Practical training in mental health involves supervised training activities for students in a clinical or research setting, focusing on assessment, intervention, or research. Students participate in their second year of a master’s program and are often supervised by predoctoral interns. Training settings vary, and programs may focus on one or all three divisions. Mental health fields that use practical training include psychology, counseling, oncology, psychotherapy, social work, and psychiatry. Various tasks are performed in individual and group settings. Multiple training programs are available, and applying for a special interest program requires submitting an application and qualifications.
Practical training is a term used in the field of mental health to describe supervised training activities undertaken by mental health students in a clinical or research setting, in conjunction with academic learning. Generally categorized under assessment, intervention, or research, there are various types of internship training that depend on the emphasis of the student’s study as it relates to mental health. Students who participate in internship training are usually in their second year of their master’s program and are often supervised by predoctoral interns who typically report to a licensed mental health professional. Such programs are intended to prepare students for study at the doctoral level and function competently with the application of mental health principles in a clinical setting. Training settings vary, with many located in community psychiatric hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, psychiatric centers, and school settings.
Covering a wide range of applications in the field of mental health, practical training is generally classified into three main divisions: assessment, intervention, and research. Some programs are designed to focus specifically on one division, while others may focus on a combination of divisions or all three. Assessment trainings will focus on administering a variety of assessments in the student’s mental health specialty, whereas intervention trainings will focus on planning and administering treatment strategies for mental health-related illnesses in a specialty or across specialties. Research trainings will focus on conducting research in a specific field of study, usually on a topic of interest to the student. Many internship training programs, however, will incorporate training in all three components to provide students with a comprehensive application of academic knowledge.
Mental health fields that make consistent use of practical training include various psychology disciplines, counseling, oncology, psychotherapy, social work, and psychiatry. Students often directly perform tasks related to assessment, intervention, or research. Activities may include counseling, conducting experiments, directing research efforts, conducting assessments, analyzing assessment results, planning treatment programs, managing mental health cases, and administering mental health treatments. Tasks typically occur in both individual and group settings.
A diverse range of training programs are available to students in the mental health field, with some universities offering multiple programs to meet the needs of a student’s specialty of study. Some large hospitals may also offer programs and tend to cater to more mental health related disciplines such as neuropsychology or oncology. Applying for a special interest program will usually require you to contact the internship training provider directly and submit an application along with the requested qualifications.
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