Psychology Training

Internship Program

The doctoral internship at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Our accreditation site visit was in March, 2013 and our next accreditation site visit will be held in 2020.The primary goal of the Philadelphia VA Psychology Internship Program is to train interns to be competent in the general practice of professional psychology and specifically skilled in the provision of high quality evidence based mental healthcare.  The internship program will highlight the integration of mental health services into primary care consistent with the Patient Centered Medical Home.  Training in Evidence Based Practices will be a key component of training throughout the internship experience.  Interns will take an active role in developing their own training plan and in adjusting it to meet their needs and emerging interests.  A cornerstone of our training philosophy is an emphasis on breadth while also allowing for in-depth training in focused areas of interest. 

The Philadelphia VAMC offers internships to U.S. citizens who are pursuing a doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an APA-accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum of 400 total intervention and assessment hours prior to application. We prefer candidates who have generalized assessment and psychotherapy training. The Philadelphia VA Medical Center in which our training program resides is an Equal Opportunity Employer; we are committed to ensuring a range of diversity among our training classes, and we strive to select candidates representing different kinds of programs and theoretical orientations, geographic areas, ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, disabilities, and life experiences. The Philadelphia VA Medical Center serves a racially and ethnically diverse urban population and priority will be given to applicants that can demonstrate commitment and past experience in working with a minority population. All things being equal, consideration is given to applicants who identify themselves as veterans, have VA practicum experience, or demonstrate an interest in a VA career; identify themselves as members of historically underrepresented groups on the basis of racial or ethnic status, as representing diversity on the basis of sexual orientation, or as representing diversity on the basis of disability status. This may be indicated on the application or in the cover letter. Applicants must be certified as ready for internship by their Director of Training.

Download the Brochure:
Psychology Internship - Philadelphia

Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Philadelphia VA Medical Center has two Psychology Postdoctoral Fellows through the Interprofessional Mental Health Education initiative. As a relatively new program, the fellowship is NOT accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. Fellows can expect to spend approximately 50% of their time devoted to the direct provision of clinical services. The two post-doctoral fellows will have overlapping curriculum but also distinct training emphases in Outpatient Mental Health Teams or Patient-Aligned Care Teams/Mental Health Integration.

According to VA policy, post-doctoral funding can be provided only to applicants who are U.S. citizens, who have received a doctorate from an APA-accredited graduate program in clinical or counseling psychology, and who have completed an APA accredited or VA sponsored internship. As with the internship, all things being equal, consideration is given to applicants who identify themselves as veterans, have VA practicum or internship experience, or demonstrate an interest in a VA career; identify themselves as members of historically underrepresented groups on the basis of racial or ethnic status, as representing diversity on the basis of sexual orientation, or as representing diversity on the basis of disability status. This may be indicated in the cover letter.

Download the Brochure:
Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship - Philadelphia