Psychological Assessment, Inc.

Psychology Training Program

Established in the 2016-17 training year, PAI’s Psychology Training Program offers advanced training in the area of psychological testing and assessment; and forensic treatment and training. As a practitioner-scholar model, we provide mentorship, modeling, and the opportunity to work closely with experts in order to gain confidence as a competent evaluator and treatment provider.

Training Year:

The training year beings mid-July and continues for 12 months. This is a 20-24 hour practicum, and a 40-44 hour internship, and Fridays are mandatory for didactic training (3:00pm-5:00pm) as well as case conference and assessment supervision.  For the purposes of this brochure and other printed material, Predoctoral Interns are called “Psychological Assistants” (per the BOP) .

All profession-wide and program specific competencies are based on the profession-wide and program specific competencies established by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation Standards of Accreditation for Health Service Psychology

Goal A: Research

~Demonstrate the substantially independent ability to formulate research or other scholarly activities (e.g., critical literature reviews, dissertation, efficacy studies, clinical case studies, theoretical papers, program evaluation projects, program development projects) that are of sufficient quality and rigor to have the potential to contribute to the scientific, psychological, or professional knowledge base.

~Conduct research or other scholarly activities.

~Critically evaluate and disseminate research or other scholarly activity via professional publication and presentation at the local (including the host institution), regional, or national level.

Goal B: Ethical and Legal Standards

~ Be knowledgeable of and act in accordance with each of the following:
the current version of the APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct; Relevant laws, regulations, rules, and policies governing health service psychology at the organizational, local, state, regional, and federal levels; and Relevant professional standards and guidelines.

~ Recognize ethical dilemmas as they arise, and apply ethical decision-making processes in order to resolve the dilemmas.

~ Conduct self in an ethical manner in all professional activities.

Goal C: Individual and Cultural Diversity

~ An understanding of how their own personal/cultural history, attitudes, and biases may affect how they understand and interact with people different from themselves.

~ Knowledge of the current theoretical and empirical knowledge base as it relates to addressing diversity in all professional activities including research, training, supervision/consultation, and service.

~ The ability to integrate awareness and knowledge of individual and cultural differences in the conduct of professional roles (e.g., research, services, and other professional activities). This includes the ability apply a framework for working effectively with areas of individual and cultural diversity not previously encountered over the course of their careers. Also included is the ability to work effectively with individuals whose group membership, demographic characteristics, or worldviews create conflict with their own.

~ Demonstrate the requisite knowledge base, ability to articulate an approach to working effectively with diverse individuals and groups, and apply this approach effectively in their professional work.

Goal D: Professional values,  attitudes, and behaviors

~ Behave in ways that reflect the values and attitudes of psychology, including integrity, deportment, professional identity, accountability, lifelong learning, and concern for the welfare of others

~ Engage in self-reflection regarding one’s personal and professional functioning; engage in activities to maintain and improve performance, well-being, and professional effectiveness.

~ Actively seek and demonstrate openness and responsiveness to feedback and supervision.

~ Respond professionally in increasingly complex situations with a greater degree of independence as they progress across levels of training.

Goal E:  Communication and Interpersonal Skills

~ Develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of individuals, including colleagues, communities, organizations, supervisors, supervisees, and those receiving professional services.

~ Produce and comprehend oral, nonverbal, and written communications that are informative and well-integrated; demonstrate a thorough grasp of professional language and concepts.

~ Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and the ability to manage difficult communication well.

Goal F: Assessment

~ Demonstrate current knowledge of diagnostic classification systems, functional and dysfunctional behaviors, including consideration of client strengths and psychopathology.

~ Demonstrate understanding of human behavior within its context (e.g., family, social, societal and cultural).

~ Demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge of functional and dysfunctional behaviors including context to the assessment and/or diagnostic process.

~ Select and apply assessment methods that draw from the best available empirical literature and that reflect the science of measurement and psychometrics; collect relevant data using multiple sources and methods appropriate to the identified goals and questions of the assessment as well as relevant diversity characteristics of the service recipient.

~ Interpret assessment results, following current research and professional standards and guidelines, to inform case conceptualization, classification, and recommendations, while guarding against decision-making biases, distinguishing the aspects of assessment that are subjective from those that are objective.

~ Communicate orally and in written documents the findings and implications of the assessment in an accurate and effective manner sensitive to a range of audiences.

Goal G: Intervention 

~ Establish and maintain effective relationships with the recipients of psychological services. 

~ Develop evidence-based intervention plans specific to the service delivery goals.

~ Implement interventions informed by the current scientific literature, assessment findings, diversity characteristics, and contextual variables.

~ Demonstrate the ability to apply the relevant research literature to clinical decision making.

~ Modify and adapt evidence-based approaches effectively when a clear evidence-base is lacking.

~  Evaluate intervention effectiveness, and adapt intervention goals and methods consistent with ongoing evaluation.

Goal H: Supervision

~ Demonstrate knowledge of supervision models and practices.

Goal I: Consultation and interpersonal/interdisciplinary skills ·      

~ Demonstrate knowledge and respect for the roles and perspectives of other professions.

~ Demonstrates knowledge of consultation models and practices.

Program Specific Profession-wide and program specific competencies

Goal 1: Acquired skills in Forensic Psychology

~ Demonstrate timeliness in all scheduled appointments, due dates, and training activities.

~ Demonstrate a detail-oriented approach

~ Demonstrate appropriate boundaries with forensic clients

Training AIMS

Psychology training should provide trainees with models of established clinical and ethical standards of professional practice.

PAI is dedicated to the following training aims:

1. To provide high quality training that adheres to the Practitioner-Scholar Model.
2. To develop practitioners who accurately select, administer, score, and interpret multiple psychological assessment tools; who are able to synthesize assessment findings into well-integrated reports; and who are able to use assessment findings in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
3. To develop practitioners who integrate research and theory in clinical practice.
4. To develop practitioners who recognize the importance of diversity and individual differences, and who are aware of the effects of their own cultural and ethnic backgrounds in clinical practice.
5. To develop practitioners who know and use ethical principles as a guide for professional practice, research, self-evaluation and professional growth.
6. To develop practitioners who are knowledgeable about one or more models of supervision and consultation and who, in their professional work, are able to make use of and to provide supervision and consultation to different constituencies, e.g., professionals, paraprofessionals, clients. (Interns and Post-Doctoral trainees only)
7. To develop practitioners who combine an awareness of personal and professional strengths and limitations with a commitment to respect and collaborate with others; an openness to new ideas; and a dedication to life-long learning.

 

Community Based Programs

For Trainees in the Shaping Success Program:

All trainees participating in this program will be registered with the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB). The psychology training program applies principles, methods, and procedures for understanding, predicting, and alleviating sex offender recidivism. Our main goal is to understand the intellectual, emotional, psychological, and behavioral disabilities that could contribute to an offender’s behavior. Areas of clinical development will include: co-facilitating group Treatment sessions, conducting individual Treatment sessions working with sex offenders and their families, conducting intake evaluations, and assisting in sex offender risk assessments.  

For Trainees in the Crossroads Competency Restoration (CCR):

All trainees participating in this program will be taught to administer evidence-based training to assist in restoring competency to developmentally delayed individuals and mandated juveniles. Participation in Regional Center interdisciplinary treatment team meetings and professional communication with the courts is expected. Additionally, trainees will provide sex education, communication and boundaries training for Regional Center clients. Areas of clinical development will include: providing individual competency restoration in the outpatient and jail setting, conducting intake evaluations, and assisting with competency assessments.

 

For Trainees in Advanced Assessment Program:

All trainees in this program will be taught to administer, score, and interpret a variety of tests across multiple types of assessments, both forensic and non-forensic. An emphasis is based on judicial deadlines, excellence in writing, and the eventual ability to think critically about choosing he appropriate tests for the correct referral, course correcting when needed, and articulating pros and cons for which tests to use. Special attention paid to symptom validity and effort testing.

Assessment Training:

Psychological Assessment, Inc. offers training in assessment across all programs with Shaping Success focusing on forensic risk assessment, CCR predominantly focusing on competency assessment, and Advanced Assessment Program focusing on various types of assessment including both forensic and non-forensic.

 

Please visit www.psychassessment.us to learn more about these programs.

Quick Reference

Practicum Trainee

• Minimum 20+ hours/week of training with minimum of 800 hours per year
• 1 hour of individual supervision/week
• 2 hour group supervision/week
• 2 hour didactic/week
• 6-10 Individual and/or Group Treatment client hours
• 4 hours/week dedicated to assessment (interviewing, testing, records review, scoring/interpretation, report writing)
• 1 Professional Presentation or Publication

Doctoral Level Intern

• 40+ hours/week of training with minimum of 2000 hours per year
• 2 hours of individual supervision/week
• 2 hour group supervision/week
• 2 hour didactic/week
• 18-20 Individual and/or Group Treatment Client hours
• 10 hours/week dedicated to assessment (interviewing, testing, records review, scoring/interpretation, report writing)
• 2 Professional Presentations or Publications
• Supervision/TA duties
• Professional Development training
• Impetus Corporate Services rotation (if available) 

Location of Services: 

For Community Based Programs, services are held throughout the San Francisco Bay Area at Regional Center offices, schools, satellite offices,  in addition to our Oakland based office.

For Shaping Success, services are held in our Oakland Office.

Testing opportunities are throughout the San Francisco Bay Area including our Sacramento office accompanying senior staff or in the Oakland based location.

COVID:  Please note during the COVID crisis that all therapeutic services, training, and supervision are held remotely with in-person assessment services.

For any satellite location, supervisory staff are always available during business hours via telephone.

Clerical staff are available at the Oakland office and via telephone and are responsible for scheduling, billing, and meeting/greeting clients.

Supervision:

Supervision includes 1 hour a week of individual supervision (practicum) and 2 hours a week of individual supervision (interns) with a licensed psychologist, and 2 hours a week of case consultation/group supervision.  

Didactic:

Trainees will attend a weekly 2 hour didactic dedicated to enhancing skills with assessment, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, and forensic treatment.

Interns have a additional training in providing supervision.

Stipend:

Practicum: A $1000 stipend is provided in two distributions: $500 in December and $500 in July.
Internship: A $25000 stipend is provided biweekly.

Appropriate Candidates:

Preference for trainees who have completed all coursework in Assessment.  Preference for practicum entering the Advanced Assessment track is given to those with Master’s Degree in psychology and/or advanced/supplemental practicum experiences. For those interested in neuropsychological assessment training, you must have completed coursework in neuropsychology and neuropsychological assessment.  The UC Berkeley Extension Program and online coursework thorough NAN are strongly encouraged.

The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, self-motivated, and have a passion for psychology.

Expectations:

As mentioned above, the ideal candidate is detail oriented and self-motivated. This training program offers a variety of opportunities and trainees are expected to be professional and responsible. There is a strict expectation for completion of evaluations and deadlines are often imposed by courts, attorneys, and other referral sources. This training opportunity will expect trainees to adhere to those deadlines while producing high quality products.

Application Process

PAI is a proud member of BAPIC and utilizes the Application Match. Please visit the Bay Area Practicum Information Collaborative website for more information regarding the application deadline and match dates.

PAI is a proud Provisional member of APPIC and utilizes the Application Match.  Please visit the APPIC.org website for more information regarding the application deadline and match dates. 

 To Apply, send admin@psychassessment.us the following:

1. A current Curriculum Vitae
2. Graduate transcripts (unofficial accepted, must document assessment courses.)
3. Two letters of recommendation
4. One de-identified testing report

For APPIC – use APPI services

For BAPIC – send applications to admin@psychassessment.us. 

BAPIC Application – Student name
APPIC Application – Student name

 

Criteria for Successful Completion of Training: 

• Receives satisfactory evaluation from primary supervisor
• Completion of all outstanding evaluations
• Completion of all outstanding paperwork
• Completes minimum number of hours (800 Practicum/2000FT  Internship)
• Obtains approval from Training Director

Please visit www.psychassessment.us to learn more about our services.

 

 

Training Staff

Michelle Wysopal, Psy.D. – Assistant Training Director

Dr. Wysopal earned her Doctorate from California School of Forensic Studies, Alliant International University. Her interest areas include personality disorders, psychopathy, and sexual offender work. She is certified by the California Sex Offender Management Board, Chair of California Coalition on Sex Offending – Bay Area Chapter, and is currently the Program Director for Shaping Success.

Rachyll Dempsey, Psy.D., ABPP, QME – Training Director

Dr. Dempsey first became interested in training when asked to participate in the creating of the training program at San Quentin State Prison. Between 2009-2012, Dr. Dempsey developed the procedures, handbook, and schedules which became the program at San Quentin which grew into a practicum, internship, and post-doctoral training site. In 2013 Dr. Dempsey left San Quentin to work at the HOPE Program where she developed a practicum program. In 2014 Dr. Dempsey took on the role of Internship Training Director for Psychological Services Center, Alliant International University and assisted in obtaining APA accreditation in 2015.  Dr. Dempsey is a forensic neuropsychologist with over a decade of experience in psychological testing and assessment, in addition to expert witness testimony, supervision, and teaching.

Supervisors

Christopher Roach, Psy.D.