St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute offers a clinical practicum in mental health. We currently have three programs that have practicum opportunities:

Center for Anxiety and OCD-Related Disorders (COARD): Students are assigned to the Intermediate Care Program (ICP), a nationally recognized program providing multidisciplinary care, such as intensive cognitive and behavioral treatments, to patients with complex or refractory disorders. Students will typically have the opportunity to work with a variety of problems, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and agoraphobia, social phobia, trauma-related disorders, depression and more. Note: This placement is for individuals who are in their 2^nd year of their program (or further) and who have had clinical experience.

Eating Disorders Program: Students in this track will work in the Adolescent and Adult Intensive Outpatient Programs. Students will be trained in group and individual therapy as well as assessment. Students will have opportunities to collect and manage program data. Students will have opportunities to screen (pre-assessment) potential incoming patients into our IOP program. As the training progresses through the year, students will be able to shadow, co-lead and independently lead groups in the IOP programs. They will be able to shadow and co-lead individual and/or family sessions. Students will have other opportunities to observe and participate in clinical staff meetings. There are opportunities for evening and weekend hours.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program: Students in this track will work in the Adult and Adolescent DBT Intensive Outpatient Programs which run in the afternoons, evenings and Saturday mornings. The programs are adherent to the evidence-based Marsha Linehan DBT approach. Students will participate in delivering the DBT interventions and in the DBT consultation team. Note: This placement is for individuals who are in their 2^nd year of their program (or further) and who have had clinical experience.

Qualifications

Students must be currently enrolled in a graduate program in clinical or counseling psychology, clinical social work, or another mental health discipline. OF NOTE: We do not have any training opportunities for individuals in medical fields such as psychiatric nurse practitioners or physician assistants.

Supervision

All students will receive supervision that is in keeping with the needs of their school (to be discussed during the application process). Students will also receive input and supervision from a multidisciplinary team of professionals on a case-by-case basis.

Applying

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their application materials as early as possible, but no later than February 1. Applicants will be notified of selection no later than March 14. To apply, send via email your updated curriculum vitae and a letter of interest indicating:

• Which program you are applying to (you can only apply to one)
• What year you are in your program
• A description of your clinical experiences
• What your supervision requirements are, including:
  • What degree your supervisor must have
  • If they have to be licensed, or if you could be supervised by a Postgraduate or Postdoctoral Fellow
  • If supervision has to be individual or if group is accepted
• If SLBMI is an approved training site per your school (your Training Director will know this)
• How many hours per week you are looking for
• What time of day you need those hours to occur in

All materials (and any questions should you have them) should be sent to:

Deb Elliott-DeSorbo, PhD
Training Director
[email protected]