SIU School of Medicine
SIU School of Medicine encompasses a complete sequence of programs beginning with undergraduate medical education and progresses through residency training, fellowships and continuing education for practicing physicians. Affiliations between SIU and Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital provide the valuable physical base for the clinical programs in Springfield. The psychology intern works within the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics, located in the St. John’s Women and Children’s Clinic (an outpatient medical office). Interns will have a clinic room with computer and phone access, along with a locked cabinet for record and other supply storage. Test kits and protocols are stored in a shared location where all psychology providers can access. Benefit time is not provided, but with appropriate notice, we can be flexible in arranging time away as long as internship duties and hours are fulfilled. More information about the Department of Pediatrics can be found at https://www.siumed.edu/peds.
Interns receive referrals from SIU Pediatrics faculty/attendings and residents, as well as other community physicians or agencies. They work with a population of children who are racially diverse, primarily from low-income households, and reside in Springfield, Decatur, or neighboring rural communities. Occasionally we receive referrals from more distant rural locations.
In the Developmental Continuity Clinic, interns provide developmental screening for infants and toddlers (age 6 months to 3 years) who received care in the NICU, in collaboration with pediatric rehabilitation therapists (speech, occupational, and physical therapy). The remaining clinical time is spent in the Psychology Clinic providing psychological evaluations, therapy, and consultation services, with opportunities for expanding other services (e.g., behavior management groups for parents) according to the intern’s interest and availability. Both clinics are embedded within the main pediatric clinic area, which provides opportunities for consultation with medical providers in general pediatrics, neurology, genetics, GI, endocrinology, pulmonology, and other specialties. We work closely with our developmental pediatrician and nurse practitioner for complex evaluations. Common referral concerns include Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, and adjustment issues. Interns are also involved in the clinical teaching of medical residents and students, and when schedules allow, they may also be involved in providing didactic presentations for medical learners. They are welcome but not required to attend resident rounds (where medical residents discuss clinical cases) and grand rounds (presentations by faculty or outside speakers). There are also opportunities for involvement in research and/or Quality Improvement projects if desired. The internship experience is organized to increase autonomy over the year, beginning with supervisor modeling during interviews and testing, interns performing these tasks under observation, and then subsequently seeing patients independently. Interns are responsible for all clinical documentation and communication to parents and referral sources. All documentation is reviewed and signed by the supervisor.
Standard clinic hours at SIU are from 8:00am-4:30pm with a lunch break. A typical week at SIU during the school year will be scheduled to include 2 hours of developmental screening and related documentation (usually with some down time for additional consultation/supervision), 1 hour of intake interview, 4.5 hours of testing, 3 hours of therapy/parent consultation, and 2 hours of supervision. Additional time may be spent in teaching, attending didactics, and documentation. A typical week at SIU during the summer will be scheduled to include 2 hours of developmental screening and related documentation, 3 hours of intake interviews, up to 9 hours of testing, 6 hours of therapy/parent consultation, up to 2 hours of parent psychoeducational groups, and 2 hours of supervision, again with additional time for teaching, attending didactics, and documentation. Note that show-rates vary and often leave additional time for documentation.
Springfield Public Schools
The school psychology staff of Springfield Public Schools has worked cooperatively with several universities over the years to provide quality internship experiences. Throughout the year, activities are designed to promote increasing independence of the intern as deemed appropriate by both the supervisor and the intern. Experiences are also designed to offer a rotation of activities with other school psychologists in the district, therefore offering the opportunity to observe a variety of service models and professional styles. Interns can expect the following responsibilities/activities in their experience with Springfield Public Schools:
*consult with teachers and other school personnel in relation to behavior management, learning problems, and interventions
*provide individual psychoeducational examinations and/or curriculum based assessments, interpret those findings, and generate recommendations which will lead to meaningful experiences for the child
*participate as a team member in multidisciplinary educational staffings for determination of educational objectives and need for special education placement and/or supportive services
*provide direct service as appropriate to the needs of the students individually or as a group
*participate in parent education and the development of parent understanding of their child’s needs and academic/behavioral objectives
*become familiar with Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support models
*become familiar with PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports), BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team), and Restorative Practices (RP) using the district’s Braided Behavior Support System
*demonstrate professional growth and development through internship experiences, observation, and individual study
*demonstrate understanding and application of ethical and legal aspects of the practice of school psychology
*demonstrate effective organizational and record keeping skills,
*demonstrate effective oral and written communication techniques
A typical week for the school portion of the internship involves approximately:
8 hours assessment (traditional and CBM) and report writing
1 hour supervision
6 hours consultation/meetings in buildings
2 hours counseling
1 hour training/research
3 hours student/classroom observation
A typical day in the Springfield Public Schools is from 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. with time varying slightly depending on building assignments. Throughout the district, schools are in session from as early as 8:00 a.m. to as late as 3:30 p.m. Administrative staff of special education services is housed at a centralized location within the district. School psychology staff also operates from this central location and follow a daily schedule of time devoted to individual buildings. School psychologists are typically assigned to 2 – 3 buildings each and operate on a weekly schedule that reflects full-days assigned to individual buildings. The typical school psychologist also has one day per week assigned for time in the central office. The school psychology intern has a Mac laptop, computer access, testing materials, and an in-district and ISPIC-related mileage reimbursement if needed.
Please note, interns will be required to pass a background check (including criminal and drug-related offenses), submit proof of updated immunizations, and complete a 2-step TB test, prior to beginning appointments in August.
Supervisors
Anna Hickey, Ph.D., ABPP, is a certified school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist with SIU. She is board certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SIU Edwardsville in 2006, a master’s degree in psychology from Illinois State University in 2008, and a doctorate in school psychology from Illinois State University in 2011. She completed her doctoral internship with ISPIC at the Livingston County Special Services Unit and remained at LCSSU to complete her postdoctoral training experiences. Dr. Hickey is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at SIU School of Medicine, providing psychological and developmental evaluations, therapy, and consultation services in addition to educating medical students and residents in regard to children’s development and behavioral functioning.
