Education & Training | Psychology Pre-Doctoral | Training Sites | CT Mental Health Center | Division of Substance Abuse

Division of Substance Abuse

Four predoctoral psychology interns are selected for a 12-month primary placement within the Division of Substance Abuse (DSA) in one of two training tracks:

Adult Clinical Services (APPIC # 118315)

This track is structured with a primary placement at the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU) and a secondary placement at either the Hispanic Clinic, Outpatient Services, or West Haven Mental Health Clinic.

About the Adult Clinical Services Setting at SATU

The Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU) is part of Addiction Services of the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), a cooperative endeavor of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Department of Psychiatry of Yale University School of Medicine. SATU provides the Greater New Haven Community with state-of-the-art services for the evaluation of alcohol and drug abuse. It also offers on-site counseling and individual, group, and family sessions; specialized outpatient treatment for those who are eligible; and referral to other treatment programs based on client need. The clinic is located at 1 Long Wharf, in New Haven, CT.

Internship Overview

  • Two interns have their primary placement at SATU - a large outpatient program that offers training in brief and longer term individual and group therapy for adults and young adults, and couples/family therapy. Specialized treatment programs exist for alcohol abuse, dual diagnosis, and pharmacotherapies for opioid and alcohol dependence.
  • Interns provide clinical assessment services, psychotherapy, and psychological testing as necessary.
  • A walk-in and evaluation service provides experience with more acute problems, crisis intervention, and rapid assessment and referral skills.
  • Interns at SATU gain supervised clinical experience applicable to varied psychiatric populations as well as specialized knowledge of substance abuse issues.
  • Treatment orientations learned are varied, but typically emphasize motivational enhancement during the early phases of treatment, cognitive-behavioral approaches to promote change, interpersonal and group interaction approaches to sustain change, and integrative (specialized psychotherapy or combined psychotherapy/ pharmacotherapy) models for dual diagnosis. The type of psychotherapy offered to patients depends on such factors as the severity of symptoms, readiness for change, focus of identified problems, the nature of support systems, and co-occurring disorders. Patients with a wide range of psychopathology are assigned to interns, and specialized opportunities for training are often available (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing).
  • Several required and elective seminars on substance abuse assessment, treatment, prevention, and research are offered.

Supervision and Evaluation

  • Interns obtain intensive supervision providing a range of assessment and therapeutic services for a diverse patient population that shares a common behavioral problem.
  • Interns meet regularly with a primary advisor, psychotherapy supervisors, assessment supervisor, and a research mentor assigned from a faculty group of over 20 full-time psychologists within the Division of Substance Abuse.
  • Quarterly formal evaluations are completed that serve as opportunities to review progress on training goals and address progress toward core competency areas.

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