Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 3rd Floor, Section C
Phone: (210) 292-5972
POC: 59th MHS/SGOWV
Email: airforcepsychology@gmail.com
Facebook: Wilford Hall Air Force Psychology Internship
Overview
Program Length: One year. Interns typically work 45-50 hours per week for the duration of the one-year program.
Accreditation Status: The program is accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1971. The internship is accredited through 2022 based off a 7-year reaccreditation by the American Psychological Association's Commission on Accreditation. Questions related to the program's accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:
Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 336-5979 / email: apaaccred@apa.org
Number of Intern Positions Available Each Year: 12
APPIC Affiliation #158911: The Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Clinical Psychology Internship program is a member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers and follows APPIC policies on internship offers and acceptances. We participate in the APPIC Matching Program. Details of the APPIC program and policies can be viewed on APPIC's website. APPIC's mailing address is:
AAPIC Central Office, 17225 El Camino Real, Suite #170
Houston, TX 77058-2748
Phone: (832) 284-4080
Download the WHASC Clinical Psychology Internship Applicant Brochure (updated July 2020)
Internship Admissions, Support, and Initial Placement Data
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM TABLES
Date Program Tables Updated: 1 July 2020
Internship Program Admissions
The Clinical Psychology Internship Program at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC) is based on a scientist-practitioner approach to understanding human behavior and providing psychological services. The purpose of the WHASC psychology internship program is to prepare competent psychologists to provide empirically-validated mental health care services to military members and their families and to provide effective consultation to military leaders on issues related to military members’ fitness for duty as well as risks to the public health of the local Air Force base community.
We intend our training activities to produce “generalist” clinicians who use careful, critical thinking skills to apply scientific evidence to the practice of psychology. We expect trainees to base their clinical decision making and treatments on strong empirical evidence when it is available. This critical thinking combined with a reliance on empirical science helps trainees minimize the inherent bias present in all human thinking, promotes the use of the most effective clinical strategies for patient care, and encourages the advancement of psychology as a health care profession.
Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center’s (WHASC) Clinical Psychology training program provides training in all of the profession wide competencies (i.e., research, ethics and legal standards, individual and cultural diversity, professional values and attitudes, communication and interpersonal skills, assessment, intervention, supervision, and consultation and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills) as required by APA standards of accreditation. Additionally, WHASC provides program specific competency training in population health and officer development.
Required Minimum Number of Clinical Hours
Does the program require that applicants have received a minimum number of hours of the following at time of application? Yes.
If Yes, indicate how many:
Amount
Total Direct Contact Intervention Hours
No
N/A
Total Direct Contact Assessment Hours
Overall Total Direct Contact Hours
Yes
500
Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center’s (WHASC) Clinical Psychology training program requires a completed minimum of 500 face-to-face hours of supervised practicum experience by the time the application is submitted. Our training program does not require a specific breakdown or percentage of intervention hours to assessment hours to meet the minimum of 500 face-to-face hours requirement. Furthermore, we do not require a specific breakdown or percentage of in-person face to face vs. virtual/telehealth face to face though do expect the majority of hours to have been completed in-person, subject to local health policies.
Describe any other required minimum criteria used to screen applicants:
The United States Air Force offers up to 28 fully funded one-year intern positions in clinical psychology across three training sites (WHASC, Malcolm Grow Medical Center, and Wright Patterson Medical Center). The Air Force welcomes applications from all qualified persons who meet the following eligibility requirements:
a. Be a U.S. citizen.
Eligibility for commissioning as a United States Military Officer requires robust health as defined by a health history free of specified impediments, current physical strength/endurance tests, and impeccable moral character as defined by a life history free of impediment (specified list of exclusions related to ethical violations, personal finance/credit management, contacts with governmental authorities and law enforcement agencies, etc.) The main point of contact for questions regarding fitness for duty is a Health Professions recruiter from the Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS). The Health Professions recruiter is authorized to screen for health, fitness, and legal conditions that may be disqualifying for service. To find your nearest recruiter, visit the following website:
https://www.airforce.com/find-a-recruiter
Financial and Other Benefit Support for Upcoming Training Year
Interns receive the rank, pay and benefits of an Air Force Captain, including competitive base salary,
tax-free housing allowance based on regional cost of living, monthly food assistance, family medical
coverage and optional family dental package, and time off including 30-paid vacation days plus all
federal holidays. For specific salary and benefits, see the Military Pay Charts (note salary is based on
basic pay, housing allowance for San Antonio Texas, and monthly food assistance payment).
Annual Stipend/Salary Full Time Interns with dependents:
$77,351 ($6,445 per month)
Annual Stipend/Salary Full Time Interns without dependents:
$76,307 ($6,358 per month)
Annual Stipend/Salary for Half-Time Interns:
Program provides access to medical insurance for intern?
Trainee contribution to cost required?
Coverage of family member(s) available?
Coverage of legally married partner available?
Coverage of domestic partner available?
Hours of Annual Paid Personal Time Off (PTO and/or Vacation?
Hours of Annual Paid Sick Leave
In the event of medical conditions and/or family needs that require extended leave, does the program allow reasonable unpaid leave to interns/residents in excess of personal time off and sick leave?
Other Benefits: Tricare, the medical insurance for military members, does require a relatively small annual deductible for individuals ($156) and family members/dependents for TRICARE Select ($313 per family). Look at Tricare’s website: https://www.tricare.mil/Costs/HealthPlanCosts/PrimeOptions for more information. Military members earn 30 days of paid leave per year (2.5 days per month). This is in addition to federal holidays or military family days (i.e., days when senior military leaders grant permission to have a day-off for service members). However, please note that interns are only allowed 14 days away from training in addition to federal holidays and military family days. If the medical condition prevents a service member from reporting to work for more than a single day, the service member will be evaluated by a medical professional and placed on convalescent leave (i.e., sick leave) for the appropriate amount of time. Therefore, service members do not accrue paid hours of sick leave. If necessary, it is permissible to take a medical leave of absence to receive appropriate treatment (e.g., cancer treatment, 12 weeks maternity leave after child birth). All medical leave is paid. For medical situations involving service members, family members or dependents, it is important to note that if additional time is approved away from training (i.e., more than 14 days) it will result in a necessary extension in training to make sure all program requirements are completed. Another great benefit is that Air Force offers incentive bonuses for psychologists. Psychologists are eligible to receive additional pay for licensure ($5,000) and ABPP certification ($6,000) for a total salary increase of $11,000 annually.
Initial Post-Internship Positions
2017-2020
Total # of interns who were in the three cohorts
27
Total # of interns who did not seek employment because they returned to their doctoral program/are completing doctoral degree
0
PD
ED
Community Mental Health Center
Federally Qualified Health Center
Independent Primary Care Facility/Clinic
University Counseling Center
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Military Health Center
Academic Health Center
Other Medical Center or Hospital
Psychiatric Hospital
Academic University/Department
Community College or other Teaching Setting
Independent Research Institution
Correctional Facility
School District/System
Independent Practice Setting
Not Currently employed
Changed to Another Field
Other
Unknown
The position of clinical psychologist in the Air Force is comparable to that of many civilian psychologists. Duties primarily depend upon the needs of the individual clinic or the Air Force community in which one works. Depending upon one's interests or skills, even in initial duty assignments, Air Force psychologists are typically given levels of responsibility and autonomy rarely seen in other contexts, and the WHASC internship program prepares interns to effectively transition into their role as AF psychologists. The initial assignment invariably provides a superb foundation for a future military, or civilian, clinical psychology career.
Clinical Psychology Internship Training Overview
Rotations
1. Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (MHC) Rotation (4 months)
2. Clinical Health Psychology Rotation (4 months)
3. Behavioral Analysis Service Rotation (1 month)
4. Assessment Rotation (1 month)
5. Primary Care Rotation at Family Health Clinic (1 month)
6. Dissertation/Clinical Investigation Rotation (1 month)
Those who have completed their dissertation prior to when this rotation occurs on their schedule will have the opportunity to participate in an authorized elective.
7. Elective Rotation (1 month)
Authorized electives include PTSD Clinic, CHP Plus, BHOP Plus, AF Community Plus, Operational Psychology, Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) Preparation, Motivational Interviewing, and Neuropsychology.
Other Required Activities
EBP Lab
Interns will meet weekly for a 2 hour block of instruction regarding various EBPs such as Motivational Interviewing, CBT-I/BBT-I for insomnia, IRT for nightmares, CPT and PE for PTSD. The EBP lab will include didactic information as well as dedicated time to practice skills and review cases.
Continuity Clinic
Interns maintain an ongoing therapy caseload as part of his/her “continuity clinic.” One patient generally has a PTSD diagnosis providing experience in delivering PE or CPT. These cases allow for therapy experiences that can carry over beyond individual clinic rotations.
Population Health Seminar Population health is one of training program’s specific internship competencies. The goal of this seminar is to develop competency in applying a systematic approach to assessing and addressing community concerns regarding health risk behaviors in target populations. The seminar meets weekly for one hour.
At course completion, participants will have knowledge of the Air Force community’s behavioral health programs, structures and functions, as well as of the established professional literature pertaining to population level interventions. Participants will demonstrate understanding of the Systems Perspective in identifying and addressing health risk behavior, and describe examples of the psychologist’s specific role(s) in community-based practice in AF communities. Participants will gain experience evaluating community behavioral health programs, recommending courses of action appropriate to a military setting, and delivering community-based interventions. Our program is very fortunate to have teaching faculty for this seminar who have specific expertise in population health and senior leadership military experience (e.g., having served as former Commanders and as a consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Psychology). This seminar is unique to our training program and will help prepare interns to respond effectively to various challenges presented by the populations they serve. AF Community Psychology Activities Interns will attend a variety of activities that provide exposure to typical experiences of psychologists in the Air Force at their next base assignment after internship, including a relationship enhancement workshop, and participating in at least 10 hours of population health intervention activities for the base community. On Call Responsibilities Psychology interns will rotate on call responsibilities with other clinical staff throughout the year. A designated cell phone to receive on-call responses for emergency situations (e.g., domestic violence, suicide attempts) after duty hours and on weekends will be provided. Interns do not physically respond to the scene of any situation. Psychology interns provide real-time guidance to military leaders regarding safety planning and case reporting or consultation to medical providers, Commanders, and First Sergeants on mental health related matters and document incidents. All on-call responsibilities are under the supervision of a credentialed staff member and performed on a weekly basis.
Program Characteristics
Key Points to Consider
For current events in WHASC Psychology, check out our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilford-Hall-Air-Force-Psychology-Internship/156619957713319
Address:
1100 Wilford Hall Loop, JBSA-Lackland, Texas 78236
2020 Down Days: Jan 2; May 22; July 6*; Sep. 4; Nov. 27; Dec. 28
*Friday, July 3, is the observed Federal holiday since the 4th of July falls on a Saturday.
Patient Advocate Information
JBSA Pharmacies Information
Address: 221 3rd Street West, JBSA-Randolph, Texas 78150
24-Hour Access Location: Main Gate » Click here for a map and directions
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday 2018 Down Days: May 25; July 5; Aug. 31; Nov. 23; Dec. 24; Dec. 31
Information Desk: (210) 652-6403
Consult Appointment Management Office: (210) 916-9900
Note: Randolph Clinic closes at noon the LAST Wednesday of every month for readiness training.
Address: 25615 US Hwy 281, San Antonio, Texas, 78258
Hours: 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday except Federal Holidays.
Address: 1940 Carswell Ave Bldg. 7002 JBSA-Lackland, TX 78236-6014 24-Hour Access Location: Gateway East Entrance, W. Military Drive and Luke Blvd. » Click here for a map and directions
Air Force Postgraduate Dental School & Clinic
Location: Bldg. 3352, JBSA-Lackland Phone: (210)-292-8850 Dunn Dental Clinic Location: Bldg. 6418, JBSA-Lackland Phone: (210) 292-0123 / (210) 292-0495 » Click here for a map and directions
Lackland Computed Tomography (CT) Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center 1st Floor, Wing B Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: (210) 292-6255 Appointment Line: (210) 925-XRAY Diagnostic Imaging (X-Ray) Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center 1st Floor, Wing B Hours: 24/7 Phone: (210) 292-5200 Appointment Line: (210) 925-XRAY Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center 1st Floor, Wing B Hours: 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday – Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Phone: (210) 292-2414 Appointment Line: (210) 925-XRAY Mammography Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center 1st Floor, Wing D Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: (210) 292-6718 Appointment Line: (210) 925-XRAY Ultrasound Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center 1st Floor, Wing B Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Phone: (210) 292-6174 Appointment Line: (210) 925-XRAY Randolph Location: Randolph Medical Clinic Phone: (210) 652-3811
Lackland Specimen Collection Laboratory Location: Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, 1st Floor, Wing B Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: (210) 292-7700 Randolph Location: Randolph Medical Clinic, Room 1D101 Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: (210) 652-6403 Option 2
Laboratory closes the last Wednesday of each month at noon for training.
Armed Forces Blood Donor Center Location: Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Bldg. 3425 Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Phone: (210) 292-8100
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JBSA SAPR Hotline: 210-808-7272DoD Safe Helpline: 1-877-995-5247
Chaplain Services: 210-292-7373