Program Basics

The APA-accredited internship in health service psychology at the Village of Hoffman Estates Department of Health and Human Services is a 12 month, 40 hour per week, full time internship program. Interns are expected to be on site Monday through Friday, with three required evenings. HHS hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8:30am-8:30pm, and Wednesday and Friday from 8:30am -5:00pm.

The internship begins the Tuesday after Labor Day in September and is completed at the end of August. The internship offer is contingent on the passing of an employer paid background investigation and drug screen.

Click below to download our Internship Handbook. 

HHS Internship Handbook

APPIC Site Number: Internship: #1276

HHS Training Staff:

Director of Training:

• Audra Marks, Psy.D.

Supervisory Staff:

• Monica Saavedra, Psy.D. (Director of HHS)
• Maria Cornejo Garcia, Psy.D.
• Lauren Nichols, Psy.D.

COVID-19 Training Information & Updates:

Health and Human Services continues to take COVID-19 precautions for both staff and clients. Due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, both in-person and telehealth services are being offered at The Village of Hoffman Estates, Health and Human Services. Interns are considered essential employees and conduct both in-person and Telehealth services. HHS is now mask optional and masks are no longer required to enter the Department or while receiving services. Staff members are welcome to wear masks when on site if they prefer. Telehealth services continue to be provided when appropriate for clinical need and are provided via a HIPAA compliant platform or telephone in cases when clients do not have access to wireless services, as Health and Human Services is dedicated to providing accessible care to all. Telehealth sessions are provided for current and new clients. When interns are onsite, each intern will have their own office and there are a number of policies to follow in order to ensure the safety of all interns, students, and employees including hand sanitizer stations placed around the department, and sanitizing office space upon entry and exit. Clinical Supervisors at The Village of Hoffman Estates, Health and Human Services are continuing to monitor the safety risks related to COVID-19 and will adapt the training plan as needed. Please note that during the Pandemic, programming continued and there was not a break in clinical treatment or training.  

Clinical Experience

Interns are expected to carry a weekly caseload of 18-20 clients. Caseload is made up of individual adults, adolescents, children, families and couples. Interns are also expected to complete a minimum of 3 comprehensive psychological assessments during the course of the training year.

In addition to psychotherapy and clinical assessment, Interns are also expected to complete weekly intakes for the first 6 months of the training year, after which they are involved in training practicum students to complete intakes and overseeing the intake process for the remainder of the training year.

Common presenting problems of clients include (but are not limited to) depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, externalizing disorders, adjustment disorders, marital difficulties, parenting difficulties and school problems.

Students are trained in:

• Individual, Couple, and Family Psychotherapy
• Multicultural Competence
• Community Psychology
• Psychological Assessment
• Intake Assessments
• Crisis Intervention
• Outreach & Prevention

Opportunities exist for work in:

• Employee Assistance Programming
• Community Prevention Program Development
• Group Psychotherapy & Skill-based Groups
• Community Health Services
• Applied Research

Please see Internship Handbook for more detailed information. 

Supervision

The supervision experience at Health and Human Services is varied and intensive. Within supervision and seminars, there is a strong emphasis on self-reflection as it is an important element of professional and personal development. Interns receive 3 hours of individual supervision each week. In addition to individual supervision, Interns also receive one hour of weekly group/dyadic supervision. Interns are expected to audio and/or video record all psychotherapy sessions (with client consent) and this material is reviewed during weekly supervision meetings.  

Support, encouragement, and critical feedback are utilized to help students develop professional abilities that fit their own interactive style and enhance their therapeutic effectiveness. Interns are encouraged to discuss countertransference related to clients in supervision as it increases understanding of the self and clients. It is also helpful to discuss dynamics within the supervisory relationship, in an effort to create stronger and more supportive relationships within supervision. 

Please see Internship Handbook for more detailed information. 

Training Seminars & Didactics

Psychotherapy Seminar

Interns participate in a weekly Psychotherapy Seminar. This seminar focuses on the theory and practice of psychotherapy with particular attention to applied family psychotherapy skills. The seminar is experiential and didactic including case presentations, family of origin genogram presentation, role playing, and live supervision.

Multicultural Counseling and Community Psychology Seminar

Interns participate in a weekly experiential and didactic Multicultural Counseling and Community Psychology Seminar (MCCP). This seminar focuses on increasing a therapist's self awareness, knowledge and skills as it relates to their work in the community and with diverse clients and settings.

During the year, students develop and implement programs designed to improve and sustain the health and well-being of the residents in Hoffman Estates. The research-based outreach and prevention programs seek to prevent the possibility of future development of severe health and/or mental health conditions that would otherwise require intensive treatment. Students have the opportunity to create programming that is based upon community need and areas of interest. 

This Seminar trains students on evidence-based community work. Students will discuss the importance of self-awareness, knowledge and skills while working with clients and communities, learn theories on community prevention work, participate in community prevention projects and activities, learn the steps for developing a program, and implement a community prevention program.

A core focus of this seminar is to encourage a student's further growth of their competencies in issues of diversity. This focus is integrated into the seminar by asking students to share and process their reactions to content and experiential exercises. Process groups and presentations that require interns to engage in self-reflection around their own culture and identities is a required component of this seminar. 

Benefits

Intern Salary: $37,440
The salaried Internship includes medical coverage (nominal charge), 7 holidays (days when the Village is closed), and 10 personal/vacation days of paid time off.

The Village of Hoffman Estates recognizes that an intern may need to request time off for maternity/paternity leave during her/his internship.  Requests up to a maximum of 12 weeks will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  The Village will also provide reasonable accommodations when necessary due to pregnancy, childbirth or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the ordinary business operations of the Village. Interns may be required to provide documentation from their health care provider.  Information can be found in the Health & Human Services Intern Handbook. Prospective applicants that have questions about this policy are encouraged to contact the Human Resources department of the Village.

Facilities

Interns have access to a variety of physical amenities to assist them in providing services throughout the year. Each intern has their own private office space, complete with computer and individual phone and extension. In addition, Interns have access to a play therapy room, sandtray room, large conference room, and five additional therapy offices. In addition, Interns are able to use rooms and meeting spaces that are part of Village Hall for community-based projects and awareness month projects, as needed. The facilities at HHS are accessible for those with disabilities. 

Trainee Admissions, Support, and Outcome Data

Please click here for information on trainee admissions and support, as well as outcome data for the last 3 internship cohorts. 

How to Apply

All internship interviews for the 2024-2025 application cycle will be held virtually. Applicants invited to interview will be provided with detailed information as to the structure of the virtual interviews at that time. 

Application materials should be direct to:

Audra Marks, Psy.D, Director of Training
Village of Hoffman Estates
Department of Health and Human Services
1900 Hassell Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

Internship Applicants:

• Cover Letter 
• Standard APPIC application - can be downloaded from the APPIC website
• Curriculum Vita
• Graduate Transcripts
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
• Comprehensive, de-identified psychological assessment report

Application Deadlines: All applications must be received by the following dates:

• Internship: November 08, 2024

Applicants will be notified of interview decision by December 13, 2024

Note for Internship Applicants: The Hoffman Estates Department of Health and Human Services Department internship training program agrees to abide by the APPIC policy that no person at this training facility will solicit, accept, or use any ranking-related information from any internship applicant. Under this agreement, HHS is required to make all internship offers through the Matching Program. Therefore, all applicants must be registered for the APPIC Matching Program. Applicants can obtain a “Request for Application Agreement Package” from National Matching Services, Inc. The web address is www.natmatch.com/psychint.

To be considered for this internship, we must receive your application materials by the date listed above.  Additionally, your signed application agreement and fee for registration for the Matching Program must arrive at National Matching Services, Inc office no later than stated deadline in order for your name and code number to be registered in the “Listing of Participating Applicants.”

Questions regarding the application process can be e-mailed to Judith Aldana, Administrative Assistant at Judith.Aldana@hoffmanestates.org  or call 847-781-4850

 Accreditation

The internship program at the Village of Hoffman Estates Department of Health and Human Services is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The internship in health service psychology was awarded 10 years accreditation, with the next scheduled site visit to be held in 2029.

Questions related to the program’s accredited 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

Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: apaaccred@apa.org 

Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation