Clinical Training Opportunities
An overview of elective rotations
Health Psychology and Neuropsychology
Interns on the abdominal transplant rotation primarily conduct pre-surgical psychosocial evaluations for patients being evaluated for kidney, liver, and/or pancreas transplants. We also evaluate some potential kidney or liver donors. These evaluations are comprehensive semi-structured interviews which examine mental health, substance use, adherence to medical regimens, understanding of the transplant process, and social support. Brief screens (PHQ-9, GAD-7) can be used, as well as occasional neurocognitive screens (MoCA). Patients are followed both prior to transplant (initial evaluations and annual follow-ups) and after transplant (as needed for kidney, and at 1 month, 6 month, and 12 months post-transplant for liver). Evaluations are typically completed outpatient but may be done urgently inpatient if patients become too sick to be evaluated on an outpatient basis. We can also follow patients for brief counseling, if necessary, either outpatient or while hospitalized, but therapy is not a primary focus of this rotation. Interns may also attend a multidisciplinary selection meeting to learn how decisions are made regarding whether to list a patient for transplant. If a patient the intern has evaluated is presented for listing, they will gain experience presenting to the multidisciplinary team (physicians, surgeons, nurse coordinators, pharmacists, nutritionists, etc.). Optional experiences (depending on interest and scheduling) include co-leading a pre-transplant liver support group, providing brief weight loss evaluations for patients trying to lose weight to qualify for transplant and observing a transplant surgery.
Supervisors: John Taylor Freeman, PhD, Jessica Diket, PsyD, Matthew Schooler, PsyD
The adult C/L Psychology service provides psychological services to medical inpatients across UNC Hospitals (UNCH) at Chapel Hill. As a consult service, C/L Psychology services are requested by patients’ primary medical teams or by the C/L Psychiatry service. Common reasons for referral include adjustment to acute and/or chronic severe medical conditions, coping with hospitalization, enhancing engagement in care, concern for mood disorders, diagnostic clarification, and behavioral disturbance. The C/L Psychology service works closely with multidisciplinary providers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare professionals to coordinate care.
Supervisor: Lisa Kanser, PsyD
The Eating Disorder Child, Adolescent, and Adult Diagnostic Clinic is housed within the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (CEED). Patients are referred to the Diagnostic Clinic from a variety of sources (e.g., primary care providers, therapists, self-referral) from both within UNC Health and the larger community. Evaluations in the Diagnostic Clinic aim to: rule in/rule out eating pathology, render an accurate eating disorder diagnosis, and provide recommendations for evidence-based intervention depending on the presentation and symptom severity. Interns will have the opportunity to: learn about eating disorder diagnosis and care coordination in a diverse sample of patients; work with medically complex and socioeconomically underserved populations; develop foundational skills in rapid, efficient assessment of eating disorders (and differential diagnosis); participate in treatment planning and care coordination; develop consultative skills in working with other healthcare disciplines/professions.
The interested intern will develop core skills in eating disorder assessment, and the rotation is designed to train both interns who hope to specialize and those who plan to work in other fields/specialties outside of eating disorders.
Supervisors: Maureen Dymek-Valentine, PhD (adult), Sarah Lemay-Russell (child/adolescent)
The UNC Hepatology Program is dedicated to providing a multidisciplinary treatment approach for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction steatohepatitis (MASH), and liver cirrhosis. Interns in this service work closely with the supervisor to co-lead and lead individual psychological health behavior assessments and psychotherapy or health behavior intervention sessions with patients with liver disease and a wide range of comorbidities. Treatment H&B sessions utilize psychoeducation, motivational enhancement, CBT, mindfulness–, and acceptance-based strategies to target psychological and behavioral factors affecting support healthy patients’ capacity to make lifestyle modifications and behavioral weight loss for liver health. There are opportunities to shadow hepatologists, nurse practitioners, GI nutritionists, or clinical pharmacists in multidisciplinary clinics.
Supervisor: Donna Evon, PhD
The Heart & Lung Transplant and LVAD rotation is designed to offer interns a comprehensive experience in the assessment and treatment of adult patients with end-stage heart and/or lung disease who are pursuing transplant and/or left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement. This track allows interns to work on a multidisciplinary team in a large academic medical center and gain experience working with individuals with acute onset and chronic health conditions from diverse backgrounds pursuing life-saving treatment options. Interns will have the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge about many end-stage diseases, consultation in an academic medical center, transplant psychology, and evidence-based interventions (e.g., for depression, panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, relationship stressors, etc) to help improve the psychological functioning and quality of life of individuals who are pre- and post-transplant and LVAD and their caregivers.
Supervisor: Eileen Burker, PhD
The UNC Pain Psychology program is an elective rotation for the Internship program. Interns tend to spend a half day on rotation, but a full day is an option if it fits in the intern’s schedule. Supervisors for this rotation are Amy Goetzinger, Skye Margolies, and Becca Harrell, all faculty in the UNC Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine at UNC. Supervisors are health psychologists with specialization in pain and other subspecialties (e.g., sleep medicine, cardiac medicine, opioid use disorder). Interns are considered on a case-by-case basis on Tuesdays only, and work at the UNC Pain Management Center (an outpatient clinic approximately 15 minutes from the main hospital) or provide psychological services as part of the Inpatient Pain Psychology program. Interns participate in psychological assessment and consultation services, and they provide individual psychological counseling. Group counseling and supervisory experience also is possible, depending on schedules.
Supervisors:Amy Goetzinger, Skye Margolies, and Becca Harrell
Interns on this service will perform clinical interviews and provide neuropsychological screenings and comprehensive assessments to pediatric and adult patients with a variety of diagnoses, including stroke, sports concussion, TBI, dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune disease, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, oncology (including “chemobrain”), long COVID, symptom exaggeration, and other medical and/or psychiatric conditions with associated cognitive impairments. Interns may also have the opportunity to see retired professional football players for clinical evaluation, depending on the dates they choose for their rotation. Interns will become familiar with the common cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical sequelae of a variety of medical diagnoses and functional disorders; learn to administer, score, and interpret neuropsychological tests and screening instruments; interview patients and families; integrate data from medical records, the clinical interview, behavioral observations, and test results in written reports; generate meaningful recommendations to inform patient care; and provide feedback to patients, family members, and referral source. Focus of training is negotiable. Supervision will be in vivo but includes optional didactics, which will be held at least twice a month. Responsibilities for supervision may be shared between multiple supervisors, again dependent upon the day(s) of the week the intern is available for clinic.
Supervisors: Karla Thompson, PhD, Matthew Harris, PhD, Robert Kanser, PhD, Hannah Allen, PhD
Developmental Disabilities
The TEACCH Autism Program is a clinical service and professional training program that serves autistic individuals of all ages and their families. Treatment in TEACCH focuses on multiple evidence-based methods. The program promotes an integrated approach to the individual’s school or work and home environment. Opportunities for interns at TEACCH include the following options:
- Chapel Hill TEACCH Center: There are a variety of diagnostic and treatment experiences available for interns interested in working with autistic individuals of all ages.
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- Diagnostic evaluations of children, adolescents, and adults referred due to suspected ASD; many are diagnostically complex. The intern will utilize assessment instruments specifically designed for determining a diagnosis of ASD, as well as providing diagnostic information and recommendations to clients and families.
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- Group interventions for autistic individuals and their families. Groups incorporate CBT, DBT, and other evidence-based strategies for autism. The intervention groups focus on teaching a variety of social communication, independence, emotional understanding, and emotional-control skills.
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- Individual interventions for autistic individuals and their families, including family training sessions for child and adolescent clients and individual therapy for autistic adults. Training opportunities also include support groups for autistic adults.
2. Carolina Living and Learning Center:The CLLC is a model residential and vocational program for autistic adults, operated by TEACCH in a farm setting in Pittsboro, NC, about 20 minutes from Chapel Hill. The intern will join the consulting psychologist in the development and monitoring of behavior support plans, the assessment of cognitive and adaptive living skills, monthly documentation, and consultation on programs for personal, domestic, and vocational skill development. The intern will also participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team in meetings, including annual program planning, and will prepare and present materials to the Clinical Advisory Board/Human Rights Committee. Interns will learn about the application of Structured TEACCHing and other evidence-based intervention procedures for working with autistic adults.
Supervisors: Tamara Dawkins, PhD; Jemma Grindstaff, PhD; Katherine Korelitz, PhD; Laura Klinger, PhD; Erin Musson, LCSW; Signe Naftel, PhD; Suzi Pietroluongo, LCSW; ; Grace Lee Simmons, PhD; and Mary Beth Van Bourgondien, PhD
Adult Autism Clinic
CIND’s Adult Autism Clinic (AAC) offers diagnostic evaluations for adults. Often this clinic focuses on evaluating autism spectrum disorder in individuals who have struggled to succeed in school, vocationally, and socially. Many of these persons have been misidentified as having psychiatric diagnoses and/or have unidentified co-occurring autism spectrum disorder. An important element of evaluations for older adolescents or young adults is to assist in helping them transition from school and home-based services to adult educational, residential, and vocational services. This clinic is held twice per month on Tuesdays opposite of School Age Autism Clinic.
Supervisor: Melissa Beck, PhD
Behavioral Medicine Clinic
CIND’s Behavior Medicine Clinic (BMC) is an interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment service for children, adolescents, and adults with underlying neurodevelopmental disabilities co-occurring with complex behavioral and/or psychiatric challenges. The evaluation and treatment team includes a psychologist and a physician trained in both pediatrics and psychiatry. Common referral concerns include assistance with self-injurious behaviors, disabling ritualistic behaviors, difficulties surrounding obsessive/narrow areas of interest, anxiety, depression, PICA, and explosive/aggressive behaviors. Evaluation services are problem-focused. Diagnostic clarification of the underlying developmental disability is not the area of focus in this clinic. Intervention services can include but would not be limited to the development of a detailed behavioral management plan, psychopharmacologic consultation, and collaborative institution of all recommendations with the family and community providers as appropriate. Consultation with the patient/family will vary from one visit to a longer period of co-management with the family and/or community provider as appropriate. This clinic is held on a weekly basis on Thursdays.
Supervisor: Jean Mankowski, PhD
Child Neurology Psychology Consultation:
The Child Neurology Psychology Consultation Clinic provides behaviorally based treatment recommendations for children and adolescents with neurological conditions. Patients, ages 2–22, are referred by neurology providers for concerns related to behavior, development, learning, and mental health, with many presenting with neurodevelopmental disabilities (e.g., IDD, ASD) and/or genetic conditions. Common concerns include disruptive behavior, functional disorders (e.g., psychogenic seizures, functional movement), tics, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, school-related challenges, body-focused repetitive behaviors, health-related behavioral challenges (e.g., sleep, toileting), and medical trauma. The clinic emphasizes practical, actionable recommendations and guidance on appropriate long-term services and supports, with strong caregiver involvement in treatment. There may be opportunities to conduct abbreviated autism evaluations. Interns participate in all aspects of care, including record review, case conceptualization, conducting and observing clinical interviews, co-leading and independently leading sessions, completing EHR documentation, and communicating with medical providers. This experience provides exposure to a wide range of pediatric neurological and developmental presentations, evidence-based behavioral interventions, real-time clinical decision-making, and interdisciplinary care within a medical setting.
Clinics are held in person weekly on Monday and Friday mornings.
Supervisor: Cari Pittleman, PhD
Craniofacial Clinic
The Craniofacial Team at the Adams School of Dentistry is an interdisciplinary team serving individuals affected by cleft lip, cleft palate and craniofacial conditions. The UNC Craniofacial Center’s team consists of pediatric providers from UNC Health, UNC School of Medicine and Adams School of Dentistry and provides comprehensive care to patients from infancy to adulthood The interdisciplinary team includes otolaryngologists, craniomaxillofacial and plastic surgeons, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, pediatric dentists and orthodontists. The Psychologist role includes consultation with patients (infant through young adults) and caregivers related to mood, safety, developmental progress, school experience, as well as any issues related to managing complex medical conditions, care and medical visits. As needed, the team also provides developmental or mental health screeners, safety planning, referrals, or follow-up care recommendations. Responsibilities in addition to face-to-face time include participation in interdisciplinary consultation meetings, record review and documentation/recommendation planning. Occurs weekly on Tuesdays at the Adams School of Dentistry adjacent to the main UNC hospital. Whole or half day options are available.
Supervisor: Anne Harris, PhD
Down Syndrome Evaluation and Consultation Clinic:
CIND’s Down Syndrome Evaluation and Consultation Clinic (DSEC) offers psychological evaluation and interdisciplinary consultation services for individuals with Down syndrome and their families across the lifespan. The primary goal of the evaluations offered through this clinic is to determine whether the individual meets diagnostic criteria for a co-occurring neurodevelopmental condition (e.g., autism, ADHD) within the context of Down syndrome. In addition, the clinic team offers integrated medication and behavioral management consultations to families of individuals with Down syndrome and co-occurring behavioral difficulties (e.g., self-injury, aggression, feeding issues, elopement) to promote positive behavior. The team consists of licensed psychologists and a pediatric nurse practitioner. Professionals from other disciplines (e.g., speech-language pathologists) are included as needed based on referral questions and concerns. Psychological evaluations typically include standardized measures of developmental/cognitive functioning, adaptive functioning, social-emotional/behavioral functioning, and gold-standard measures of autism. At the conclusion of the evaluation, parents/caregivers are provided an interpretive conference regarding the results of the evaluation, strategies to address their referral concerns, and opportunity to return for follow-up behavioral consultation. A report of the findings and recommendations is tailored to the needs of the family. This clinic happens two days a week.
Supervisors: Rebecca Grzadzinski, PhD; Chandler Knott, PhD
The Early Childhood Clinic
CIND’s Early Childhood Clinic (ECC) offers diagnostic evaluations for children up to 6 years of age. The primary purpose of this clinic is to determine whether the child meets the criteria for autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disorders. The team consists of a licensed psychologist and a licensed speech-language pathologist. One of the attending SLPs is fluent in Spanish. Professionals from other disciplines are included as needed based on the referral questions. Evaluations for ASD typically use the ADOS-2, Vineland-3, diagnostic interviewing, developmental testing, and administration of other questionnaires as appropriate. Parents/caregivers are provided an interpretive conference regarding the evaluation results, strategies to address their referral concerns, and the opportunity to return for follow-up consultation and parent training/therapy. A report of the findings and recommendations is tailored to the family’s needs. This clinic is held weekly.
Supervisors: Melissa Beck, PhD & Rebecca Grzadzinski, PhD
Hearing and Development Clinic
The HDC offers diagnostic evaluations of individuals of all ages who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing in combination with developmental concerns. The primary purpose of the clinic is to better understand a child’s global developmental profile and provide relevant recommendations for treatment. Typical referral concerns include speech, language, or learning difficulties, developmental or intellectual delays, autism spectrum disorders, and/or concerns regarding socialization, communication, or sensory dysfunction. The team consists of an audiologist, speech-language pathologists, a psychologist, a learning specialist, and occupational therapy as needed based on referral concerns. At the conclusion of the interdisciplinary assessments an interpretive conference is provided for parents/caretakers to explain the results of the evaluation and strategies to address referral concerns. A report is provided along with assistance in identifying local resources. This clinic is held twice per month on Mondays, opposite of School Age Team Clinic. Supervisor: Jean Mankowski, PhD
Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic
CIND’s Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic focuses on neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents with neurological illness, medical illnesses and disorders, genetic disorders, psychiatric illness and behavior problems, brain injury, developmental disabilities, and complex learning issues. Individuals are referred to the clinic from a variety of sources, including neurology, nephrology, oncology, pediatric rehab, and local school systems. Neuropsychological assessment describes brain-behavior relationships by assessing multiple cognitive domains and relating a patient’s performance, within these domains, to neuroanatomical and neurophysiological principles. A typical clinic day begins with a parent/child interview to clarify questions and concerns, followed by three to five hours of assessment. Interpretive sessions may take place on another day in order to have time to score all assessments, develop the diagnostic formulation, and select appropriate treatments and recommendations. Interns participate in all aspects of the clinic and gradually move into more independence in interviewing, battery development, and formulation. Interns participating in this clinic will be exposed to a wide range of clinical presentations, semi-structured clinical interviewing, neuropsychological testing procedures, interpretation of data, clinical interpretive with clients and family members, report writing, and community consultation and information sharing as requested by the families. This clinic is held twice per month on Thursdays.
Supervisor: Heather Hazlett, PhD
The School-Age Autism Clinic
The CIND’s School-Age Autism Clinic (SAAC) offers diagnostic evaluations for children and adolescents. The primary purpose of this clinic is to determine whether the child meets criteria for autism spectrum disorder, and differential diagnosis of other possible neurodevelopmental and/or psychiatric conditions. The team also provides consultation to families regarding tailored recommendations for interventions and supports. Evaluations typically consist of reviewing records, diagnostic interviewing, observational assessment (including the ADOS-2 when appropriate), measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning, and administration of questionnaires as needed. This clinic is held twice per month on Tuesdays, opposite of Adult Autism Clinic.
Supervisor: Melissa Beck, PhD
The School Age Team
CIDD’s School Age Team (SAT) is the most comprehensive interdisciplinary clinic provided by the CIND. Children and adolescents aged 3-21 who are struggling with a variety of different types of learning, developmental, social and/or behavioral/emotional concerns are referred to the SAT for evaluation. Currently, children and their caregivers spend a full day with CIDD faculty (representing up to 11 different disciplines). Consultation, interviewing, and standardized assessments are conducted, as appropriate. All clinicians participate in a team meeting following the evaluations to discuss findings and develop a plan for the child and family. Results are provided on the same day to the family. This clinic is held twice per month on Mondays, opposite of Hearing and Development Clinic.
Supervisor: Jean Mankowski, PhD
Group-Based Young Adult Social Skills Training
The Social Skills Group Clinic is a recurring 8-week group-based social skills training program. The group typically runs once during the Fall and once during the Spring. The group focuses on social cognition (understanding the intentions of others) and social skills (improving social behaviors) and relies on structured didactics, videos, and role-plays. The group is open to those with a formal diagnosis that impacts their social abilities (such as autism spectrum disorder or ADHD) and those simply wishing to improve their social skills. The group is geared towards older teenagers and young adults, and most participants are in high school.
Supervisor: Gabriel Dichter, PhD
Genetic Syndrome Clinics (offered less frequently)
Angelman & Duplication 15 Syndrome Clinics
This clinic occurs once a month multidisciplinary clinic serving individuals with AS or Dup15 and their families across NC and surrounding states. Angelman Syndrome is a genetic disorder originating from the maternal leg of chromosome 15 which results in severe/profound intellectual disabilities, minimal speech, seizures, and an unusual happy demeanor. Duplication 15 Syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by motor delays, epilepsy, and a high likelihood of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. The clinic team is comprised of psychology, neurology, psychiatry, speech/language, nutrition, PT, OT, medicine, and genetic counseling. A medical consultation model is used in providing support to families who come to the clinic. Typically, 2-3 individuals and their caregivers are seen each month.
Supervisor: Anne Wheeler, PhD
Neurogenetics Clinic
CIDD’s Neurogenetics Disorders clinic is an interdisciplinary evaluation service for children, adolescents, and adults with genetic syndromes or documented chromosomal abnormalities associated with developmental disabilities (e.g., Fragile X Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Down Syndrome, 22q11 Deletion Syndrome, and others). The clinic team comprises psychology, neurology, and speech/language disciplines. The clinical team assesses cognitive strengths and weaknesses, neurologic concerns, sensory processing differences, and speech/ language concerns that may be part of a genetic disorder. After the clinic visit, a report will be provided with recommendations for local resources. Ongoing monitoring and consultation will be available for clinic patients if needed. This clinic is held once per month.
Supervisor: Heather Hazlett, PhD
Prader-Willi Syndrome Follow-up Clinic
CIDD’s Prader-Willi Syndrome clinic is once every other month. This multidisciplinary clinic serves individuals with PWS and their families across NC and surrounding states. PWS is a genetic disorder originating on the paternal leg of chromosome 15, which results in borderline to moderate intellectual disability, mild to extreme hypotonia, often severe hyperphagia (urge to eat), OCD and autistic-like behaviors, and mild self-injurious behaviors (mostly skin-picking). Many individuals with PWS have obesity-related health concerns as well. The clinic team is comprised of psychology, psychiatry, speech/language, nutrition, social work, medicine, and genetic counseling. A medical consultation model is used to support families who come to the clinic. Multiple families are seen by rotating providers each clinic.
Supervisor: Melissa Beck, PhD
Child and Adolescent Services
The UNC ADHD Program is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Interns are trained to administer, score, and interpret diagnostic clinical interviews and self-, caregiver-, and teacher-reported measures assessing for ADHD and co-occurring disorders. Additionally, interns are trained to administer behavioral and cognitive-behavioral interventions for child/adolescents with ADHD between the ages of three and seventeen years and their caregivers in individual and group settings.
Supervisor: Nicholas Fogleman, PhD
The Pediatric Psychology Consultation Liaison service provides psychological care to children, adolescents, and their families who are hospitalized in the NC Children’s Hospital. Consultations may be a single visit or in the form of more ongoing supportive care in coping with a lengthier hospital stay. Referrals from the pediatric teams may, for example, include consultation regarding coping and adjustment to chronic illness, assessment of trauma symptoms in children with burn injuries or motor vehicle accidents, evaluation of possible functional neurological symptom disorder (conversion disorder), or nonadherence to recommended medical treatment. The Pediatric Psychology C/L service consults on patients hospitalized in the UNC Children’s Hospital for acute or chronic illness, age range is infants through young adulthood. The psychology intern’s primary role is to provide consultation to patients hospitalized in the NC Children’s Hospital; however, depending on interest and availability of referrals, there may be opportunities to provide short term outpatient psychotherapy. There may be opportunities to participate observe the Children’s Supportive Care Team with Dr. Prieur. Interns interested in gaining exposure to specific populations should discuss opportunities with us at the beginning of the rotation; exposure might be embedded within an elective rotation.
Supervisors: Joni McKeeman, PhD & Mary Beth Prieur, PhD
The Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program (CHAAMP), supported by The Foundation of Hope and housed within the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, is a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research program that investigates the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of anxiety and mood disorders in youth, from early childhood through adolescence. Opportunities for interns rotating with CHAAMP will be embedded within ongoing research projects and may include clinical activities such as conducting clinical and diagnostic assessments, conducting suicide risk assessments, and providing short-term psychotherapy with youth. Specific activities within this rotation frequently change based on the needs of ongoing research projects.
Supervisors: Cope Feurer, PhD, Danielle Roubinov, PhD
Adult Services
In the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) rotation, you will get didactic and experiential training in the ACT model and provide outpatient ACT with adult patients. This rotation can either be one semester or the full year. Because ACT is a transdiagnostic approach, interns will be able to work with patients with a variety of presenting concerns, depending on your training goals. Referrals for the ACT rotation have come from several UNC clinics (e.g., the general outpatient therapy clinic at Vilcom, Reproductive Psych) and community providers. Interns will conduct initial intake assessments and provide either short-term or long-term ACT, depending on patient needs and therapy goals.
Supervisor: Mary Hill, PhD
The mission of the Child/Adolescent inpatient unit is to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services for children and adolescents suffering from a broad range of psychiatric diagnoses that require acute inpatient treatment. A safe and consistent environment is essential in order to meet the many-faceted needs of this population. The Child/Adolescent Unit is located in The UNC Health Neurosciences Hospital. Therapeutic interventions offered are varied and are individualized based upon the assessment of each individual. The goal of hospitalization is to provide efficient diagnosis and acute-care treatment. Psychology provides a group treatment program set to improve coping and symptom management. We also assist the patient, family, & team in learning behavior management skills for use during, and following, discharge.
Interns on this rotation gain skills in the provision of a variety of modalities of group treatment on the inpatient Adolescent Unit. Groups provided to the Child/Adolescent inpatient population are broadly focused to capture the variety of treatment needs that present in a general inpatient unit. Common theoretical orientations include Motivational Interviewing, DBT Skills, CBT, Seeking Safety, and Relapse Prevention. This rotation is fully in-person on Tuesday mornings.
Supervisor: Terra Rose, PsyD
The mission of this service is to provide evidence-based, culturally sensitive care to individuals who are hospitalized on the Perinatal Psychiatry Inpatient Unit (PPIU). Patients on this unit are pregnant or postpartum (up to one year postpartum) and hospitalized for peripartum mental health concerns, including depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anxiety, OCD, and trauma. The focus on the inpatient unit is crisis stabilization, providing psychoeducation, and providing coping skills. We also provide psychoeducation to families and conduct discharge planning-focused family sessions. SCID modules and questionnaire-based assessments are used as appropriate for diagnostic clarity. Interns on this service conduct targeted assessment, provide brief individual treatments, and lead discharge-focused family sessions. Interns also attend psychiatry rounds, lead weekly morning community meetings, and participate in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings.
Supervisor: Emily Pisetsky, PhD
*Note: this is an elective opportunity for trainees whose track is not Reproductive Psychology. The Reproductive Psychology intern will have these experiences embedded into their primary rotation schedule.
The perinatal period (that is, pregnancy and up to one year postpartum) is a unique window during which the full array of mental health symptoms can emerge or worsen. The mission of this service is to provide comprehensive assessment, evidence-based interventions, and culturally sensitive care to individuals in the perinatal period. The focus of this rotation is on building assessment and intervention competencies within the perinatal context. This year, there is also emerging opportunities to work within UNC’s Fertility Clinic, and with recurrent loss patients. Because the perinatal clinic offers both generalist and specialist treatment, trainees have a unique opportunity to shape their caseload to their interests and training goals.
Assessment Opportunities: Interns who desire formal assessment experience may elect to participate in our assessment clinic. In this clinic, interns will complete diagnostic assessments of pregnant and postpartum individuals with a range of acuities, complexities, and presentations. Common primary diagnoses (in order of frequency) include; GAD, depression, OCD, PTSD, bipolar I and II disorder, panic disorder, insomnia, adjustment disorder, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and postpartum psychosis. Common comorbidities include: ADHD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, and somatoform disorders. Activities include administering a standard battery of measures, a diagnostic evaluation, providing diagnostic feedback and recommendations to patients, and writing up assessment reports. All patients will go through the initial assessment clinic prior to being placed with a clinician in our program.
Intervention Opportunities: As the perinatal period is the context within which mental health symptoms to occur, interns have the option to tailor their training to specific interests or gaps in their training. The most common interventions used within our clinic are: Exposure + Response Prevention, Interoceptive exposure for Panic, the Unified Protocol and other forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills. Additionally, depending on their day on service, interns will have the opportunity to cofacilitate a group therapies for: 1) couples experiencing relationship distress, 2) the Unified Protocol, and 3) DBT skills for PMDD. Comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy is not offered as part of this elective opportunity; interns interested in that experience should request the Perinatal Trauma and DBT elective. While a small amount of Behavioral Activation and CBT for Insomnia can be done on this rotation, interns wanting significant experience with these short-term interventions should engage in the Short-Term Behavioral Interventions elective. Interns are expected to identify specific goals which we will shape their training plan around. Interns are not expected to learn all of these interventions, but rather to select specific interventions that meet their training goals and interests.
Supervisor: Tiffany Hopkins, PhD and Jodie Lisenbee, PhD
The mission of this service is to help interns build competencies in treating acute, standard, and complex trauma presentations with evidence-based interventions, with the hope of intervening in the intergenerational cycle of trauma. The patient population includes trauma survivors in the perinatal period (pregnant, up to 1 year postpartum, or post-perinatal loss). The most common types of trauma experienced include obstetrical and neonatal, sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and developmental traumas. Our treatment approach depends on patient presentation and goals. Typically, for PTSD, we stabilize (if needed) with a brief course of skills followed by Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy. For acute trauma reactions or in the case of active, ongoing abuse, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, DBT skills, or the Unified Protocol are the interventions of choice. Subsequent work may involve an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy: For individuals with complex, developmental trauma, high diagnostic complexity, and risk, our program also offers comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which includes individual therapy, a group skills training class, phone coaching and Peer Consultation. Additionally, interested interns will have the opportunity to complete Dr. Melanie Harned’s DBT+Prolonged Exposure protocol for patients with primary PTSD diagnoses. Our DBT program often involves the entire family system at various points in treatment (e.g., interpersonal skills for partners, and bonding/parenting skills with infants and children). Of note, only two elective openings exist (reproductive and trauma track interns have this built into their standard schedule); therefore, some elective interns may choose to do general perinatal trauma work, but only two will be able to do both perinatal trauma and DBT.
Supervisor: Tiffany Hopkins, PhD, and Sultan Hubbard, PhD
The Perimenopause Clinic, directed by Dr. Margo Nathan, supports women and their providers who are seeking further understanding of whether the hormonal changes of menopause may be playing a role in their psychiatric symptoms. The clinic provides specialized consultation which includes a reproductive and psychiatric evaluation as well as discussion of recommendations for the management of hormonally associated mood and anxiety symptoms. Interns provide evaluation, consultation, and brief behavioral interventions (including behavioral activation and CBT-I) for perimenopausal women experiencing mod and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, interns may provide Behavioral Activation to individuals in the perinatal period.
Supervisor: Sultan Hubbard, PhD, Erin Bondy, PhD, and Parisa Kaliush, PhD
Outreach and Support Intervention Services (OASIS) is an early psychosis coordinated specialty care program (CSC). Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) is a multi-component, evidence based, early intervention model for individuals experiencing a first episode of psychosis (FEP) that can improve their quality of life, reduce hospitalization, improve education and employment rates, and reduce symptoms of psychosis and co-occurring disorders. Participants in our clinic include individuals aged 15-30 who have experienced an initial onset of psychosis (3-year period) and their caregivers.
We provide clinical assessment, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, individual, group and family psychotherapy, supported educational and employment services and peer and family peer support. We also host numerous peer and family social events throughout the year. The intern is welcome to attend all events, training, and learning opportunities if their schedule permits and they would like to do so.
The intern will have the opportunity to conduct individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy for individuals and their caregivers at our clinic. For individual therapy, we utilize cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and Individual Resiliency Training (IRT). Family therapy consists of education and behavioral skills, relapse prevention planning, structured problem solving and communication skills training. Training in these modalities will be provided.
Multi-disciplinary team collaboration is an important component of our work, often differing from traditional outpatient clinics. We really enjoy collaborating as a team and we hope you will too. There are additional learning opportunities if the intern would like to participate including: family and individual therapy education and consultation, Project ECHO where a subject matter expert collaborates on a case presentation with one of the FEP teams in North Carolina, clinical team meetings, Individual Resiliency Training (IRT) and an opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals in the field at our clinic and throughout the state.
Supervisor: Emily Parsons, PsyD