Psychology Internship Consortium

St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium (SLPIC)

SLPIC Overview

The St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium offers a one-year, full-time doctoral internship in Health Service Psychology to advanced students in APA-accredited doctoral psychology programs. The internship is sponsored by four Joint Commission-accredited inpatient mental health facilities operated under the auspices of the Missouri Department of Mental Health and two outpatient mental health clinics operated under the auspices of the University of Missouri – St. Louis. The four inpatient facilities serve child, adolescent, adult and geriatric populations; these facilities are Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital (HCPH), St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – North (FTC-N) and South (FTC-S), SSM-Cardinal Glennon, and Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS). The outpatient clinics at the University of Missouri – St. Louis consist of the Center for Behavioral Health (CBH), serving children, adults, couples and families, and Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL) serving children with trauma histories and their non-offending parents. The St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium has a long tradition (since 1956) of providing high-quality clinical training in psychology in inpatient and outpatient treatment settings. We are proud of our internship program and of our intern graduates. Our past interns have distinguished themselves in a wide variety of employment settings including medical schools, academia, and inpatient and outpatient practice settings, and many alumni hold leadership positions in the field.

The Psychology staff maintains a strong commitment to the training of interns and makes every effort to provide an enriching experience within an atmosphere of mutual respect and professionalism. We strive to achieve a good balance between serving the clinical needs of the populations served by the Consortium sites and appreciating the training process. This perspective is reflected in the quality and quantity of supervision that has characterized the program over the years. We place emphasis on exposing interns to the breadth and variety of professional roles assumed by psychologists. Interns receive advanced training in performing in-depth clinical interviews; constructing test batteries to respond to specific diagnostic and referral questions; evaluating and integrating clinical findings to provide appropriate treatment; and developing formulations and recommendations and communicating these in articulate written and/or oral reports.

Interns work with a minimum of four clinical supervisors over the course of the year, representing a range of theoretical orientations and areas of specialty. Interns shadow their supervisors and/or provide clinical services (groups, assessments, consultations to treatment teams, presenting in rounds, etc.) alongside their supervisor at all sites, allowing for a first-hand view of various models of professional engagement. Further, interns are exposed to psychologists who do not supervise them through our didactic seminar series, allowing for exposure to additional professional role models. In our view, working with a range of supervisors and hearing the perspectives of many professional psychologists through the seminar series enhances the breadth and depth of learning, and helps interns further discern the styles that best complement their emerging professional identity.

The Children's Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL)

Children's Advocacy Services Rotation Overview

The Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL). In 1991, a group of professionals in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area who were concerned with the system’s response to childhood sexual abuse found a successful model in the Huntsville Child Advocacy Center and proposed bringing a similar program to St. Louis. Incorporated in 1991 and open for services in 1995, the center was the first Advocacy Center in Missouri. The purpose of the Children’s Advocacy Center was to coordinate efforts and promote collaboration between law enforcement, medical, judicial, and social service agencies during sexual abuse investigations, thus reducing the traumatic effects to children. In 1997, the Children’s Advocacy Center merged with the Kathy J. Weinman Centre, which is located at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Together, the two agencies formed Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL). As a result, more comprehensive services were offered to victims of childhood sexual abuse and their non-offending parents. In 2002, CASGSL became a member site of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Subsequently, in 2005 CASGSL expanded from solely providing services to sexually abused children, and began offering services to child victims of all forms of trauma. In addition to forensic and therapeutic services, CASGSL also offers professional training, undergraduate teaching, and prevention awareness initiatives in the St. Louis area.

CASGSL’s multidisciplinary staff includes psychologists, licensed clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. CASGSL also serves as a training site for graduate-level practicum students in all three disciplines. Furthermore, CASGSL staff frequently engage in collaborations with other professionals in the fields of law/law enforcement, child protection, medicine, education, and mental health.

CASGSL is the region’s primary provider of evidence-based, trauma-focused services to children ages 3-18 and their non-offending caregivers. Approximately 700 children per year in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area receive forensic and/or therapeutic services at CASGSL. Children who receive services at CASGSL have experienced a wide variety of traumatic events, with exposure to multiple forms of trauma being the norm. The most common forms of trauma experienced by CASGSL clients include sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, and community violence. The trauma histories of CASGSL clients are frequently complex and long-standing, often beginning in the first few years of life. CASGSL clients present with a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties including posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, conduct disturbances, attention difficulties, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and sexualized behaviors.

CASGSL provides ‘state of the art,’ evidence-based treatments for difficulties associated with exposure to childhood trauma. Treatment is assessment-driven and interns will be trained in the administration and interpretation of a variety of child and trauma-focused measures. Therapeutic services can be provided in individual, family and group formats, based on the specific needs of a client/family. CASGSL staff members are trained in multiple, evidence-based treatment modalities including: Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), cognitive-behavioral treatment for children with problematic sexual behavior, Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS), and Integrative Treatment for Complex Trauma. All of these treatment modalities have been identified as promising or established treatment options for traumatized children.

CASGSL has two locations, one located on the South Campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and the other in the Central West End. Therapeutic and forensic services are provided at both locations.

CASGSL offers an Adjunct rotation (1 day/week, year-long) for Consortium interns. The adjunct intern at CASGSL will provide therapeutic services to traumatized children and their non-offending caregivers. Therapeutic services for these clients will include initial evaluation of the history of trauma exposure and the presentation of emotional and behavioral difficulties. Depending on scheduling, the adjunct intern may also serve as a co-therapist in one of CASGSL’s group treatment programs.  The adjunct intern will be expected to carry a caseload of approximately 2-6 clients weekly, depending on other duties. Interns receive one hour of formal one-to-one supervision with their primary supervisor and may also attend other didactic opportunities provided at CASGSL.

Children's Advocacy Services Faculty

JERRY H. DUNN, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL) and oversees the clinical, forensic, research and training activities of the agency’s three sites. Dr. Dunn is a licensed psychologist and is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her clinical and research interests involve assessment and treatment of high-risk children and their family members in community and school based settings. Dr. Dunn received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, interned with the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Community Psychological Service. Dr. Dunn maintains active membership in child centered organizations at the local, state and federal levels. She serves on the Advisory Council for the St. Louis Behavioral Health Network, sits on the Board of Directors for National Children’s Alliance and acts as the agency liaison to the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network.

MATTHEW D. KLIETHERMES, Ph.D., is the Training Director for Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis (CASGSL). Dr. Kliethermes is a Missouri Licensed Psychologist/Health Services Provider and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received Ph.D. (2003) in Clinical Psychology at Saint Louis University, interned at La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Trauma Recovery at University of Missouri-St. Louis.  Dr. Kliethermes has approximately 25 years of experience and extensive training in the field of child trauma.  He provides direct clinical services to youth exposed to trauma and their caregivers, supervises mental health trainees, teaches at the undergraduate level, and provides frequent training and consultation at local, state, and national levels.  Dr. Kliethermes is a nationally certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) trainer and the author of multiple book chapters and articles pertaining to TF-CBT and/or childhood trauma.

Hawthorn Children's Psychiatric Hospital (HCPH)

HCPH Rotation Overview

Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital (HCPH) is a 28-bed inpatient facility accredited by Joint Commission for accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (TJC) serving children and adolescents (ages six through 18) from St. Louis City and a 31-county region of Southeastern Missouri. Children are referred by mental health centers, juvenile courts, doctors, and the Division of Family Services (DFS). Youth are hospitalized who are assessed to be dangerous to themselves or others or who are adjudged to have an under-controlled severe psychiatric disturbance which so imperils their judgment or capacity to control behavior that a non-specific risk is posed. These disorders may include Bipolar, acute Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Psychotic Disorders NOS. Most patients qualify for multiple diagnoses as developmental disorders, learning disabilities and developing personality disorders are common in this population, as are life circumstances representing extreme psychosocial stressors, frequently physical abuse, sexual abuse and/or neglect.

The inpatient program consists of separate children’s and adolescents’ units. Average length of stay for the eight bed Children’s Unit is approximately 72 days; average length of stay for the 20 bed Adolescents’ Unit is approximately 52 days. Both inpatient units function within a behavior management system and comprehensive care is afforded by multidisciplinary teams consisting of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Nursing staff, Social Workers, Recreational and Art Therapists, and Teachers as well as Interns of these various professions. SLPIC interns are assigned to the Adolescent Unit and have an option to join the Children’s unit.

Hawthorn Residential Center consists of two co-ed cottages with teenagers ages 13-18 whose length of stay is an average of 9 months. This patient population represents youth who are less acutely impacted by their mental illnesses but are unable to safely and successfully reside with their families or surrogate families. The program emphasizes the development and/or improvement of social skills, academics, vocational preparation and the pro-social use of leisure time. At times, interns may become active in the Residential program by being the primary therapist for an individual, consulting, or conducting psychological evaluations of a resident. Opportunities to conduct family therapy with a co-leader also may be available.

Becoming part of a team is most enhanced by participation in rounds, treatment planning and discharge meetings, and being present in the unit’s milieu. Over the course of their hospital stay, effort is made to facilitate changes in the patients’ mental health and welfare that will have a positive ‘ripple effect’ post hospitalization. Interns learn how to be therapeutic at all times and how to provide interventions that make a ‘difference’ despite the severity and complexity of these youth’s conditions.

Interns, respected as junior staff members, serve as primary therapists for individuals and as co-therapists for group psychotherapy and, at times, family therapy. Supervision is abundant, typically more than three hours weekly.

Hawthorn offers a Core rotation (4 days/week for 4 months) for interns and presents a unique opportunity for specialized training in child and adolescent psychology. Psychology interns learn a great deal about severe psychopathology, utility of psychotropic medications, and complex interventions for complicated situations.

Hawthorn provides an excellent opportunity for becoming more skillful in differential diagnosing and psychological assessment as well as becoming more adept at adapting psychotherapeutic interventions to the particular capacities of the youth within time constraints posed by variable lengths of stay.

HCPH Faculty

MARLA LIBERMAN, Ph.D., Internship Training Coordinator for Hawthorn, Licensed Psychologist, received advanced degrees from the University of Illinois and St. Louis University, and completed a Clinical/Community Internship at UMDNJ-Rutgers Medical School. Social Learning, Psychodynamic and Bowenian orientations inform her work and expertise in trauma recovery. Special interests include tacit strategic interventions, the pragmatics of using language to regulate boundaries in psychotherapy; diagnostics with consideration of phenomenal experience and treatment-directing case formulation. Optimizing the use of the Rorschach specifically and using test batteries to cross-validate hypotheses generated from individual test results is a passion actively shared with interns, typically resulting in their new or renewed enthusiasm for assessment.

SHANNON MORGAN-GILLARD, Psy.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist working at Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Residential Program and in private practice. She completed her psychology internship with the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium and her Post-Doctoral Fellowship in forensic Rehabilitation at the St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. Dr. Morgan-Gillard is experienced in working with all ages of clients, in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, inpatient acute care and long-term/residential psychiatric hospitals, college counseling and career centers, and forensic psychiatric hospitals. Dr. Morgan-Gillard’s areas of interest include working with clients with depression, anxiety, aggression and behavior disorders, and substance abuse disorders; conducting psychodiagnostic and psychoeducational assessments; and supervising students in therapy and assessment.  Dr. Morgan-Gillard is experienced in working with clients with severe mental illness, and clients with comorbid clinical, substance abuse, and personality disorders. She has experience conducting evaluations of AD/HD and learning disability, affective, anxiety and psychotic disorders, risk for violence and aggression, and eating disorders. She has extensive experience conducting psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic groups on a wide range of topics including building character and values, managing mood disorders, minimizing the risk of aggression, mental illness relapse prevention, substance abuse relapse prevention, anger management, and stress management.

ROBERT SCHNIDMAN, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist with over 45 years of psychotherapy and psychological testing experience. He received his B.A. (1973) from University of Missouri-Columbia; M.A. (1975) in Clinical from Indiana State; Ph.D. (1979) in Clinical from University of Southern Mississippi and is licensed in Missouri. As an inpatient psychologist at Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital he provides individual, group, and family therapy as well as psychological evaluations and intern supervision.

St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center - North Campus (FTC-N)

FTC-N Rotation Overview

St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – North Campus (FTC-N) is a Joint Commission accredited 75-bed minimum security forensic psychiatric hospital for adult inpatients in the Eastern Region of Missouri. Serving a large area of the state, FTC-N treats individuals from a large catchment area that includes rural, urban and suburban populations. FTC-N is home to the outpatient Forensic Evaluation Services Program and the inpatient Competency Restoration Program, which serves the courts in the Eastern Region of Missouri by providing forensic evaluations and treatment of defendants who have been adjudicated incompetent to proceed.

The Forensic Evaluation Services Program consists of Certified Forensic Examiners that conduct pretrial and presentence evaluations of individuals ordered by the criminal courts to undergo mental evaluations. In addition, the Certified Forensic Examiners conduct re-evaluations of patients who were admitted to one of the inpatient units at FTC-N—when the evaluation is due to the court at the end of the 180-day commitment or when the treatment team believes they are ready to be re-evaluated. The Certified Forensic Examiners have been trained to conduct court-related evaluations in a way that bridges the gap between clinical mental health assessments and the legal standards in Missouri law. The forensic evaluations address such issues as competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility (not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect or NGRI), presentence issues, battered spouse syndrome, and violence risk assessment. Intern goals related to forensic evaluation include developing an understanding of the fundamentals of forensic evaluation, developing skills in forensic interviewing, learning to write for the court, and gaining an understanding of the overlap between clinical psychology and the legal system.

The inpatient Competency Restoration Program consists of three, 25-bed treatment units (with a 75-bed total capacity). These units receive defendants found incompetent to stand trial. Defendants who are incompetent to stand trial have a major mental illness, brain injury, intellectual disability, or other condition severe enough to cause them to be unable to understand the legal proceedings against them or to cause them serious impairment in working with the defense attorney. Our job is to provide comprehensive intermediate-term psychiatric care and competency restoration services to prepare the patient to return to court and face the charges against them. Because FTC-N is minimum security, we typically do not have patients with the more violent types of crimes (e.g., first-degree murder, kidnapping, rape, etc.), but our patients do have a wide range of presenting crimes and legal backgrounds. In addition, the range of mental disorders we treat is broad and interns will experience the full spectrum of serious mental illness in this acute psychiatric environment. Patients are committed for up to 180 days for psychiatric treatment and competency restoration interventions. However, we can return them to court sooner if they have stabilized, and we may treat them longer if the case presents such challenges. Treatment on the inpatient unit is informed by the forensic evaluation, particularly with respect to the defendant’s competency related deficits. On the inpatient units, an intern can expect to be providing treatment to individuals with acute symptoms of severe mental illness, as well as individuals with cognitive deficits and personality pathology who have been committed for competency restoration. Interns participate in specialized groups to provide competency education, individual and group interventions to address psychiatric symptoms, and other interventions to assist in the return of the defendant to court.

FTC-N offers a Core rotation (4 days/week for 4 months). Interns work in both the outpatient Forensic Evaluation Services Program and the inpatient Competency Restoration Program but can choose a Treatment Focused or Evaluation Focused rotation. An intern selecting the ‘Evaluation Focused’ rotation would participate in two (2) outpatient forensic evaluations per week, while an intern selecting ‘Treatment Focused’ will participate in one (1) outpatient forensic evaluation per week, thus creating a full forensic rotation that provides experience in forensic evaluations and in the restoration of competency to stand trial.

The Psychology Department at FTC-N consists of doctoral level psychologists who represent a variety of theoretical orientations and areas of interest and expertise. Interns will have two supervisors: one from the outpatient Forensic Evaluation Services Program and one from the inpatient Competency Restoration Program, with the balance of supervision depending upon whether the intern selects the Evaluation Focused or Treatment Focused rotation. Focused supervision from other staff is available for individual and group psychotherapy and on assessment cases, ensuring that interns have an opportunity to draw upon the experience of various members of the staff. Interns will receive a minimum of two to three hours of supervision per week, with many opportunities for informal supervision. Guided readings of the professional literature relevant to forensic evaluation, inpatient services and professional development will also be assigned to supplement supervision.

FTC-N Faculty

ANDREA FENTEM, Ph.D., is currently serving as a postdoctoral psychology resident in Forensic Evaluation Services at the St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – North Campus. In this role, she conducts court-ordered evaluations of adjudicative competency and criminal responsibility. Dr. Fentem earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. She went on to receive her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in the Forensic Track from the University of North Texas. She completed her predoctoral internship through the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation, psychological assessment, malingering, dark personality traits, and trauma.

BRIDGET GRAHAM Psy.D., is a Licensed Psychologist, Certified Forensic Examiner, and the Director of Psychology for the St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center (FTC).  In addition, Dr. Graham serves as the Internship Coordinator for the St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center North and South Campuses.  She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, completed her internship within the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium, and completed her postdoctoral residency at the Sexual Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (SORTS). Dr. Graham is employed as a Certified Forensic Examiner in the Forensic Evaluation Services Program at FTC-North where she conducts court ordered forensic evaluations.  Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation and assessment, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, personality disorders, psychopathy, expert witness testimony, differential diagnosis, and clinical supervision.

ALYSSA GRETAK, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works as a unit psychologist and team lead for the Competency Restoration Program at St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center - North. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, her M.A. in Psychology, with a clinical concentration, from the University of Dayton, and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from East Tennessee State University. She completed her internship through the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. Clinical interests comprise of forensic populations, including those who have committed sex offenses, severe and persistent mental illness, reentry efforts, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and assessment.

TIA HUNZIKER, Psy.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner working in the Forensic Pretrial Program at the St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center–North Campus (FTC-N). She conducts court-ordered evaluations related to adjudicative competency, criminal responsibility, sexually violent predators (SVPs), battered spouse syndrome, and risk assessment. She received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Spalding University in 2023. She completed her internship within the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium, and completed her post-doctoral residency within the Forensic Pretrial Program at FTC-N. Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation, psychological assessment, risk assessment, sexual offending, diagnostic accuracy, and report writing.

DEBRA A. LUECHTEFELD, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and certified Health Service Provider, is the Assistant Director of Psychology as well as the Program Director for the Competency Restoration Program at St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center (housed at the North Campus). She has extensive experience working with severely mentally ill adults. Her clinical interests include Schizophrenia and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, forensics, personality disorders and group therapy.

MELANIE NICHOLS, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner working in the Forensic Pretrial Program. She received her Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and interned at the St Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. Her post-doctoral residency was completed at Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center, focusing on emotional instability in forensic patients through a Dialectical Behavior Therapy framework. Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation and severe mental illness with particular interest in personality disorders, trauma, and battered spouse syndrome.

LAURA APRIL ROSEN, Ph.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Forensic Examiner working in the Forensic Evaluation Services program at FTC – North. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Saint Louis University. She completed her predoctoral internship with the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium.  Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation, malingering, diagnostic accuracy, recidivism risk, and substance use disorders.

MICHELLE WOODS, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral resident working with the Forensic Pretrial Program. She received her B.S. in psychology and criminal justice and M.S. in clinical counseling from Central Methodist University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University. She completed her internship with the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation and psychological assessment, severe mental illness, malingering, violence risk, and trauma.

BRITTANY ZIMMERMAN CANDELET, Psy.D., is a Resident Psychologist for the 3West unit in the Competency Restoration Program at FTC-N. She received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2015, her MA in Professional Psychology from William James College in 2019, and PsyD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Forensic Psychology from William James College in 2023. She completed her doctoral internship at the Arkansas State Hospital/Division of Aging, Adult & Behavioral Health Services in 2023, where she honed her skills in forensic evaluations (competency and criminal responsibility), and inpatient psychological assessment and treatment for court-ordered adults with serious mental illness, as well as adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors.  Currently, she is completing her post-doctoral residency at FTC-N, where she provides individual therapy, group therapy and competency restoration services, and conducts psychological assessments for a variety of presentations. Her clinical interests include competency restoration, the application of DBT and evidenced based trauma treatment within forensic populations, and comprehensive psychological assessment. Her other professional interests include personality disorders, CBT for psychosis, evidenced based treatment for adolescents who engage in sexually abusive behaviors, and juror bias within capital sentencing trials. 

St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center - South Campus (FTC-S)

FTC-S Rotation Overview

St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center – South Campus (FTC-S), under various names, has served the public since 1869. It is a Joint Commission (TJC) accredited, inpatient psychiatric facility operated by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The facility currently has 180 beds divided into four 25-bed wards and ten 8-bed residential cottages. We provide inpatient psychiatric and psychosocial rehabilitation services to adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses and personality disorders from the urban, suburban, and rural areas of eastern Missouri. Most clients have been adjudicated not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect (NGRI) while many others failed to regain competence to stand trial for charges against them, or permanently incompetent to stand trial (PIST).

FTC-S offers a Core rotation (4 days/week for 4 months). Interns rotating at Forensic Treatment Center - South learn to identify and adapt realistic treatment goals when treatment is mandated. Treatment is focused on rehabilitation and reintegration without recidivism. Interns will receive training in the Department of Mental Health’s Integrated Risk Assessment (IRA) and will have opportunities to complete risk assessments and traditional psychological assessments during their rotation. In addition, interns will have a caseload of individual therapy clients and will participate in multiple therapy groups. In addition, interns participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings and will learn to develop treatment plans built from case conceptualizations in consideration of the client’s individual treatment goals and potential obstacles to reaching these goals.

The Psychology Department consists of three licensed psychologists and one postdoctoral resident psychologist who have varying interests and backgrounds. We are active participants in the ongoing development of treatment and treatment programs and have leadership roles on the units we serve. Supervision at FTC-South is intense and plentiful, with scheduled supervision and frequent informal opportunities for supervision and discussion. In supervision, you can expect discussion of the treatment of reluctant and resistant clients, maintaining professional boundaries, and issues in professional development as you make the change from student to professional practitioner. Primary supervisors for this rotation are available in the Forensic Responsibility Program, New Outlook Program, and Transitional Rehabilitation Program. Other learning, treatment, and assessment opportunities are available with psychologists, and occasionally other professionals, in other programs, based upon the needs and interests of the intern.

Forensic Responsibility Program (FRP): The team in this program provides services, using cognitive behavioral approaches, for clients with a primary psychiatric disorder (usually schizophrenia), a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, and a history of substance use disorders. Many of the clients are sex offenders. The program uses a Risk-Need-Responsivity model, as well as the Good Lives Model approach to address client treatment needs in a way that manages risk and prepares clients to progress through treatment with a goal of reintegration into the community. The intern will also learn about standard measures of risk for violence, sexual reoffending, and general reoffending and their application in treatment and discharge planning.

New Outlook Program:  This program strives to prepare clients to live meaningful lives through skillful delivery of evidence-based and individualized treatment strategies. Clients present with a wide range of diagnoses and clinical presentations, including serious mental illnesses, mood disorders, personality disorders, and suicidal and self-injurious behaviors. Empirically supported treatment approaches are utilized with cognitive behavioral interventions being the most common. Treatment modalities may include, but are not limited to, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Enhancement Therapy, Responsibility Therapy, and Positive Behavior Support (PBS).

Transitional Rehabilitation Program: The Transitional Rehabilitation Program strives to prepare clients for release and for safe, satisfying, and meaningful participation in the community. Clients present with serious psychiatric illnesses and are treated using a client-centered approach largely employing Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), Motivational Interviewing, and Psychiatric Rehabilitation models. In addition, clients receive individualized psychoeducation targeting the legal matters that often precede admission. A primary focus is placed on relapse prevention planning through a range of group, individual, and treatment team focused interventions.

FTC-S Faculty

CARRIE LEWIS Psy.D., is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor working in the New Outlook Program at St. Louis Forensic Treatment Center- South (FTC- South). She received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University and completed her internship through the St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium. In addition to her work at FTC-South, she maintains a small caseload through her private practice. She utilizes a range of therapeutic approaches including Dialectical Behavior Therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and interpersonal therapy. Her clinical interests include personality disorders, trauma, somatic disorders, differential diagnosis, and clinical supervision.

MONIQUE A. MAXEY Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist for the Forensic Responsibility Program at the FTC-South Campus. She received her B.S. in Clinical Psychology from Southeast Missouri State University, and her MA and PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. She completed her internship at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology in Boston, MA with rotations at Bridgewater State Hospital and Boston Medical Center. Dr. Maxey completed her post-doctoral psychology residency at FTC-South. Her clinical interests include forensic evaluation and assessment, personality disorders, impact of incarceration on the family, juvenile offenders, cultural competency, and racial/ethnic disparities within forensic settings. 

MELISA MARTINEZ, Ph.D., is a Psychology Post- Doctoral Resident and works with the Transitional Rehabilitation Program. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Experimental Psychology from St. John’s University, as well as her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Auburn University. Her internship was completed at Southern Illinois University- Carbondale, Counseling and Psychological Services, focusing on community outreach, substance misuse treatment, and multidisciplinary treatment. Her clinical and research interests include group therapy, complex and racial trauma, multicultural competency, diagnostic accuracy, and clinical supervision and training.

LILY RAYMOND, Ph.D., is a licensed Psychologist and works with the Transitional Rehabilitation Program. She completed her B.A. from Notre Dame in 1984 and her Ph.D. from the State University of New York-Albany in 1991. She completed her internship here during the first year of the consortium model and was the first Post-Doctoral Fellow in Forensic Psychology at St. Louis Psychiatric Rehabilitation Center. Her clinical interests and activities include risk assessment for violent and dangerous behavior, providing treatment focused on prevention of future violence and mental illness management and recovery, as well as chairing the facility’s Forensic Review Committee. She provides individual and group therapy to forensic clients with varying needs, diagnoses, levels of functioning, and criminal histories. She has a passion for racial equity generally and in mental health specifically, chairing the FTC Cultural Competence (CCaRE) Council and is a member of the steering committee for the statewide DMH Mental Health Equity & Inclusion Alliance (MHEIA).Accordion content.

Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS)

SORTS Rotation Overview

The Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS) program was established in 1999 and serves clients who have been civilly committed after courts have found them to meet criteria as sexually violent predators (SVPs). These individuals receive intensive therapeutic services within the maximum security facility.

SORTS offers a wide range of opportunities to interns such as working with individuals with severe personality disorders (including some with a high degree of psychopathy), paraphilias, and other diagnostic categories rarely accessible through most inpatient and outpatient settings.

Treatment at SORTS is constantly evolving with new research findings. Individualized Treatment Plans utilize cognitive-behavioral, emotional regulation, mindfulness, arousal management, and other evidence-based practices.

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to develop and hone skills that will serve you well regardless of your future plans. You will have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary treatment team, and you will have contact with professionals at all levels of the program. You will have opportunities to participate in a variety of didactic trainings as well.

SORTS offers an Adjunct rotation (1 day/week, year-long) for Consortium interns. A typical day for a SORTS intern might include: an individual therapy session, co-facilitating a psychoeducational group, assessment/report writing, documentation, and supervision.

SORTS will work with you to develop an individualized training program to meet your needs and interests. You will be supervised by the Internship Coordinator or another licensed psychologist.

SORTS Faculty

LAVAUGHN BRATHWAITE, Psy.D., serves as internship training coordinator for the Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services Program in Farmington, MO. She received her doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Florida in 2017 with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. She completed her internship and forensic psychology post-doctoral fellowship at Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin. She implements and coordinates psychological services in an assigned sexual offender, treatment/habilitation program, and formulates and presents diagnostic and treatment plan recommendations. Her prior experiences include working with juvenile sex offenders, conducting sex offender risk assessments, civil commitment evaluations, immigration evaluations, conducting competency to stand trial evaluations and restoration treatment, and providing treatment for individuals not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

ANTHONY HENKE, Psy.D., is the Director of Psychology for Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center.  He received (2015) his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology, from Arizona School of Professional Psychology. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Center, specializing in treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma assessment. Experiences include broad ranges of counseling such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) in both outpatient and forensic settings. Dr. Henke continues to provide treatment and assessments while also serving as an expert witness at court for patients seeking release after being committed to the Missouri Department of Mental Health and designated as Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Disease or Defect.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Rotation Overview

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is a not-for-profit, 195-bed inpatient and outpatient children’s hospital. We care for children of all ages, from the Saint Louis surrounding area, Illinois and across the country. With more than 200 specialists in more than 60 medical and surgical subspecialties, our providers are regarded as some of the leading pediatric experts in the country. Psychology services at the hospital include a range of pediatric psychology services in addition to outpatient psychotherapy and assessment services. Currently, psychology provides inpatient consultation and liaison services Mondays through Fridays. Pediatric psychologists also work closely with the following medical teams/clinics: adolescent medicine, bariatric medicine, cystic fibrosis, endocrine, feeding, GI, hematology/oncology, headache, IBD, nephrology, neurology, nursery, sleep, solid organ transplant, and weight management.

SSM-CG offers a Core rotation (4 days/week for 4 months). Interns work in inpatient hospital, medical clinics, and psychology clinic settings. Major training experiences include: working in multi-disciplinary teams; consultation and liaison work with a variety of medical teams; conducting health and behavior assessments; offering brief health and behavior interventions to youth with a variety of medical diagnoses; and learning to adapt evidence-based practices for inpatient and medical clinic settings.

Inpatient duties include working with pediatric psychologists to cover general psychology consult orders placed by attending physicians/residents for patients admitted to the hospital. Typical referral questions are related to: coping with hospitalization, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, medication compliance, nonpharmacological pain management, and somatic symptoms, among others. Interns are trained to interview family members and patients, provide brief health and behavior interventions as indicated, and make recommendations to the medical team. Interns also choose to work with a variety of medical teams, where they shadow pediatric psychologists, and conduct health and behavior assessments and treatments. Interns carry a small caseload of individual therapy patients, most of whom will have co-occurring medical diagnoses. Consultation and liaison opportunities are also available through the following multidisciplinary clinics/services: bariatric surgery, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, feeding team, GI/IBD, headache, hematology/oncology, nephrology, nursery follow-up, sleep medicine, solid organ transplant, and Turner syndrome.

Specialty descriptions:

Bariatric surgery: Opportunity to observe and conduct psychological bariatric evaluations, which are required to qualify for bariatric surgery.

Cystic Fibrosis service: Consultation and Liaison service provided in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic and inpatient setting. Opportunities for providing brief mental health screenings, health and behavior assessments, brief intervention and participation in weekly multidisciplinary staff meetings.

Diabetes clinic: Consultation and Liaison service provided in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic and inpatient setting. Opportunities for providing brief mental health screenings, health and behavior assessments, and brief intervention.

Feeding team: Includes psychology, nutrition, and occupational therapy. Consults and follow-ups are conducted as a team. Recommendations are formed and reviewed with families with the team. Opportunities to observe feeding team consultations and follow ups, review medical chart, conduct clinical interviews, observe parent-child meal behaviors, make recommendations, and monitor progress during follow up appointments.

GI/IBD: Consultation and Liaison service provided in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic and inpatient setting. Opportunities for providing brief mental health screenings, health and behavior assessments, and brief intervention.

Headache clinic: Consultation provided during monthly headache clinic. Work with neurologists to assess psychosocial factors that may contribute to chronic headaches. Provide brief interventions. Make referrals for outpatient psychotherapy follow up as indicated.

Hematology/Oncology: Consultation and Liaison service provided in a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses, social work, Child Life, music therapy, art therapy, school teachers, palliative team, and chaplains. Opportunities to provide health and behavior assessments, brief intervention, supportive psychotherapy, and trauma-informed therapy during inpatient admissions and clinic appointments.

Nephrology: Consultation and liaison service provided in an inpatient setting. Opportunities to observe and conduct diagnostic interviews for patients who are on hemodialysis.

Sleep Medicine: Consultation provided as a part of an outpatient service. Opportunities for providing initial sleep evaluations, education of families in use of basic behavior modification principles, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, and developing/implementation of individualized behavior modification protocols.

Solid organ transplant: Opportunity to observe and conduct psychological transplant evaluations.

Nursery Follow-Up clinic: Opportunity to observe, conduct, and interpret developmental testing (e.g., Bayley and Vineland).

Turner syndrome clinic: Consultation provided during monthly Turner syndrome clinic. Work with endocrinologists to screen for educational difficulties, coping with diagnosis and treatment, and relevant psychosocial challenges. Provide assessment and brief interventions. Make referrals for outpatient psychotherapy follow up as indicated.

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Faculty

MICHELLE L. J. BLACK, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the Feeding Team at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. She is also a Program Trainer for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. Dr. Black received a B.S. in Psychology from Indiana University - Bloomington. She received her M.S. in Education (Educational Psychology track) and her Ph.D. in School Psychology, with a Counseling minor, from Indiana University. She completed her internship at Livingston County Special Services Unit and her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Mary’s Medical Center and Center for Children. Clinical interests include feeding difficulties in children, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, and anxiety.

DEBRA W. EMERY, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works on the hematology/oncology medical service. She also participates in the general consultation/liaison service. Dr. Emery received her B.A. in Communications at Wheaton College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She completed her internship here at the St. Louis Psychological Internship Consortium and her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Louis Behavioral Medicine’s anxiety disorder clinic. Clinical interests include medical and interpersonal trauma, chronic illness, pain management, anxiety, and depressive disorders.

MEGHAN LITTLES, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the NICU Follow-Up Program. She also participates in the general consultation/liaison service and completes comprehensive psychological evaluations. Dr. Littles received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. She completed her internship at the St. Louis Psychological Internship Consortium and her postdoctoral fellowship with the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center through Cardinal Glennon. Clinical interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, psychological assessment, body-focused repetitive behaviors in young children, and treatment of anxiety and depression in adolescents.

JESSICA R. LUITJOHAN, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. She conducts comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for youth suspected of autism and developmental delays.  She previously spent several years in a private practice, learning about the business side of our field. Dr. Luitjohan received a B.A. in Psychology from Quincy University and her M.S. and PsyD. In Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University. She completed her internship at the Hawthorn Center Children’s Psychiatric Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Michigan, through Wayne State University Medical School. She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in combined pediatric psychology/medical education through Michigan State University/ Consortium for Advanced Psychology Training. Clinical Interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, ADHD, integrated care with medical teams, and behavioral therapy.

GILLIAN S. MAYERSOHN, Psy.D, ABPP, is a board-certified pediatric psychologist who works with the kidney transplant and dialysis teams, in the IMAGINE clinic for youth with disorders of gut-brain interaction, and in the Concussion clinic.  She also participates in the general inpatient consultation-liaison service. Her clinical interests include coping with chronic medical conditions, adherence, pre-surgical psychological evaluations, non-pharmacological pain management, mindfulness, integrative health, post-traumatic growth, and sports psychology. She received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Mayersohn completed her internship at UT Southwestern University Medical Center (primary rotation: Children’s Medical Center Dallas) and postdoctoral fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital.  Outside of clinical work, Dr. Mayersohn enjoys program development and quality improvement, and is the Psychologist Clinical Lead for the Division of Pediatric Psychology, as well as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics in the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

GRACE E. MONTERUBIO, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works on the Adolescent Medicine service with their eating disorder patient population. She also participates in the general consultation/liaison service. Dr. Monterubio received her B.A. in Psychology from Vanderbilt University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis. She completed her internship at the St. Louis Psychological Internship Consortium and her postdoctoral fellowship at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Clinical interests include eating disorders, adolescent issues, OCD, anxiety, and depressive disorders.

ERICKA RUTLEDGE, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families, especially those with chronic medical conditions.  In addition to outpatient therapy services, she also provides consultation/liaison services to medical teams and integrated behavioral health services within several multidisciplinary specialty clinics (e.g., Diabetes, IBD, Turner’s). Dr. Rutledge obtained a B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University - Bloomington, an M.A. in Psychology from New York University, and her Ph.D. from Northern Illinois University.  She completed a combined child/pediatric focused internship at University of Florida and her postdoctoral fellowship in the Psychiatry Consultation Service at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.  In addition to clinical work, Dr. Rutledge enjoys teaching and is an adjunct faculty for the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

SUCHETA THEKKEDAM, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the Danis Pediatrics Primary Care, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep Medicine teams. She also participates in the general consultation/liaison service. Dr. Thekkedam received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Missouri - Columbia, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Saint Louis University. She completed her internship at The Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology at Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine and her postdoctoral training at the Home for Little Wanderers, providing outpatient and school-based services. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Thekkedam is the chair of the hospital-wide Community Advocacy Committee (CAC), a group aimed at improving equitable and inclusive health care practices at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.

ALEXANDRA VOHS, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. She conducts comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for youth suspected of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Vohs earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mississippi College and her Doctorate of Psychology in School Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Developmental Disabilities at the Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities affiliated with the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. Dr. Vohs also participated in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program during her fellowship. Her clinical interests center on providing evidence-based assessments and interventions for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).

AUSTIN WESHINSKEY, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who works with the Cardiology and Solid Organ Transplant Teams at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Dr. Weshinskey received a B.S. in Psychology from Missouri State University. She received her M.A. and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She completed her internship at St. Louis Psychology Internship Consortium and her postdoctoral fellowship at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Her clinical interests include multidisciplinary consultation and therapeutic services related to coping with chronic illness, medical adherence, pain/symptom management, anxiety, depression, ADHD and disruptive behavior. She is also working toward certification in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

The UMSL Center for Behavioral Health (CBH)

CBH Rotation Overview

The UMSL Center for Behavioral Health (CBH), a not-for-profit outpatient mental health clinic at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is a practicum training site for graduate students in the APA-accredited Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at UM-St. Louis. UMSL Center for Behavioral Health (CBH), one of the largest providers of psychological services in the region, offers high quality training experiences in psychological assessment and treatment, as well as professional consultation. This busy clinic receives approximately 3,600 referrals for psychological assessment each year, providing a significant range of cases to support interns’ professional skill development. Interns provide comprehensive psychological evaluations to children, adolescents, and adults who present with emotional, behavioral, learning and/or personality difficulties, not uncommonly severe in nature. Referral questions include diagnostic clarification for children with the most impairing of psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychosis, bipolar disorder), risk of harm to self/others, parenting competencies, psychosexual functioning, impact of exposure to trauma, and identification of treatment needs and after-care placements for children and adolescents in residential treatment programs.

As part of their role as an assessment clinician, interns provide professional consultations to schools, Deputy Juvenile Officers, other mental health providers, and other stakeholders involved in the lives of the clients they serve. Treatment clients seen at CBH commonly present with major affective disorders, interpersonal difficulties, behavioral disorders and personality disorders. The scientific and empirical basis of services provided is regularly reviewed in supervision and in the context of other didactic experiences at CBH. Further, interns are encouraged to research clinical issues on their own to present in supervision for discussion.

CBH offers both a Core rotation (4 days/week for 4 months) and an Adjunct rotation (1 day/week, year-long). Interns completing CBH as a Core rotation conduct a wide variety of evaluations including cognitive and personality (objective and projective) assessment for a range of referral questions and presenting concerns, including significant emotional, psychiatric, and behavioral difficulties. Core rotation interns also carry a small caseload of outpatient psychotherapy clients (1-2 clients) and may have the opportunity to supervise a doctoral student on a therapy or assessment case. Adjunct interns also complete a variety of evaluations, but do not have treatment clients.

CBH Faculty

DEANA L. SMITH, Ph.D., a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at UMSL, is the Training Director Emerita for the Director for the Saint Louis Psychology Internship Consortium.  She is the Training Director and Interim Co-Director for the UMSL – Center for Behavioral Health.  Dr. Smith provides psychotherapy and assessment supervision to psychological trainees in the doctoral program at UMSL and to interns, teaches undergraduate and doctoral level courses, and conducts psychological evaluations at the UMSL – Center for Behavioral Health. She received her B.A. (1997) in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University and her M.A. (2001) and Ph.D. (2005) in Clinical Psychology from UMSL.  Dr. Smith interned in the Department of Psychiatry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans.  She has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings with children, adolescents and adults. Clinical interests include collaborative/therapeutic psychological assessment, personality disorders, and interpersonal and emotion-focused approaches to psychotherapy.

HEATHER DERIX, Psy.D., is the Interim Co-Director of Clinical Services at the UMSL – Center for Behavioral Health.  In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations for the clinic, Dr. Derix provides supervision to a number of trainees, as well as conducts psychological assessments.  She earned her MA and PsyD from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Nebraska Mental Health Centers in Lincoln, Nebraska. Most of her work has occurred in outpatient mental health settings, as well as residential substance abuse treatment facilities.  Dr. Derix has significant experience completing psychological assessments of children who have experienced developmental delays, cognitive and academic concerns, mood disorders, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her clinical interests include early childhood development, positive parenting practices, anxiety, and behavioral disorders.