VA Long Beach Healthcare System - CA

We regret to announce that changes within our department have resulted in a cessation of recruitment for the 2023-2024 training year, and we are withdrawing our program from the APPIC Match for the 2023-2024 cycle. All of our staff remain incredibly passionate about training, and we want to offer the best program possible. We plan to re-open our recruitment for the 2024-2025 training year.

Place: VA Long Beach Healthcare System
APA Accreditation: Accredited
Training Director & Lead / Director: Leela Farina, Ph.D.
Chief Psychologist: 
Positions: 0 for 2023-2024
Stipend: 30,031
Primary Agency Type: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Descriptor The VA Long Beach Doctoral Internship Program has been fully accredited by APA since 1980. Our primary goal is to train interns to conduct an array of psychological services in a general health care facility. Although our psychology staff provide some very specialized services, we believe that training at the predoctoral level should be broadly based rather than narrowly focused. The generalist training that we provide reflects the population of our medical center and outlying clinics. We serve primarily adult veterans and some active military service personnel, the majority of whom are male but with a higher percentage of women in younger cohorts. We've been known for our behavioral health training as well as more traditional psychological services. As with all health care systems, we have undergone a major shift from inpatient to outpatient treatment in both medical and mental health settings. We accept both clinical and counseling students and no distinction is made between them concerning the content of training experiences. We tailor our internship program to the specific needs of each intern. During orientation week, all staff psychologists present to the interns and practicum students to explain what training experiences their rotation offers. With the advisement of the Training Director interns select 4-5 rotations that blend their individual training needs and interests. Our program follows a traditional apprenticeship model where the intern works closely with her or his supervisor. The degree of responsibility and structure afforded the interns depends on their level of experience coming into each rotation. Our program also includes intern seminar, grand rounds, journal club, release time to attend any offered trainings needed for CA licensing at local sites, and other rotation-specific didactic and interdisciplinary experiences. Intern offices are located in the same area to foster close interaction.
Website: https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/work-with-us/internships-and-fellowships/internship-program/

(This page was updated on November 3, 2022).