1995, has been offering psychological services since the 1970s. The Center offers a range of diagnostic, treatment, referral, and case management services, including depression and alcohol screenings, triage crisis management and referral, individual and group therapy, educational workshops and programs, psychological testing, psychiatric consultation, medication management, and collaborations with the Student Health Center and the Campus Intervention Team (CIT).  The Center is staffed by 4 full- and 4 part-time licensed psychologists, 1 part-time licensed mental health provider, and 1 part-time psychologist who serves as a clinical technology consultant.  Our training class typically consists of  2 part-time psychiatric  residents supervised through our affiliate hospital Beth Israel Medical Center,  3  full-time  pre-doctoral psychology interns,  3 part-time CUNY doctoral fellows, and 6 part-time graduate level psychology practicum externs. 

The Center is a safe place for students at the College to ask for and receive help and support in managing the struggles that threaten to overwhelm them.  Approximately 75% of students who use the Center’s services are either recent immigrants or international students, for whom the pressures of adapting to life in the U.S. while being the first in their families to attend college are particular stressors.  Many of the students who come to the Counseling Center typically would not—or could not—obtain or pay for mental health services without its help (services at the Center are free).  In line with national trends, the Counseling Center has observed an alarming increase in the demand for its services and severity and complexity of student symptoms over the past several years.  Nearly 60% of students coming to the Center have significant symptoms of depression, the leading predictor of suicidal and homicidal behavior.  About 5% of students require hospitalization and about one-third of students require medication in addition to psychotherapy to address their symptoms. 

PRE-DOCTORAL PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship Program offers 2 full-time funded positions and may have 1 full-time unfunded position every year.  The internship provides experience throughout the adult life span that may be tailored to meet individual educational, counseling, and training goals. As part of their experience, and because we value an interdisciplinary approach to care and training, interns will work with other professionals including psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers who are on staff. Every week, interns will attend three hours of  didactic seminars as well as seven supervision hours (a minimum of 2 individual and 1 group supervision for individual psychotherapy cases;  1 hour for testing supervision: and 3 hours of group supervision for triage assessments and disposition recommendations). If interns engage in other activities such as co-leading psychotherapy groups, out-reach consultations, workshops, or supervise other trainees, they will also receive an additional supervision hour.  

Interns receive a stipend of approximately $15,000 plus health insurance benefits; accrue sick time; can request dissertation, professional development, and licensing exam release time; and have 4 weeks of vacation. Interns also have access to the college’s library and gym.

I. CLINICAL SERVICES

• Approximately 15-20 individual psychotherapy cases
• Two 3-hour shifts of Triage screening assessment appointments per week
• Intake summaries for assigned individual psychotherapy cases
• Approximately 4 psychological and neuropsychological test batteries
• Co-lead a psychotherapy group, if applicable to interns’ interest
• Approximately 2 workshops per semester, if applicable to interns’ interest
• Consultation and referral for staff and faculty, if applicable to interns’ interest
• Supervise junior training staff, if applicable to interns’ interest

II. SUPERVISION – Individual supervision sessions are weekly with a licensed psychologist.
                                   Group supervision sessions are weekly with 2-4 licensed psychologists.

• A minimum of 2 hours individual for individual psychotherapy cases
• 1 hour of group supervision for individual psychotherapy cases
• 1 hour of individual supervision for testing cases
• Three 1 hour group supervision sessions for triage screening assessment cases
• 1 hour of group supervision for group therapy, workshops, and outreach consultations if applicable
• 1 hour of group supervision for supervision of junior trainees, if applicable
• Crisis supervision as needed

III. CURRICULUM

The following describes seminars and meetings that are available to interns:

CASE CONFERENCE

This monthly conference, at which interns and graduate level practicum externs and fellows present one case per semester, is jointly attended by the Counseling Center and the Career Development Center as well as by invited outside guests in the field of mental health. Interns are expected to write out a case conceptualization for a student they are working with where they are questioning some aspect of the therapy.

DIDACTIC SEMINARS

Given the diversity of our student body at Baruch College, a major focus of the treatment offered follows a multicultural perspective. As such, a one hour multicultural seminar is offered throughout the academic year.  In addition, every Friday a 2-hour seminar is held with a developmental sequence of difficulty or specialization. Onsite and/or invited experts discuss topics of special interest. Topics have included but are not limited to:

• Report writing and charting
• Risk and suicide assessment
• Psychopharmacology
• Treatment Planning
• Multiculturalism
• Crisis management
• Testing
• Substance abuse
• Trauma and dissociative identity disorder
• Working with patients with eating disorders
• Working with gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues
• Character pathology
• Group psychotherapy
• Career and vocational counseling

EVALUATION

Evaluation of the interns' performance by supervisors is part of the training process. Interns have continuing opportunities to evaluate their own progress as the internship evolves via the close relationships that are fostered with their supervisors. Both midyear and final evaluations will be discussed with interns in order to consolidate feedback. These formal evaluations will be forwarded to the Directors of Training. The aim of evaluative feedback given to interns is to assist them to best learn essential clinical skills.

COLLEGE-WIDE ACTIVITIES

There are many college-wide activities and events in which interns may choose to participate (e.g., Freshman Orientation, Early Childhood Center, Peers Advocating Wellness Services (PAWS), Career Development Center, Health and Wellness Fairs, Women's History Month, Black History Month, Poetry Month, Depression Screening Day, Alcohol Screening Day, etc.). Outreach and workshop efforts are typically college-wide. In addition, Baruch College boasts more than 100 clubs and organizations that span a wide range of interests and sponsor a wide range of activities and events. Thus, the potential for counseling center involvement is extensive.

TIME REQUIREMENTS

The internship is fulltime and requires 40 hours weekly and runs a full calendar year. Two-thirds of an interns time consists of direct clinical service, the majority of which is individual psychotherapy. The remaining one-third of an intern’s time is engaged is supervisory or didactic training.  Treatment, testing, supervision, and all other counseling activities are continuous and, thus, require full attendance. Internship runs from approximately September 1st through August 31st. Interns accrue 4 weeks of vacation and 11 sick leave days.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applicants should submit an APPIC application, a cover letter, their resume or curriculum vitae, three (3) letters of recommendation, one sample testing report, and an official transcript from their doctoral program by the application deadline. All complete applications will be reviewed, and a proportion of applicants will be invited for a required interview. We regret that volume renders us unable to grant an interview to all applicants. If you are not invited for an interview, you will not be considered for our internship. Intern applicants will be notified of match results via the APPIC Internship National Matching Services in which the Counseling Center has been a participating member since 2001. Applicants should, therefore, complete and submit an Applicant Agreement form to National Matching Services. This internship site agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any intern applicant. Our program code is: 178511.

Applications and inquiries should be addressed to:

Caroline Kasnakian, Psy.D.
Associate Director and Director of Training
Baruch College Counseling Center
137 East 25th Street
Box J-0914
New York, NY 10010
646-312-2155
Caroline.Kasnakian@baruch.cuny.edu

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