School-Based Mental Health
Introduction
The Externship training program at Talbot Child Psychology (TCP) is a 10 to 12-month placement that provides a therapy-focused practicum in a school-based mental health setting. This program also provides ample opportunities to gain additional specialized training in treating children with feeding difficulties.
Program Components
TCP's 10 to 12-month practicum comprises the following:
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16 hours of training per week at a Talbot County Public School,
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8 hours of virtual psychotherapy per week*,
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Direct services to clients in the form of individual, family, or group therapy,
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Two hours of individual face-to-face supervision by a doctoral-level licensed psychologist per week.
*Interested students may choose to participate in the summer feeding rotation. In this rotation, they will be supervised in providing intensive virtual feeding therapy to patients diagnosed with Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. The intensive feeding program provides clients with one hour of family therapy five times per week for four weeks. The goal of this program is to help children with significant feeding difficulties. The feeding rotation can replace the eight hours of weekly virtual psychotherapy.
Training Goals
TCP offers a unique mix of cases that will allow all trainees to develop and hone their therapeutic skills. Through participation in diagnostic interviews, delivery of in-school therapy, and participation in Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 meetings, students gain core skills that represent the cornerstone
of school-based mental health. Externs will also have the opportunity to participate in individual, family, and group-based feeding therapy.*
Program Requirements
Externs must be actively enrolled in a qualified accredited educational program. Prospective externs must submit an application form and supporting documents to Talbot Child Psychology. Interviews are offered on a rolling basis. Successful applicants are notified by email. Upon accepting our externship offer, applicants are invited for onboarding and orientation. All new TCP externs are separately onboarded by a representative(s) of Talbot County Public Schools (TCPS). TCP’s externship offer is contingent upon successfully completing the TCPS onboarding process.
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*Direct Observation by the immediate supervisor responsible for the activity or experience being evaluated. Direct observation is defined as the act in which supervisors will either view a testing or therapy intervention in progress either in-person, via video or audio recording, live stream, during co-therapy, or through live observation (2-way mirror).