This program offers qualified students an opportunity to pursue hands-on work in a setting relevant to the field of Forensic Psychology. Students receive course credit for their work while Interning. The program involves sending students with some knowledge about Criminal Behavior and/or Forensics to sites that are involved in helping victims or perpetrators of crime and violence. The Program represents a unique opportunity for students to gain "hands-on" experience in the criminal justice/mental health field by working in a mental health or social service agency for undergraduate course credit. The Internship is an excellent way to get live exposure to and experience with the people and psychological phenomena you have read about in your psychology classes.

Most students who enroll in the Internship are Psychology majors in their junior or senior year who are interested in exploring career options in the mental health and human service fields. The program gives students a chance to "try out" working in the field, and to gain valuable experience prior to applying to graduate school or to their first job upon graduation.

Interns choose their own settings. These can include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: juvenile court; correctional facilities (like MCI-Bridgewater); Massachusetts Treatment Center (in MCI-Bridgewater); the District Attorney's Office in Plymouth County, including the Office of Prevention; District Court; police departments; battered women's shelters; facilities which treat psychiatric populations which are involved with crime or violence; high-risk children's facilities; drug treatment facilities; prisons; and others.

tudents will only be accepted if they qualify. To qualify, a student must have the following:

Most students complete an Internship for 3 credits (the equivalent of one course). For these three credits, you must complete 135 hours (45 hours per credit) at the Internship site. You may opt to complete more than 3 credit hours if you choose. For example, if you need 6 credits for graduation, you may elect to complete 270 hours at the Internship site, and you will be credited with 6 credits. You may not be paid for Internships, because you are already being "paid" with credits. For this reason, students generally cannot simply use a place of employment as an Internship.

Contact Dr. Englander in Psychology with your questions. The best ways to contact her are, in order:

The first step is to contact Dr. Englander and confirm that you are qualified, and discuss potential Internship sites. You need to discuss the following before going any further: are you qualified? What type of setting would best suit your interests? How many credits will you complete?

The best ways to contact her are, in order:

Once you have met and confirmed that you can do an Internship in Forensic Psychology, you will discuss potential sites and begin to contact them. The process for doing this can be obtained from Dr. Englander while you are meeting with her.

Once you have found a site, a form must be completed. Dr. Englander will sit down with you and help you complete this form. This form is your formal application for the Internship. The student and Dr. Englander meet and complete this application, which includes a thorough examination of the goals and circumstances of the Internship, and how you will be graded and evaluated. Dr. Englander must then sign the application.

This application must then be reviewed and approved the Psychology Department Chair and the Dean of Arts and Sciences. This application must be approved in order for you to enroll in the Forensic Psychology Internship for B.S.C. course credit. Typically the application is approved and sent automatically to the Registrar, who will then bill you for the credit hours.

Usually, students receive 3 credits (the equivalent of one course) for 135 hours of Internship work. However, you may earn anywhere between 3 credits and 15 credits towards graduation. You may not complete fewer than 3 credits. Every 45 hours at the Internship site completes one course credit.

No. PY-498 is a course, like any other. It has requirements. To receive a grade in the course, the student must complete the following:

1. They must successfully arrange for an Internship site.
2. They must have an accepted formal application.
3. They must keep, and turn in to Dr. Englander, a written journal of their experiences at the Internship site.
4. They must have regular contact (typically weekly) with Dr. Englander, and if possible along with other Interns, to discuss their progress in the Internship and their Interning experiences.
5. They must have their on-site Supervisor complete an evaluation form. They must discuss this form with their on-site Supervisor.
6. They must be responsible at all times, including completing in full their Internship hours, their Evaluation forms, their journal, and their meetings with Dr. Englander.

Only when all of these are satisfactory will you receive a grade for this course.

The weekly meeting typically takes the form of a weekly group supervision, in which you will have the opportunity to ask questions, get feedback, and reflect on your clinical experiences with both the Internship Supervisor and your classmates who are placed at other agencies. The supervision hour is designed to be flexible and to respond to the needs of each particular group of students as they arise. Students often find that the meeting serves as an informal support network in which students can discuss the stresses of clinical work, and "troubleshoot" with the supervisor and other students about how to address challenging situations at their sites, as well as a place to explore mental health career options through discussions with the supervisor and through hearing about other students’ experiences in various clinical settings

No. There are no exceptions to this rule. The point of an Internship experience is that it is a learning situation, and that you receive course credits rather than pay. You are receiving academic credit for your work at your site, and your site is expected to provide you with training and education rather than financial compensation. Keep in mind, however, that Internships provide contacts and experience in a field, and that once you have completed the Internship, your site is free to choose to hire you as a paid employee, especially once you have graduated from college.

Internship sites can be anywhere you like, as long as Dr. Englander approves them. However, there are some sites that we have already sent students to, and these are listed below. Please note: these sites are NOT recommendations, nor do they represent any official relationship with BSC. Students are absolutely free to make other choices, and the Department does NOT guarantee that ANY site -- including those listed below --- will provide a satisfactory internship experience. It is up to each student to evaluate potential Internship sites and to decide on which site is best for them.

COME BY HART HALL ROOM 327 (DR. ENGLANDER'S OFFICE) FOR A REVIEW OF POTENTIAL INTERNSHIP SITES

Internship sites tend to expose a student to work with either violent offenders, or victims of violent crimes.

Some sites specialize in domestic offenses. They are organized by these categories.

* * * * *

Massachusetts Treatment Center in the Bridgewater prison facility, contact Dr. Marie King (508) 279-8170

Department of Mental Health Crisis Center, New Bedford, contact Richard Detucci (508) 999-1248 or (508) 996-304

Medfield State Hospital, treatment of violent/sexual offenders, contact Judy Texiera (508) 242-8249. This hospital deals with offenders and Interns would work with Forensic Psychologists who are on staff at the hospital.

Old Colony Correctional Facility, Bridgewater Prison Complex, contact Chris Gillis or Todd Rapoza, (508) 279-6957.

Taunton State Hospital, contact Dr. Anna Mitchell (508) 977-3000. This is a hospital which serves forensic patients, including courtroom appearances, therapy, and forensic-legal decisions.

Mass. Correction Institute at Bridgewater, contact Barbara Schwartz, (508) 696-6941 x 1605

District Court, Brockton. Contact Jeff Smith (508) 587-8000 x326. Working in the Parole Dept. Meet w/ clients, do some observation in the courtroom, interviewing clients, making referrals, contacting agencies to check on the progress of clients, etc.

Read’s Academy (school for troubled children), East Bridgewater, contact Deidre Pizzuto (508) 587-6862

Juvenile Court, Brockton 508-586-5136 contact: Joel West. Working w/ juveniles in the Parole Dept. Learn what a probation does. Assist in duties: intake interviews, courtroom situations, work in the field, home visits, school visits. Learn about wide variety of duties and procedures.

Old Colony YMCA Diagnostic Assessment Unit, Fall River, MA. Contact Mr. Tom Dunse. This facility conducts psychological assessments on juvenile offenders.

Juvenile Court Clinic. Contact: Dr. Robert Fleming 508-586-5136. This is a staff of clinicians who evaluate juveniles psychologically and make recommendations to the court. Also do commitments to hospitals as needed for evaluations.

Office of Prevention, District Attorney's Office (Plymouth County). Contact: Mr. Edward Jacoubs. Help conduct research by this Office into what type of programs might prevent youth violence.

Violence Outreach Program or Domestic Advocacy Program, Dedham District Court. Contact: Sandy Pimentall, 617-984-5600 x 102. Teach violence prevention in schools, or do courtroom advocacy work with victims of domestic violence.

Brockton Family & Community Resources' Domestic Violence Action Program, contact Carolyn Lampos at 508-584-7171. This program helps families who suffer from domestic violence.

Family Continuity Programs (FCP), Quincy, contact Jill Forbes (617) 479-4069

Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Brockton, contact Linnaea Norris (508) 586-2660

New England Home for Little Wanderers, Jamaica Plan (Boston), contact Carolyn Carter (617) 232-8610

Saint Vincent’s Home, contact Brandon Bouchard (508) 679-8511

Rape Crisis Intervention Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Call (617) 667-4645.

Our Sister's Place, a battered women's shelter in Fall River

Survivor Assistance Rape Crisis Center, call (508) 324-7654.

Alcohol Family Rehabilitation in Plymouth, contact Cathy Spear at (508) 746-6635

When you speak to potential sites for an internship, use this checklist. (KEEP THIS SHEET)

1. Ask for the person in charge of Interns, or ask for the Contact Person if you're calling a number from the list. Write the name of the person you speak to here: ______________________________________
2. Explain that you are a BSC student, looking for an Internship Opportunity.
3. Ask if they take Interns, and if so, what is their process -- for example, would they like you to come in for an interview? Do they have an application form?
4. Whether they speak to you immediately on the phone, or later in an interview, be sure to cover the following points:

1. What will your duties be?
2. If you feel uncertain about your abilities to do what they need, be sure to ask them if they'll train you.
3. Tell them in advance how many hours you will need to do, and be sure that this is ok with them.

1. 135 hours = 3 credits
2. 180 hours = 4 credits
3. 225 hours = 5 credits
4. 270 hours = 6 credits
5. 315 hours = 7 credits (etc. )

1. Explain that you will be meeting regularly with your on-campus supervisor (and give them my name: Dr. Elizabeth Englander, in the Psychology Department), and that you will be keeping a journal of your experiences.
2. Explain that they will need to fill out a detailed evaluation of your performance, and go over it with you after they have filled it out. This only needs to be done once, at the end of the Internship.
3. Thank them for talking with you and ask them if they have any questions!

***NOTE: if you REALLY want the Internship, after the Interview or phone conversation send the person you spoke with a letter thanking them again for speaking with you and emphasizing how interested you are in the Internship. *******

Internships are a prime place to develop career interests, explore career growth possibilities, and meet "people in the field." While many students find themselves absorbed with the process of getting an Internship, their efforts shouldn't stop there. What you get out of an Internship depends, at least in part, on what you put into it.

Internships represent a unique combination of a working experience and a learning experience. While most learning experiences are abstract in nature, Internships are concrete experiences. And while most workers get a limited amount of support and training, as an Intern you may get more attention and support than you ever will again in your professional career. As an Intern, you may find yourself able to take risks and try creative things that you may not feel comfortable doing as an employee. Here are some tips on how to maximize your learning opportunities: