Clinical psychology training at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is characterized by two key points. The first is the belief that, as applied psychology expands to encompass many new areas, the clinical psychologist needs to be trained in a broad variety of skills rather than any single specialty. A good program should be comprehensive in scope.

A second major point is the importance of close and careful monitoring of the student's experience, with useful feedback to the student. The content and timing of evaluations should be such as to maximize the student's growth. This implies a close individual involvement in each student's program by faculty and supervisors.

Our residency in clinical psychology is designed to provide an intensive American Psychological Association-accredited (750 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C., 20002-4242, Telephone 202-336-5979) clinical internship training experience embodying these principles. The breadth of our setting makes possible training in a wide range of activities including intake work, diagnosis, and group and individual psychotherapy with adults, adolescents and children, as well as case consultation in the hospital.

The resident's work is intensively supervised on an individual basis, with each resident scheduled for a minimum of five hours per week of individual supervision. Major supervision is provided by the psychology faculty with assistance from psychiatric faculty and social work staff.

Training is provided within a context which sensitizes the trainee to the needs of our clinical environment. A significant percentage of the patients served come from under-served urban areas. Approximately 50 to 60% of the training experiences involve services to minorities (primarily Hispanic).

The Department of Psychiatry is the coordinating agency for the development and operation of the training program in clinical psychology. The Clinical Psychology Residency was established in l970 with the faculty at that time making a philosophical commitment to the "scientist-practitioner model", with an emphasis on the practitioner side of the Boulder model. More recently, we have added opportunities for training in evidence-based assessment and treatment approaches. The internship or residency year is seen as a time to emphasize first-hand experiences with clinical involvement under intense individual supervision by faculty who demonstrate clear and visible scientific and professional interests.

 

The faculty as a whole participates in the residency program. The Psychology Residency Training Committee serves as the major forum for ongoing discussion of the training program and formulates recommendations for program development. These recommendations are forwarded to the Chairman for final approval.

 

Affiliated and Cooperating Institutions:

• Krier Juvenile Correctional Treatment Center
• Kerrville State Hospital
• Laurel Ridge Hospital
• Clarity Child Guidance Center
• UTHSCSA - Counseling Center
• UTHSCSA Department of Psychiatry Division of Schizophrenia
• University Hospital
• UTHSCSA - Department of Psychiatry - PTSD Program
• UTHSCSA - Department of Pediatrics/Division of Genetics

For further information, address correspondence to:
    Don McGeary, PhD., ABPP, Assistant Professor
    Director, Clinical Psychology Residency and Fellowship Training Programs
    Department of Psychiatry
    The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    7703 Floyd Curl Drive
    San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900
    Phone: (210) 567-5430
    Email: MCGEARY@UTHSCSA.EDU