Counseling Services Intern

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission.

At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer: 

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match 
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! 

https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

The Howard University Counseling Service (HUCS) is highly committed to the training of doctoral level interns in psychology.  The philosophy of the internship training program offered at the Howard University Counseling Service is to prepare psychologists who want to work with racially and culturally diverse and undeserved populations using a practitioner-scholar model. Our APA accredited program offers depth and diversity, providing extensive as well as intensive supervision to prepare interns for their chosen professions in psychology.  At the HUCS interns are encouraged to work in close liaison with their supervisors and are respected as professional colleagues. Interns are expected to engage in some degree of self disclosure as part of the learning process.  Our program includes training and supervision in the following areas:

• Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy
• Group Counseling
• Psvchodiagnostics
• Intake Interviewing
• University Outreach Programs
• Rotational Placements in Inpatient Psychiatry and Forensic Assessment
   

The training program places emphasis on ethnic and individual differences. The international faculty, staff and student population at Howard University and the surrounding urban community provide a culturally rich learning environment for the UCS intern.

The Howard University Counseling Service (HUCS) Doctoral Internship Training Program uses a practitioner-scholar model to prepare interns to be well-rounded, entry level psychologists with special competencies in working with diverse populations. A minimum of 600 intervention hours is required of applicants. Also, a strong background in psychological assessment, including the Rorschach, is preferred; given the required rotation in assessment at DC Superior Court Child Guidance Clinic. Interns complete one full year of specialized training in the substantive area of clinical/counseling psychology. A degree of self-disclosure during supervision and training seminars is expected as part of the learning process.

The work load is as follows:

• Direct Service Activities
• Training Activities
• Administrative Activities
• Professional Development
• Teaching and Supervision

Our program utilizes a psycho dynamic theoretical orientation, brief and long-term therapy models, and includes special training in group counseling and therapy. The typical work day for Howard University Counseling Service (HUCS) interns varies, but usually includes direct service hours (intake interviewing, individual counseling and psychotherapy, group counseling, crisis intervention, outreach, supervision of practicum students); supervision in individual and group formats; and didactic seminars (group, psychoanalytic, research, psychopharmacology). In addition to direct service in clinical activities, HUCS interns also co-teach a graduate level counseling skills laboratory during the first semester. Most direct service hours take place at Howard University Counseling Service with a diverse undergraduate, graduate, and professional student population; but HUCS interns also complete 3 rotational placements. The first rotation is at Howard University Hospital (HUH) Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. Interns train at HUH two mornings each week for 4 months. On this rotation they learn about inpatient treatment from the HUH psychiatry team and HUCS supervisors. The second rotation is a forensic assessment rotation and takes place at the District of Columbia Superior Court's Child Guidance Clinic. Interns go to the court one day each week for 6 months and conduct psychological assessments. Integrative reports are generally due on a weekly basis during the 6-month rotation. The third rotation is a two-month rotation based on individual choice. In the past, interns have chosen rotations in research, trauma, assessment, group, administration, etc. (The 2007 intern cohort wrote a screen play on mental health stigma in college students of color which was made into a DVD, entitled Lost & Found: A College Story. It is used across the U.S. to increase help-seeking behavior.) Each component of the internship program (individual therapy, group counseling, outreach, teaching, assessment, inpatient psychiatry) includes a separate supervision focused on that respective component.

Professional development is supported throughout the internship year. We typically fund three required conferences during the training year. Two of the required conferences are focused on group, and one conference is focused on forensic assessment. A 6-8-hour diversity/cultural competency workshop and a 6-hour DSM-V Workshop are also offered during the training year.

Qualifications include the following:

• Enrollment in an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical or counseling psychology.
• Completion of required doctoral practical and comprehensive examination

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Expected Salary: $43,888