Nebraska Mental Health Centers

Psychology Internship Program

(NMHC-PIP)

It is the goal of NMHC-PIP to provide a spirited and safe environment enabling the successful transition from graduate student to professional and competent clinical psychologist in a post practicum period by emphasizing culturally sensitive comprehensive, systemic, and intensive training in the areas of assessment, intervention, consultation, education, administration, supervision, and research.  To accomplish this goal, a philosophy of progressive development and comprehensive supervision serves as the basis to train interns to be competent, worthy practitioners able to adapt and thrive in the ever-burgeoning field of psychology.  Interns will be asked to integrate theoretical, clinical, and professional issues in psychology into the service delivery model of Nebraska Mental Health Centers, P.C.  A developmental apprentice-practitioner model provides the guiding framework for the transition from student to professional by capitalizing on prior strengths, experience, and expertise while supporting the attainment, expansion, and implementation of conceptual, professional, and pragmatic skills.  Additionally, to ensure the transition to autonomous practicing professional, specific supervision and training goals have been set in each of the relevant areas including Group Supervision, Meta Supervision, Case Consultation, Professional Development, and Didactic Activities.

 In coordination with the philosophy of training and the stated goals of NMHC-PIP, specific objectives central to the professional development of interns have been identified.  These objectives have been integrated into the planned, programmed sequence of training to maximize the quality and quantity of the learning experience of each intern.  The objectives cover the areas of Relationships, Assessment, Intervention, Crisis Services, Management/Supervision, Consultation/Education, Research, and Evaluation.

 The focus of the NMHC-PIP is to comprehensively train psychology interns through didactic seminars and the provision of psychological services to the community of Lincoln, Nebraska and surrounding rural communities.  NMHC-PIP actively seeks to provide psychological services to rural Nebraska areas through satellites offices as well as to geriatric populations within the area's nursing and assisted living facilities.  NMHC-PIP adheres to consistent, structured policies and train interns under a uniform administration as demonstrated in the signed consortium agreement.

 Nebraska Mental Health Centers, P.C. was established in 1993 and provides approximately 15,000 hours of psychological patient services per year to children, adolescents, adults, groups, organizations, schools, families, and couples of all socio-economic levels.  NMHC became a subsidiary of Nebraska Comprehensive Health Care in 2008 when a fully array of family practice medical services became available through the clinic.  The name change now more accurately reflects the interdisciplinary group we represent.  Currently, direct services of NMHC include individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy, psychoeducational groups, medication management, psychological assessment, neuropsychological assessment, consultation, forensic services, and biofeedback.  These services are provided by licensed mental health practitioners, licensed psychologists, psychological interns, and psychological residents.

NMHC-PIP provides interns the opportunity to assume a comfortable, yet challenging degree of responsibility for carrying out major professional psychological functions while maintaining a high level of supervisory support, professional role modeling, mentorship, guidelines for ethical practice and awareness of administrative structures. 

Services

NMHC provides psychological care for children, adolescents, adults and families through individual, marital, family and group therapy. Included in our service delivery are:

1. Outpatient Programs for individual, couple and family needs across a diverse range of presenting issues.  Multidisciplinary and integrated coordinated treatment protocols are unique to NMHC and provide interns great experience in diagnosis-specific treatment.  Biofeedback and neurofeedback are also provided on an outpatient basis.  Additionally, NMHC provides an Intensive Outpatient Chemical Dependency Group three times per week. 

 2. Inpatient Assessment and Treatment for adult and geriatric administered to patients experiencing a suspected neurological condition for the purpose of medical and psychological treatment and/or placement needs. 

 3. Assessments for all ages including: Achievement, Social Functioning, Intellectual Functioning, Personality, Forensic Issues, Psychological and Neuropsychological evaluations.

4. Programs & Groups

Stress Management

Employee Relations

Managing Chronic Pain

Women's Issues

Grief & Loss

Domestic Violence/Batterer Intervention Program

Substance Abuse Aftercare

Eating Disorders

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Men's Issues

Mental Health Medications

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Anxiety Disorders

Depressive Disorders

Peak Performance

 5.  Consultative Services will be a major component of the intern's training experience.  Each intern will participate as a psychologist-consultant in case conferences regarding psychological assessment, psychotherapy issues, and general patient management. 

The Program

It is the goal of NMHC-PIP to provide a spirited and safe environment enabling the successful transition from student into psychologist. To accomplish this goal, a philosophy of individualized development and supervision serves as the basis to train its interns not only to be competent and worthy practitioners, but also to arm them with the ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-burgeoning field of psychology. As training is highly valued and regarded, NMHC-PIP provides a true learning experience by offering knowledge and guidance without forcing interns to feel they are already in practice with absolute responsibility over their cases. With a wide variety of populations served including all ages, socio-economic classes, and clinical presentations, NMHC-PIP has a breadth of opportunity for interns to chose from in order to suit their specialty interests. Although allowing for personal choice, NMHC-PIP also ensures a wide variety of clinical experiences is gained by offering eight specific training opportunities.

For all interested students, it is important to understand the internship program itself has developed into a premier medical-psychology training center.  Our goal is to teach young psychologists to be primary healthcare providers.  That entails acquiring the knowledge to take the lead for patients in providing first-line psychologically based treatment as well as managing the patient’s overall health care which requires making appropriate referrals and integrating the resulting evaluations and treatment. 

Though we offer an internship experience of significant breadth, there is an underlying biopsychosocial model to all that we do.  As a medical psychology internship, equal emphasis of the biological basis of mental illness is taught at similar depth of what is afforded psychological and sociological factors.  Therefore, education provided through our internship program includes training of the biological etiologies and treatment of mental illness.  This is accomplished through an integrated psychology and medical practice, incorporated into one comprehensive health care clinic.

NMHC-PIC requires the interns each internship year to have 50% direct face-to-face clinical service activity.  This must equal 1000 hours at the end of the internship year.  This is tracked by the NMHC Practice Administrator on a weekly basis and the information is provided to each intern’s intensive individual supervisor.

Supervision

 Interns receive two hours of scheduled, face-to-face individual supervision from their Intensive supervisor once per week as well as clinical group supervision and intern group supervision adds to an overall total of 4 hours of supervision per week. Additionally, much of the inpatient work is accomplished alongside a supervisor, providing daily contact. Such activities as briefing and debriefing group therapy, team meetings, treatment and discharge planning conferences provide rich learning and supervisory experiences.

 

Training

A weekly psychological and neuropsychological testing group and EPPP Study group are held for one hour each week.  Also there is a weekly didactic scheduled once per week, the list of topics is below.  This is a total of 3 hours of didactic activities each week. 

Didactics

Yet another aspect of the structured training offered by NMHC-PIP is weekly didatics covering a broad spectrum of topics. The purpose of these weekly meetings is to refresh interns on already familiar topics of clinical practice, provide new and more in-depth knowledge of material in the intern’s repertoire and to furnish important information that is essential to the practice of psychology, but not taught in the traditional graduate program. This material includes understanding managed care, business administration of clinical practice, multicultural issues and more. A full list of topics for the weekly seminars is provided below. Each meeting is scheduled for sixty minutes and will commence one time each week for the entire 46 weeks of the internship program.

 

Documenting Psychological Services

A Review of Psychological Theories in Psychotherapy

Treating Families

Ethical Considerations in Psychological Practice

Managing Malpractice

A Review of Psychological Assessment Techniques

DSM-IV Diagnostic Classification Decision Tree

Conducting a Concise and Thorough Diagnostic Interview

Using Empirically Validated Treatment

Racial and Cultural Identity Models

Political and Practical Dimensions of Multicultural Mental Health Practice

Multicultural Therapy Competencies

Therapy with Specific Multicultural Populations

A Review of the Nervous System

Basic Neuropsychology

Basic Psychopharmacology

What is Managed Care?

Use of Computers in Practical Clinical and Ethical Considerations

Computer Based Assessment

Suicide

Integration of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Geriatric Mental Health

A Review of Child and Adolescent Psychological Services

Understanding Domestic Violence

Rural Mental Health Needs

Serious Mental Illness

Discussion of Personality Disorders

A Review of Diagnostic and Treatment of Eating Disorders

A Review of Developmental Disorders

Forensic Psychology

Health/Medical Psychology

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

A Review of Hospital Practice

Issues Related of Death and Dying Grief

Patient and Professional Advocacy

Collaborative Practice in Schools

The State Psychological Association and You

Hypnotic Techniques

The Clinical Use of Biofeedback

Basic Supervisory Techniques

The Business of Practicing Psychology

Mental Health Administration

Personnel Management in Mental Health Practice

Creating and Maintaining a Treatment Outcome Database

Marketing Your Practice and Public Relations

A Review of Resources Preparing for Licensure

 

Training Opportunities

All interns participate in eight specific training opportunities during the course of the training year. In addition to ongoing general psychotherapy, diagnostic and assessment caseloads that last the duration of the internship and occur in the main clinic, interns are exposed to six other training opportunities including geriatrics, pediatrics, biofeedback, rural practice, domestic violence and substance abuse group therapy. Other training opportunities are offered and available to all interns who demonstrate interest.  A listing of these training opportunities can be found below. Total number of hours completed during the internship year will be at least 2000.    

General Psychotherapy- interns will manage a patient caseload throughout the entirety of the internship. The patients will present with a wide array of psychological disorders and are seen in the Lincoln and satellite offices.

 General Psychological Assessment- interns will conduct and interpret a wide array of psychological assessments conducted out of the Lincoln offices for the entirety of the internship.

 Child & Adolescent - interns will involve themselves in behavioral interventions, psychotherapy, school involvement, and family therapeutic interventions through the Fremont pediatric office.  Also, they will complete the administration of neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and psychological assessments of children and adolescents.

Alcohol and Substance Abuse - interns will participate in Chemical Dependency evaluations, Drug/Alcohol education classes, as well as outpatient and intensive outpatient substance abuse programs. While Chemical Dependency evaluations are available to interns during the third and fourth quarters of the internship year, each intern will participate in co-leading outpatient, intensive outpatient or the education groups for one quarter.

 Rural Mental Health - interns will participate in the administration of mental health services including therapeutic interventions, psychological assessments, and community based interventions in our Beatrice and Fremont offices throughout the duration of the internship year.

 Geriatric Mental Health – interns will interact with geriatric individuals in all phases of life including short-term rehabilitation to long -term care.  Interns will provide therapeutic interventions throughout the duration of the training year and will complete assessments to identify appropriate level of care, consultations, behavior plans, medication recommendations and staff development starting the third quarter of the internship.

 Biofeedback – Interns will be introduced to assessment and treatment utilizing bio and neurofeedback instruments for various mental and medical diagnoses.

 Domestic Violence – interns will co-lead psychotherapy and psychoeducational groups through a program of domestic violence intervention based upon the Duluth Model. Interns will be expected to participate for a minimum of one quarter of the internship year. Individuals participating in the groups are court-referred. The Family Violence Council, a division of the Lincoln Medical Education Foundation, accredits the Domestic Violence Program of NMHC.

  

Elective Training Opportunities

Psychopharmacology - this training opportunity is available to interns interested in consultative psychopharmacology. Training for this specialty is provided through the Lincoln clinic only.

Neuropsychology/Rehabilitation -  includes outpatient and inpatient assessments in all NMHC clinics in addition to nursing homes, area hospitals and more.

 Forensic - interns will be involved in Court Ordered Evaluations, Child Custody, Commitment, Parental Assessments, Competency to Stand Trial, Mediation, and other forensic services.

Mental Health Administration – interns will involve themselves in the day-to-day operations, policy and procedure development, board meetings, and staff oversight as a director of a mental health facility.

Supervision - interns will involve themselves in both group and individual supervisory roles as their skills develop over the course of the internship year.

Health/Medical Psychology - interns will work with medical patients on an outpatient basis or within area hospital systems. Experience will include working with patients presenting a wide array of medical illness with combined psychological needs.

 

Residency Programs

In addition to offering a one-year internship, two and three year postdoctoral programs are available to those interns with an interest of specializing in advanced clinical psychology, forensic psychology, neuropsychology and psychopharmacology.  Those interested in our residency programs are referred to the respective portion of the NMHC website for more information. 

 

Research

In addition to the training described above, all interns will be required to submit a chapter for the ongoing development of the "Quick Clinical Consult" book published by NMHC. All interns will receive first authorship on these chapters. Interns will also have the opportunity to participate in a poster presentation at the Nebraska Psychological Association’s spring conference.

Affirmative Action Policies

NMHC takes affirmative action to assure fair and equitable treatment of all employees and applicants for training without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, physical disability, or political affiliation. Affirmative action policies address, but are not limited to: recruitment, training, promotion, and termination.

 

Diversity Statement

NMHC is sensitive and committed to the importance of diversity and the richness of human diversity. Our services and training focuses on respectful and non-prejudicial treatment to people of all backgrounds. It is of utmost importance that NMHC promote the value and strength of diversity to all employees, applicants, trainees, and individuals served. As a clinical and training facility, we are motivated to addressing issues of prejudice and discrimination and the influence of those issues on the lives of the individuals we encounter in practice and training.

 

Clinical Training Staff

Matthew Nessetti, Ph.D., M.D., ABMP is the CEO and founder of NMHC-PIP. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and family practice physician and specializes in Medical Psychology. Dr. Nessetti received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska and his M.D. from the International University of Health Sciences. He completed a residency in family medicine at Creighton University Medical Center.  Current professional interests include the integration of medicine and psychology, psychopharmacology, forensic psychology, neuropsychology, and mental health advocacy. Dr. Nessetti is the Clinical Director and Internship and Residency Training Director.

Lee Zlomke, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and one of the primary supervisors for the NMHC-PIP Program. Dr. Zlomke specializes in behavioral treatments and interventions for a wide array of clinical presentations and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Forensic Child Psychology.

Ryan Ernst, Psy.D. received his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  He is a provisionally licensed psychologist who specializes in neuropsychological evaluation, cognitive rehabilitation, neuro/biofeedback and integrated treatment of major mental illness.  Dr. Ernst conducts supervision of the assessment services provided at NMHC. 

NMHC also has a large support staff for managing clerical, insurance, and other business responsibilities thereby increasing the time interns and other professional staff can use for providing services and in other learning activities. In addition, NCHC/NMHC employs licensed mental health practitioners, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, certified medical assistants, and licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselors.

  

Training Sites

NMHC is a multi-site and multidisciplinary organization. The NMHC clinics (Lincoln, Fremont, and Beatrice) are utilized for the internship program that covers eastern and southeastern Nebraska. In addition, the interns will provide services in hospitals, nursing programs, and day treatment programs.

Interns completing the medical/health and neuropsychology trainings will provide services to inpatient populations as well.

 

Benefits and Stipends

All interns are paid $20,000 with other negotiable benefits.

Grievance and Due Process for The Program and the Interns (click here)

The actual paperwork will be mailed to the intern after the APPIC  match has been completed.  This information will also be reviewed during the first week of internship orientation

 

Application

Interns interested in the NMHC-PIP should use the APPIC application form (AAPI) that can be directly obtained through www.appic.org. We are APPIC program code 178111.  There are no additional forms or attachments required for application.  Just make sure you mail to us all the attachments required on the AAPI including three letters of recommendation, graduate school transcripts, etc.  These forms can be mailed along with or separate from the AAPI.  Deadline for applications is December 1st. NMHC-PIP abides by all rules and regulations set forth by APPIC in regard to application for internship as well as the entire conduct of the internship program. Please be aware that all training time credited to internship is post-practicum.  Completed applications should be mailed directly to the main Lincoln office at the following address:

 

Nebraska Mental Health Centers, P.C.

Attn: Dr. Matthew Nessetti,  Training Director

4545 South 86^th Street

Lincoln, NE 68526