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About UIC, Psychiatry and Chicago

Internship in Clinical Psychology
Descriptions of Clinical, Clinical-Research,
and Research Experience

Note that these experiences are generally grouped by the orientation of the faculty supervisor (either child or adult) but all programs are available to interns in either track.

ADULT TRACK

Neuropsychological Assessment (Clinical)
Supervisors: Neil H. Pliskin, PhD, ABPP-CN; James Reilly, Ph.D.; Raul Gonzalez, Ph.D.

The Neuropsychology Rotation is designed to provide a primary training experience in neuropsychological assessment for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the specialty of clinical neuropsychology. As such, a year long experience in adult and/or pediatric neuropsychology is the hallmark of this experience, although 6-month rotations are offered as well depending on the training needs of the intern. The Neuropsychology Program adheres to the Houston Conference model for internship training in clinical neuropsychology, and is designed to prepare the intern for advanced postdoctoral residency work in the field.
The Neuropsychology Clinic rotation is geared toward refining skills in the neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental assessment of adult and pediatric inpatients and outpatients drawn from the medical center's Departments of Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Neuropsychiatry, Rehabilitation, Neurology, Neurogenetics, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, and Medicine, as well as from outside referral sources and school settings. These referrals span the entire list of neuropathological conditions such as dementia, cerebrovascular disorders, tumor, HIV, epilepsy, degenerative disorders, ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental disorders and traumatic brain injury as well as the entire age range (infancy to geriatrics). Interns receive supervised experience in planning test selection, implementing, and writing up neuropsychological evaluations using a broad range of tests and procedures, as well as oral communication of test results to referral sources.

As part of the training experience in the neuropsychology rotation, the intern also attends the Behavioral Neurosciences Seminar which is a weekly meeting devoted to special topics and case presentations in the clinical neurosciences. Other seminars of interest to those on a career trajectory in neuropsychology include: Neuropathology Rounds, which is devoted to the examination of gross brain anatomy, and is geared towards understanding the neuropathology of neurological diseases, Neuroradiology Rounds, and Neurology/Neurosurgery Grand Rounds.
The Neuropsychology Division is also part of the Department's premier neuroimaging clinical research group, the Center for Cognitive Medicine. Interested interns may also arrange to participate in ongoing funded neurobehavioral and neuroimaging research as a separate training experience.
Interns completing rotations in the Neuropsychology Program will master the following specific competencies:

• Assessment and treatment of psychological disorders stemming from cognitive, psychiatric, and medical disability
  
• Selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation of neuropsychological tests
  
• Case conceptualization through integration of history, test data, and behavioral observation
  
• Communication of test results through written reports and oral presentation
  
• Development of a working knowledge and experiential base in neurological and psychiatric diagnosis
  
• Capacity for neuropsychological consultation to medicine, neuropsychiatry, neurosurgery, neurology, pediatrics, other medical services, schools, and other referral sources
  
• Provision of feedback to patients and families
  

Cognitive and Addiction Neuroscience (clinical-research, research)

Eileen Martin, PhD. ABPP/CN, Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology;
Jasmin Vassileva, PhD, Research Assistant Professor;
Raul Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Professor.

The program of Cognitive and Addiction Neuroscience offers several research opportunities. Our program of ongoing research includes the study of the effects of HIV and of drugs of abuse on brain function and cognition, neurocognitive function among women with HIV/AIDS, the relationship of impulsivity with neurocognitive function, neurocognitive effects of abuse of club drugs, and neurocognitive factors associated with cannabis abuse and dependence. Our work is supported by two NIH grants. The extent of the intern's involvement with our projects will vary depending on their level of interest, previous experience and amount of time chosen to participate in research. We require a 1-year commitment for each type of research activity. An intern committing 20% time will complete an archival study of our available data. Interns who commit greater than 20% will be eligible to participate more actively in ongoing projects, which could include running subjects, introduction to grant preparation, or conducting a substudy within a current protocol. The training goal will be submission of at least one abstract or article for peer review upon completion of the rotation. Interns will also have the opportunity for authorships as appropriate. Depending upon the specific experiences, this rotation can be done as either research or clinical-research.

Stress and Anxiety Disorders Clinic and OCD Clinic Experiences in the clinical, clinical-research, and research areas are available.

Supervisor(s): Drs.Carmin , Wiegartz & Schmid as primary supervisors.

General Information: The focus of the intern’s experience in the Stress & Anxiety Disorders Clinic and in the OCD Clinic is on developing or refining skills in the assessment and empirically based treatment of adults with anxiety disorders. The clinics provide services to individuals diagnosed with the full range of anxiety disorders (i.e., obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder with and without agoraphobia, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and specific phobia).Also, a significant number ofthe anxiety patients present with comorbid depression. The principal treatment modality is cognitive behavior therapy. Interns learn how to complete structured diagnostic interviews, develop cognitive behavioral conceptualizations for treatment planning, and then implement those treatment protocols. Trainees can gain experience in providing all stages of care (i.e., inpatient, intensive outpatient, and traditional outpatient cognitive behavior therapy) and may have the option to provide consultative services for medical patients who have difficulty managing anxiety and/or stress or for psychiatric inpatients who would benefit from cognitive-behavioral interventions.

Clinical experiences concentrate on individual outpatient treatment. However, there is a broad range of activities available to interns including opportunities for trainees to co-lead groups, particularly for socially anxious patients and to provide intensive treatment for anxiety and OCD patients. Intensive treatment protocols are utilized for both outpatients and inpatients. Interns will have the opportunity to learn how to function on a multidisciplinary treatment team that is involved in providing both traditional outpatient and/or intensive treatment. Once the skills necessary to function as a team member are mastered, trainees will begin to assume responsibility for team leadership. At the same time, they will work closely with their supervisor to assure that effective treatment is provided while simultaneously negotiating leading a multidisciplinary team.

Clinical-research experiences are likewise varied and aim to incorporate the individual intern’s interests with the expertise of our faculty and resources available within the department and university. Interns are encouraged to use their clinical-research time to develop single-case study designs that are appropriate for journal submission or to become involved in faculty projects such as comparing cognitive behavioral treatments for social anxiety disorder with psychophysiological interventions. Because the Stress & Anxiety Disorders Clinic has a strong reputation for the provision of cognitive behavioral treatment, staff are often called upon to provide treatment for depressed those patients with comorbid depression.

Research projects are often of a longer duration than the one year that an intern is on site. Thus, interns may choose to participate in on-going faculty investigations. However, interns are by no means discouraged from initiating their own project. Current areas of faculty interest include development of measures to assess obsessive compulsive cognitions and the refinement of social anxiety scales and collaborative projects investigating the relationship between heart disease and anxiety.

Special requirements: A commitment to a 12 month experience is preferred; 6 month rotations will be considered. If interns wish to combine their clinical experience across both the Stress & Anxiety Disorders and OCD Clinics, a 30% (rather than 20%) time allocation is encouraged given the amount of time needed for supervision and meetings. Since each clinic has a commitment to empirically based treatment, a very strong preference is given to applicants who have theoretical and applied experiences in the application of cognitive behavior therapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Likewise, preference will be given to applicants who indicate a commitment to becoming scientist practitioners pursuing careers in anxiety disorders research and treatment.

Interns will be expected to attend and participate in clinical and research meetings offered through each clinic and, if offered, participate in a semester-long course on the psychophysiology of fear and safety offered through the Brain Body Center. Weekly attendance in the multidisciplinary medication/treatment management clinic for both the Stress and Anxiety Disorders Clinic and OCD Clinic is also required. Participation in other educational opportunities is based on the intern’s individual interests. For example, if interns have specific interests in the neurobiology/neuropsychology of anxiety, they will be encouraged to participate in seminars offered through Neuropsychology/Center for Cognitive Medicine. Likewise, if their interests are in the area of the overlap of anxiety and medical illness, they will be encouraged to attend the Health Psychology Seminar.

Description: Interns will work in an outpatient setting with primarily female patients although some male patients are seen. The rotation can include any combination of the following:

1. Eating Disorders Clinic
Supervisors: Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, Ph.D.

Group multidisciplinary supervision Tuesdays 3:00-4:00pm

2. Women’s Clinic
Supervisors: Ellen Astrachan-Fletcher, Ph.D.
Group Supervision by Laura Miller, M.D. with a biopsychosocial framework

Training in individual parenting and coaching approaches. Family therapy with hands on behavioral approach to notice nonverbal communication. Case management opportunities are available.

3. Other opportunities in the Women’s Mental Health Division

Inpatient

Supervisors: Psychiatric fellow for the Women’s Division with back up by the attending psychiatrist (currently Ovidio DeLeon, M.D.).

Consultation Service

Supervisors: Laura Miller, M.D.

Consultation to:
OB/GYN inpatient
Rainbow House (Domestic Violence)
Haymarket House (Addictions in pregnant women and other women with special needs.)
Nutrition and wellness center

Evaluate and assess patients for mental illness and need for further treatment.

Follow up with individual psychotherapy

Didactics

Women’s Mental Health Tutorial for senior trainees every other week. Dr. Miller gives cases with a series of questions and each trainee researches one question and then reports on the answer. Then all the information is discussed together.

• Women’s Mental Health Lecture Series
• Women’s Mental Health Forum about research and/or clinical work. All trainees in the
• Women’s Mental Health Division must present at least once at the Forum.
• Diatectical Behavior therapy for Binge Eating Disorder.

Special requirements: Eating Disorders Clinic can only be done for 12 months. All other options can be either 6 or 12 month rotations. Depending upon the content area, additional seminars or meetings may also be required.

Health Psychology Rotations (Adult): Clinical, Clinical-Research, or Research

Supervisors: Drs. Labott, Shelby & Prensky

Health Psych Clinical Experiences: Interns will work with medical patients in either inpatient (medical floors) or outpatient settings. The clinical rotation can include any combination of the following:

1. Oncology (inpatient and outpatient): Individual therapy with individuals receiving chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, surgery; issues around new diagnosis, anxiety, depression, end-of-life concerns; participate in support groups and multidisciplinary team meetings.
2. Rehabilitation medicine (inpatient only): Individual work as a member of a team of professionals; patients are people recovering from stroke, prolonged hospitalizations, surgery, a variety of other medical problems.
3. General hospital consultation (inpatient only): Individual psychotherapy with medical patients referred from Psychiatry Consultation service. Clients are varied and have been from cardiology, transplant, geriatric medicine, neurosurgery, and infectious diseases.
4. Sleep disorders (outpatient): Evaluate and treat individuals referred from UIC Sleep Center; most common referrals are for issues of desensitization for CPAP mask in individuals with sleep apnea.
5. Biofeedback (outpatient): Evaluate and treat medical patients to determine individualized treatment plan with an ongoing caseload of patients; patients present for treatment from a variety of clinics; typical diagnoses include medical (e.g., headaches, chronic pain, hypertension, insomnia) and psychological (e.g., stress, anxiety disorders, and anger management).

Special requirements: Can be done for either 6 or 12 mts, but 12 is preferred if interns want a variety of inpatient and outpatient experiences. Health psych seminar is required. Depending upon the content area, additional seminars/meetings may also be required, e.g., weekly inpatient multidisciplinary staffing on stem cell unit for interns working in oncology.

Health Psych Clinical-Research experiences: Interns work with medical patients in the context of research. Can be done for either 6 or 12 mts, and can involve any of the following areas:

1. Emotional expression and social support in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. This study is designed to look at the interrelationships among emotional expressions and social support in chronic pulmonary patients in comparison to healthy controls and patients with non-pulmonary medical problems. This study is one in a series of studies looking at psychological issues in individuals with chronic lung disease. Interns participating in this rotation will recruit and interview participants and be involved with data management. Opportunities to participate in statistical analyses, development of papers/presentations, and new research in this area are available at times.
2. Predictors of bariatric surgery. Potential surgical candidates for gastric bypass, lap gastric bypass, and lap banding procedures are referred for evaluation pre-surgery. These individuals are evaluated with both clinical interview and questionnaires and recommendations are made to the surgical team. Many individuals require psych follow-up either pre- or post-surgery. These individuals are generally seen for individual psychotherapy, most commonly for the treatment of depression, behavioral management of weight, or psychological factors that impact food intake. We also participate as guest speakers in post-surgery groups for the patients.
3. Sickle cell clinic (inpatient and outpatient): Perform health psych evaluations on all new patients who come to the sickle cell outpatient clinic; triage and follow these patients as necessary; consult with staff and collaborate on inservice training; see sickle cell inpatients who pose difficult management issues. Participate in interviews and data collection for study of health care utillization, pain management, psych distress, and coping in adult sickle cell patients. Occasional treatment of child sickle cell patients and or their parents.

Health Psych Research Experiences: Interns can participate in any of the following projects, for either 6 or 12 mts.

1. Psych effects of stem cell donation. This is an ongoing study of the reactions of individuals who donate stem cells for use in the transplant of a relative as part of treatment for a hematologic malignancy. Donors complete questionnaires several times on a variety of issues; we are especially interested in how the donor-recipient relationship and the recipient’s outcome impact the donor’s psychological health.

Interns involved in this project can work on data management and analyses, as well as papers and presentations (depending upon the phase of the project). We are also asked (rarely) to do clinical evals on donors who present special concerns; interns can also participate in this aspect.

The UIC Medication Adherence Program Study (MAPS): Research, Clinical-Research.

This program is a collaboration between Chicago House and the Mental Health Services Research Program to assist people with HIV infection in living healthier, more productive lives. Participants are offered the opportunity to join an innovative program examining the effects of a multi-faceted curriculum designed to improve adherence to medication and treatment regimens, explore attitudes regarding physical health and treatment planning, and improve the ability of participants to return to work. The UIC-MAPS intervention is comprised of several components, including: 1) an educational workshop consisting of three, 1-hour modules regarding health information, use of antiretroviral medications, treatment planning, maintaining health, detecting early symptoms of illness progression, etc.; 2) development of individualized medication plans; 3) individualized medication and treatment planning meetings with clients and their identified sources of social support; and 4) monthly peer-led support groups on medication adherence, attitudes toward health and medication regimens, and issues related to health, well-being, and quality of life. Participants also meet one-to-one with a medication specialist two times per month, and monthly with the medication specialist and a person they identify as a source of social support. In the fourth week of the month, participants attend a monthly peer-led support group. These contacts are provided over four months, for a total of 16 individualized contacts (i.e., eight one-to-one meetings, four meetings with a social support person included, and four peer-led support groups). All project participants complete brief baseline, 6-month, and 9-month follow up surveys regarding medication adherence, attitudes toward their health, and quality of life. Participants also are asked to provide confidential information regarding their current employment status.

Supervisor(s): Lisa Razzano, Ph.D.

Interns will have the opportunity to work with the medication specialist at monthly meetings, receive training and conduct research interviews in the field, participate in the development of longitudinal databases, conduct preliminary data analyses, and participate in writing summative reports under the supervision of Dr. Razzano.

Special requirements: 12 mts only; previous experience/knowledge regarding mental health issues related to HIV/AIDS preferred, but not required. Additional training (e.g., research interviewing, mental health complications of HIV/AIDS) may be required.

CHILD TRACK

Clinic: Pediatric Stress and Anxiety Disorders Clinic (PSADC)
Supervisors: Sucheta Connolly, M.D.

Clinic Description
Clinical experiences. The PSADC provides evidence-based assessment and treatment for children and youth experiencing significant anxiety or stress. The program has a unique focus on the needs of urban children and youth, and is the largest program of its kind in the Chicago area. It also services families from a diverse range of socioeconomic, geographic and ethnic backgrounds. Following a comprehensive evaluation by the clinic's multidisciplinary staff, treatment recommendations that might include: medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral interventions, interpersonal therapy, family therapy, family psycho-education, and consultation with schools. The clinic also runs several groups depending on the needs of the children and families currently being served. Psychology interns serve as members of the clinic's multidisciplinary teams and participate in diagnostic evaluations and provide individual therapy, family therapy, and consultation to schools. They may also co-lead groups with clinic staff and other trainees in social work and psychiatry.

Research experiences. The PSADC is currently conducting research projects assessing risk and protective factors, neurobiological correlates of anxiety, and school and peer functioning. Within research projects, psychology interns have the opportunity to participate in study design, data analyses, data interpretation, grant-writing, and manuscript preparation.

Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment (Clinical)
Supervisor: Lisa D. Stanford, Ph.D, ABPP-CN

The Pediatric Neuropsychology Rotation is designed to provide a primary training experience in neuropsychological assessment for individuals interested in pursuing a career in the specialty of clinical neuropsychology. As such, a year long experience in pediatric neuropsychology is the hallmark of this experience, although 6-month rotations are offered as well depending on the training needs of the intern. The Neuropsychology Program adheres to the Houston Conference model for internship training in clinical neuropsychology, and is designed to prepare the intern for advanced postdoctoral residency work in the field.

The Neuropsychology Clinic rotation is geared toward refining skills in the neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental assessment of infant through young adult inpatients and outpatients drawn from the medical center's Departments of Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, Neuropsychiatry, Rehabilitation, Neurology, Neurogenetics, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, and Medicine, as well as from outside referral sources and school settings. These referrals span the entire list of neuropathological conditions such as cerebrovascular disorders, hydrocephalus, tumor, HIV, epilepsy, degenerative disorders, ADHD, mood and anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism/PDD, and traumatic brain injury. Interns receive supervised experience in planning test selection, implementing, and writing up neuropsychological evaluations using a broad range of tests and procedures, as well as oral communication of test results to referral sources and families. Opportunity for joint training in adult neuropsychology is also available as individual interest dictates.

As part of the training experience in the neuropsychology rotation, the intern also attends the Behavioral Neurosciences Seminar which is a weekly meeting devoted to special topics and case presentations in the clinical neurosciences as well as attends group supervision/case conferences. Other seminars of interest to those on a career trajectory in neuropsychology include: Neuropathology Rounds, which is devoted to the examination of gross brain anatomy, and is geared towards understanding the neuropathology of neurological diseases, Neuroradiology Rounds, and Neurology/Neurosurgery Grand Rounds.

The Neuropsychology Division is also part of the Department's premier neuroimaging clinical research group, the Center for Cognitive Medicine. Interested interns may also arrange to participate in ongoing funded neurobehavioral and neuroimaging research as a separate training experience. Interns completing rotations in the Neuropsychology Program will master the following specific competencies:

• Assessment and treatment of psychological disorders stemming from cognitive, psychiatric, and medical disability
  
• Selection, administration, scoring, and interpretation of neuropsychological tests
  
• Case conceptualization through integration of history, test data, and behavioral observation
  
• Communication of test results through written reports and oral presentation
  
• Development of a working knowledge and experiential base in neurological and psychiatric diagnosis
  
• Capacity for neuropsychological consultation to medicine, neuropsychiatry, neurosurgery, neurology, pediatrics, other medical services, schools, and other referral sources
  
• Provision of feedback to patients and families
  
• Psychotherapy/play therapy with neurologically compromised patients
  
• Consultation with school personnel regarding recommendations and educational plans
  
• Opportunity for participation in or developmental of pediatric neuropsychology research projects
  

Violence Prevention Experiences (Clinical-Research)
Supervisor: Deborah Gorman-Smith, Ph.D.

Chicago Youth Development Study: This longitudinal study (Chicago Youth Development Study- CYDS) began in 1991 and tracks the development of risk for school failure, antisocial behavior, and violence among inner-city male adolescents. The most recent funding expands the focus to include women by adding the romantic partners of the males and a cohort of similar age females to the sample. This has permitted us to evaluate issues related to relationship development and partner violence among this population. We are currently seeking funding to follow the children of the original sample, with a specific focus on the impact of fathering and father involvement.

SAFE Children Schools and Families Educating Children (SAFE Children) applies knowledge developed from CYDS to an intervention. The primary aim is to test, for families living in inner-city Chicago with children entering first grade, the effects of a family-based comprehensive preventative- intervention targeting key risk markers for later drug and other substance use. The current funding is a continuation of the original study and is designed to evaluate the impact of a booster intervention delivered during fourth grade, as well as the long term impact of the original intervention delivered during first grade.

CDC Violence Prevention Initiative (GREAT Schools and Families): This is a multi-site school violence prevention initiative. Four sites (UIC, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Georgia at Athens, an Duke University) are implementing a multi-component intervention designed to address a major scientific question regarding reducing school violence: Are greater reductions in school violence found when a general violence prevention program is implemented with all children in a given grade or when an intervention is targeted at those youth who are at greatest risk for involvement in violence (i.e. those already participating in a high rate of aggressive behavior)or are both types of intervention needed? The intervention components are broken down into two approaches: universal and targeted intervention. The universal intervention is being implemented with all students in 6th grade. The universal intervention has two components: a social cognitive and problem solving intervention delivered to students; and a teacher training component around the issues of classroom management strategies and building awareness of aggression and victimization in the classrooms. The targeted intervention is focused on those students who are at high risk for violence and includes a family intervention delivered in multiple family groups and a school-monitoring component. 16 Chicago Public Schools have been randomized into 4 groups: 1) 4 schools receiving the universal intervention; 2) 4 schools receiving the targeted treatment; 3) 4 schools receiving both treatments; and 4) 4 comparison schools.

Community Ecology of Family Influence on Child Development: Funded through a Faculty Scholar Award by the William T. Grant Foundation, this work focuses on evaluating the impact of community structural and neighborhood social organization characteristics on family functioning and child development.

Project Title
Chicago Adolescent Risk and Evaluation Study (CARES), part of The Healthy Youths Program

Supervisors
Geri Donenberg, Ph.D., Andrea Boyd, Ph.D., Erin Emerson, M.A.

Project Description
Adolescents are among the fastest growing population at risk for HIV/AIDS, and teens in psychiatric care at especially high risk. CARES explores HIV/AIDS risk determinants among 346 ethnically diverse teenagers seeking outpatient mental health services. Study aims are to (a) determine rates of risky sexual behavior and drug use among youth in psychiatric care and compare these rates to rates among teens in the general population; (b) test and compare the utility of two theoretical models in explaining HIV-risk -- the Information-Motivation-Behavior model (Fisher & Fisher, 1992) and a social-personal model (Donenberg & Pao, 2003); and (c) test and compare the two models for theoretically important subgroups of youth (internalizing, externalizing, substance abusing). In a final integrative analysis, we will develop a profile for youth at greatest HIV-risk based on the strongest predictors from both theoretical models. Teens and parents are recruited from four outpatient mental health clinics and they are interviewed at baseline, 6- and 12-months. Family members complete a combination of interviews and questionnaires to assess HIV/AIDS information, motivation, and behavioral skills, and teens’ personal attributes, relationship concerns, and risky sexual behavior and substance use. Family context is examined via two structured videotaped interaction tasks and questionnaires, and adolescent psychopathology and substance abuse are evaluated via questionnaires and a structured diagnostic interview. We are using multiple methods to predict HIV-risk behavior (i.e., sexual risk taking and substance use).

The long-term significance of the research is to guide the development of specially targeted HIV prevention programs for youths in psychiatric care. HIV prevention programs are most effective when they are tailored to specific population needs. HIV/AIDS risk determinants identified in this study will be used to develop specially targeted programs for teens with mental health problems. Where interventions are effective in a clinical setting, they may be applied to teens with mental health problems in school-based settings.

* Currently CARES is in its final stage of completion. Closed to enrollment, the study is in the process of collecting 12 month follow-up data for enrolled youths.

Project Title
Strengthening The Youth Life Experience (STYLE): HIV Prevention for Youth with Severe Mental Illness, part of The Healthy Youths Program

Supervisors
Geri Donenberg, Ph.D.

Project Description
STYLE is a federally-funded multi-site HIV prevention program for seriously mentally ill youth (admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the last 2 years) and their families. Brown University (Larry Brown, MD, PI), Emory University (Ralph DiClemente, PhD, Co-PI) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (Geri Donenberg, PhD, Co-PI) are the three collaborating sites. The intervention is a 3-arm comparative efficacy study to identify the unique contributions of a family-based approach to HIV prevention. The arms are adolescent only, parent and adolescent combined, and waitlist control.
Interns will have a variety of opportunities to contribute in significant ways to the HIV prevention program. Experiences will involve multi-site collaboration and training. Interns will have the opportunity to administer assessments, deliver the intervention, conduct follow-up home visits, and implement booster sessions.

Project Title
Choosing Healthy Options In a Changing Era (CHOICE): HIV Prevention for Youth in Therapeutic Day Schools, part of The Healthy Youths Program

Supervisors
Geri Donenberg, Ph.D., Jamie Eisenberg, M.A.

Project Description
CHOICE is a federally-funded collaborative study with Larry Brown, MD, at Rhode Island Hospital. CHOICE is a uniquely tailored curriculum-based HIV prevention program for adolescents in therapeutic day schools. These teens have significant psychological problems that interfere with their ability to learn in traditional school settings, and therefore they are placed in more restrictive school environments. The prevention program is designed to delay sexual debut and reduce risky sexual behavior. The curriculum is manualized for 5 weeks (18 sessions) and delivered in a classroom setting with teens and co-facilitated by a clinical researcher/psychology intern and a teacher. The intervention is designed to fit into one unit of a psychology class and uses role plays, games, videos, discussions, journaling, and specially tailored experiential activities to reduce risk behavior. Group sessions focus on identifying and changing unsafe thoughts, managing emotions, developing assertiveness skills, and learning to practice preventive behavior. The final project involves youth creating a videotaped public safety announcement using the material they learned in our curriculum. Research interviews are conducted pre- and post-intervention to assess program effectiveness regarding teens' drug and sex behavior, HIV knowledge, cognitions about sex, feelings of self-efficacy, etc.
Several learning opportunities are available for psychology interns who participate in CHOICE. These include the opportunity to shape the design of the intervention, pilot the early draft of the treatment, shape the program for particular ethnic and socioeconomic groups, gain group therapy experience, be exposed to youth with a full range of psychopathology, analyze program effectiveness, collaborate with community partners, and work closely with therapeutic school staff.

Project Title
Growing Into Responsible Leaders by Talking About Love and Kinship (GIRL TALK): Families and HIV Risk Among Girls in Psychiatric Care, part of The Healthy Youths Program

Supervisors
Geri Donenberg, Ph.D., Kristi Jordan, Ph.D.

Project Description
This project explores mother-daughter relationship factors, mother-daughter communication patterns, maternal attitudes and behavior, and girls' peer and partner relationship characteristics that predict sexual debut and risky sexual behavior among African American urban girls in psychiatric care. We will recruit 13 - 15 year-old African American girls and their mothers seeking outpatient mental health services at several inner-city clinics in Chicago, and we will follow them for 2 years. Data will guide the development of family-based gender sensitive prevention programs for African American mothers and daughters receiving psychiatric care.
There are several opportunities for intern involvement including conducting interviews with mothers and daughters, working with clinic sites to facilitate recruitment and retention, web site development, assisting with tracking and retention efforts, conducting monthly telephone calls, and designing newsletters.

Project Title
Chicago HIV Prevention and Adolescent Mental Health Project (CHAMP)

Supervisors
Roberta Paikoff, Ph.D., and Donna Baptiste, Ed.D

Project Description
CHAMP is an HIV prevention research project located in six elementary schools on the South and West sides of Chicago. The CHAMP Family Study began in 1993 by following children (aged 9 and 10) and their families over a period of five years to examine the factors related to protecting children from HIV risk exposure (e.g. early sexual activity). In 1995, the CHAMP Family Program was developed based upon the findings from the CHAMP Family Study and the research literature on prevention in urban communities.

The CHAMP Family Program is a 12-week, family-based intervention that targets 6th and 7th graders in four schools on the South side of Chicago. CHAMP families meet once a week for two hours in groups of 5 to 10 at school or community sites. The intervention is designed to bolster family communication, enhance care takers' strategies for monitoring their children, enhance children's social problem solving skills, and provide basic information about puberty and HIV/AIDS. Groups are facilitated by teams of community parents and mental health interns who have completed joint training.

CHAMP Family Project is overseen by the CHAMP Collaborative Board. The Board was developed in 1995 and is chaired by Dr. Carl Bell, the CEO of the Community Mental Health Center (located on the South side of Chicago). It is comprised of parent and teacher representatives from each intervention school, as well as university research staff. The Board has a major decision-making role in the operation of the intervention (e.g. personnel and budgetary issues) and will play a major role in data analysis and dissemination of findings.

Dr. Paikoff is currently working on a new project, with Drs. Miller and Sweeney. This will involve a research program on the children of women with mental illness.

Psychology Interns Roles and Contributions
Psychology interns have been involved with CHAMP since 1995. In the past, interns have co-directed multi-family groups, along with becoming involved in research and other opportunities. Interns also participate in developing intervention curricula, implementing the intervention with community partners, and analyzing and presenting data from the CHAMP Family Study.

Project Title
Preventing HIV & Drug Use among Juvenile Offenders
(JD Project)

Collaborators:
Cook County Juvenile Detention Center; Cermak Health Services; Chicago Department of Public Health

Project Description
This exploratory/developmental project will design and pilot an HIV and alcohol/drug use prevention program for urban 12 – 17 year-old male and female juvenile offenders. High rates of mental health disorders, substance use problems, and risky sexual behavior among these youth underscore the need for comprehensive prevention programs that target their full range of impairment. We will combine and adapt for use with juvenile detainees three innovative and empirically supported HIV and substance use prevention programs originally developed for incarcerated teens (RHAP), runaway youth (Street Smart), and mentally ill (Project BALANCE) young people. RHAP and Street Smart are listed in the compendium of empirically supported HIV prevention programs developed published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Project BALANCE is an ongoing longitudinal HIV prevention program targeting youth in therapeutic day schools.

The project will be implemented in five stages. In stage 1, we will assemble and work closely with our advisory board, composed of various key stakeholders, to assist in developing a uniquely tailored intervention for juvenile detainees. In Stage 2, we will collect survey information from juvenile detainees to examine the frequency of HIV risk behaviors, applying a model of behavior based on individual and social factors to predict HIV risk taking. Enrolled youths and their primary caregivers will answer questions about HIV/AIDS knowledge/attitudes, family environment, and adolescent psychiatric symptoms. Youths will complete questionnaires about their sexual behaviors, drug use, peer/partner relationships, sensation seeking behaviors, and substance use attitudes and beliefs. One teacher for each participant will complete questionnaires about the youths’ behavior at school. In Stage 3, we will conduct four focus groups with 8 detained youth to discuss adolescent sexual behavior, HIV and STIs, condoms, and HIV programming for youths. Groups will be gender separate and specific. Information collected in Stages 2 and 3 will additionally guide curriculum development. In Stage 4, we will pilot test the first draft of the intervention with detained youth. We will refine the curriculum and study procedures based on participant feedback and advisory board input. We will follow-up with the participants 2 months later in which participants will complete the assessment a second time. In Stage 5, we will test the revised intervention with a larger sample to evaluate recruitment, retention procedures, and intervention implementation and content. Intervention participants will complete baseline and follow-up assessments to evaluate tracking, retention strategies and treatment effects.

The intervention will be informed by social learning theory and a social-personal framework previously applied to the sexual and drug use behavior of youth in psychiatric care. We will tailor the methods and curriculum to meet the unique needs of detained youth. The intervention will target key determinants of risk behavior among young offenders, including mental health problems and emotion regulation deficits, personal attributes (knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HIV/AIDS and substance use; sensation seeking), and peer and partner relationships (peer norms/influence; partner sexual communication; HIV prevention and substance use self-efficacy). Data analyses will (a) test change in youth’ risky sexual behavior and substance abuse as a function of program participation, and (b) determine the pretest-posttest effect size of program impact on the key outcome variables. We will use the effect size to determine the sample size needed for a large randomized controlled trial.

The juvenile justice system and detention facilities are ideal entry points for HIV and substance use prevention programming; evidence continues to reveal high rates of sexually transmitted infections and non-condom use in this population. Most offenders return to their communities, and empowered with the right tools, they will be better equipped to make safer decisions that reduce the spread of HIV. The long-term goal of the study is to develop an empirically validated, scientifically based HIV and substance use prevention program to reduce health risk behavior among youth in juvenile justice.

Project Title
Links to Learning

Supervisors
Marc Atkins

Collaborators
Stacy Frazier, Ané Marinez-Lora, Elisa Shernoff, Tara Mehta, Elise Cappella, Sonja Schoenwald, Dina Birman, Robert Gibbons

Project Description
Links to Learning is funded by the NIMH from 2005 to 2010 to study a model for school-based mental health services for urban low-income children and families that is guided by empirical evidence for schooling as critical for children’s social and emotional adjustment, and by evidence for the direct and indirect benefits of academic achievement for children’s mental health. A primary hypothesis is that aligning mental health resources to support children’s learning will lead to stronger mental health outcomes for children, relative to mental health services as usual. The model builds on cumulative evidence from a program of NIMH-funded research based in inner city Chicago Public Schools in which community mental health providers collaborated with (1) parent advocates to effectively maintain families in a school-based mental health program, (2) classroom teachers to enhance children’s academic performance, and (3) peer-identified influential teachers (key opinion leaders) to influence classroom teachers’ use of behavior management strategies. This study replicates and extends these collaborative models to focus on the most robust teacher and parent predictors of student learning. It is hypothesized that, relative to comparison sites, the experimental school mental health intervention will lead to improvement in urban children’s academic performance, behavior at home, and behavior at school relative to the treatment-as-usual comparison.

Specific Goals for this Project:
Mediational effects of teacher and parent performance on predictors of learning will be examined along with possible moderating effects of child, family, and teacher characteristics. The key research questions are examined by a 2 conditions (Experimental vs. Comparison) X 5 time points (baseline, time 2, time 3, time 4, follow-up) longitudinal design with random assignment of schools to conditions from a pool of 43 eligible schools of similar size, ethnic representation, poverty level, and achievement in adjacent high poverty neighborhoods. Children with one or more Disruptive Behavior Disorder in Kindergarten through 4th grades are identified by teacher screening and follow-up standardized parent and teacher ratings. Schools are randomly selected and assigned to either a comparison mental health services-as-usual condition, or to the experimental intervention condition, in which mental health providers (MHPs) are working in collaboration with key opinion leader (KOL) teachers, and parent advocates (PAs) to provide consultation to children’s classroom teachers and parents on evidence-based strategies for targeted predictors of children’s learning.

Role and Contribution of Psychology Interns:

• Demonstrate and support teachers’ use of classwide and targeted intervention strategies in schools
• Provide consultation to mental health agency staff on implementation of targeted strategies with children with disruptive behavior problems
• Work individually with non-enrolled students who are identified by teachers with behavioral and learning deficits
• Assist with parent interviews and classroom observations as part of the data collection and research model

Project Title: The Autism Project and Developmental Disorders Clinic
The Autism Program (TAP) is a statewide systems development initiative designed to create and enhance community networks that promote best practice in the diagnosis, treatment, and education of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In Chicago, TAP clinical activities have taken the form of diagnostic evaluations, ongoing consultation and training to treatment and school teams, and parent training. Each clinical activity is related to the larger goal of training anyone who comes in contact with children with ASD, including parents, medical providers, early intervention providers, educators, day care, and after school care.

10% time:
Develop competency in consultation for Demonstration Classrooms.

Time Commitment:
30% time over 12 month rotation.

Supervisors: Marrea Winnega, Ph.D., Jennifer Gorski, Ph.D., Jeff Salt, D.Clin.Psy.

Project Title
Project NAFASI (Nurturing All Families through After School Improvement)

Supervisors
Stacy L. Frazier (PI), Ph.D., Marc S. Atkins, Ph.D.

Collaborators
Robert Gibbons, Deborah Lowe Vandell, William Pelham, Sonja Schoenwald, Charles Glisson

Project Description
In response to the need for alternative venues for mental health service delivery in under-served, inner-city communities, Project NAFASI links mental health resources with publicly-funded after-school programs in urban, poor communities. This NIMH-funded grant examines how mental health consultation and support can strengthen the benefits of after-school programs for children's academic, social, and behavioral functioning. The project began with extensive collaboration with Chicago Park District after school program staff at one site to adapt an efficacy-based, manualized intervention program (Summer Treatment Program; Pelham et al., 1997) focused on facilitating positive peer socialization, reducing disruptive behaviors, increasing prosocial behaviors, and improving academic performance. By the end of that first year, we had compiled a set of interventions that included evidence-based strategies originating both from the STP (e.g., Group Discussion) as well as from other programs initially designed for and examined within school settings (e.g., Peer-Assisted Learning, Good Behavior Game). Collaboration with each new site proceeds in three stages: (1) relationship building, needs assessment, and resource mapping, (2) intervention adaptation and implementation, and (3) implementation support, problem-solving, and sustainability. Currently we are pilot testing the intervention in new Park District after-school program sites in high poverty communities, to study its impact on children's mental health outcomes, compared to demographically similar Park District after-school sites that receive no intervention.

Psychology Interns Roles and Contributions

• Provide consultation to after-school program staff around behavior management, activity instruction, and coaching behaviors
• Supervise social work students on intervention implementation
• 3. Conduct feedback and fidelity checks with program staff to monitor use and sustainability of recommended strategies
• 4. Assist with data analysis and interpretation towards the refinement of intervention and research goals.