Psychology Internship Program - Piscataway

Dr. Pamela Kawano is the primary supervisor for the Adolescent Forensic / Juvenile Justice track. Please see below for a brief description of the major rotation at University Correctional HealthCare- New Jersey Training School for Boys.

Interns interested in Forensic and Correctional psychology, and training to work with the adolescent and young adult population may wish to apply to the Juvenile/Adolescent Forensic Track of the Rutgers University-Piscataway Psychology Internship Program. Interns who match for this track will be spending their major rotation primarily within the Mental Health Department at the New Jersey Training School for Boys (NJTS). The NJTS is a secure care correctional facility located in Monroe Township, NJ. It is located approximately 16 miles from the main Rutgers-Piscataway campus. The NJTS is operated by the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) of New Jersey and is one of two secure care locations in New Jersey for incarcerated males between the ages of 14 and 24. Interns will be supervised by clinical supervisor, Dr. Pamela Kawano, and will participate on a multidisciplinary team. Interns should expect to engage weekly in individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, crisis intervention and management, treatment planning and evaluation, psychological assessment/testing, completion of psychological evaluations for various purposes, and daily clinical rounds for residents on special statuses. Interns should also expect to provide mental health consultation to fellow clinicians as well as to non-mental health professionals who are serving the resident population in other capacities (social work, custody, education/vocational, administrative, recreational, etc). As the Juvenile/Adolescent Forensic Track rotation is a major rotation for the Rutgers University-Piscataway Psychology Internship Program, the intern is expected to train at the Mental Health Department at the NJTS for three days a week and for the duration of the internship year.

Please see below for a brief introduction to the Adult Outpatient Track.

The New Brunswick Outpatient provides services to the underserved population of New Brunswick (a small city in central New Jersey) and its surrounding area. Patients with a wide variety of diagnoses seek services at the New Brunswick Outpatient program, including many with serious and persistent mental illness and very low socioeconomic status.

There are, on average, about 1000 active patients at this site, at any point in time. Approximately 44% of the population is Latino, many presenting with immigration related issues, often trauma involved. Therefore, the intern has the opportunity to provide services in Spanish and in English.

Intern activities include: assessment and evaluation; individual, family, and group therapy; multidisciplinary team participation; and consultation with other mental health staff and paraprofessionals. In addition to general outpatient treatment, the intern at this site has the opportunity to see patients in the Intensive Outpatient Treatment Specialized Services (IOTSS) and/or the Clinica Latina programs.

The Clinica Latina program allows for monolingual Spanish-speaking clients to receive services in Spanish. Individual and group therapy are offered.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment Specialized Services (IOTSS) serves individuals with frequent acute crisis episodes or those just released from partial hospitalization. Clients receive individual and group therapy before moving to traditional outpatient services after being in the program for approximately 3 months.

Please see below for a brief introduction to the Adult - Substance Use Disorders Treatment Track.

This track is housed primarily in the New Brunswick Outpatient office which provides services to the underserved population of New Brunswick (a small city in central New Jersey) and its surrounding area. There are, on average, about 1000 active patients at this site, at any point in time. Approximately 44% of the population is Latino, many presenting with immigration-related issues, often trauma involved. Therefore, the intern has the opportunity to provide services in Spanish and in English.

The Adult – Substance Use Disorders Treatment Track is part of the Specialized Addiction Treatment Services (SATS) program, which provides multidisciplinary treatment for individuals with substance and alcohol use concerns. Clients with opioid use disorders may participate in the Acute Withdrawal Management program for buprenorphine induction before returning to SATS. In addition to traditional outpatient, there is an intensive outpatient program within SATS so clients can get 3 hours of treatment per day 3x/week. Finally, there is a SATS program at the Middlesex County jail where male and female inmates receive IOP services.

Dr. Suzi Millar is the primary supervisor for the Child / Adolescent - School-Based Track. Below, Dr. Millar provides a brief introduction to the work happening at the Edison School-Based Program.

This program is a unique collaboration between Rutgers UBHC and the Edison School District, a large, suburban, culturally diverse school district in central New Jersey. The program is funded through the school district, which allows for the students to receive mental health services within the school at no cost to them. This allows individuals who would otherwise not seek services to receive quality mental health therapy and psychiatry.

This opportunity allows the intern to see students in the setting where they spend the majority of their day and provides them access to a number of individuals that play a significant role in the child’s life - teachers, counselors and child study team. This position is not a typical school counseling internship in that the intern is not on the child study team. It is a highly clinical role where the intern will work with the most at-risk students within the school, providing individual, group and family counseling, as well as participating in crisis assessments for individuals presenting as suicidal, homicidal or actively psychotic. Additional Services provided by interns include: evaluation and assessment; multidisciplinary team participation; faculty and parent training, consultation with other mental health staff; and participation in school and community advocacy groups. The primary location for the intern is the Edison High School, although there are opportunities for assessment, group work and training at the Middle and Elementary schools depending on interest. A typical caseload would consist of 7-10 individual/family therapy cases as well as 1-2 groups. Every effort is made to provide the intern with a culturally, clinically and socioeconomically diverse caseload. The program is located approximately 5 miles from the main Rutgers campus.

Dr. Suzi Millar is the primary supervisor for the Child Therapeutic Day School Track. Please see below for Dr. Millar's description of the Rutgers Day School - Child Program.

This unit serves students that are classified by their school district and require out-of-district, therapeutically based treatment. The students range in age from 3 to 13 and are of diverse cultural backgrounds. Interns provide services such as assessment, treatment planning, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and milieu therapy. The intern functions as part of a multidisciplinary team and provides consultation to other mental health and non-mental health staff, including teachers and specialists. Due to the high need of this population, interns rotating at Rutgers Day School will carry an individual caseload of up to 4 students, and additional clients will be acquired through group therapy provided by the intern.

Updated 10/1/2021