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Availability: Major or Minor rotation
Location: Murfreesboro Campus
Supervisors: Arthur Preston, Psy.D.; Lisa Lorenzen, Ph.D.
Setting: The Inpatient Rotation involves working on a 30 bed acute unit and a 30 bed sub-acute unit. The patient population is 90+% male and ranges in age from 18 – 85. In addition to psychiatric admissions the acute unit also functions as the detoxification unit for the Addiction Medicine program. There are 6 treatment teams consisting of a psychiatrist, clinical pharmacy specialist, social worker, utilization management nurse, and charge nurses from both units. These teams meet daily with the patients and are supplemented by nursing staff, the unit chaplain, psychiatric residents and medical students. Admissions are assigned on a rotational basis. Lengths of stay vary from a few days to several months. Psychology works by consultation.
What Interns Will Do: The intern is responsible for a caseload of at least 3 therapy patients. Interventions are time limited and focused. Patients are referred for issues such as PTSD, depression, grief, coping skills training, anger management, relaxation training and supportive therapy. The intern is expected to attend treatment team meetings when their patients are seen and/or discussed. There is also an opportunity for group therapy to be conducted. The intern is encouraged to observe numerous adjunct therapies such as music therapy, occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy. If available during the rotation there is the opportunity to complete a variety brief cognitive and personality assessment measures. Timely documentation in the computerized record is expected as is verbal communication with the treatment team.
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Availability: Major or Minor Rotation
Location: Nashville and Murfreesboro Campuses
Supervisors: (Nashville Campus): Jennifer Kasey, Psy.D. and Jonathan Rudiger, Psy.D.; Jennifer Beeghly, Psy.D. (Meharry annex)
Supervisors: (Murfreesboro Campus): Melissa Broome, Ph.D., Cara Freudenberg, Psy.D., Amy Owen, Ph.D., and Erica White, Ph.D.
Setting: Each intern is typically responsible for seeing veterans in his/her office or another designated space. Consults for psychotherapy are received on a regular basis from Primary Care, Psychiatry, or other services in the hospital. Interns will see their therapy cases at the Nashville campus.
What Interns Will Do: Interns on the Outpatient rotation will have the opportunity to perform personality assessments, intakes, and conduct individual, marital, and group psychotherapy with outpatients. Both brief and longer-term treatment modalities are available with a variety of presenting problems including mood disorders, PTSD (combat- or non-combat-related), relationship difficulties, personality disorders, addictive behaviors, adjustment problems, and more. During this rotation interns have the opportunity to co-lead ongoing groups, as well as begin new groups. Some examples of ongoing groups include: Anger Management, DBT, ACT, CBT for Depression, Coping Skills, Early Recovery Group, and CPT. Interns may elect to begin a new group, as well.
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Availability: Major or Minor Rotations
Location: Nashville Campus
Supervisor: Joseph Minifie, Ph.D.
Setting: The SeRV-MH (Services for Returning Veterans-Mental Health) program is a nation-wide program offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mental health services specifically for those individuals who have served in the combat areas of Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, as well as post war support during the reunification of Iraq. The program is designed to provide early intervention for those serving in recent conflicts to promote a more rapid reintegration back into the family environment and the community. TVHS has two psychologists working in the program (one based at the Nashville campus and one at the Murfreesboro campus) to provide clinical evaluation, therapeutic intervention, and in-reach services. Intervention services are available to veterans of all ages and both genders, to National Guard and Reserve veterans, and possibly to some active duty military. Therapeutic opportunities may include individual, group, couple, or family counseling using such modalities as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, supportive/talk therapy, stress inoculation/coping skills training, and/or trauma processing. In addition, adjunctive therapies are used to assist with the treatment of anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain. These adjunctive therapies include meditation and biofeedback, including neurofeedback and heart rate variability. Although the primary emphasis is on readjustment issues, there is also opportunity to treat a range of mental health disorders. Anxiety, anger, depression, sleep problems, post-traumatic stress, parenting problems, and marital discord are prominent issues within this population.
What the Intern Will Do: The intern will have the opportunity to conduct psychological evaluations consisting of a structured clinical interview and possibly the administration of brief assessment instruments, such as the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Posttraumatic Checklist List-military version, as indicated. The intern will provide individual and/or group psychotherapy to those experiencing difficulty upon their return stateside from deployment to a conflict arena. Opportunities to work with couples and family members may also be available. There may be opportunities for the intern to assist the psychologist with in-service presentations.
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Availability: Major or Minor rotations
Location: Murfreesboro Campus
Supervisor: Erica Barnes, Ph.D.
Setting: This clinic serves combat veterans who have served in the areas of Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom/OEF) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom/OIF) since 2001, as well as post war support during the reunification of Iraq (Operation New Dawn/OND). The clinic is designed to provide early intervention for those serving in recent conflicts to promote a more rapid reintegration back into the family environment and the community. Post Deployment veterans typically are transitioning to life post military which can include adjusting to new roles, reforming an identity, finding meaning after service, and relationship changes in and out of the home. There is a wide range of diagnoses and complexity in presenting issues including depression, anxiety, trauma, readjustment problems, relationship difficulties, traumatic brain injury, etc. Veterans in this clinic range in age from early 20’s to late 50s and have a variety of military service experiences.
What the Intern Will Do:
This rotation consists of diagnostic interviews, making appropriate treatment recommendations, conducting individual therapy, and developing treatment plans. Couples and group therapy may also be available. The specific breakdown of these activities can be tailored to the needs of the student. This is an opportunity to enhance diagnostic and interviewing skills, enhance therapy skills for a variety of mental health related issues, treat varying degrees of trauma related disorders, and learn about transition issues from military to civilian life. Treatment modalities include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Problem Solving Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Gottman’s Couple’s Therapy.
Primary rotation interns can expect to conduct 1-3 intakes per week and carry a case load of 8-15 therapy cases. One hour of individual supervision as well as one hour of group supervision is provided per week. Secondary rotations interns can expect to have 3-5 direct client hours per week in the form of intakes or therapy depending on the needs of the intern. One hour of individual supervision per week is provided.
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Availability: TBA*
Supervisor: TBA
* PTSD is not currently offered, but should be available for the 2017-2018 training year.
Setting: The PTSD program provides comprehensive outpatient treatment for veterans. Treatment options in the PTSD program include weekly individual, couples, and group psychotherapy. Treatment via telemental health is also available. Evidence- based therapies, such as Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing, are utilized. Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy, a newer treatment for PTSD, is also an option. Group modalities are used for the Introduction to PTSD, Seeking Safety for co-occurring PTSD/SUD, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Couples Coping Skills for PTSD treatment options. A new mindfulness/meditation group is in the planning stage. Treatment for veterans with co-occurring PTSD and SUD involves Motivational Interviewing and individual or group Seeking Safety treatment, possibly prior to Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy. Initial entry to any of these treatment options involved a comprehensive psychological evaluation. Assessments are based on a comprehensive clinical interview, mental status exam, and the PCL and Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM). The PTSD program has an active treatment team which meets biweekly. The psychologist serves as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and does evaluations and individual, couples, and group psychotherapy.
What Interns Will Do: The intern will spend a significant portion of his/her time conducting initial evaluations and doing individual, couples, and group psychotherapy. The specific breakdown of these activities can be adapted to fit the selected intern's training needs and desires. In addition, the intern will have the opportunity to learn and practice evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD, such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Motivational Interviewing. The intern can also become familiar with assessment and treatment for co-morbid PTSD/SUD in individual or group Seeking Safety therapy and the Couples Coping Skills Group, if a secondary rotation on Thursday is chosen. There may be opportunities to provide PTSD treatment services via telemental health. As a member of the treatment team, the intern will attend biweekly treatment team meetings and consult with other staff members on a regular basis. The intern will additionally have the opportunity to participate in the formulation of initial treatment plans. All of these activities will be conducted an environment where a premium is placed on gaining more advanced understanding of PTSD, current evidence-based treatments for PTSD, the military culture, and the nature of combat and military sexual trauma.