Westchester Psychology Externships

Pre-Doctoral Psychology Externship Program - NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center Overview

Weill Cornell Psychiatry offers externship opportunities in clinical psychology based at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Westchester Behavioral Health Center in White Plains, New York. Externs are mentored and supervised by Weill Cornell faculty. Externships are offered in the following areas:  

• Track 1: Neuropsychology
• Track 2: Inpatient CBT for Affective Disorders
• Track 3: Clinical and Research Practicum in Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses
• Track 4: Inpatient CBT on a Women’s Unit
• Track 5: Child & Adolescent Inpatient Track (with anxiety and related disorders emphasis)
• Track 6: Inpatient DBT on a Personality Disorders Unit
• Track 7: Inpatient CBT on The Horizon at Westchester Specialty Unit
• Track 8: Inpatient/Outpatient Behavioral Eating Disorders Program for Adolescents & Adults
• Track 9: Inpatient Adult Addiction Recovery Service - CBT / Assessment

All clinical activities are intensively supervised by a licensed psychologist. Trainees are expected to attend weekly research (if applicable) and clinical supervision meetings. They are also strongly encouraged to attend Psychology and Psychiatry Grand Rounds, and other training opportunities available during the year. Additional experiences are available that include attendance at seminars, case conferences, and unit rounds.

• Length: The year-long externships runs from the beginning of July to the end of June each year
• Time: 2 days per week or equivalent (16 hours weekly)

Externship Application Process

Please see the APA psychpracticum externship directory for details on the application process for each track.  https://psychpracticum.apa.org/employer-directory/char/N

Neuropsychology Track (Track 1)

NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center offers externship training in neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, and adults in an inpatient psychiatric setting.  Two of the positions will emphasize adult cases and one to two positions will emphasize child cases.  The trainees’ core experience will be to learn about the brain-behavior functioning of psychiatric patients through the use of neuropsychological evaluations.  Evaluations include the administration and interpretation of cognitive, personality, and mood measures.  The patient population presents a wide variety of functional impairments due not only to their broad range of psychiatric difficulties, but also to comorbid conditions such as attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities, alcohol and polysubstance abuse, and neurological disorders such as seizure disorder, stroke, head trauma, or dementia.  Trainees will be supervised by clinical neuropsychologists who have a specific interest in the implications of neuropsychological functioning for treatment planning and rehabilitation within psychiatric populations.  The trainees are welcome to attend the bi-weekly Neuropsychology Case Conference and Functional Neuroanatomy didactics and are encouraged to attend Neuropsychology Bed Rounds, Psychology Rounds, Psychiatry Grand Rounds, and other training opportunities available during the year.  In addition to the assessment component of the rotation, there is opportunity to serve as a co-leader of outpatient psychotherapy groups if the trainee chooses to do so. 

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Beth Rabinovitz at 914-997-5868 or via email at bbr9001@med.cornell.edu.

Inpatient CBT for Affective Disorders (Track 2)

The Affective Disorders Unit (6 North) at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center is a 25-bed acute inpatient unit serving adults 18 years of age and older who have primary diagnoses of major depressive, bipolar, and schizoaffective disorders.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the primary mode of psychotherapy on the unit.  The externship offers training in conducting cognitive-behavioral assessment, formulation, and both individual and group treatment.  There are opportunities to attend a CBT/DBT didactics and case conferences, in addition to individual and group supervision.  Interaction with a strong interdisciplinary treatment team is a highlight of this externship.  Opportunities for treatment of anxiety and psychotic symptoms from a CBT perspective are also available.

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Wilkins at 914-682-5411 or at vmw2001@med.cornell.edu.

Clinical and Research Practicum in Schizophrenia and Related Psychosis (Track 3)

The Psychotic Disorders Division at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center comprises treatment programs that serve individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. The Division includes inpatient services in the Second Chance Program (3 North), an Acute ward (3 South), and the Partial Hospital Program—Track II in the outpatient department. The externship offers experience in the provision of evidence-based psychosocial interventions for people with schizophrenia, comprehensive psychological evaluations, consultation, and program development. Externs also participate in ongoing research projects and in the completion of manuscripts for journal submission. The extern’s expected activities are summarized as follows:

1. Complete brief screenings, comprehensive assessments, and outcome evaluations to inform treatment and discharge planning

2. Lead/co-lead group-based psychosocial treatments—cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp), cognitive remediation (CRT), social skills training (SST), functional adaptation skills training (FAST), social cognition interaction training (SCIT), behavior treatment for substance abuse in schizophrenia (BTSAS)

3. Provide individual psychotherapy services

4. Attend unit rounds, grand rounds, cases conferences, and other didactic opportunities

5. Observe and participate in client-focused consultation, in-service training, and milieu-based activities.

6. Participate in research design, data collection, implementation, and publications

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Anthony Ahmed via email: aoa9001@med.cornell.edu or phone: (914)997-5251

Inpatient CBT on a Women’s Unit (Track 4)

NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center offers externship training in inpatient treatment on its Women's Unit. The Women's Unit provides comprehensive cognitive-behavioral treatment in an inpatient setting. The patient population presents with a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses including severe anxiety and depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, psychosis, and substance use and personality disorders, as well as assessment and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Trainees will have the opportunity to work with the multidisciplinary treatment team, promoting cognitive-behavioral interventions throughout a variety of patient interactions. The externship training goals are: 1) facilitating intensive cognitive-behavioral group therapy program; 2) working with patients individually using cognitive-behavioral therapy; 3) conducting assessments of psychopathology and case formulations; and 4) interfacing with other disciplines in patient care. 

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Wilkins at 914-682-5411 or at vmw2001@med.cornell.edu.

Child and Adolescent Inpatient Track (with anxiety and related disorders emphasis; Track 5)

NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center is offering an externship track on the child and adolescent inpatient units. Trainees will have the opportunity to work with multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient treatment teams, providing cognitive-behavioral and DBT interventions throughout a variety of patient interactions. The patients will also participate in specialized intensive interventions for OCD and anxiety on the inpatient units. The extern’s core experiences will include: 1) co-facilitating cognitive-behavioral and DBT inpatient group therapy; 2) meeting with individual child and adolescent inpatients for short-term individual therapy; 3) facilitating exposure-based treatments with children and/or adolescents; 4) Attendance at morning unit rounds and other didactic opportunities throughout the hospital.

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Shira Ritholtz, shr9146@med.cornell.edu, 914-997-5204.

Inpatient DBT on a Personality Disorders Unit (Track 6)

NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center is an acute inpatient unit for adults. The Personality Disorders Unit provides comprehensive dialectical behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatment in an inpatient setting. The patient population presents with a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, including personality disorders and severe anxiety and mood disorders, psychotic disorders, in addition to co-morbid substance use disorders and dementia.  Trainees will have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary treatment team, promoting cognitive-behavioral interventions through a variety of patient interactions. In addition, trainees will be involved in brief assessments. The extern’s core experience will include:

1. Co-leading daily CBT and DBT Groups and Morning Goals Group in conjunction with the unit psychologist. In addition, trainees will have the opportunity to provide brief, individual treatment to patients.
2. Attendance at morning unit rounds, weekly case conference, and other didactic opportunities throughout the hospital.
3. Opportunity to work on research projects and case reports with the possibility of publication.

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Patricia Marino at 914-997-8691 or via email at pam2029@med.cornell.edu.

Inpatient CBT on the Horizon at Westchester Specialty Unit (Track 7)

The Horizon Unit at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center offers a special track for Orthodox Jewish patients, designed to meet particular requirements that would significantly enhance the comfort level of certain patients during their hospitalization. The inpatient unit is open to adults, 18 years of age and over, with general psychiatric disorders, and addresses the special needs of patients requiring kosher meals and other cultural accommodations. A flexible schedule allows opportunities for religious observance.  The patient population presents with a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, including severe anxiety and mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders, in addition to co-morbid substance use disorders and dementia. Trainees will have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary treatment team, promoting cognitive-behavioral interventions through a variety of patient interactions.

The extern’s core experience will include:

1. Co-leading daily CBT Group and Morning Goals Group in conjunction with the unit psychologist. In addition, trainees will have the opportunity to provide brief, individual treatment to patients.
2. Attendance at morning unit rounds, weekly case conference, and other didactic opportunities throughout the hospital.
3. Opportunity to work on research projects and case reports with the possibility of publication.

If you would like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Patricia Marino at 914-997-8691 or via email at pam2029@med.cornell.edu.

Inpatient/Outpatient Behavioral Eating Disorders Program for Adolescents and Adults (Track 8)

Please see the APA psychpracticum externship directory for details on this track. https://psychpracticum.apa.org/employer-directory/char/N

If you’d like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Tara Deliberto at 914-997-5865 or via email at tad9048@med.cornell.edu, OR Dr. Melissa Klein, mklein@med.cornell.edu, 914-997-5769.

Inpatient Adult Addiction Recovery Service- CBT/Assessment (Track 9)

This externship provides intensive training in both individual and group based therapies on an inpatient addiction recovery unit. The Addiction Recovery Service at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center is an abstinence based program. Within this context, psychology externs deliver mainly CBT oriented group interventions. There is also the opportunity for exposure to motivational interviewing techniques and integrative cognitive assessments. The patient population consists of socioeconomically diverse individuals, frequently with co-occurring mental illness and/or medical disability. Trainees will work as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team and will be expected to facilitate cognitive behavioral therapy groups, and attend morning rounds and didactics. Research opportunities are available for advanced externs.

If you’d like further information prior to submitting an application, please contact Dr. Theodora Kanellopoulos at 914-997-5201 or via email at dok2002@med.cornell.edu.