Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling Externships
Therapy Externship
Contact: Sarah Towne, Psy.D.
Externship Supervisor
(301) 424-5200 ext. 102 stowne@ttlc.org
www.ttlc.org
Description:
The primary tasks of the extern will be conducting individual, group, and family therapy with children, adolescents, and families. The extern will maintain a case of 6-10 clients and at least one group.
Therapy experiences will be tailored to the extern’s experience, interest, and goals. Therapy activities available include:
- Co-leading afterschool social skills and anxiety groups for children with licensed therapists
- Individual counseling and play therapy for children through emerging adults ages 4 to 25 with a variety of presentations
- Parent consultation sessions
- Family therapy
- Co leading Circle of Security parent groups
TLC is a multidisciplinary practice that serves infants through elderly populations. With over 70 years of experience, we specialize in individuals with developmental disabilities or learning challenges. TLC’s departments include the Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling Services, the Family Hearing Center, The Outcomes Service (for adults with disabilities), Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and the Katherine Thomas School for children with disabilities.
Supervision/Didactics: Externs will receive weekly supervision in clinical work. Video recordings of therapeutic sessions will be reviewed at least once per quarter. Additionally, externs will engage in case conferences and staff meetings with other clinicians in the department.
Site Requirements: Students must pass a background check and be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to the start of their externship year. As an organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our staff, students, and consumers, so vaccination requirements may be updated as new recommendations and guidelines are implemented.
Students with prior therapy experience required. Preferably, third year clinical students or above. Students will extern between 16-24 hours over two or three days, based on their requirements for hours of training. Most therapy occurs in the after-school hours; therefore, three days are preferred between Monday and Friday in order to maintain a solid caseload. Therapy sessions usually begin by 3pm and end by 6pm. Some therapy may be remote.
Application Materials Requested: Please provide a CV, 2 letters of recommendation, and a deidentified therapeutic writing sample (e.g., progress report, intake report, case conceptualization, etc.). A de-identified assessment report is also acceptable. Prospective externs will be contacted for in person interviews. Once accepted, externs must successfully complete a background check and COVID-19 vaccination before beginning their externship.
Email Application Materials to: Sarah Towne Psy.D. at stowne@ttlc.org
Application Deadline: February 11, 2022
Assessment Externship
Contact: Sarah Towne, Psy.D.
Externship Supervisor
(301) 424-5200 ext. 102 stowne@ttlc.org
Melissa Smith, Ph.D., Director of Testing, Tutoring and Counseling
(301) 424-5200 ext. 226 mesmith@ttlc.org
Description:
The primary tasks of the extern will be conducting, scoring, analyzing, and writing integrative assessments, as well as providing feedback to families. Externs will engage in assessment activities on average for 9-10 hours per week, with the goal of conducting 1 to 2 assessments per month. In addition, externs may also co-lead a social skills group, working alongside a multidisciplinary team.
Assessments conducted by our department may include:
- Comprehensive Autism Assessments
- Developmental Evaluations
- Psycho-educational Evaluations
- Comprehensive Executive Functioning and Attention Evaluations
- Admissions Testing
- Disability Eligibility Assessments
- Targeted Assessments for College Students and Adults (math or reading disorders, etc.)
Group therapy experiences will be tailored to the extern’s experience, interest, and goals. These activities may include:
- Helping to co-lead a multidisciplinary therapy group for children with developmental disabilities and challenges. Together, they will use play as a medium to achieve developmental goals involved in social interactions, speech language, motor planning, and emotional regulation.
- Co-leading an afterschool social skills or anxiety group (when available) with a licensed clinical social worker or psychologist.
TLC is a multidisciplinary practice that serves infants through elderly populations. With over 70 years of experience, we specialize in individuals with developmental disabilities or learning challenges. TLC’s departments include the Testing, Tutoring, and Counseling Services, the Family Hearing Center, The Outcomes Service (for adults with disabilities), Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and the Katherine Thomas School for children with disabilities.
Supervision/Didactics: Externs will receive weekly supervision for assessment and any group they are assisting in or co-leading. Direct supervision of assessment practices will allow the supervisor to provide customized supervision and training to meet the externs needs. Additionally, externs will engage in case conferences and staff meetings with clinicians in the department to discuss challenging cases and share new information and research.
Site Requirements: Students must pass a background check and be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to the start of their externship year. As an organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our staff, students, and consumers, so vaccination requirements may be updated as new recommendations and guidelines are implemented.
Prior assessment experience is preferred but not required. Students will extern between 16-24 hours over two or three days, based on their requirements for hours of training. While all days are open to student hours, Tuesdays are a preferred day for training, as they will be invited to participate in a weekly team meeting for the department. Mornings are required for assessments, but hours can be flexed in order to accommodate participation in a group.
Application Materials Requested: Please provide a CV, 2 letters of recommendation, and a de-identified assessment report. Prospective externs will be contacted for a live interview (in-person when p. Once accepted, externs must successfully complete a background check and COVID-19 vaccination before beginning their externship.
Email all Application Materials to: Sarah Towne Psy.D. at stowne@ttlc.org