Addiction Psychology Internships and Training Opportunities

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Clinical Practicum, Doctoral Internship, and Postdoctoral Psychology Residency

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation offers valuable learning opportunities and clinical experience if you are pursuing a career as a psychologist. You will become familiar with a wide range of mental health issues as they interface with substance use disorders.

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Clinical Practicum

Practicum Opportunities for Doctoral Students

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Mental Health Centers offer an advanced clinical practicum for doctoral psychology students interested in the treatment of commonly occurring mental health disorders and addiction. Services are provided to adolescents and families through opportunities at our Plymouth site. The practicum focuses on testing, assessment and diagnosis, as well as treatment of co-occurring disorders. Students are involved in a wide range of clinical activities, such as psychological evaluations, individual and group therapy, case consultation, evidence-based practices, crisis intervention, psychiatric consultation, and continuing care planning.

Assessment skills are gained in the evaluation of addiction, cognitive dysfunction, personality differences, and psychopathology. Students are given the opportunity to apply a variety of psychological assessment techniques such as the mental status exam, structured interviews, and objective tests. Specialized assessment is also available. Psychological findings are related to the treatment of substance dependence and its complications. As a result students are engaged in developing individualized treatment approaches that help reduce risk factors for relapse and promote recovery from both mental health and substance use disorders.

Under weekly supervision completed by a licensed psychologist, practicum students provide assessment, diagnosis, and short-term treatment strategies to resolve or reduce the symptoms of co-occurring mental disorders. Opportunities are also available for longer-term therapy.

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Requirements

  • Academic preparation for a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a major in clinical or counseling psychology or an associated field of study.
  • A stated interest in the field of addiction psychology.
  • Practicum objectives clearly include individual assessment and psychological testing.
  • Applicants must have had at least one graduate level course related to testing and assessment.
  • If chemically dependent, two years of continuous abstinence from all addictive chemicals.

How to apply

Please provide the following:

  • Letter of interest
  • Current academic vita
  • Transcript of all graduate work
  • Two letters of recommendation

Mailing Addresses

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Mental Health Centers
11505 36th Ave. N.
Plymouth, MN 55441
ladair@hazeldenbettyford.org

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Mental Health Centers
1901 Esther Street
Newberg, OR 97132-9529
1-503-554-4393

Doctoral Internship

Doctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology

This broad-based clinical training includes psychological assessment, individual and group therapy and rotations providing the experience of working in consultation with a multidisciplinary team.

Well-rounded clinical training treating co-occurring mental health and substance use in a residential addiction treatment facility

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Program Overview

Two of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Mental Health Centers in Minnesota offer doctoral internships in health service psychology. The internship is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association. The goal of the training program is to facilitate doctoral intern development as independent, generalist health service psychologists for a wide range of career opportunities. The program emphasizes a developmental learning model that ensures doctoral intern knowledge of evidenced-based practices in the treatment of mental health disorders and facilitates interns' growing expertise in the daily clinical practice. Interested applicants are not required to have previous experience working with substance use disorders. Rather, this training program is seeking applicants ultimately who share an interest in gaining education, training and experience with a wide range of co-occurring mental health disorders and complex patient presentations within a multidisciplinary treatment setting.

The training program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation provides broad-based clinical training through exposure to clinical interventions, such as diagnostic intake assessments, individual therapy, group therapy, risk assessment, cognitive screening, and crisis management, as well as experience providing supervision to students. Group services vary by site but may include CBT and DBT skills, relationships, positive psychology, trauma therapy groups along with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC support groups. Doctoral interns benefit from experience in providing consultation and advocacy on the multidisciplinary team including promoting individualized care and recommending appropriate resources and accommodations for the diverse needs of patients. Doctoral interns further cultivate their self-awareness and cultural sensitivity/humility and utilize their cultural knowledge in clinical practice. Doctoral interns receive consistent weekly supervision and didactic training. Additional opportunities for training in specialized testing, treatment of health care professionals, and placement on a medical unit. The program is offered at the Center City location serving adults and the Plymouth location serving adolescents, young adults. Please see the training manual and the APPIC online directory for more information about the training program including eligibility requirements. The Internship Admissions, Support and Placement Data is also available.

Questions related to the program's accreditation status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation:

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-336-5979
apaaccred@apa.org
www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

The yearly application deadline is December 8th. We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds and experience to apply.

Postdoctoral Residency

Postdoctoral Psychology Residency

Designed for graduates of doctoral psychology programs who wish to refine their competencies in assessment and differential diagnosis, intervention, cultural humility and individual differences, and consultation.

Fosters the development of competent, responsible, and ethical professionals

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Program Overview

The postdoctoral residency is designed for graduates of doctoral psychology programs who wish to refine their competencies in assessment and differential diagnosis, intervention, consultation and cultural and individual differences while developing additional competency in areas of interest. Our mental health team is an important part of the multidisciplinary team as Hazelden Betty Ford acknowledges the high co-morbidity rates among substance use and mental health disorders and recognizes the importance of treating mental health disorders in order to improve recovery results and overall patient health. Please find more information about the program in the training manual.

Interested applicants are not required to have extensive experience in treating substance use disorders in order to be considered for this position. We have found that generalists do well at applying their skills to our program, and the training program will provide supervision, training, and support to assist in developing specialized skills in diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders. Training at our Mental Health Centers fosters the development of competent, responsible, and ethical professionals with advanced clinical skills.

The training program integrates research into practice with an emphasis on mentoring, coaching, and self-directed professional development. The program relies on a scholarly approach, using science to enrich training content and clinical practice. This includes intellectual inquiry and the development of core skills such as assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, and multidisciplinary teamwork based on a framework of evidence-based practice and consideration and respect for individual differences. This integrated model guides residents in the analysis and application of knowledge, research, and scholarship necessary for more advanced clinical practice.

Hazelden Betty Ford Mental Health Centers' training philosophy is based on an active learning environment that is multidisciplinary in nature. Self-appraisal and regular feedback are integral components to the training experience. We are committed to providing postdoctoral residents with:

  • An advanced level of clinical practice
  • Opportunities to work with individuals struggling with substance use and mental health disorders
  • The opportunity to identify and work toward individualized training goals
  • Engaging weekly supervision from licensed psychologists
  • Ongoing evaluation to ensure competency in advanced clinical skills

The training experience provides residents with the skills necessary to think critically and to evaluate the findings of research-based knowledge within the context of a broad base of practical experience. Residents become educated consumers of empirical research through exposure to empirically-evaluated approaches to treatment.

Requirements

Prospective applicants must plan to complete an internship in psychology and graduate from a counseling or clinical psychology doctoral training program before the start date of residency. Completion of an APA-accredited internship is preferred. Residents are expected to be experienced and familiar with basic principles of psychological assessment and interviewing, individual and group psychotherapy, consultation, and scholarly inquiry.

Stipend and Benefits

The salary for the residency year is $48,000. Residents qualify for employee benefits, which include group medical, dental, group life, and disability insurance. Hazelden Betty Ford also offers a retirement plan, paid holidays, 4 weeks of personal time off, and other benefits. Postdoctoral residents may also take advantage of many opportunities provided by our Mental Health Centers. As part of Hazelden Betty Ford, there are several continuing education opportunities available throughout the year. Time devoted to conference workshops and licensure examination may also be available at your site.

Available positions

Center City: Postdoctoral residents at Hazelden Betty Ford in Center City are provided the opportunity to gain additional experience working with a variety of mental health conditions in an adult population ages 18+. Clinical services include psychological assessment and diagnostic interviewing, individual therapy, group therapy, and multidisciplinary team consultation primarily in residential and day treatment settings. There may also be opportunities to work with patients who identify as health care or legal professionals. 

Erin M. Miers, PsyD LP, Mental Health Internship Training Director
P.O. Box 11, CO7
Center City, MN 55012-0011
1-651-213-4762

St. Paul: Postdoctoral residents based at Hazelden Betty Ford in St. Paul have an opportunity to hone individual therapy skills with adolescents and adults in recovery. Postdoctoral residents are guided in further incorporating Motivational Interviewing strategies and techniques with current therapy tools to support Twelve Step recovery. Other clinical services may include conducting substance use assessments, psycho-educational lectures and group therapy. Consultation with onsite psychiatry, mental health, nursing, and chemical dependency staff provides interaction with a team of professionals. Postdoctoral residents will be expected to provide some evening or weekend hours and may be invited to receive further training at suburban locations. For additional information contact Nicholas Culp.

Dr. Nicholas Culp, Mental Health Manager
680 Stewart Ave
St. Paul, MN 55102
1-651-292-2441

Plymouth: Postdoctoral residents at Hazelden Betty Ford in Plymouth are provided the opportunity to gain additional experience with a variety of mental health conditions co-occurring with substance use disorders in an adolescent and young adult population ages 12-25 in the residential program. Clinical services include psychological assessment and diagnostic interviewing, individual therapy, group therapy, and consultation with the multidisciplinary team and family members. For additional information contact Dr. David Wells, PhD LP.

Hazelden Betty Ford Mental Health Centers
Dr. David Wells, PhD LP, Clinical Supervisor
11505 36th Ave. N
Plymouth, MN 55441-5398
1-763-509-3914

Application Policy

Recruitment for Hazelden Betty Ford Mental Health Centers' postdoctoral residency is competitive. The residency is usually one year, generally beginning between mid-August and early September; however, exceptions may apply.

Applications are accepted throughout the year. The recommended deadline for applications is January 1. We expect to interview from mid-January through mid-February each year. We encourage diverse applicants to apply.

Application Process

  • Official graduate transcripts.
  • Three letters of recommendation from supervisors familiar with your clinical work and/or research.
  • Letter of interest indicating your postdoctoral residency and career goals.
  • A current curriculum vitae.
  • A copy of your doctoral degree (or verification of eligibility and readiness from your school's Director of Training confirming you are on track to complete your doctorate prior to the residency start date).
  • A copy of any relevant publications (recommended but not required).

Applicants are welcome to apply to more than one location. If applying to more than one site, simply submit one application and indicate location preferences in the letter of interest. It is preferred for all application materials to be submitted at one time, but it is acceptable to send items separately as needed. The training team will not review your application until it is complete. Please send application materials by email or mail to:

Hazelden Betty Ford Mental Health Center
P.O. Box 11, CO7
Center City, MN 55012-0011
1-651-213-4698

Note: Current doctoral interns at Hazelden Betty Ford Mental Health Centers are only required to submit a letter of interest and current curriculum vitae updating their training experiences and progress.