Educational Philosophy
The educational philosophy of the Tennessee Internship Consortium in Psychology (TIC) is that an experientially based internship experience is an efficient and effective vehicle for preparing a school psychology intern in the implementation of scientifically established procedures and strategies within educational settings.
Training Model
Internship training is based upon the "Data-Based Problem Solving" model which is a variant of the general scientist-practitioner model. This model conceptualizes practice and research as fundamentally similar in requiring the same problem solving steps of problem identification, solution plan development, plan implementation, and solution evaluation. The primary goal of training is to prepared interns to practice professional psychology in educational and clinical settings. Upon completion of the program, interns are expected to function as competent and ethical psychologists working in a variety of settings with diverse populations.
Goals and Competencies
Interns are actively involved in developing and evaluating their own internships. With the help of site supervisors, interns negotiate a site specific plan that establishes training goals and lists the nature of the experiences they need to receive in order to meet APA internship competency standards. The accomplishment of these goals and competencies are evaluated three times a year by the intern, on-site personnel, and the Governing Board of the Consortium. Work samples and a log of activities are maintained in a portfolio as part of the evaluation process. Interns also reflect upon and evaluate their internship experience three times during the year.
Program Characteristics
The internship is a full-time experience over 12 months for a total of 2,000 hours.
Interns will:
Plan and conduct formal psychoeducational evaluations
Provide consultation services to parents, teachers, and other professionals
Utilize empirically-supported intervention and treatment strategies
Conduct research and program evaluation
Develop professional and ethical conduct skills
Participate in supervision
Take part in professional development opportunities
Learn and apply culturally appropriate best practices
Internship training objectives are based upon APA competency requirements.
Interns and their program directors meet regularly to monitor and assess the intern's progress.
Supervision from a licensed pshchologist (average 4 hours per week) is a combination of individual (2 hours) and group (2 hours) sessions. Additional supervision is provided by relevant specialists.
Approximately 2 hours per week are alloted in didactic seminars and/or in-service activities.
Doctoral research time is permitted and a maximum of 144 hours of official training time may be allotted to this activity.
Interns are given exposure to individuals from minority cultural, racial, and ethnic groups. Monthly diversity training is provided and attendance is required.
Intern interaction and discussion are an integral part of the training program. Two hours per week are allotted for peer interaction.
Procedures Manual 2022-2023
The Procedures Manual provides up-to-date and in-depth information regarding the current internship year. Note that it is updated, at minimum, at the beginning of each academic year to reflect any changes to the internship operations.