Marriage & Family Therapist Internship Program

The University of California, Davis CAARE Center provides an in depth internship experience for advanced level MFT Trainees preparing for careers working with children and families.  MFT Trainees receive training and supervised experience in diagnosis, treatment planning, individual therapy, intake assessments, and case management in a multidisciplinary setting.  CAARE Center clients range in age from 2 to 18 years, although adults are seen for family treatment and evaluations.

The MFT Internship program seeks to promote integration of education and practice by providing training and direct experience to advanced level MFT Trainees.  In summary, the MFT Internship Program provides a challenging and dynamic training experience with the goal of training competent Marriage and Family Therapists in the field of child maltreatment. 

The University of California, Davis is one of ten University of California campuses.  UC Davis was established in 1908 and the UC Davis School of Medicine in 1965.  The UC Davis Medical Center is an integrated, academic health system encompassing a 530-bed acute care hospital, ambulatory care clinics, and an 800-member physician group.  The Medical Center is one of five University of California teaching hospitals and is consistently ranked among the top ten medical schools and the top fifty hospitals in the country.  The health system cares for approximately 9,000 adults and children each year and provides more charity care than any other hospital in the region. As the primary clinical education site for the School of Medicine and the only area provider of many medical services, the medical center plays an important part in the health and well-being of Northern California and has a major economic impact in the area. 

The CAARE Center is located on the Medical Center campus which encompasses 140 acres in central Sacramento, three miles from the state Capitol, and 20 miles from the main UC Davis campus.  Specialized clinical centers within the health system include the Cancer Center, Children’s Hospital, Heart Center, M.I.N.D. Institute, Center for Health and Technology, Pediatric Neurology Program, and Trauma Center.  The CAARE Center falls under the auspices of UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

The CAARE Center (Child and Adolescent Abuse, Resource, Evaluation Diagnostic and Treatment Center) is an integral part of the Department of Pediatrics of the University of California, Davis Children’s Hospital and School of Medicine.  The mission of the CAARE Center is to provide superior clinical service to children and families, engage in clinical research, and provide training in the areas of child maltreatment and family violence.  Training of master’s level interns, pre/post doctoral clinical psychology interns, medical residents, and other health professionals has been a longstanding priority.  The predoctoral psychology internship is accredited by the American Psychological Association.

The CAARE Center has been recognized at the local and national levels as a model program for the evaluation and treatment of child maltreatment.  For over 20 years, we have been committed to offering high quality medical and psychological treatment for abused and neglected children.  Approximately 38% of clients are African-American, 35% European-American, 21% Hispanic, and 6% other ethnicities.  Although presenting problems typically include a history of abuse, neglect and/or exposure to domestic violence, there is a broad range of presenting diagnoses in both children and parents, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders, substance dependence, and personality disorders.

Ongoing research and training projects at the CAARE Center include a state funded project to provide crisis intervention and stabilization services for child victims of trauma, an Office of Emergency Services grant to develop a Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy program, a contract to expand services for children 0-3 years within the community, and grants to furnish training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy at mental health clinics throughout California as well as in Alaska, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.  Additionally, the Medical Team has been funded to provide training in the medical evaluation of physical and sexual abuse for the state of California.

Overview

The MFT internship is viewed as an opportunity for trainees to obtain supervised clinical experience, while developing knowledge and attitudes that encourage a scientific approach to practice.  The supportive, challenging atmosphere of the CAARE Center fosters the development of skills and a maturing professional identity. 

Objectives

Over the course of the internship, it is expected that trainees will develop the following competencies:

1. Develop an understanding of the Child Welfare system.

2. Become proficient in conducting intake assessments, making diagnoses, and developing treatment plans.

3. Gain experience conducting individual therapy for children and adolescents with a history of maltreatment.

4. Demonstrate knowledge of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

5. Become familiar with common assessment tools such as the Child Behavior Checklist and Trauma Symptom Checklist.

1. Gain working experience and/or training in identifying and reporting child abuse.

7. Develop skills in consulting with schools and other systems involved in client’s life.

8. Develop ability to provide clinical case management.

9. Learn culturally competent service delivery in assessing and treating a multicultural population.

10. Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team of medical and mental health professionals.

11. Become knowledgeable on issues concerning professional therapists such as reporting laws, confidentiality, ethics, and consultation. 

12. Demonstrate an ability to be self-reflective and make a realistic assessment of strengths and weaknesses. 

The MFT Internship program provides a strong supervisory system to ensure that trainees obtain individualized attention as they pursue their clinical training at the CAARE Center.  Supervision is provided through the use of observation mirrors, videotaping of treatment sessions and assessment interviews, and co-facilitation of treatment and assessment if appropriate.  Opportunities for topic and case presentations occur in seminars and group supervision.

Individual Supervision

One hour of individual supervision is provided each week.  Trainees should use their supervision time to discuss clinical issues and interventions.  An additional hour of supervision may be provided depending on the number of clients seen.

Group Supervision

One hour of group supervision is provided each week.  Group supervision will focus on discussing cases, providing live supervision, focusing on clinical issues, and providing additional support to the trainees. 

Didactic and Clinical Presentations

The following required didactic trainings are also conducted:

• Clinical staff presentations with topics related to the field of child maltreatment, psychopathology, and professional development
• Individual Therapy didactic
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy seminar

Other Training Opportunities

Trainees have the opportunity to attend the conferences sponsored by the CAARE Center (e.g., the annual Child Abuse & Neglect Conference, the Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Conference). 

Start Date

The internship begins on July 1st and ends on June 30^th of the following year.  Two MFT clinical internships are offered each year.  The start and end dates coincide with the predoctoral clinical psychology internship and place trainees in a multidisciplinary setting at the onset of their internship experience.  Trainees receive orientation to training program activities during the first few weeks of the internship. 

Schedule

MFT Trainees are expected to work 20 hours per week.  Trainees receive all UC Davis holidays that fall during their normal internship hours.

Evaluation

Progress is monitored throughout the internship period.  Trainees are evaluated twice yearly or in accordance with the requirements of their educational institution.

Grievance Procedures

Trainees are strongly encouraged to first address grievances related to training, supervision, or evaluation with their primary supervisor and/or the training director to resolve concerns informally.  However, should a problem occur, the trainee should follow the grievance procedures of their educational institution. 

Individual Therapy – Forrest Talley, PhD, Coordinator

The individual therapy program provides therapy to children who have a history of abuse and/or neglect.  Ages of children range from 3-18 years, although most of the children are latency age.  A broad range of diagnostic presentations are treated (e.g., mood disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustment disorders).  Trainees also provide consultation to social workers, biological/foster parents, and make recommendations to the court based upon their clinical understanding of the child.  Supervision/consultation includes one to one discussion, review of videotapes, and live observation using a one way mirror and audio receiver worn in the ear by the therapist.  The ability to develop formulations that guide the therapist towards reflective interventions is stressed.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) – Georganna Sedlar, PhD, Coordinator

TF-CBT is an empirically supported treatment developed for youth with post-traumatic stress disorder, or emotional or behavioral problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) related to traumatic life experiences.  This therapy is provided to children ages 3-18 years who have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, or other traumatic events (e.g., car accidents, witnessing violence). Treatment involves individual sessions with the child and parent as well as joint parent-child sessions.  TF-CBT has been used effectively with children from all socioeconomic backgrounds, living in a variety of settings (e.g., parents, foster care, group home), and from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

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