Participants in Sanctuary Centers’ clinical internship program learn the best methods of treating and caring for those living with mental illness and co-occurring disorders. Interns gain practical experience through case management, individual and group therapy, and treatment planning. These clinical internships allow students to apply their education as they accrue invaluable experience in the field of mental health treatment.
Doctoral internships
Sanctuary Centers offers a unique training program for current third- and fourth-year Ph.D. students with an interest in treating those with mental illness. Every year, we offer four intern positions, each requiring a 9-12 month commitment of 15 hours of work per week. Two of our doctoral students are assigned to our Outpatient Mental Health Center, and the other two are placed in the Co-Occurring Disorders program (COD). Both venues serve adults with severe mental illness and our COD program also incorporates programming geared towards assisting those who are in recovery from Substance Use Disorders.
Doctoral student interns lead treatment groups, conduct individual counseling, complete psychological assessments and participate in data collection for research. Expectations for student candidates include: competence in administration of Assessments (such as: MMPI-II, MCMI-III, SCL-90-R, WAIS-IV, BDI), basic knowledge of severe mental illness, familiarity with treatment of alcohol and drug users, ability to work well on a multi-disciplinary team in a community-based setting, and an interest in conducting research.
Additionally, doctoral student interns are supervised both individually by our Sanctuary Centers’ licensed staff psychologist and weekly in group supervision led by our Clinical Director.
Students interested in our Doctoral Student Training Program should submit a letter of interest and their curriculum vitae before an interview can be scheduled. Generally, interviews are completed in March and offers made by April.
MFT internships
Sanctuary Centers also provides internship opportunities for students currently enrolled in an MFT program. Every year we offer two practicum positions, each 9-12 month in length and 10 hours a week minimum. Our MFT practicum students typically assist in our Outpatient Mental Health Center, but they also assist in our Co-Occurring Disorders program (COD), a program geared towards those in recovery from substance use disorders. Placement in a Sanctuary Centers’ program is dependent upon the student’s interest and goals.
Practicum student MFTs both lead and co-lead treatment groups, conduct individual counseling, and attend treatment team meetings. Their work is overseen in both individual and group supervision by our Clinical Director.
Students interested in our Pre-Licensed MFT Practicum Training Program should submit a cover letter and their curriculum vitae before an interview can be scheduled with the Clinical Director. Interviews are conducted January through April each year.
Get in Touch With Us
For a doctoral internship, please submit a letter of interest and their curriculum vitae to Denise Mock, Ph.D.
For a MFT internship, please submit a cover letter and your curriculum vitae to Lisa B. Moschini, MA, LMFT