What do you look for in an intern?
CAPS values its interns and the range of clinical knowledge experience, and diversity they each bring to CAPS. There are several dimensions that make up the selection criteria used to evaluate an applicant by the selection committee including experience and interest in college mental health, brief therapy, and crisis intervention. The selection committee also evaluates an applicant's interest and commitment to further developing skills to work with a range of diversity variables. Interns who are successful at CAPS are flexible and adaptable to a changing environment and clinical demands, open to feedback and on-going learning, are self-aware and engage in insightful reflection about their work, are able to work with complex systems, and able to function well independently and autonomously yet know when to consult. Lastly, we value applicants who engage in levity, fun, and enjoy good food as means towards self-care.
What is it like to work with Stanford students?
Stanford University enrolls around 7,000 undergraduate and 8,800 graduate students from 49 states and 56 countries around the world. For the incoming class of 2016, the majority of students identified as belonging to the following ethnic groups: African American (8%), Asian (22.7%), Mexican/Chicano (7.4%), Native American (2.4%), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (1.6%). White students represented 36.1% of the incoming freshmen class. Additionally, there is a large international student population at Stanford, both at the undergraduate and graduate level that further adds to the diversity and richness of culture, heritage and traditions. The students that we work with at CAPS not only represent racial and ethnic diversity, but also diversity in regards to gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic class, etc.
How is CAPS integrated with the rest of Stanford community?
We believe that CAPS plays an integral role in promoting the physical, psychological and emotional well-being of students during their time at Stanford. We aim to build relationships with different staff and organizations (e.g. Office of Residential Life, community centers, etc.), provide consultation to the community and collaborate on projects aimed at educating and promoting the mental health well-being of students.
How is diversity incorporated into the internship?
Diversity is an integral part of the internship that serves as the foundation for which interns start developing a professional identity. During the winter quarter, interns participate in a diversity seminar led by the training director. This seminar provides an opportunity to engage in ongoing dialogue about multicultural and diversity issues that affect us personally and professionally. Interns are encouraged to examine their own biases, assumptions and identities to gain awareness as to their impact in working with a diverse student population. This journey of self-exploration is encouraged and fostered through the use of individual and group supervision, attending multicultural conferences, option to participate in a gender and sexual identity consultation group and interacting with the diverse staff represented at CAPS.
What are some highlights of the internship?
There are three notable components of the internship that we want to highlight. First, in order for our interns to develop a sense of confidence and independence in their clinical work, we believe that working with a qualified and competent supervisor in a safe environment is a key component of developing a professional identity. Before the start of internship year, we ask interns to rank their preference for supervisors so that we may best provide an ideal match that will be optimal for intern development. It is our hope that the supervisory relationship evolves into forming life-long colleagues and mentors.
Another highlight of our internship is the opportunity for interns to manage on-call responsibilities. During the first quarter, interns will assume the role of being second on-call with a senior staff taking on the responsibilities of being first on-call. After spending 10 weeks learning and working together with the first on-call staff member to manage and respond to various crisis situations, interns will transition into being first on-call during the winter and spring quarter. We believe this provides sharpening of clinical intuition and gaining competence in knowing how to assess and handle a crisis and recognizing when to consult with the staff back-up.
Lastly, we offer three rotations that focus on specific issues relevant to the student population: eating disorders rotation, substance use rotation and gender and sexual identity rotation. These rotations are designed for the interns to gain knowledge and experience in how to work with these specific issues in time-limited psychotherapy. Learn more about these rotations.
What is it like being on-call?
Although interns may initially feel anxious and nervous at being on-call, we believe that the clinical competence gained from assessing and appropriately responding to crisis is an invaluable tool to have when working in a university counseling center. It is important to emphasize that the on-call responsibilities follow our developmental model in that interns will have plenty of opportunities to observe, collaborate and ask questions to the staff who shares the on-call duties. Even when interns assume the role of being first on-call, they will have a staff back-up, an administrative back-up and a psychiatrist who is available for consultation regarding any medication concerns. The interns will not only gain invaluable experience in managing high risk situations but will also get an opportunity to interact with and learn from the multidisciplinary staff at CAPS.
Are there opportunities for groups?
Yes, there are limited opportunities for interns to co-lead existing groups or to start a new group depending on their interests. CAPS is committed to the development of a more robust group program. Previous trainees have co-led the following: an eating disorders process group, a mindfulness group, women of color support group, native talking circle, and a trans gender group.
How are interns integrated into being a part of CAPS?
Trainees will have lots of opportunities to work with different staff members and to experience what it’s like to be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary counseling center. Previous interns have worked with specific staff members on providing outreach to the community, in co-leading groups and being part of a weekly clinical team composed of psychologists, psychiatrists, case managers and marriage and family therapists. We try to foster an environment where interns are respected and valued not only for the clinical work they do at CAPS, but also taking the time to celebrate important life events such as getting married or starting a family.
What do pre-doctoral interns typically do after completing the internship?
Previous interns have obtained positions ranging from post-doctoral fellowships to staff positions at counseling centers. Specifically in the Bay Area, there are post-doctoral positions available at counseling centers, hospitals and community mental health centers. There are also job opportunities at college counseling centers and faculty/academic positions.
Where is Stanford located and what is there to do in the area?
Stanford is located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 20 miles north of San Jose. The university is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and to the west of Stanford are the Santa Cruz Mountains and Pacific Ocean, and to the east is the San Francisco Bay. View a list of things to do around the area and obtain information on visiting Stanford.
Take a virtual tour of Stanford.
Where do interns typically live?
Interns living arrangements vary depending on budget, circumstances, and preferences. Some live alone, others with roommates, and others with family. Interns live as far north as SF (about an hour away) or south in San Jose (about 30 minutes away). There are some areas that are more affordable than others. You may want to research rental and consider moving costs in your budget. There are no opportunities to live on-campus and given the nature of our work, it’s not the best option anyway. Interns range in transportation from bikes to train to car.
Will I be able to find health insurance for $2000?
Currently CAPS offers in addition to the $28,000 stipend, $2000 to be used towards the purchase of healthcare. At this time, we are not certain what all of the implications of the healthcare reform will be, but we are committed to continue to explore options to provide healthcare coverage to our interns. View a list of websites that can help you determine your needs and preview different health insurance plans.
